***-% -, I x^ mm *►,. & WJf K *r*. *~* ^ ' «r- i & --..**\ .-^w* .*?►•• S?ff **V *T 'V, /*' f***— •»♦"«•' .^^ jpr *^ >U_ -J* .-. >**.i THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST: Jt ^ftagiutnc of (Scottish JJatural piston). EDITED BY F, BUCHANAN WHITE M.D., F.LS, VOLUME III. Seken in every halke and every heme Particulere sciences for to lerne." — Chaucer. PERTH: Perthshire Society of Natural Science. Edinburgh: MacLachlan and Stewart, South Bridge. London: E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, W.C. 1875-1876. INDEX. PAGE Preface General Index Species Specially Noticed Mammals Birds .... Insects Other Invertebrates Plants Flowering - Cryptogamic vn. vii. viii. viii. viii. viii. Families contained in Insecta Scotica - Genera in Outlines of British Coleoptera New Species New British Species List of Contributors Errata .... PAGE iii. ix. ix. x. xi. xi. xii. GENERAL INDEX. Additional localities for Scottish Coleoptera Addition to the List of Shetland Coleoptera Animal Psychosis Anthriscus abortivus .... Aromia moschata Auriferous Quartzites of Scotland . 316 • . • . o 89, 149, 204, 250, 281 20, 79 . 112 46 Beetles, Outline Descriptions of British 10, 65, 106, 161, 219, 254, Botanical Locality Record Club . . , Botanico -geology ...... Bryological Notes ...... Captures of Helicidre at Pitlochry, Perthshire . ,, Lepidoptera in Scotland in 1875 . ,, Lepidoptera near Edinburgh in 1874 Carabus nitens ...... Carex aquatilis var. Watsoni .... Chariclea umbra in Forth District . Clays containing Ophiolepis gracilis, &c, near St. Andre vs, On 300, 338 21 . 80 80, 203 160 264 64 104 354 265 41 VI. Index. Coleoptera of Scotland, The 33, 85, 133, 183, 231, 277, 316, 321, 368 Common Swallow . . . . . . . . .218 Correction — Pyrola minor (altitude) and Anthriscus abortivus . . 79 Cryptogamic Society of Scotland .... 78, 127, 196, 354 Dicranum montanum in Scotland .... Distribution of the Common Jay in Scotland, On the Earn Valley, The . . . x . Edible Wild Fruits of Scotland Entomology of Skye, Notes on Ergot, Notes on " Flora of Clackmannanshire " Food Plant of Plusia interrogationis Food Plants of Gonepteryx rhamni Fungus Show, The .... Further remarks on Animal Psychosis Gold in Scotland ..... Gonepteryx rhamni in Fifeshire Goshawk and other rare Birds " Guide to Belfast and adjacent Counties " Hadena glauca in Tweed Helix caperata ..... . 125 • 233 "3, 355 22, 73 262 185 226 9 265 178 281 177 226 265 128 64 160 Illustrations of Animal Reason Insecta Scotica — Addenda Ivory Gulls at Aberdeen Kobresia caricina in Argyleshire Lepidoptera of Scotland, The Lepidopterological Notes Little Gull .... Lycaena Artaxerxes *> 57. 96, 137, 212, 241, 29, 81, 129, 180, 227, 274, Manual of Bryology Naias flexilis in Perthshire Natural History Society in Inverness New British Fungi ,, ,, Fungus ,, ,, Moth ,, Scottish Fungi Plants Note on Merulius lachrymans . Note on the Woodcock . . . Notes >» of a Botanical Excursion to Loch Cluny f an Excursion to Breadalbane certain Plants Pcrthshh 289, 329 9 8 21 319, 3^>o 9 64 9 203 198 226 20, 21 178 160 199, 267 20 17S 354 349 18, 122 . 318 Index. vn. Notes on certain species of Eupithecia ,, on Cryptogamic Plants ,, on Ergot ,, on the Entomology of Skye On Clays containing Ophiolepis gracilis, &c, near St. Andrews On rare or probable Scottish Fungi . On some varieties of the Primrose found in Fifeshire On the distribution of the Common Jay in Scotland On the Grey Seal on the East Coast of Scotland Origin of Soils, The 266 317 185 262 41 199 123 233 154 109 Outline descriptions of British Coleopteraio, 65, 105, 161, 219, 254, 300, 338 Peziza Stevensoni ....... Potamogeton polygonifolius var. linearis Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Field Club ,, Natural History Society of Glasgow 127 79 307 359 " Rambles of a Naturalist in Egypt and other countries " Recently described Scottish Fungi ....... 77 Remarks upon "Notes of an Excursion to Breadalbane " . .122 Reviews, Various . . . . . . . . . -359 Rumex conspersus on Tweedside ....... 354 Scoparia basistrigalis and Cochylis Smeathmanniana in Scotland . 265 Sphinx convol vuli in Orkney ........ 265 Story of a Pigeon .......... 266 The Fungus Show . . .178 The Tunny ........... 348 Turtle Dove in Aberdeenshire . . . . . . .112 Ulleriore 79, 127 Variety of M elampyrum sylvaticum Various Notes .... Velvet Scoters in Scotland in Summer 20 128, 226 • 348 SPECIES SPECIALLY NOTICED. (See also New, and New British, Species and Varieties.) MAMMALS. Delphinus melas Fox Halicha?rus Grypus PAGE 308 308 154 BIRDS. Accipiter palumbarius Blackheaded Bunting Blackheaded Gull page 265 310 3*4 Vlll. I?idex. Brambling 310 .b'JLiANTS. Bunting 309 Flowering. Buteo lagopus 265 Anthriscus abortivus 20, 79 Chaffinch 310 Carex aquatilis var. Watsoni 354 Columba Turtur 112 Carex frigida 20 Dotterel . 313 Corylus avellana 75 Eagle owl 359 Empetrum nigrum 27 Fieldfare 309 Fagus sylvatica . 73 Greenfinch 310 Fragaria vesca . 25 Heron . 313 Juniperus communis 76 Hirundo rustica . 218 Kobresia caricina 21 Hoodie-crow . 2 h 314, 315 Naias flexilis . . i< )3, 350 Jay • 233, 311 Potamogeton polygonifolius Larus eburneus . 8 var. linearis . 79 ,, minutus 64 Potamogeton prselongus var. 35o Quail 312 Primula vulgaris 123 Redpole . 310 Primus avium 23 Redshank . * 3 l 3 ,, insititia . 23 Sandmartin 3" ,, pad us 23 Sandpiper 3H ,, spinosa . 23 Scolopax rusticola jj7 Pyrus aria 26 Siskin 310 ,, aucuparia . 25 Skylark . 3°9 ,, nialus 25 Song-thrush 309 Quercus robur . 74 Sparrowhawk . . 315 Raphanus raphanistrum Starling . 3" (white flowered) 3i8 Velvet Scoter 348 Ribes alpinum . , 26 Woodpigeon 312 ,, grossularia 26 INSECTS. ,, nigrum 26 Ablabia argentana 160 ,, rubrum . 26 Aromia moschata 112 Rosa canina 25 Carabus nitens . 104 ,, rubiginosa . 25 Cecidomyia Persicarice I 315 ,, spinosissima 25 Cecidomyia tilise Sch. ? 315 ,, villosa 25 Chariclea umbra 265 Rubus caesius 25 Cochylis Smeathmanniai 1a 265 ,, chamamiorus 24 Eupithecia oxydata 266 ,, fruticosus T 1 24 Eupithecia septentrionat i 266 ,, Idreus 24 1 * Gonepteryx rhamni 226, 265 Rubus saxatilis . 18, 24 Leptogramma niveana . 9 Rumex conspersus 353 Lvcajna Artaxerexes 9 Sambucus nigra . 26 J Panagra petraria 9 Taxus baccata . 75 Plusia interrogationis 9 Utricularia sp. 352 Scoparia basistrigalis 265 Vaccinium vitis-i(Uva 28 Sirex gigas 316 ,, myrtillus 27 28 Sphinx convolvuli 265 ,, oxycoccos Vespa crabro . . 