158 



&'CrENT!flC >7EWS. 



birds that frequent the vicinity of Edinburgh. He enuttie- 

 rated 178 species; of which II belong to the genus falco, 

 4 to strix, 1 to lanius, 8 to covvus, 1 oriolus, 1 cuculus, 

 1 picas, 1 alcedo, I upupa, 7 certhia, 2 sturnus, 6 tur- 

 dus, I avnpelis, 2 loxia, 7 emberiza, 8 fringilla, 1 musci- 

 capa, 3 alauda, 15 motacilla, 4 parus, 4 himndo, 1 ca« 

 primulgus, 2 columba, 1 phasianus, 6 tetrao, 3 ardea, 6 

 scolopax, 7 tringa, 4 charadrius, I heematopus, 3 rail us, 3 

 fulica, 4 podiceps, 4 alca, 6 colymbus, 2 sterna, 12 larus, 

 1 pi'ocellaria, 5 merganser, 20 anas, 4 pelecanus. This ac- 

 count was accompanied with interesting observations on the 

 distinctions of several of the species, their changes of plum- 

 age at different ages and times of the year, and their kind 

 of food; and specimens of some of the dubious species were 

 exhibited. 



Mr. Jameson, at the same meeting, read the following 

 mineralogical queries, and stated the reasons, that induced 

 liim to consider the objects pointed out by them as deserv- 

 ing the particular attention of mineralogists, 



Mineralogical queries. 

 Mmelalogical 1. In what species of rock are the metalliferous veins of 

 Tyndrum situated, and what are the minerals they con- 

 tain ? 



2. Are the leadglance veins of Strontian situated in sien- 

 5te, and what are their geognostic relations .'' 



3. Are the trap-veins, that traverse the mining field at 

 Strontian, basalt, porphyry slate, or greenstone, or do all 

 these diiierent species of rock occur in that district ? 



4. Does the quartz-rock of Scuraben and Morven in 

 Caithness, and of Portsoy in Bamffshire, occur in an un- 

 conformable and overlying position, or does it belong to 

 the coiuformable p-.imitive rocks, -as clay slate or mica 

 slate .^ 



5. Does not the granular rock of Ben Nevis rather belong 

 to the sienite than to the granite formation ? 



6. Does the rock of the hill of Kinnoul near Perth be- 

 long to the floetz-trap or newest floetz-trap formation? 



7. Is the mountain of Cairnsnniir in Galloway composed 

 of old granite ? 



8. What 



cueues. 



