5 
There were two remarkable additions to the Mammal collections, 
one being a specimen of the Common Bat, in which the hair is 
almost black. The specimen was submitted to the keeper of the 
Royal Scottish Museum (see Annals of Scottish Natural History , 
1906 , p. 236 ), and identified as an example of melanism. The 
other specimen is that of the Black Rat, from Arbroath, a species 
which is probably extinct in the area. 
A number of very rare birds have come into our possession. A 
series of 11 species from the collections of Dr. T. F. Dewar and 
Dr. W. J. Dewar, of Arbroath, is a most valuable one, including 
such raraties as the Golden-Oriole, Montague Harrier, Black-tailed 
God wit, &c. 
A specimen of the Bittern is also a very rare and valuable 
addition. Our previous specimen was taken near Stormont Loch 
in 1864 . 
The Committee is indebted to Mr. P. D. Malloch for the marked 
example of Salmon Grilse. The interest of this specimen lies in the 
fact that it is one of a number which were marked by means of a 
fine wire passed through and twisted over the dorsal fin, and placed 
in the river while in the smolt stage, in May, 1905 . The fish was 
re taken on 1st June, 1906 , and thus affords clear evidence of age 
and growth. An account of the experiment appears in the Pro¬ 
ceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. 26 , p. 321 . 
Twelve glass-topped trays were added to the Insect Cabinets. 
Mr. William Wylie and his son have made numerous additions to 
the Diptera (flies) collections. The latter undertook to extend and 
transfer these collections to the new cases. 
The samples of sand, gravel, clay, (fee., taken at various depths in 
Kinnoull Street, along with the section drawn to scale, is an 
important donation from Messrs. J. Pullar (fc Sons. It would 
obviously be of great use and interest to possess such examples 
from various parts of the City. 
The fifth Geological Store Cabinet, under the gallery rail, was 
added, and the series stained and polished, so that continuity has 
been given to the whole. The trays in these cabinets have, as far 
as possible, been overhauled, and glass covers placed over each, to 
reduce to a minimum the possibility of dust. 
A series of family labels, indicating the distribution of each 
family in Europe, in Britain, and in Perthshire, were printed, 
mounted, varnished and placed alongside each group of mammals, 
birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes. All the cases, excepting the 
mammals, were overhauled and cleaned. It is five years since this 
was last done, a fact which bears out the excellence of the cases. 
