PROCEEDINGS-PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. XC1X 
Another good addition is the nest of the Dabchick, or Little Grebe, 
from Rohallion, which is interesting as being so constructed as to 
float on the surface and to be generally moored to some isolated 
clump of reeds or rushes, the eggs being carefully covered with water 
weeds by the bird each time she leaves the nest, effectually conceal¬ 
ing them from observation. Among the birds there have also been 
several valuable additions, Mr. T. G. Millais, of the Seaforth High¬ 
landers, as has been mentioned on a former occasion, having largely 
contributed. He very kindly, on his last visit to the Museum, made 
a note of such birds as he could spare, and which he found we 
wanted. These he has now supplied, amounting in all to ten species. 
These, though all represented in the Museum with the exception of 
one, the Goldfinch, are of great value, as now completing the series 
of sex or stage of plumage according to the season. These specimens 
are now being mounted, and will shortly be placed in the cases. 
Among others recently placed in the Museum, I may specially notice 
a singularly beautifully marked Duck, a hybrid between the common 
Wild Duck and the Pintail, shot on the Tay this winter near Seggieden. 
I will not take up your time further than merely to remark that, owing 
to want of space, some of the cases may appear unnecessarily crowded; 
but this is unavoidable without interfering with the classification, 
which in an educational Museum such as ours should be most scrupu¬ 
lously adhered to. 
REPORT OF LIBRARIAN. 
For many years past it has been the fate of the Librarian to bewail 
in his Annual Report the impossibility of keeping alive an interest in 
the Library, through lack of the funds necessary to refresh its shelves 
from time to time with new material. It is gratifying to be able this 
year to report that for the present, at least, this reproach is about to 
be removed. A generous grant of £60 from the trustees of the 
Duncan Bequest, for the purpose of purchasing new books, is now 
being supplemented by donations from the members themselves, and 
already the sums from all sources amount to upwards of ^130. It 
now falls to the Council to lay out this money; but as its desire is 
that it should benefit as large as possible a section of the Society, 
it will do so neither rashly nor hurriedly. It will be necessary to 
include in the selection a few technical works of reference, and it 
must be remembered that these are generally of an expensive nature; 
but the interest of the general reader will by no means be forgotten, 
and if any members have suggestions to make as to the selection of 
works, the Council will gladly give these its careful consideration. 
The Librarian has once more to acknowledge, gratefully, works from 
the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, and other donors, which 
have been received since last Report. 
REPORT OF EDITOR. 
The Fourth Part (Vol. I., New Series) of the Transactions and 
Proceedings is the only publication which has been issued by the 
Society during the past session. 
