Report of Meetings. By the President. 475 



perty near Mrs Filleul's boarding house, Queen's Road. No reason could 

 be assigned for its occurrence there. 



6. Capture of the Small Spotted Bog-Fish (Squalus canicula) on the Coast 

 of Berwickshire. — A specimen of this shark was got in a salmon net at Red- 

 heugh, 18th July, 1884. It was 26^ inches long, and weighed 2 lb. 6 oz. 

 It is scarce at Berwick and in the Firth of Forth, where it has been caught 

 occasionally in salmon nets at Queensferry, It is common in Cornwall 

 where it is called Morgay and Rough Hound. Of its skin shagreen was 

 wont to be prepared. Its curious egg was exhibited. It is oblong, honey 

 coloured, pellucid, terminated at the corners with very long slender 

 filaments, by which it is attached to sea- weeds and corallines. 



7. Bedshanlc Sandpiper (Tetanus Calidris) from Bawburn in the Lam- 

 mermoors. — This was a bird in the plumage of the first year which had 

 been observed in August, 1882, by Mr Wilson, now of Wellnage, Duns, 

 frequenting the side of a pond in company with a lapwing. It was after- 

 wards shot by the gamekeeper, and the skin was preserved. It had pro- 

 bably lost its way during the autumnal migration, and joined the lapwing 

 for company. 



8. Examples of the Porphyries of the District. — A very good collection of 

 specimens of the porphyries, agates, &c., of the neighbourhood of Linton 

 was exhibited by Mr Laing and other friends in the town. A fine speci- 

 men of selenite, or pure sulphate of lime, from Mr Sharp, the landlord, 

 had been found fifty years ago at the bottom of a pump-well at Whitsome 

 Hill, Berwickshire. The porphyries can be dressed into excellent building 

 stones, of which there are good examples, with sandstone lintels, in the 

 range of houses at the east end of Linton Bridge. Some of the harder 

 stones (for they vary greatly in this respect) take a good polish, and can 

 be formed into ornamental slabs : in a rougher state they can be dressed 

 into durable door steps. The clinkstone porphyry of Traprain is broken 

 for road metal. 



Both Di* Stuart, Cliirnside, and Mr Muirhead, Paxton, brought 

 collections of rare flowers then in bloom in their gardens. 

 Iris Kcempferi and Mecanopsis Wallichl were much admired. 



Those present at this meeting were — Dr F. Douglas and Mr 

 J. Hardy, Secretaries ; Captain Forbes, R. N., Berwick ; Eevs. 

 Canon Ildex'ton of Ilderton ; P. G. M'Douall, Cosgrove Rectory, 

 Stony Stratford ; Geo. Marjoribanks, Stenton ; Thomas S. Mar- 

 joribanks, Prestonkirk ; Robert Nimmo Smith, Haddington; 

 William Snodgrass, D.D., Canonbie ; Beverley Wilson, Duddo ; 

 R. H. Williamson, Whiekham ; Drs Charles Douglas, Kelso ; 

 Charles Stuart, Chirnside ; Messrs George Bird, Edinburgh ; J. 

 B. Boyd of Cherr^'trees ; William Crawford, Duns ; Thomas 

 iJarling, Berwick ; Mr Fraser, Stenton ; W. T. Hindmarsh, Aln- 

 bank, Alnwick ; John Hood, Townhead ; Mr Kennedy, Edin- 