316 ,, uliginosum . 28 OTHER INVERTEB RATES. Cryptogamic, Helix caperata . 160 Anacalypta latifolia 80 Ophiolepis gracilis 4. 1 Anodus donianus 80 Index. IX. Brachythecium salebrosum Corticium amorphum Decampia Hookeii Dicranum montanum Dothidea sambuci Ergot (Claviceps) Hydnangium carneum Leucobryum glaucum with capsules Macrospora scirpi m 80 Merulius lachrymans 178 270 Mitrula alba 318 318 Octaviana Stephensii Tul. 317 125 Peziza palustris . 3i8 317 ,, rubella . 3i8 185 Psilopeziza myrothecioides 126 1 ^ *7 Rhytisma empetri 273 with Torula pinophila 3*7 318 Torula spleudens 3i7 3i3 Trichobasis cirsii 35o INSECT A SCO TIC A. FAMILIES INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME. lepidoptera. Zonosomatidoe . 361 Acidaliidse 361 Coleoptera. Amphidasidce . 319 Coccinellidoe 280 Amphipyridse 84 Colydiidas 376 Brephidse 229 Corylophidre 280 Caberidae 364 Endomychidas . 280 Euclidiidse 228 Erotylida? 280 Eugoniidoe 230 Histerida? 368 Fidoniidas 365 Nitidulidae 370 Geometridae 360 Phalaci-idre 37o Hadenida? (continued) 29 Pselaphidse 184 Heliothidas 181 Scaphididas 277 Herminiidse 228 Scydmsenidoe 232 Hypenidas 229 Silphidas 323 Plusiidae 132 Staphylinida? (continued) 33 Scoliopterygidre 129 Trichopterygidae 277 Xylinida? 130 Trogositida* 376 Zerenida? 365 INDEX TO THE GENERA OF BRITISH COLEOPTERA Described in this Volume. PAGE PAGE PAGE Acilius • 303 Agabus 261 Anisodactylus 162 Acupalpus 165 Amara no Badister . io5 Aepus 167 Anacoena . 307 Bembidium 219 Aetophorus 89 Anchomenus 107 Berosus . 338 X. Index. Blechrus . 7i Enochms . . 307 Noterus . • 259 Blethisa . 16 Gyrinus . • 303 Notiophilus 16 Brachinus 68 Haliplus . 224 Ochthebius 242 Bradycellus . 165 Harpalus . 162 Odocantha . 69 Broscus . 106 Helochares 306 Olisthopus 108 Brychius . • 225 Helophorus • 339 Oodes 72 Calathus . 106 Hydaticus ■ 303 Orechtochilus • 304 Callistus . 72 Hydrsena . • 344 Oxynoptilus 225 Carabus . 17 Hydrobius ■ 3° 6 Panagseus 72 Calosoma . 66 Hydrochus 342 Paracymus 307 Cercyon . ■ 345 Hydrophilus • 305 Patrobus , 166 Chselarthria 339 Hydroporus 225 Pelobius . . 225 Chlsenius . 72 Hydrous . 306 Pelophila . 17 Cicindela . 15 Ilybius 260 Perileptus 168 Cillenum . . 168 Hyphydrus 225 Philhydrus . 306 Clivina - 67 Laccobius 338 Platyderus 108 Cnemidotus • 223 Laccophilus 259 Pogouus . . 166 Colymbetes 259 Lebia 7i Polystichus 69 Cryptopleurum 348 Leiopterus 261 Pristonychus 106 Cychrus 17 Leistus 67 Pterostichus 108 Cyclonotum - 345 Licinus 105 Spercheus 339 Cymindis 7i Limnebius 339 Sphseridium - 345 Demetrias 70 Lionychus 7i Sphodrus 106 Diachromus 161 Loricera . 72 Stenolophus 164 Dichirotrichus 161 Lymnreum 168 Stomis 108 Dromius . 70 Masoreus . 7i Tacliypus . 223 Drypta 69 Megasternum . 347 Tachys 168 Dyschirius 68 Metabletus 7i Taphria . 107 Dytiscus . 302 Miscodera 106 Trechus . 167 Elaphrus . 16 Nebria 67 Zabrus 161 NEW SPECIES AND VARIETIES Described in this volume. ANIMALS. Bupalus piniaria H. var. (et ab.) flavescens B. W. . Eupithecia " septentrionata " B. W. PLANTS. Badhamia fulvescens Cooke Carduus arvensis L. var. elegansB. \V. (=horridus Koch.) . . . 1 Geoglossum microsporum C. and P. var. tremellosum 367 Cooke 200 Helotium scoparium Cooke 201 266 Melampyrum sylvaticum P. var. pallidiflora B. \V. . 20 200 Peziza Comitessse Cooke 201 Peziza coprinaria Cooke 200 Rhytisma empetri B. W. . 273 31s Xylaria scotica Cooke • 202 Index. XL NE W BRITISH SPECIES Brought forward in this volume. INSECT. Exidia truncata Fr. 19 Acrolepia assectella ? PLANTS. 265 Hydnum lsevigatum Fr. Labrella ptarmicae Peziza monilifera Fchl. 178 178, 3i7 201 Ascobolus crenulatus Karst. 202 Sphseria curvula D. By. 203 ,, pilosus Fr. 202 ,, Notarisii Car. 203 Dothidea angelica? Fr. 20 Ustilago intermedia Schroter 200 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. Balfour, Professor J. H., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. . Blackburn, Rev. T., B.A. 8, 10, 65, 105, 161, 219, 254, 300, 338 Boswell, J. T., LL.D., F.L.S., (late Boswell Syme) . 265 Boswell Syme, J. , LL. D. , F. L. S. 9 Brotherston, A., . 79, 354 Brown, J. A. Harvie . 348 Buchan Hepburn, A. .112 Coates, Ff. . .160 Cooke, M. C, M.A., LL.D. 190 199 Drummond-Hay, Colonel H. M. C.M.Z.S. . . 18 Fergusson, Rev. J., M.A. 80, 125 203 Forbes, H. O. . . 9 Forbes, W. A. 64, 262, 264, 316 Gordon, Rev. G., LL.D., . 127 Howie, C. . . .120 Japp, W. . . . 266 Keith, Rev. J., M.A. . 20 Kelly, A. . . . 9, 64 Lilley, C. E. . .8 Lindsay, W. Lauder, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S., 1, 46, 57, 96 137, l 77, 212, 241, 289, 329 Lumsden, J., junr., F.Z.S. . 233 Moncreiffe, Sir T. , Bart. . 9 Murdoch, A. . .218 Paterson, R. H. . . 317 Robinson-Douglas, W. D., B. A., F.L.S., F.R.G.S. . 337 Sharp, D., M.B. 33, 85, 133, 183 231, 277, 321, 368 Sim, G. . 8, 64, 265, 348 Sim, George, (Fyvie) . 112 Smith, F., F.G.S.E. 113, 169, 355 Stevenson, Rev. J., . 178 Sturrock, A. . .198 Taylor, J. . . .104 Walker, R., F.G.S.E. 41, 154 Wardrop, Rev. J. 89, 149, 204 250, 281 White, F. Buchanan, M.D., F.L.S. 18, 20, 21, 22, 29, 73, 79 81, 129, 160, 178, 180, 227, 265 266, 274, 318, 319, 349, 360 Wilson, A. Stephen . 185 Wilson, Owen, F.L.S. 226, 265 WOODCUTS. Fig. 1. Diagram of parts of a Beetle Fig. 2. ,. of ,, an Elbowed Antenna . 11 11 Xll. Index. E RR A T A. Page 19, line 15, fro Page 70, line 8, Page 118, line 5, Page 199, line 10, Page 265, line 10. Page 315, line 2, Page 317, last line, Page 319, line 8, Page 320, line 10, Page 33 7> line 7, Page 341, line 3, Page 350, line 9, Page 362, line 20, „ ,, „ 'with' ,, 'without.' In Insecta Scotica when the Degrees of Latitude are given (both in this and preceding volume) for ' " ' read ' ' '. m bottom, for — 'when' read 'where.' top, ,, 'DromInus' ,, 'Dromius.' t > ,, ' Midlothian ' ,, ' Middle Lomond Hill. bottom, ,, 'inroduced' ,, 'introduced.' >> ,, 'Firglen' ,, ' Forglen.' j> ,, 'Till.*;' „ 'Tille.' ,, ' Piermica* ,, ' Ptarmiccc. 1 j> ,, 'Sol way' ,, 'Tweed.' »> )> 95 JJ >» delete (' To be continued.') 