Transactions. 27 
volumes, with annotations by Theodore Haak, published in 
London in 1657, as a donation from Mr J ohn Kerr, 
Exhibits—Mr J. Rutherford exhibited a number of micro- 
scopic slides, chiefly anotomical. Mr Coupland exhibited four 
pieces of rock brought to the surface from the depth of 346 feet, 
during the boring of the artesian well at the Troqueer Mills. 
The rock is a breccia, and is of the same formation as that 
exposed at the railway cutting near Goldielea, and was very 
difficult to pierce. 
CoMMUNICATIONS. 
I. The Scandinavian Customs and Habits in Scotland. 
By Mr J. Gipson H. Starke, V.P. 
In this paper the author referred to some of the customs and 
habits of the old Scandinavian warriors, few of which are now 
extant. He remarked that the festivities attending our Christmas 
resemble those of the Scandinavians, when, at Yule-tide, the huge 
logs of wood were burnt in honour of the gods Odin or Thor. 
The mode of interment—the ship-shaped barrows discovered in 
this country resemble those found in Scandinavia. Mr Starke 
also referred to the hanging of the mistletoe in the dwelling- 
houses, the sword dance, the haaf fishing, and the drinking bouts, 
which have their prototypes still in that country. 
Il. Cup and Ring Markings near Kirkcudbright. 
By Mr J. M‘Kig, R.N. 
In this paper Mr M‘Kie described the discovery by a member 
of the Kirkcudbright Naturalists’ Society in April, 1886, of a 
large stone adjacent to the Dunrod Churchyard, with several cup 
and ring markings on its surface. In September Mr M‘Kie 
visited this stone, and by scraping away the earth from it he 
found the traces of seventeen different markings, which he now 
described, and also some other markings on the adjacent rocks. 
The readers are referred to a paper on this subject read by Mr 
Coles at the April meeting, as it also describes these markings 
and many others discovered after Mr M‘Kie’s paper was read. 
