Proceedings of Societies. 365 



district. Dr L. also noticed Coccyx strobilana, which had been taken in 

 a greenhouse at Newington, and which was traced to a basket of fir cones 

 sent to Edinburgh by Mrs Scott of Gala. Among other insects also ob- 

 served, and taken this year were Mac aria lituraria, Leucania lithar- 

 gyria, Spcelotis cataleuca, Agrotis obelisca, A. putris, Caradrina 

 morpheus, Hadena adusta, etc. There was also a fine series of Dosithea 

 scutularia, bred from caterpillars, and which, in that early stage of de- 

 velopment, had been frozen hard, and left to thaw in the ordinary way, 

 but which had, nevertheless, produced beautiful specimens. Another 

 brood of caterpillars of a different genus, which had been similarly 

 exposed, had entirely perished. The results of a day's ramble in Castle 

 Eden Dean, in the county of Durham, were included in the insects 

 brought before the Society. Among them were Dosithea blomeri, 

 Pyraustra Punicealis, Stigmonota trauniana, <&c. 



Mr R. F. Logan exhibited specimens of Bombyciaviminalis, bred from 

 larvae found in June on a dwarf sallow on the Pentlands ; also a male 

 Parasemia plantaginis, taken on the wing near the top of one of the hills 

 on the same day. He also exhibited a specimen of the new British 

 Zygaena minos, from the collection of Dr Fleming, in which it had stood 

 probably for the last twenty years, and which Dr Fleming said he had no 

 doubt had been taken by himself in Fifeshire. 



4. Notice of the Scops-Eared Owl (Scops Aldrovandi), Will. Orn. Shot 

 in Sutherlandshire. By John Alex. Smith, M.D. 



This rare owl, which Dr Smith exhibited, was shot, in the latter end 

 of last May, at Morrish, near Golspie. In the general colour and cha- 

 racter of its plumage, it reminded him very much of the Nightjar; and 

 is distinguished from our other British owls by its small size, by the 

 incomplete character of its fascial disk, by its having tufts or horns, and 

 also by its rather long and slender legs, closely covered with short mottled 

 feathers, which terminate at the junction of the toes, leaving the toes en- 

 tirely bare. There is also a series of spots along the edge of the scapulars, 

 the outer half of these feathers being yellowish white with dark brown 

 tips, contrasting beautifully with the closely mottled and minutely spotted 

 and striped character of the rest of the plumage. It is a bird more espe- 

 cially of the southern and eastern portions of Europe, and from these it 

 migrates to Africa. Several instances have been reported of its occur- 

 rence in England. 



5. Mr A. Murray read an extract of a letter from Sir William Jardine, 

 mentioning a capture of the Ivory Gull (Larus eburneus), shot at Thrum- 

 ster, Caithness-shire. It was sent to him by Mr R. Shearer, Borrowston, 

 near Wick, who has thus added another specimen to the two or three 

 which are known to have been killed in Rritain. 



Wednesday, Dec. 27, 1854. Professor Balfoue, P., in the Chair. 



1. On the occurrence of Oxalates in the Mineral Kingdom. Analyses 

 of two new Species. By M. Forster Heddle, M.D. 



At this time last year two oxalates were known in the mineral king- 

 dom. The one, an oxalate of iron, was analysed by Rammalesberg, and 

 named by him Humboldtine ; the other, an oxalate of lime, identical in 

 composition with that ordinarily precipitated by the chemist, has been 

 called after Dr Whewell. Some months ago Mr R. Greg of NorclifTe 

 Hall sent me for analysis a few white crystals, which had been found, 

 some five-and-twenty years ago, in a copper mine at the Old Man, near 



NEW SEMES. — VOL. I. NO. II.— -APRIL 1855. 2 B 