5> ,, 'Mulsant' ,, 'Mulsanti.' top, ,, ' Lytkiun* ,, ' Ly 'thrum.' THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST, VOLUME THE THIRD. ZOOLOGY, ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL REASON. By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.LS. FOR the last five years, I have had occasion to study end- less books, pamphlets, reports, serials, newspapers, and even MSS., containing anecdotes of Animal Intelligence. My object has been to accumulate trustworthy data — -facts — on which to base general conclusions as to the nature and range of Mind in the Lower Animals. While I have found such anec- dotes literally innumerable, only a small proportion is of any real value — for the following reasons : — i. Many are anonymous. 2. The names of the authorities for others are those of persons utterly " unknown to fame," of whose competency to observe, and of whose accuracy in the description of, facts, we know nothing. 3. Others are clad in such a garb that it is impossible to dis- tinguish fact from fiction. Ostensibly to render them "in- teresting" — to attract readers — they are made to assume the form of, and are spoken of as, " Stories," — a term which suggests at least the idea of fiction. 4. What is obviously the same incident is recorded over and over again, in various guises or disguises, in a succession 2 The Scottish Naturalist. of ad eaptandum Christmas or other books — none of which are original — the authors having simply compiled from sources of information themselves second-hand, and probably embellished. In consequence of the recent writings of Darwin and his school — including Huxley, Hasckel, Lubbock, Tylor, Spencer, Wallace, Houzeau, Miiller, Wood, Lyell, and others, on the " Place of Man in Nature," the subject of the Mental Condition of the Lower Animals has acquired a degree of popular, as well as scientific, interest that it never before possessed. Correct conclusions on such a subject can be based only on well ob- served and well established facts ; and it has become desirable to accumulate such facts in order that legitimate scientific generalization may be founded thereupon. It is important, therefore, that all incidents illustrative of Thought or Reason — of the higher processes of mind — in the lower animals, [wherever such incidents have been properly and at first hand observed, described, and authenticated,] should be placed on record, in works of reference accessible to British Naturalists. I am sure the Editor of the Scottish Naturalist will permit me to say, and will agree with me in saying, that to no better purpose can its columns be devoted, and that he will gladly give space to anecdotes of such a character. In the course of my own enquiries, I have been brought into correspondence with the authors of several works on Animal Habits and Character, some of whom have done me the favour to place at my disposal, for publication, original, hitherto un- published anecdotes illustrative of the possession of Reason by the lower animals. I propose, in these columns, offering a series of these " true stories" — i. Because of their inherent interest : and 2. In order to invite and encourage others to add their con- tributions to such a collection. For the following five " true anecdotes," as she herself dis- tinctively calls them, I am indebted to Miss K. A. Buist, author of an illustrated work recently published by the well-known firm of Macmillan, of London and Cambridge, on " Birds : their cages and their keep : being a practical manual of Bird- keeping and Bird-rearing." The work in question has been most favourably reviewed in the AthencBum and other journals, and is especially to be commended to all of her countrywomen who either now have, or are likely at some future time to The Scottish Naturalist. 3 possess, Home Pets of the Cage-bird class. It may give addi- tional interest to, and confidence in, Miss Buist's anecdotes, to mention that she is a daughter of the late Dr. George Buist, of Bombay, and formerly of Cupar-Fife, — long well known in the literary and scientific world of India, England, and Scotland. Miss Buist wrote me, in October 1874, — " If I can be of the slightest service to you, I should esteem it a pleasure to be so. I have written out several anecdotes of animal sagacity, never hitherto published, and for the authenticity of which I can personally vouch, thinking they might be of interest to you, to do with as you deem best. If they would be of the least use, I would be very pleased to have them turned to account. ... I have written them in a very great hurry, and consequently the account in your own words would be far preferable to mine as they now stand." Nevertheless, for obvi- ous reasons, I prefer giving Miss Buist's anecdotes in her ipsis- sima verba — without any sort of " trimming" by a second party. I. — " A tiny dog, belonging to a relative, was a perfect epitome in itself of the marvellous instinct, or "mind in the lower animals" found broadcast in nature. It was a very small, smooth, fawn-coloured terrier, so devotedly attached to his master, and obedient to his slightest wish, that no temptation could suffice to lure him at any time from his duty. Nettle was its owner's inseparable shadow as faithful friend. On one occasion, to test the dog's fidelity, a conspiracy was entered into between the master and a great favourite of Nettle's, to try and tempt Nettle, and prove whether he was or not to be shaken in his trustworthiness. The former, accordingly, leaving his coat and hat in the hall, charged his canine guard to keep it, allowing none to carry off the property ; and Nettle, with many intelligent comprehending wags of his tail, calmly settled to that office. Next arrived on the scene Nettle's especial crony, his dear master's dearest friend, and coaxingly caressed the tiny watchman, whistled to him, and tried to inveigle him away with every conceivable bait. But Nettle was true to his post. He watched and wagged and yelped all friendliness and gratitude, yet he would not be moved a hairsbreadth off his charge, so strictly confided to his sagacity. At last a hand was laid on the hat, and Nettle, in agony, dared not bite his dear master's dearest friend as he would a stranger, nor even illuse his property, although to save 4 The Scottish Naturalist. it. So he seized upon the brilliant expedient of jumping into it himself bodily, whiningly gazing over the brim with fixed vigilance still upon the coat left behind, and beyond his small power, though not will, to take with him there too as security ! He would have flown in a fury at any one else, and hurt them