4 Proceedings of the 



ciniens. 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, Pyrausta Punicealis, Stigmonota trauniana, <jtc. 



TV. Mr R. F. Logan exhibited specimens of Bombycia viminalis, 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 Bri- 

 tish 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. 



V. 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 incom- 

 plete 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 scapu- 

 lars, the outer half of these feathers being yellowish-white with dark 

 brown tips, contrasting beautifully with the closely mottled and minute- 

 ly spotted and striped character of the rest of the plumage. It is a bird 

 more especially of the southern and eastern portions of Europe, and from 

 thence it migrates to Africa. Several instances have been reported of its 

 occurrence in England. 



VI. 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 Britain. 



Professor Gregory, Edinburgh University, was balloted for, and elected 

 a member of the Society. 



Wednesday, Dec. 27, 1854. — Professor Balfour in the Chair. 



I. 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 



