98 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



sus terrestris," in 1629, since which time it had been almost lost sight of, 

 until Mr. Tait discovered it in Portugal, from which country Mr. Weir had 

 also received it. Mr. Billups referred to the large number of hawfinches 

 seen in the Forest of Dean, and read notes thereon. — H. W. Barker, Hon. 

 Sec. 



CLYDESDALE NATURALISTS' SOCIETY. 



The monthly meeting of this society was held on Wednesday, 18th April, 

 in the society's rooms, 207, Bath Street, Glasgow. Mr. T. J. Henderson, 

 President, in the chair. Mr. John Young, F.G.S., exhibited specimens of a 

 New Zealand land shell (Helix Busbyii) and its eggs. Mr. Young stated 

 that the specimens exhibited formed part of a collection of land and fresh- 

 water shells collected in Australia and New Zealand by Mr. Thomas Steel, 

 formerly of Greenock, and presented by him to the Hunterian Museum, along 

 with other natural history objects. One of the specimens exhibited was 

 found in a cave deposit, along with the remains of the now extinct Moa, or 

 Dinornis. Nr. Robert Dunlop exhibited specimens of fossil plants, including 

 Spkenoptera, and also a very fine specimen of a fresh-water crustacean (Antra- 

 paleamon Grossarts) which he had found in the Airdrie district, in one of 

 what he believed to be the finest collecting fields in the upper coal measures. 

 Mr. Dunlop also showed a sample of saccharine which he had extracted from 

 coal-tar, and which he stated was 320 times sweeter than ordinary sugar, 

 although he doubted if it was soluable in the human system. Mr. T. J. 

 Henderson exhibited a box containing some very fine specimens of the genus 

 Phoxopteryx, regarding which he read a short paper giving the distribution, 

 and describing the habits of each species, as well as noting the localities for 

 such species as occurred in the district. He also showed some interesting 

 lepidoptera, including a specimen of T. subtusa, taken by him at Titwood, in 

 September, 1866, but which he finds is not recorded in either the " Scottish 

 Naturalist ;; list, or " The Fauna of the West of Scotland/' as being taken in^ 

 in the district. Mr. George Paterson showed a spiders nest which a friend 

 had sent him from Australia, and which was of an unusually large s'ze. Mr. 

 John M. Campbell, F.R.S.G.S., exhibited a model of the egg of the great 

 auk, Alca impermis, L. } and also plates and maps illustrating the range with- 

 in which this extinct bird was at one time found. Mr. C. B. Cross showed 

 a large and well-preserved specimen of the death's head hawk moth (A, 

 atropos), found in a church at Campsie in 1882. Mr. W. Hannan Watson 

 exhibited a specimen of the palmate newt (Palmatus molge). Mr. Robert 

 Mason, F.L.S., F.R.S.G.S., exhibited specimens of the two species of maple 

 trees indigenous to this country, Acer campestre and A. pseudo-ptatanus, 



