78 SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



Werner tan Sociely, 



Two species of jfai T the first winter meeting of this societ}^ an interesting 



arctic gull. communication from Dr. Arthur Edmondstoiie was read, 

 concerning the larus parasiticus, or arctic gull. Owing to 

 the remote situation of the haunts of thisgiill, its history 

 and manners have hitherto been little known. Dr. Edmon- 

 stone has now illuiitrated them, fie has observed two kinds 

 of arctic gulls in the Shetland Islands; the common sort, 

 with the breast and belly of a mouse colour; and another 

 sort, with the breast and belly pure white. Each kind keeps 

 together; and the white is a larger and heavier bird, but less 

 bold than the other. The doctor is therefore inclined to con- 

 sider these not merely as varieties, but ai distinct species. 



Varieties of ^t the same meeting professor Jameson read to the so* 

 ciety a short description of several varieties of the precioui? 

 stone named zircon, which he had lately discovered, iinbed- 



and subspecies ded in sienite, in Galloway. He also informed the society, 

 that he had observed, in the same rock in Galloway, both 

 the brown and the yellow subspecies of that very rare ore 

 known to mineralogists by the name of rutilite, or sphene. 



Zircon in 

 Scotland, 



«f ratilite. 



Mr. Edge- Mr. Edgeworth informs me, that an iron skeleton of a 



new 

 spir£ 



Jnrentcd^s'pTre. '^"■^' agreeably to his construction, described, vol. XXX, 



p. 241, may be covered with ih'wjlags of Portland stone, or 

 with any other thin flags or stones, that do not imbibe water, 

 and that are of a pleasing colour: that the Board of First 

 Fruits in Ireland, which consists of all the archbishops and 

 bishops, thought proper, without any solicitation, to present 

 the parish of Edgeworthstowu with the cost of the spire; 

 and that the Dublin Society have ordered a working model 

 to be made of the spire, and the machinery employed in 

 raising it, to facilitate the erection of such ornamental build- 

 ings in different parts of this country. 



The views of the coast of Ireland from the Bay of Dublin 

 «re uncommonly beautiful ; but the city appears flat and 

 uninteresting from its having scarely any elevated building, 

 the only spire in the whole city being that of St. Patrick's 

 churr.h. As the cause of this defect has probably been the 

 expense attending the construction of steeples in the usual 

 mode, we may now hope, that it will not long continue. 



• The 



