346 Proceedings of the 



Dr Lowe then went on to allude to the " Proceedings," the publica- 

 tion of which had marked the last session ; and while he highly 

 complimented the Society on the production of so creditable a 

 fasciculus, he earnestly enjoined upon the members to spare no 

 exertions to ensure their continuance. He further alluded to the 

 very common position of members of the Society, who, while 

 they were by taste and inclination devoted to the pursuit of 

 natural history, were nevertheless, by their professional and 

 domestic duties, prevented from following out with any degree 

 of regularity the various branches of science which they de- 

 sired ; he reminded such how much might be done by " a ha- 

 bit of keeping their eyes open," and in illustration of this, 

 quoted some amusing instances related by the late Bishop of 

 Norwich, Dr Stanley, and, in addition, he begged to give one 

 on his own part, and that was, the finding of Achatina acicula, 

 which, as far as he was aware, had not been before noticed in 

 Scotland. This rare but minute shell he had first noticed one 

 day during the past summer while removing a decayed plant 

 in his own flower-garden at Bal green, and on subsequent in- 

 vestigation had found it generally distributed throughout the 

 garden. He had sent specimens to the late Professor Flem- 

 ing, Mr P. Dalmahoy, and Mr A. Bryson, none of whom had 

 ever seen this mollusc alive, nor indeed in its living condition 

 had it ever been seen in Scotland, and only rarely in England, 

 though in the dead state it is found in the latter country very 

 abundantly. 



After exhibiting specimens of these shells, and remarking on 

 the necessity of constant moisture in order to preserve them 

 alive, he contrasted some specimens of Clausilia, picked up 

 on Mount Carmel by Mr Henry Paul in 1856, and which he 

 had presented to Dr Lowe in 1857. These apparently dry 

 shells Dr Lowe had placed in tepid water only two days pre- 

 viously, and he now showed seven healthy molluscs creeping 

 about in the glass before him, after what might be called a 

 hybernation of about two years ! Dr Lowe concluded by 

 thanking the members for the kindness he had ever experi- 

 enced from them during the period he had held the honourable 

 office of one of their Presidents, which office he now begged to 

 resign. 



