History of the Society. 29 



sified subjects dealt with range from Flora of Madagascar to 

 local stone implements. Many valuable communications were 

 read to the Society, notably by Patrick Dudgeon, James 

 Barbour, Rev. W. Andson, Rev. R. W. Weir, and Messrs 

 Joseph J. Armistead and G. F. Black. The Botany of 

 Dumfriesshire was enthusiastically undertaken by Messrs G. 

 F. Scott Ellliot and James M' Andrew. \'aluable donations to 

 the Society included the scientific library of Robert Dinwiddle, 

 of New \'ork, and a collection of plants made by Dr Frank 

 Grierson. Robert Barbour resigned the Secretaryship in 

 May, 1889. He was succeeded by Dr E. J. Chinnock, Rector 

 at that time of Dumfries Academy, who held oflice for eight 

 years, the longest held by any Secretary. During that time 

 seven volumes were published, and the Society, as evidenced 

 by its proceedings, was wrought up to a greater pitch of 

 excellence than had ever previously been achieved. 



Session i8go-i8gi. (No. 7.) [W)L. XHI.] 



During this session " twenty-four valuable papers were 

 read, all of which showed laudable research, and some are of 

 very great interest." Those by Rev. W. Andson, Rev. J. H. 

 Thomson, Rev. R. W. Weir, Patrick Dudgeon, J. R. Wilson, 

 J. T. Johnstone, and Messrs J. Corrie and James M'Andrew 

 may be particularly mentioned. The formation of the 

 Herbarium proceeded satisfactorily, due mainly to the inde- 

 fatigability of Mr G. F. Scott Elliot, by whose good offices a 

 collection of botanical specimens was gifted to the Society by 

 Mr William Carruthers, of the British Museum. The 

 Transactions for this period were published in 1891. 



Session 1891-1892. (No. 8.) [Vol. XIV.] 



Botany formed the thesis for more than one important 

 paper read this Session. " The Flora of Dumfriesshire," 

 Part n., by Messrs G. F. Scott Elliot, James M'Andrew, and 

 J. T. Johnstone, occupied pages 126-148 of the volume of 

 Transactions published in 1893. An interesting public lecture 

 was delivered on Fish Culture by Mr Joseph J. Armistead, 

 under the presidency of Sir Herbert Maxwell, on November 

 19th, 1891. If it is permissible to draw attention to any 