considerably, sooner than they should touch his property in charge. His own tempter, however, poor Nettle loved far too well to attempt to injure; he could only maintain his politeness, with his trust itself, by the means so quickly devised and so readily acted upon." II. — "Another pet of the same master, and of a different kind ? was a tame bullfinch. This bird also adored his keeper as much as little Nettle did; but his mistress, alas! who shall tell the tale ! He could not abide her ! The lady was not of an ami- able nature, and the bird had discovered the fact instinctively, though to it she was honey and butter and sugar and oil combined, tender, caressing, and the kindest of the kind, all of which Bully ungratefully repaid by fighting her each time she even entered the room where he hung a petted, spoilt favourite. He would extend his wings and hiss at her very approach, however distant, anol fly in a rage to try and peck her ; but his master ! it was absurd to watch the little bird and big bearded man together. Bully languishing in blissful delight — his head on one side — his sweetest notes warbling from his appreciating throat, and letting the master do what he will and how he would too, and at any time, except in his wife's company only, when Bully invariably showed pugnacity again ; the sound of her voice — her footfall — was quite enough always to upset its small temper, until at last, scarce unreasonably, the mistress grew to be quite jealous of her feathered rival, and to hate the sight of the bird." III. — "A third anecdote is of a cat, who, I am sure, must have been indulging in "higher education" somewhere, so unlike was he in his ways to the rest of his furry brotherhood. Puss took a wild fancy to the contents of my bird cage, chiefly, I am convinced, because he knew better, and desired to torment a servant girl to whom he was greatly attached. Puss was very big and strong, and the most resolute, tenacious, and pertinacious of fourfooted thieves ; the terror of the neighbour- hood round on account of his bold plundering raids, having in one season devoured a family of no fewer than eighteen pro- mising young chickens, showing skill and audacity in the The Scottish Naturalist. 5 protracted performance worthy of a better cause. On one oc- casion this cat ascertained that the occupants of the house next door had acquired a nice plump guinea pig on which they set great store; and Puss at once fixed his affections on its im- mediate transfer instead to the gratification of his own capacious appetite. He seized his opportunity then, and in triumph brought it over the wall — a prey — to be devoured at his own leisure. It was seen and rescued, and restored with the caution to place it in shelter elsewhere during the darkness of night, when its owners were not about efficiently to guard its safety, as Puss had his eyes on it. With many thanks, due precautions were taken to that end, and Puss was baffled for a long time. In vain. Puss was strong in behalf of his own imagined "rights," and not to be baulked by any in the end. He obtained possession the second time at night, deliberately ate it all up out- side, and then quietly and unmistakably to prove what had been done, and by whom, brought in the head and claws of the victim and a scrap of fur to identify the lost, and placed them ostentatiously in a prominent place, where they could not fail to he noted. This a positive fact to my sure knowledge, the cat in question being in the house at this moment. As to Puss's penchant to my bird : He was so well fed he could not possibly want the luxury ; nevertheless, every time our drawing- room door is opened, there is he to be beheld with resolve and deliberation seated on the door-mat without, all intent attention at the first opportunity of an unguarded moment, or momen- tary forgetfulness, to snap up or to pounce in and destroy without ruth. He will creep in between the attendant servant's floating dress, and thus hid, as unsuspected, bide his time, rush for- ward then, and hitherto, I am happy to state, be successfully beaten off, to repeat the performance always "once more." The servant and he are firm friends, and he follows her about the house, as only dogs are supposed to do. On one occasion when she was away visiting her friends awhile, Puss was incon- solable, roaming all over the house yawling ceaselessly till her return, and night by night stretching himself outside her door waiting, and making night hideous with his outciy of dis- appointed hopes. When she has done anything occasioning him the faintest annoyance, however, he has hit upon the happy expedient of mounting her snowy dresser when her back is turned, and catching the swinging pendulum of her clock till he stops it, out of pure retaliation, and to evince his sovereign 6 The Scottish Naturalist. displeasure, having discovered — how, who can say — it vexes her, and puts her out ! My birds he had resolved he would have, because she was resolved he should not. He fretted and pined and grew thin over the delay to the fulfilment of this darling scheme, until one fine day, following her stealthily up, to be only beaten ignominiously down again to his own regions, he awaited her in the kitchen, and flew in a fury to scratch and bite her ; he, who never had been known except as the most docile, affectionate, and best tempered of cats ! Puss sulked for a considerable while after, refusing to be be comforted or mollified, or friends at all on the subject, and never once forgetting nor foregoing every conceivable opportunity of making occasion to renew his attacks on the forbidden fruit, relying on his guinea pig incident, and others doubtless, for success in the end to crown his patience and perseverance." IV. — " Some servants were given a picnic by their master and mistress, and for the occasion provisions were permitted them from the house, enough for the party. But the evening before the picnic day, friends unexpectedly dropped into the kitchen, and stay- ing supper, the beef prepared for the meal out of doors the next morning fell short, being consumed, in fact, by the visitors. The cook was at a loss how to repair the damage, without incur- ring her lady's wrath, and it crossed her mind that if she dressed some bacon, as additional fare in place of the demolished viands previously provided, the