488 Report of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 



damage. The rhododendrons were thriving. They are planted 

 in peat and not in the natural soil. It is renewed as they get 

 larger. 



A small party passed up the ravine above the grounds towards 

 the hills, and obtained a few fungi, on which the Eev. David 

 Paul makes the following observations. 



"No fungi of any interest were observed about Traquair, the only ones 

 picked up being such common species as Agaricus laccatus, Lactarius blennius, 

 and Scleroderma vulgare. As the gates of The Glen were approached, fine 

 specimens of Hygrophorus puniceus were seen on the hill side to the right, and 

 all over the lawns near the house was abundance of Hygrophorus virgineus. 

 Though the ground looked favourable there was no variety of the large fungi, 

 nor was any one of them in itself interesting. Here and there about the shrub- 

 beries and walks were found the ubiquitous Agaricus fascicular is ; Ag. terreus, 

 and imbricatus ; Ag. melleus ; Ag. mutabilis ; Ag. squarrosus , the pretty Ag. 

 granulosus ; Boletus chrysenteron ; very large specimens of Clavaria rugosa, 

 growing beside fine specimens of the fetid Phallus impudicus, both full grown 

 and in the egg. 



One specimen of Gomphidi^s glutinosus was found on our return to Inner- 

 leithen in the fir wood behind the well." 



By invitation the company partook of lunch, and Lady Ribbles- 

 dale did the honours of the house. Mr Edward Tennant then 

 shewed his collection of the birds of Peebleshire, which were 

 well preserved specimens. They comprised : — the rough-legged 

 buzzard, two ; peregrine falcon, two ; common buzzard, two ; 

 merlin, two ; kestrel ; sparrow-hawk, three ; tawny or brown 

 owl ; long-eared owl ; chough or" red-legged crow ; cross-bill, 

 two ; ring-ouzel, two ; magpie ; bull-finch, two ; common wren ; 

 crested wren ; meadow pipit ; long-tailed, blue and coal tits ; 

 tree-creeper ; pewit ; golden plover ; curlew ; woodcock ; snipe ; 

 black game and grouse ; partridge ; coot ; land-rail ; water-rail ; 

 cock pheasant, in variegated plumage ; common sand-piper ; 

 green sand-piper ; little grebe or dabchick ; herring gull ; golden 

 eyed duck, in immature plumage ; teal. The Eed-legged Chough 

 was shot by a ploughman somewhere in the vicinity. Mr Robert 

 Grey thus writes me, " The occurrence of the chough in Peebles- 

 shire is of very great interest. In my ' Pirds of the West of 

 Scotland,' I refer to the disappearance of this bird from inland 

 places where it formerly occurred in considerable numbers ; but 

 this specimen at The Glen, is the second instance that has come 

 under my notice this year of the chough returning to its inland 

 quarters— the other being in Ayrshire." Mr Mathison enumer- 

 ates among the rare birds of Peeblesshire the peregrine falcon ; 



