28 transactions of the 



13th May, 1873. 

 Mr. J. Allan, Vice-President, in the chair. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



The Chairman showed to the members a collection of flowering 

 plants from the neighbourhood of Louisville, Kentucky, illusti'at- 

 ing the general character of its botany, and which had been 

 forwarded by Mr. John Williamson, corresponding member. 



Mr. Cameron exhibited the larvse, pupae, and imagos of the 

 Gooseberry Saw-fly, Nematus rihesii, and gave some account of its 

 transformations and habits, mentioning some of the most efiectual 

 methods of destroying it. He also exhibited one of its parasites 

 in the larval condition. He then made some remarks on the 

 parasites of bees, noticing particularly the habits of the mites 

 (Acari), the Oil-beetle, Apathus, and Nomada. 



Dr. Stirton exhibited two lichens new to Britain, Solorina 

 hispora, ISTyl., and Lecidea didyniosjjora, Stirton. 



EXCURSION. 



Camhuslang. — Mr. Allan M'Aulay gave an account of this 

 excursion. In the course of his remarks, he said that plaats 

 which formerly were abundant on the Kenmuir side of the river, 

 but were now getting scarce, are still found in abundance on the 

 south bank. For example, Trollius europaeus and Gardamine 

 amara. 



paper read. 



Notes on Plant Names. — The Chairman then read a paper on 

 plant names, in which the etymology of some of the commoner and 

 more favourite plants was traced, and some of the superstitions 

 and folk lore surrounding them were detailed. Among these were 

 the rose, lily, elder, skellochs, agrimony, ash, beech, and the banes 

 and worts. Some interesting facts were pointed out in the names 

 derived from Gaelic. 



27th May, 1873. 

 The President in the chair. 

 Mr. Malcolm Black, jun,, was elected a resident member. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr. Cameron exhibited a large number of Ichneumonidae taken 

 in the diswict last season. There were about 200 species. He 