breach would be spanned, and nobody a bit the wiser, since its absence would never be even noticed, and the surreptitious festivities of over-night in the ser- vants' hall remain without remark. There was, however, a witness of her proceedings, who must first be hoodwinked, or it might turn traitor in the camp, and betray all of this ad- mirable private management, — Poll, the Parrot, in short, — a favoured guest, at dessert only allowed to put in its appearance upstairs, and at other times maintained at free quarters down below. The bird, accordingly, was snugly covered, the frying-pan put over the fire; and soon resounded the sonorous and odorous frizzling and crackle of the culinary operations in question. The gap supplied, the hours revolved, dinner came round, and with it, in due course, Polly's hejira in state to the higher regions for its habitual caresses and attentions there. Behold our charming conversationalist, then, installed in high honour, and respectfully causing silence on the part of the assembled company, on the look out for the favourite to distinguish itself The Scottish Naturalist. 7 as usual after its own way. In consequence they heard her feathered majesty begin, — " It hails, and it rains, and — 'tis so dark" And over and over again, vouchsafing no modification, and no other remark, throughout the whole of that occasion ; master and mistress entirely at a loss in their puzzle to compre- hend their pet's wisdom, as to every appearance there existed no occasion for it whatever. Polly was informing its owners, however, unknown to them, of the high life below stairs, of which their own domestics had purposely kept them ignorant, to escape consequences to themselves. Neither master nor mistress ever understood the confidential communication, nor could account for it in any way ! — of course not ; as might have been expected. The parrot had behaved with exemplary pro- priety in the kitchen, as all thought there, not observing anything in the least degree ; but the change to its more aristocratic haunts, the first sight of its mistress, and the spell was broken on that score, — the words burst forth at once, glibly and reiterated, — "It rains, and it hails, and — His so dark." Sententious, solemn, slow, and pausing with measured, deliberate tread, till it came to the last, then it hurled, in quick double knock, the remainder — that convicting accusation: — "His so dark." The tale is true, as I can vouch for, having received it, to my belief, at first hand, from one of the participators in the plot itself — an old domestic, who told it with every appearance of speaking the truth, without the least exaggeration." V. — " Another anecdote is of a pair of Spa?iiels, belonging to a relative of my own, and therefore an authentic narrative, illus- trative of animals' wondrous sagacity. One of these dogs was ever in favour, whilst the other was always in disgrace. Beauty was good as gold, and lavished with rewards in accordance ; his fellow as systematic a subject, on the other hand, of blows and punishments, which his misconduct called forth so deservingly. Now, for some reason or other, a certain member of the house- hold found cause to suspect Beauty's perfection at all points, — perhaps in his own soul being no 'particular believer in Infalli- bility — as the family were all Irish, the dogs inclusive, — and determined to test Beauty. It was closely watched, and on a particular occasion it was clearly convicted of theft, in this wise : It. was the hour of lunch, and Beauty's erring companion lay stretched at full length snoozing on the hearth-rug. The door was shut, the windows, long and opening on to the lawn, thrown wide to admit the breeze, and Beauty's secret, lurking spy in 8 The Scottish Naturalist. ambush out of sight, to discover what should next occur; and it was this : Beauty with stealthy creep approached the hall door, raised himself on his hind legs, with his fore paws deliberately drew down the bell-wire, till he set it loudly ringing, then a swift scamper, a spring on to the dressed table, a seizure of the meat thereon, and as rapid a retreat to demolish his ill-gotten spoils, and the conclusion — the usual one — that Beauty's fel- low received Beauty's thrashing in place of himself, for having stolen what he never took at all. And these tricks actually went on for months ; Beauty invariably managing the other should be exclusively punished for his own peccadilloes ; and of course as the latter, in his innocence, was always to the fore, and the former, protected by his guilty " conscience," never, it was easy enough to misjudge as to the real culprit each time." (To be continued.) Addition to the List of Shetland Coleoptera. — On turning out some bottles of unset specimens, from Shetland, collected there last July, we find several examples of Pterostichits oblongo-pimctatus, which were bottled among, and as, vitreus. This species must, therefore, be added to the list we furnished to the October number of the Scottish Naturalist ; and, we now believe, that it is much commoner than vitreus in Shetland. This is somewhat remarkable, as there are no fir-trees on the Islands, and, indeed, not a good-sized tree at all ; M'hereas the locality mentioned for oblongo- punctatus, by Schaum, is "woods;" and, by Dr. Sharp, "fir- woods." — Thomas Blackburn and C. E. Lilley, Greenhithe, Kent. Ivory Gulls at Aberdeen. — On Monday, the 17th November, while hunting among the pools left by the tide, I observed, near Aberdeen Pier, two gulls of a much lighter colour than any of the others, which were flying about. On getting to the top of the pier they were more distinctly seen, coming close to where I stood, exhibiting a want of shyness differing much from the herring and black-headed gulls among which they were. They frequently alighted on the water at the foot of the pier, picking up garbage as it came from the city sewer, which enters the tide at this point, and being thus within about four yards of me there was no difficulty in deciding what they were — viz., the Ivory Gull, Larits eburneus. When flying they kept continually emitting a low sound, similar to the squeak of a rat, which became louder if any of the other species came near them. Returning the following morning to the same place, in company with my friend Mr. W. Robb, curator, Marischal College, we were again fortunate in seeing both birds, one of which fell to Mr. Robb's gun. Our time being limited we had to leave without getting a chance of the second one ; this, however. we hoped to do the following morning, and were there by daybreak, but failed to see it. Next morning however, the 19th, fortune favoured Mr. Robb, and the second was ours. The first killed bird (which now graces Marischal College Museum) measured 18 inches in length ; extent of wings, 37 inches; wing from flexure, 12 inches; tarsus, \)i inches; the primaries, The Scottish Naturalist. 