assure you, very good eating indeed. Sometimes 
these puff-balls attain a large size. I saw one found 
near Luncarty last autumn, exhibited in Messrs 
Dickson & Turnbull’s window, that weighed 10 
pounds. Just fancy what an addition that would 
have been to one’s dinner ! One good thing about 
the puflf-balls is that none of them are poisonous. In 
addition to the last mentioned, I shall be glad to give 
prizes for collections of three too much neglected 
orders of insects—namely, Hemiptera, Neuroptera, 
and Orthoptera, as well as one for the best collection of 
the smaller species of Lepidoptera. As I have placed 
full particulars regarding these in the hands of the 
Secretary, I need say no more about them at present, 
except simply to remark that whoever will take the 
trouble of studying these orders will probably be re¬ 
warded by the discovery of new species. Before, 
however, quitting the subject, allow me to remind 
you that in offering these prizes I do so merely to point 
out more emphatically some few directions in which 
your investigation may be profitably conducted, and to 
say that the true reward of those members who will 
honour me by competing for the prizes will be, not 
the mere money value of the prizes (for that I am 
sorry to say is but comparatively small), but the 
pleasure accruing to themselves from the study of 
nature and the good done to the Society at large, by 
the clearing up of some obscure question in the local 
Natural History. 
The following is the list of subjects for competi? 
tion for prizes given by the President :— 
1st. For the best approved Essay upon the Fauna 
and Flora of the Perthshire portion of the Estuary of 
the Tay and its banks. 
2d. For the best approved Essay upon the Edible 
Fungi of Perthshire. 
3d. For the best approved Collection of Fungi 
(especially Micro-Fungi), collected between March 3d 
and December 31st 1870, in Perthshire or other parts 
of Scotland. To contain not less than 200 species. 
4th. For the best approved Collection of Hemipieraf 
collected between March 3d and November 1st 1870, 
in Perthshire or other parts of Scotland, To cont^n 
