GLASGOW SOCIETY OF FIELD NATURALISTS. 71 



Lawers. Some of them had increased considerably, and others — 

 the rare Gentiana nivalis for instance — seemed to be getting rapidly 

 exterminated. Mr. J. R. Watson succeeded in getting Saxifraga 

 cernua in flower — a very unusual occurrence with the species in 

 this country. 



PAPER READ. 



By Mr, Stewart Macdonald on " Mistakes in Natural History," 

 in which he instanced many curious and absurd mistakes into 

 which even great naturalists had fallen, in striving to interpret 

 biological phenomena. 



8th September, 1874. 



Mr. Peter Cameron, jun., Yice-President, in the chair. 

 Messrs. Matthew J. Algie and John Renwick were elected 

 resident members, 



SPECIMENS exhibited. 



By Mr. George Horn, — A number of plants collected on rubbish 

 heaps, Great "Western Eoad; among them were: — Veronica 

 Buxhaumii, Goriandrum sativum (in fruit), Thlaspi arvewse, and a 

 young plant of the Date Palm {Phoenix dactylifera). 



By Mr. Alexander Macindoe. — ^Various species of Ferns from 

 New Zealand. 



By Mr. Peter Cameron, jun. — The und escribed Nematus alnivorus 

 of Hartig, a saw-fly not previously reported as a native of Britain. 

 It agrees very closely in size and colour with Hemichroa luridiventris, 

 but it wants the white line on the pronotum. It seems to be a 

 common species in Scotland, having been taken in the Possil 

 district and in several localities in Inverness-shire, Nothing is 

 known regarding its larva, but from the fact of the imago being 

 always captured in the vicinity of willows, it is presumed that it 

 feeds on these plants. He also exhibited the larva of Ahia nitens 

 from Possil Marsh, where it is now found feeding on Scahiosa 

 succisa. When disturbed it ejects a watery fluid from pores in the 

 body and rolls itself up into a ball. 



Mr. Cameron also exhibited the female of the rare bee Womada 

 mistura, Smith. The male only has been dciscribed or known 

 until the capture of this specimen, which was taken in Cadder 

 Wilderness in August, on the Ragwort ; another example was 