9 secondaries, greater and lesser wing-coverts, and tail, tipped with black ; hind neck and scapulars irregularly spotted with black ; around the base of the bill and clown the throat of a purplish brown colour, interspersed with white. The second bird measured %, an inch less than the first, and 2.y z inches more in extent of wing, and weighed fifteen and a quarter ounces ; it was similarly marked to the first, except that the scapulars have but two or three spots of black, and three of the tail feathers want the black tip, and are y z an inch larger than the others. The bill of both was of a pale blue, tipped with orange yellow, but these colours soon disappear after death. This species has been seldom seen on the East of Scotland, although of frequent occurrence on the West. — George Sim, Aberdeen. Lycsena Artaxerxes. — On the 24th of J uby last, while walking between the villages of Minnihive and Carsphairn, in Kirkcudbrightshire, both Johnstone Watson, Esq. (of the Temple, London), and I, were fortunate enough to box by the roadside over a dozen specimens of this rare butterfly. They were plentiful all along the way, but most so where the road must have been many hundred feet above the sea level. — H. O. Forbes, Uni- versity of Edinburgh. Insecta Scotica— Addenda. — Tweed District — Cymatophora duplaris, at Dunse. Anchocelis rufina, common. Noclua umbrosa, Eyemouth and Lauder. N. conflua, common. Xylophasia hepatica, Eyemouth. — A. Kelly, Lauder, November, 1874. Orkney District — Xylophasia rurea, Apamea unanimis. — J. Boswell 'Syme, Balmuto, December, 1874. Food-plant of Plusia interrogationis.— Plusia interrogationis is plenti- ful on Dogden Moss, and there is not a nettle for miles. There must be something wrong about the stated food-plant, evidently. — A. Kelly, Lauder, November, 1874. [Though nettle is stated to be the food-plant of this Plusia in many of the text-books, yet it is quite erroneous, as heather (Erica and Calluna) is the real food-plant. The larva hibernates in a small condition and feeds up in May and June, when it may be found on the heather. It is green, with paler stripes. Nettle is a favourite food-plant of many other of the Plusia. — Editor Scottish Naturalist.] Lepidopterological Notes. — Panagra petraria H. — A few years ago I found this insect here — it had not hitherto been recorded for Perthshire — very abundant, but confined to a limited space. Each year since then I have found it not only in the original locality but in other spots, in which, to the best of my belief, it did not" occur when I first discovered it. Some of these places are nearly a mile from the original one. I am thus inclined to think that P. petraria must be a comparatively recent colonist in Perth- shire, but how it originally arrived it is difficult to guess. Leptogramma niveana F. {Scotaua Stph.). — I find this insect among birch trees in one of my woods. The birches are scattered here and there among larches and other trees, but niveana I have only found on the side of the wood facing the north. Though I have carefully searched for it in other likely places, both in this neighbourhood and other parts of Perth- shire, I have only seen it in the above-mentioned wood and in the neighbourhood of Loch Rannoch, so that it would seem that it is not generally distributed in all birch woods in the county, but that it is Tery local. — Thomas Moncreiffe, Moncreiffe, November, 1S74. io The Scottish Naturalist. OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OP BEITISH COLEOPTEEA. By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A. I. THIS paper is the first of a series in which I hope from time to time to furnish in the briefest possible form (for obvious reasons no other form would be suitable to a quarterly magazine), tables of the leading characters of the British Coleoptera. By using abbreviations for various constantly recur- ring words, and attempting no greater fulness of description than will just suffice for easy identification, I expect to bring the work within reasonable limits. The divisions of groups, families, &c, adopted in the tables will often be artificial {e.g., in the first table, relating to " groups," the Buprestida Eucnemidce, and Elaterida are characterised separately, instead of unitedly as Sternoxi; and in the table of Feroniidce, Pier. incequalis is eliminated from the rest of its genus). The object I have in view, however, is the provision of a ready means of identifying species, not classification. For classifi- cation I will, in passing, refer to Dr. Sharp's " Catalogue of British Coleoptera" (E. W. Janson, 28 Museum Street, Lon- don, W.C., price one shilling) as the best catalogue procurable. I may also refer to Mr E. C. Rye's " British Beetles " (Lovell, Reeve, & Co., 5 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, W.C., price ten shillings and sixpence) for the general instruc- tions that want of space prevents my supplying as an introduc- tion to my work. As this series of papers will be designed especially for beginners, I pass by, in describing, characters that cannot be detected without dissection, or the aid of the micro- scope, and select such as can be perceived with an ordinary, or at anyrate with a Coddington, lens ; also, I rely as much as possible on characters connected with the upper side of the insects. In the case of a few genera {Homalota for instance) the species are too minute and closely allied to be distinguish- ably characterised in a short space ; I shall in such cases merely offer a few general remarks, and refer readers who desire more to monographs of them that have been already published on a larger scale than would be practicable for the pages of a magazine. Finally I must express my obligations to Mr. G. C. Champion