148 Sir W. Jardine’s Contributions to Ornithology. 
Note.—A, hartlaubi differs from A, sabini in the stout short 
form of the body, long wings, narrow white band on upper 
tail-coverts, and in the form and strength of feet. 
Charadrius virginiacus.—In Dr Hartlaub’s System der Ornitho- 
logie, West Africa, Charadrius pluvialis, or common golden 
plover, only is noted. In a small collection of birds lately sent 
from Fernando Po by Consul Burton, there is a specimen of 
C’. virginiacus, This is not remarkable, being a bird of wide 
geographical distribution, but it has not yet been noticed as 
occurring in Western Africa. 
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
Royal Society of Edinburgh. 
Monday, 2d March 1863.—Principal Sir D. BREWSTER, 
V.P., in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read :— 
1. Letter from Sir D. Brewster relative to the specimens 
of Topaz with Pressure Cavities presented by him to 
the Museum of the Society. 
2. On the Polarization of Rough Surfaces, and of Substances 
that reflect White or Coloured Light from their Interior. 
By Sir David Brewster, K.H., F.R.S. < 
3. On a Clay Deposit with Fossil Arctic Shells, recently 
observed in the Basin of the Forth. By the Rev. Thomas 
Brown, F.R.S8. E. 
The author having stated the circumstances which led to his 
discovering this bed with its fossils near the harbour at Elie, re- 
ferred to a drawing of the section, and explained the position and 
contents of the different strata. 
Specimens of the shells were exhibited, as named by Dr Otto 
Torrell of Lund, who had supplied important information as to their 
distribution. They are all, without exception, now living in the 
Arctic Seas. A majority of them are exclusively Arctic. Several 
are new to the British glacial deposits—viz., Thracia myopsis, ~ 
Pecten groenlandicus, Crenella decussata, C. levigata,* Turritella 
erosa,t and a new Yoldia found in Spitzbergen in 80° north lati- 
* “ Most probably, but much injured.” 
+ “Almost certainly this species, yet cannot be positively asserted.” 
\ 
Se 
“al 
