Proceedings of the Royal Society Eidinhurgh, 
occasioned by its being fed upon any undiscovered local marine 
poison, from the circumstance of the other smaller fishes of the 
same genus, that were found in the same places, never partak-' 
ing of the same poisonous nature ; and from the poison of the 
fish being more potent and deadly than any known, or even 
supposable article of food could be likely to communicate. 
With respect to remedies and antidotes, the efficacy of sugar 
was alone established as deserving of credit. Wines, spirits/ 
and the condiments used at table, v/ere believed to have ob« 
tained occasional credit only froiii their being used in such slight 
cases of the poison, as would most likely have passed away 
without any remedy. As a precaution in all cases of suspi- 
cious fish of the larger species, the cleaning them out as scoii 
as caught, was recommended as a useful and proper one, to 
prevent the carcase being farther tainted by the lodgement of 
any poisonous matter, (such as that of the yellow-billed sprat,) 
recently swallowed ; though it was shewn at the same time, that 
the doing so, and even salting the fish afterwards, could not, in 
any instance, do away with the poisonous impregnation so com- 
municated to these voracious creattires, w^hose powers of assi- 
inilation, from the shortness of the intestines, and great size of 
the liver, must be supposed to be infinitely quicker than what 
takes place amongst terrestrial animals. It was useful also in 
a more humble way, by furnishing the material of the only cri- 
terion hitherto discovered for detecting the poison, which Was 
shewn to be that of giving a portion of the liver or offal, to some 
inferior animal, such as a cat, a duck, or a pig, and ascertaining 
its effects upon thein^ before making use of the fish. 
Feb. J. — A paper, by the Reverend Mr Brewster of Paisley, 
was read, entitled, Description of a fossil tree found in a 
quarry at Nitishill, the property of Colonel Dunlop of Houses 
hill.” Specimens of the tree v/ere exhibited to the Society. 
At the same meeting, Mr Adie communicated to the Socie- 
ty an account of his new hygrometer. See p. 32. of this Num-< 
ber, where it is described. 
At the same meeting, a paper by Dr Brewster was read, 
“ On a new optical and mineralogical structure, exhibited in 
certain specimens of Apophyllite and other minerals.’** This pa- 
per forms the first article of the present Number. 
[To he co7}tmitcd.'\ y % 