for information he has courteously supplied to me on the geographical range of many species. The Scottish Naturalist. ii Below is the fig. of a beetle, showing the relative position of the various parts of the body. This is fol- lowed by a Glossary, and a table of the abbreviations to be used. The work pro- per then commences, and is arranged as follows : — (a) Table of the " groups," for ascertaining to which main division of the wp mp 1 2 Coleoptera a speci- men belongs. (b) Table of the "fami- lies " contained in the first group, (c) Table of "genera" in i st family of ist group. (a 7 ) Table of species in ist genus of ist family of ist group. (e) Table of species in 2nd genus of ist family of ist group, and so on. Explanation of Figure. — 1. A Beetle — nip, maxillary palpi ; m, mandi- bles (or jaws) ; Ip, labial palpi; a, antennae; e, eyes; h, head; th, thorax; s, scutellum ; el, elytra ; hb, hind body ; f, femora ; t, tibiae ; ts, tarsi ; c, claws. N.B. — The wings are folded under the elytra. 2. An Elbowed Antenna — s, scape ; f, funiculus ; c, club. GLOSSARY. Anterior. — Front. Apex. — The extremity farthest from the middle of the insect. Aquatic. — Living in the water. Bilobed. — Cleft into two parts. Close (when spoken of punctuation). — Having the spaces between the punc- tures not larger than the space occupied by the separate punctures. Clypeus.— The front portion of the upper surface of the head. Cordate (spoken of the thorax). — Abruptly contracted backwards immedi- ately behind the broadest part, but of about equal width in the part just in front of base. Dentate. — Toothed. Disc. — The surface, exclusive of the margins. Dorsal. — Running along the centre longitudinally. Elongate. — Longer thanjbroad. Fascia. — A stripe. Foliated (spoken of antennas). — Having the terminal joints flat (like leaves), and with a common base. Fovea. — A short channel. Glabrous. — Smooth (i.e., without stria; or punctures). Granulated. — Appearing to be covered with minute tubercles. Humeral. — Placed at the external corner of the base of the elytra. Interstice. — A space between punctures or striae. 12 The Scottish Naturalist. Obsolete. — Only faintly to be discerned. Pectinated. — Comb-like. Peduncle. — A contracted process joining two parts of the body (as between the thorax and hind body of a wasp). Penultimate. — Immediately preceding the last. Posterior. — Behind. Punctate-striate. — Having stria? in which are punctures. Pygidium. — Upper surface of the last segment of the hind body. Reflexed margin. — The under surface of the extreme margin. Rostrum. — A snout. Segment.— A division, or joint (spoken of the hind body). Serrated. — Saw-like. Sparing (when spoken of punctuation). — Having the spaces between the punctures larger than the spaces occupied by the separate punctures. Stria. — An impressed line, or long narrow channel. Subulate. — Like an awl {i.e., with the apex abruptly contracted). Testaceous. — Of a transparent yellowish colour. Transverse. — Broader than long. LOCALITIES. S. — Scotland. I. — Ireland. B. — Great Britain generally (so far E. — England & Wales, [as known). My information concerning Irish and Welsh localities is very limited. I should be glad of local lists. N. s. E. w. c. F. m. (printed above the line, e.g., E.s.c.) signify severally, North, South, East, West, Coasts, Fens or marshes, Mountains. ! — A common insect. ! !— An abundant insect. The names of the rarest species, some possibly not indigenous, are printed in italics. N.B. — The figures preceding the locality indicate the length of the insect measured from the base of the antennae to the apex of the hind body. "1." signifies "line": (a "line" is one -twelfth of an inch). The average length is given, but most species vary more or less in this respect. ABBREVIATIONS. Abb rev. — Abbreviated. Abr. — Abrupt, or abruptly. Ac. — Acute, or acutely. Alt. — Alternate, or alternately. An. — Antennae. Ang. — Angle. Ant. — Anterior, or anteriorly. Ap. — Apex, or apical. B. — Black; when prefixed, "black- ish," as "b.-r." Ba. — Base, or basal. Backw. — Backwards. Bil.— Bilobed. Bl.— Blue, or bluish. (See "B.") Br.— Bright. Chan. — Channel, or channeled. CI.— Club, or clubbed. Clyp. — Clypeus. Cone. — Concave. Cons. — Considerably. The Scottish Naturalist. 13 Consp. — Conspicuous, or conspicu- ously. Contr. — Contracted. Conv. — Convex. Cop. — Coppery. Cyl.— Cylindric. Def. — Defined. Dent. — Dentate. Dil.— Diluted. Dist. — Distinct, or distinctly. Dor. — Dorsal. E.— Elytra. El. — Elongate. Elev. — Elevated. . Ex. — External, or externally. Exc. — Except. F. — Femora. Fasc. — Fascia, or fascia:. Forw. — Forwards. Fov. — Fovea, or fovea?. Fr. — Front. Fun. — Funiculus. Gen. — 'Generally. Glab. — Glabrous. Gr. — Green. Gran. — Granulated. H.— Head. H.-b. — Hind body. Hi. — Hinder. Hum. — Humeral. Impr. — Impression, or impressed. Impunc. — Impunctate. In. — Inner. Ind. — Indistinct, or indistinctly. Ins. — Insertion. Int. — Interstice. Interm. — Intermediate. Irreg. — Irregular, or irregularly. J. — Joint, or jointed. Longi. — Longitudinal. Mar. — Margin, or margined. Met. — Metallic. Mid.— Middle. Obi.— Oblique. Obs. — Obsolete, or obsoletely. Obsc. — Obscure, or obscurely. Obt. — Obtuse, or obtusely. Oliv. — Olivaceous. Out. — Outer. Pal. — Palpi (maxillary). Pec. — Pectinated. Pen. — Penultimate. Pit. — Pitchy (/. e., of the colour, of pitch). Post. — Posterior, or posteriorly. Prec. — Preceding. Prod. — Produced. P. -s. — Punctate-striate. Pub. — Pubescent. Punc. — Puncture, or punctate. Pyg. — Pygidium. R.— Red, or reddish. (See"B.") Rectang. — Rectangular . R. -m. — Reflexed margin. Ros. — Rostrum. Sc. — Scutellum. Seg. — Segment. * Serr. — Serrated. Should. — Shoulder. Spar. — Sparing, or sparingly. Str. — Stria, or striate. Sub . — Subulate. Sut. — Suture. Tar. — Tarsi. Test. — Testaceous. Th. — Thorax. Tib. — Tibiae. Tr. — Transverse, or transversely. Unic. — Unicolorous. Unif. — Uniform, or uniformly. U. -s. — Under side. Var. — Variety. Vio.— Violet. Wh.— White, or whitish. (See "B.") Yel. — Yellow, or yellowish. , , $ — Male. ? — Female. TABLE OF GROUPS. I. E. reaching cons, beyond ins. of 3rd legs . . E. not reaching beyond ins. of 3rd legs, — or if a little beyond, an. not with an abr. cl. Brachelytra • 14 The Scottish Naturalist. 2. An. never cl. at ap. Not aquatic. Tar. all 5 j. (easy to count) ...... 