SESSION ± S S 5 - S 6. 
November 12th, 1885. 
Dr. F. Buchanan White, F.L.S., President, 
in the Chair. 
NEW MEMBERS. 
The following were nominated :— 
Mr C. T. C. Grant of Kilgraston ; Mr A. Shields, 
Summerbank; Mr Grimmond, Oakbank, Blairgowrie ; 
the Rev. Robert Kemp, Blairgowrie ; Mr G. Smith, Law 
Park, Blairgowrie; Mr A. Williamson Davidson, Edin¬ 
burgh; Mrs Tait, St Madoes; and Mr Macduff of Bonhard. 
Mr J. Brebner, F.L.S., Dundee, was recommended by 
the Council as a Corresponding Member, 
DONATIONS. 
The following were intimated :— 
I. Perthshire Collection. —-Birds’ nests and eggs—from Mr 
W. Duncan, Almondbank; Mr R. H. Meldrum, Cherry- 
bank; Col. Drummond Hay, and Master F. H. White, 
Annat Lodge; allis shad—from Mr Pitcaithly; two weasels 
—from Mr G. M‘Gregor, Moncreiffe ; rat—from Mr J. 
Dow, Gask; two stock doves—from Mr Lee of Blairhoyle; 
mole—-from Miss MKenzie, Balhousie Street; wood 
warbler—from Mr Wood of Freeland ; water vole—from 
Sir R. Menzies, Bart. ; squirrel—from Mr W. Duncan, 
Almondbank ; minerals—from Dr Buchanan White, and 
from Mr Donald Cameron, Paisley; plants—from Dr 
White, Mr J. Coates, Mr A. Sturrock, Rattray; Mr J. 
Brebner, Dundee ; Mr C. MTntosh, Inver ; Mr J. 
M'Bryde, Dunkeld; and Mr S. Grieve, Edinburgh. Tree 
pipit’s nest and eggs—from Mr G. Alexander ; insects— 
from Mr T. M‘Gregor, Tay Street. 
II. Index Collection. — Abnormal pheasant chicken — 
from Mr C. A. Murray, Taymount ; algse—from Mr 
Simson, Dundee. 
III. Library. —Backhouse’s “ Monograph of British 
Hieracia,”from Mr Barclay, Craigie School, and “ Report 
on Geographical Education,” from Mr Robert Pullar. 
EXHIBITIONS. 
Dr Buchanan White exhibited the following 
1. A curious alga or water-weed, that had been sent to 
him to name by Mr W. B. Simson, of Dundee, who after¬ 
wards kindly presented the specimens to the Index Collec¬ 
tion. These specimens, which resemble balls of green vel¬ 
vet, and are several inches in diameter, were found in Kil- 
donan Loch, South TJist, and the anglers who visit the 
loch were much puzzled as to their nature and origin. 
The balls lie loose amongst the stones at tho bottom 
of the loch. On making a section, they are found to 
be hollow, but with a loose nucleus of earth, the walls 
being composed of matted filaments of the alga. The 
plant is Cladophora cegagropila; rather a rare one, but 
found in North England and Wales, as well as in Scotland. 
The origin of the balls is probably as follows. One of the 
zoogonidia (as the special form of spores in this group of 
algae is called) having germinated, the filaments radiate 
from it in every direction. As the plant increases in size, 
the external filaments become matted together, along 
with grains of sand, &c. As growth goes on, the centre 
from which the growth of the plant originally started 
decays, and a hollow ball is formed, which is always in¬ 
creasing in size at the periphery by the growth of the 
filaments, while at the same time the internal hollow 
becomes larger by the decay of their internal ends. The 
decaying filaments, and the earth that was entangled by 
them when growing, make up the loose nucleus. I am 
not aware whether this nucleus occurs in living specimens. 
It may perhaps be formed after the plant has been 
removed from the water. 
2. An apple. In view of the papers “ On the 
Cultivation of Fruit Trees on Waste Ground,” by Dr 
Robertson, of Errol, with which we were favoured some 
time ago, this apple is interesting as forming an instructive 
commentary on the plan of cultivation urged by Dr 
Robertson. The apple was sent to me by Colonel Drum¬ 
mond Hay, and its history is as follows. A year or two 
ago an apple tree sprung up on the side of the railway bank 
at Seggieden. Whence or how it came there is unknown, 
but probably it sprang from a chance seed. Last year it 
bore a few apples, but their quality was not tested. This 
