104 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 
feelings, and silence becomes the truest exponent of our admira- 
tion and of the thoughts that elbow each other through the mind. 
During the past two years I have had an opportunity of being 
at least twice ashore on the Craig, and my object in visiting it 
was partly to have a look at close quarters at the source from 
whence come the famous curling-stones, and partly to ascertain 
what kinds of Entomostraca and other crustacean species were to 
be found on its shores, or in the springs or pools of water that I 
had heard of as occurring on the island, but no special effort was 
made on these occasions to examine generally either the fauna 
or the flora. Moreover, the only part of the rock that has been 
visited by us hitherto is the south end, from Stranny Point on the 
west to the Lighthouse on the east. The last time I was ashore 
this year was on the Queen’s Birthday. A strong wind had been 
blowing all the previous night, and our little vessel, the s.s. 
“Garland,” had been obliged to seek shelter under the lee of the 
Craig ; but towards afternoon the wind abated considerably, and, 
as the sky was clear, the weather at the south end, where we were 
sheltered from the wind, was warm and pleasant. Taking advan- 
tage of such a favourable opportunity, and accompanied by the 
genial skipper of the “Garland,” I paid a short visit to the island. 
On shore, insects of various kinds were taking advantage of the 
pleasant sunshine to fulfil their life work, and one of the more _ 
common among them was the beetle known as the Seven-spotted 
Lady-bird (Coccinella septempunctata, Linn.). Silpha thoracica, 
Linn., and a few other beetles were also observed, but were much 
scarcer than the lady-bird. The small white butterfly was flitting 
about among the rank vegetation, and under some of the stones 
that were turned over in searching for Slow-worms a few Centi. 
pedes and Millepedes were noticed. Land mollusks, which are 
probably not very common on Ailsa Craig, were also occasionally 
observed during our visit, and comprised such forms as Helix 
nemoralis, Linn., Hyalinia ailiaria, Miller, Pupa cylindracea, Da 
Costa, and Clausilia rugosa, Draparnaud, but the weather con- 
ditions, though pleasant, were not very favourable for shell-hunting, 
and in my experience it is not unusual to find that a locality which 
at one time may appear to be unproductive will at another time, 
when more favourable conditions prevail, be thronged with living 
creatures. : 
