Mr Scot-Skirving on the Natural History of Islay. 69 



Wednesdiiy, loth December 1875. — David Grieve, Esq., President, in ttie 



Cliair. 



The following gentlemen were balloted for, and elected Office-Bearers of the 

 Society, the names in Italics being those of the Office-Bearers elected in room 

 of those who retire this Session : 



Presidents, — John Alexander Smith, M.D. ; David Grieve, Esq.; John 

 Falconer King, Esq. 



Council.— k. B. Herbert, Esq.; Ramsay H. Traquair, M.D.; Jas. M'Bain, 

 M.D., R.N,; IVm. Durluim, Esq.; Professor Duns, D.D.; R. Scot-Skirving, 

 Esq. 



Treasurer. — E. TV. Dallas, Esq. 



Assistant- Secretary. — John Gibson, Esq. 



Library Committee. — James M'Bain, M.D. ; Thomas Robertson, Esq.; 

 R. F. Logan, Esq.; Robert Gray, Esq.; F. W. Lyon, M.D.; Janus Anderson, 

 Esq. 



The following gentlemen were balloted for, and elected Members of the 

 Society : 



Resident Members. — Dr Andrew Wilson, Lecturer on Zoology in the School 

 of Arts, and in the Extra- Academical Medical School ; and James Pryde, Esq. , 

 Lecturer on Mathematics, in the School of Arts. Corresponding Member. — 

 John Macdonald, Esq., S.S.C, H.M. Register House. 



The following donations were laid on the table, and thanks voted to the 

 donors : 



1. Proceedings of the Linnean Society, for Session 1874-75. 2. Presidential 

 Address of the Linnean Society, and Obituary Notices. 3. List of the 

 Linnean Society, 1875. 4. Additions to the Library of the Linnean Society, 

 from 20th June 1874 to 19th June 1875.— From the Society. 5. Transactions 

 of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, Vol. VIII., Part V., Vol. IX., Parts I. 

 and II. — From the Society. 6. Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical 

 Society of Liverpool, Session 1874-75, No. XXIX. — From the Society. 



The following communications were read ; 



I. — The Natural History of Islay. By R Scot-Skirving, Esq. 



In the commencement of his paper, which was the address 

 he proposed to have delivered at last meeting, as retiring 

 President, could he have been present, Mr Scot-Skirving 

 began by remarking that the first thing that struck a stranger 

 on landing in Islay, in spring or early summer, was its extreme 

 greenness, and that, even more than Ireland, it might merit 

 the appellation of the " Emerald Isle." It was only, he said, 

 after people had travelled in warmer countries that they 

 learned fully to appreciate the charm of the bright, green, 

 fresh turf of the British Isles. Many persons held erroneous 

 ideas as to the nature of the climate of Islay and other members 

 of the Hebridean group, as they attributed the excessive rain- 

 fall of some of them to the whole. They thought that as 



VOL. IV. K 



