68 TRANSACTIONS. 
Some of you at least may not be aware that a few years ago 
conchological maps of every county in Great Britain and Ireland, 
showing the distribution and number of species of land and fresh- 
water shells then known to occur in each county, were from time to 
time being published, and I was astonished to see that Dumfries- 
shire stood nearly, if not quite, at the bottom of the list, and 
deserving to wear the dunce’s cap! Now, I want some of you to 
help me to blot out this stain upon our character as naturalists. 
Of course it is but little that I have been able as yet to effect in 
this direction, but that little convinces me that a diligent and 
persevering search will reap a rich reward. I trust, therefore, that 
our knowledge of the mollusca of this district will in the coming 
year be largely increased, and then I shall be glad, if permitted, to 
speak to you at greater length about them than I have been able to 
do this evening. 
In conclusion, I would strongly urge upon you the necessity 
of striving to do original work. This will bring you face to face 
with Nature. Listen to her teachings, which, if rightly learnt, 
will help you to shake off the fetters of self-pride which are too 
often wont to stay our progress, and then she will lead you step by 
step onward and upward until you are enabled to form a better, 
though still feeble, conception of the stupendous majesty of 
Nature’s beneficent Creator. 
COMMUNICATIONS. 
I. An Ornithological List for the Parish of Glencairn. By Mr 
JOHN CoRRIE of Moniaive. 
The first bird to be mentioned is the Peregrine Falcon (Falco 
Peregrinus), now arare bird in the district, although common, I 
believe, at one time, and known to nest regularly on the Auchen- 
strowan, Lorg, and Craigenputtock crags. Single birds were seen 
this year in the vicinity of Woodlea and Maxwelton, but it is un- 
likely they would be allowed to nest. The Merlin (fado Gsalon), 
like the Peregrine, is yearly becoming less common. During May 
of the present year a pair nested on the Bogrie moors, but the 
female was trapped and her mate is said to have been shot. The 
Kestral (Falco Tinnunculus) is still a fairly common species, but 
its extermination, like that of all the hawks, can only be a matter 
of time. The Sparrow Hawk (Accipiter Misus) may be considered 
rare. The Kite (AZilvus vulgaris) is now almost, if not quite, 
extinct. When a boy, a tame Kite or “‘Gled” as we called it, was 
PO eee “oy 
