70 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



several large Scots firs near Mitchells, a hamlet not far from 

 Leuchars, in Fife. The following extract from Dr Nelson's 

 letter gives some interesting details : — 



" The first time I saw this species alive was in Lancashire, 

 about 10 years ago, when waiting for hawks, &c, at dusk, in 

 a small plantation more than a mile from any house. For 

 several nights I had observed eight or ten birds take up their 

 abode under an old magpie's nest, and their call being some- 

 thing new to me, I sent some dust-shot at the nest, and down 

 came three of this lively little finch — the first I had ever seen 

 in the flesh. I saw nothing more of the species till about four 

 years ago, when I killed a pair at my brother's at Castleton, 

 near to Tantallon Castle. I expected to find them nesting in 

 the ivy which " braves the blast" on several points of that old 

 ruin; but although I looked anxiously for them dozens of 

 times, I never saw any but the common species. The speci- 

 men sent I killed with an air-cane about two months since. 

 A colony of about a dozen has taken up their habitat in a 

 wood about a hundred yards from my house, and for many 

 weeks have come to feed under my windows, in company with 

 the chaffinch and greenfinch. While I am writing this, my 

 little favourites are within four yards of the window ; and I 

 can count as many as five — all males — one evidently an old 

 cock, from his bright plumage. In and about my farm stead- 

 ing, which is not far from the house, the common species, 

 Passer domesticus, is in hundreds ; but I have never once 

 seen P. montanus mixing with them. It would seem that he 

 looked upon his plebeian brother with contempt, preferring 

 the company of the bright liveried spink and the spring-tinted 

 chloris. The food seems to be the seeds of several of our 

 common weeds, and they will battle, and successfully, too, 

 with the more robust greenfinch, should he trespass on their 

 feeding-ground." 



Wednesday, February 23, 1859. — Andrew Murray, Esq , President, 



in the Chair. 



The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table : — 

 1. Ruminantia (from the Cyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physiology.) 

 By T. Spencer Cobbold, M.D. 2. Observations on Entozoa, with notices 



