328 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [july 4 , 
they are older or younger than their brothers. In the case of a 
few families this practice is also adopted in Lodge, presumably 
by special desire of the head of the family ; and it is a matter 
of regret that this, together with other circumstances to be 
presently mentioned, diminishes the value of the book for statistical 
purposes. 
I could have greatly increast the above mentioned number of 
facts, if I had not thought it desirable altogether to exclude the 
marriages of the persons given under the heading, “ Collateral 
Branches”. But a very slight examination of the book, was suffi- 
cient to satisfy me that the information as to the collateral branches 
of each family, was very much less trustworthy than that relating 
to the immediate family. There appears to be no very precise rule 
according to which persons are transferred from the portion of the 
work relating to the immediate family, which is printed in larger 
type, to the “ Collateral Branches”, printed in smaller type. When 
the title has descended to the present holder from his father and 
grandfather, the name of the peer is given in the first instance, 
with his date of birth, his date of succession to the title, and full 
particulars of his marriages. Then follow the names and dates of 
birth of his children, the dates of their marriages, if any, and the 
dates of death of any who have died. In the case of the married 
sons, similar information is given as to their children ; but this is 
very rarely done in the case of the married daughters. After all the 
usual information has thus been given as to the peer and his descend- 
ants, we have the name of the peer’s father, with similar inform- 
ation as to himself, his marriages, his children (other than the peer), 
and their marriages. As in the case of the peer, no information is 
given as to the children of the married daughters, the sisters of the 
peer; but full information is given as to the children of the 
married sons, the brothers of the peer ; in other words, we have 
information as to the nephews and nieces of the peer who trace their 
descent through the male line. 
In some cases we next have the peer’s grandfather, with inform- 
ation as to his children, who are the uncles and aunts of the peer ; 
and, as in former cases, we have information as to the children of the 
uncles, but not as to the children of the aunts ; and we thus get 
particulars as to the first cousins of the peer who trace their descent 
