1816.]} Wernerian Natural History Society. 389 
composed of red sand-stone, clay-iron-stone, and red marl, which 
are associated with clink-stone, clink-stone-porphyry, basalt, and 
trap-tuff. 
Jan. 20.—The Secretary read a paper by Dr. Grierson, entitled, 
Mineralogical Observations in Galloway. It was shown that there 
are three principal granite masses in Galloway, all of them situated 
in districts principally composed of transition rocks. In this paper 
the Doctor described the upper, or Loch Doon, granite. This 
mass of granite appears to bear the same relation to the stratified 
country which he formerly found the middle, or vee, mass to have. 
The grey-wacke or grey-wacke-slate were nowhere observed in im-’ 
mediate contact with the granite, but every where separated from it 
by a kind of compact gneiss. ‘The strata of this rock observe the 
usual direction, ‘not varying above four or five points, and their ends 
on the N. E. side of the granite run directly towards it. On the 
E. side of the granite they meet it in a conformable position, and 
are either nearly vertical, or dip from it. They are much more 
highly inclined than those which meet with the Dee granite. The 
Doon granite is in general of the same texture with that of the Dee. 
But there are two peculiarities with respect to its relation to other 
rocks ; one, its containing numerous and large apparent fragments 
of gneiss; the other, the occurrence of beds of felspar-porphyry 
in it. 
Fel. 3.—Mr. Campbell, of Carbrook, read a paper on the up- 
right growth of vegetables. After statmg the grounds on which he 
concludes that gravitation is the principle to which perpendicularity 
is to be ascribed, and examining the hypothesis of Mr. Knight, as 
to the mode in which that principle operates (which he conceives to 
be erroneous), Mr. Campbell propased a theory founded on the 
law of resisted attraction, by which he considers all ascents from 
the centre to be regulated. ‘The evaporation which constantly ac- 
companies vegetation, and the buoyancy produced by the formation 
of gaseous vapour, afford, according to his view, a field for the 
operation of this law; and although some effect may be produced 
by the upward pressure of hydrogen in a free state, he attributes te 
the buoyancy of gaseous vapour the chief agency in the’ upright 
growth of vegetables, 
At the same meeting the Secretary read a communication from 
James Wilson, Esq. containing remarks on the characters of the 
emberiza cirlus of Linneus, accompanied with a specimen of the 
bird shot near Edinburgh. 
Feb. \7.—Professor Jameson read a communication transmitted’ 
by Mr. Scott, Receiver-General of the Isle of Mar, concerning 
the skull and horns of an extinct species of elk found in a turf bog 
in that island. The horns differ considerably from those of the 
Irish elk. , 
On the same day a communication from Dr. H. E. Holder was 
read, concerning the effect of the juice of the papaw-tree (carica 
papaya) of the West Indies, in lessening the cohesion of muscular 
8 