3 - -. - - 4 j. (easy to count). An. straight, never cl. Pen. j. of tar. very deeply bil. and much shorter than the prcc. together .... 4 -----. Aquatic ..... Hydra dephaga - various ....... 5 3. Ant. tib. dis. notched on in. mar., or sharply spined at ap. Geodephaga - - plain. Th. more than twice length of h. , and acute- ly prod, at hi. angs. .... Elateridae 4. H. not deeply sunk in th., with 2nd j. of an. much less than % length of 3rd, or with eyes notched, or with both . . . . . . ' Longicornes An. much thickened towards ap., and 1st j. of 3rd tar. much longer than the 2 following together . Bruchidae Not possessing the characters of either of the 2 prec. . Eupoda 5. Tar. all 5 j. (easy to count). Pal. longer than an. . . 6 ........ . not longer than an. .... 7 - - 4 j. (easy to count). An. elbowed, or ros. prod, as a snout, or both ..... Rhyncophora - various, but with less than 4 js., often not easy to count . 8 3rd tar. 4 j. ; rest 5 j. (easy to count) . . . Heteromera 6. 1st j. of 3rd tar. evidently longest . . . Sphaeridiadae not evidently longest .... Hydrophilidae 7. 1st and 2nd pairs of legs meeting at ins., 3rd remote from them ...... Buprestidae ------ not close together. Hi. angs. of th. acutely prod, backw. An. much thickened (or serr.) to- wards ap. . . . . . . Eucnemidae ---- not acutely prod, backw. An. elbowed, with a foliated cl. . . Lamellicornes ( Malacodermi • • * not asm prec. j Necrophaga 8. Tar. with 3 broad js. (easy to count). Ins. of an. near other, between the eyes .... Endomychidae - - - far apart, in fr. of the eyes . Coccinellidae ,, S Sphaeriadae - I or 2 j. Species very minute . . j Trichopterygidae - 3 j. Species small, but rarely less than % line . Lathridiidae TABLE OF FAMILIES OF GEODEPHAGA. I. Ant. tib. not dist. notched on in. mar. .... 2 - - dist. notched on in. mar. H.-b. consists of not more than 6 segs. ...... 4 - - - more than 6 segs. . . . B*achiiud» The Scottish Naturalist. J 5 2. Eye longer than first 2 js. of an. together. H. often cone. - shorter than first 2 js. of an. together. H. not cone. 3. E, dull, with met. spaces, or vice versa . E. not met., — variegated with colours, . 4. E. covering h. -b. Ex. mar. of ant. tib. not dent. - - -. - - - - -dentate. (Th. joined to h. -b. by peduncle) ..... - leave ap. of of h. -b. exposed . 5. Ap. j. of pal. not sub. 4 dil. js. in ant. tar. of $ . In term. tar. of $ gen. dil. Less than 4 dil. js. in ant. tar. of $ - - - - sub. Ant. tar. of $ with 2 dil. js. 6. Each dil. j. in ant. tar. of $ contr. at its base. Dil. js only 2 .... . not contr. at its base. Dil. js. 3 Carabidac Elaphridse Cicindelidae Scaritidse Lebiadse Harpalidse 6 Bembidiadae Trechidse Feroniidse Chlaaniidse First Family— CICINDELID^E. (1 genus.) Cicindela. 1. E. gr. E. not gr. 2. Th. broadest in fr. Br. gr. Legs cop. Mouth wh E. with wh. spots (with a b. punc. in $ ). 7 1. B. Th. cyl. shining dull gr. with cop. gloss. Hum. angs. a spot near mid of mar. , and a crescent at ap. , of e obsc. wh. 5 1. E.s. Ap. of e. pale ..... not pale. Cop. -b. E. wrinkled and pitted. Hum angs. and 3 streaks from mar. (the middle one long and w shaped) yel. 8 1. E.s. Cop. or oliv. E. with a hum. and ap. crescent, and a broad waved band (whose ant. mar. at one end is in a line with/^j - /. at other) not reaching sut. , yel. 7^ 1. E.n.c. ...... ? var. of prec. Ant. mar. of tr. band at one end behind post, at other. E.s.c . . . . 2 3 campestris germanica 4 sylvatica hybrida maritima Second Family— ELAPHRID^E. (3 genera.) I. E. with a consp. polished longi. space on each side of sut. Notiophilus E. not as in prec. ...... 2 2. H. and th. unif. and thickly punc. H. (which is not cone.) and th. not unif. punc. Elaphrus Blethisa i6 The Scottish Naturalist. Notiophilus. I. E. with the ap. dist. paler than the disc E. unic. H. consp. punc. near ba. Brassy. Tib. red- dish. E. deeply p.-s., the str. failing near the ap. 1 B ' The whole legs (especially the ant. E. A s., 2% ones) r. E. deeply p.-s.- throughout. 2)4 !• - -. - almost impunc. Brassy or b. Tib. gen. b. more el. species than the prec, less strongly p the str. failing near the ap. 2^4 LB.!. 2. 2nd int. beyond the polished space broader than 1st not broader than 1st. Firsts ints. both much broader than the rest. H. narrow. Punc. of str. fine. Brassy. Tib. r. 2]/^ LB. 3. Only 2nd int. a little broader than the rest. H. broad. Punc. of str. coarse. Brassy. Tib. r. E. with / large consp. punc. 2^1. B. !! . Very like prec. (? var.) E. with 2 large consp. puncs. E. . palustris rufipes aquaticus 3 substriatus biguttatus quadripunctatus Elaphrus. 1. Tib. more or less test. ..... - not test. ...... 2. Oliv. Tar. br. gr. Unif. and closely punc, exc. a few elev. spaces on the in. ints. E. with 4 rows of faintly impr. pits. 3^ LB.!. Bronzy. Tar. not gr. Spar, and irreg. punc. E. with 4 rows of deeply impr. pits. Th. with a deep chan. forked in fr. ^H LB.!. 3. E. much less closely punc. than th. Glossy b. , gr. , r. , or golden. E. with 4 rows of faintly impr. pits. 4/^ 1. S. M - E. punc. much as th. Met. gr. or b. E. with 4 rows of dist. impr. pits. Th. with 2 obi. pits on either side of an irreg. dors. chan. 4X LB.. . Blethisa. Dark bronze. Mar. of th. and of the p.-s. e., gen. gr. Third int. with 4 or 5 large pits, fifth with 2. 5 1. 1». • • • • • • npanus cupreus lapponkus uliginosus multipunctata Third Family— CARABID.E. (6 genera). 1 . Th. not consp. prod, backw. at hi, angs. Th. consp. prod, backw. at hi. angs. . 2. E. str. Th. not closely punc. over entire surface - -. - closely punc. over entire surface . - not str. ...••• 2 Carabus 3 Calosoma Cychrus The Scottish Naturalist. 17 3. 5th j. of an. about double length of 4th - - - - cons, longer than 4th, but much less than double - - - - scarcely longer than 4th (E. with consp. pits) . Cychrus. B. The long narrow h. , and strongly mar. th. and e. all coarsely gran. E. with traces of 3 elev. lines. oy^, 1. a. ...... Carabus. 1. E. with 3 continuous strongly elev. longi. lines . E. without these lines ..... 2. Space between the lines simply gran, or wrinkled - - - - (the first of which is obs. in the hi. third) occupied by chain-like rows of elev. lines. Brassy. 10 1. B ' - - - - occupied by large pits connected into rows by short elev. lines. Brassy. 12 1. B. 3. H. and th. cop. E. gr. with a cop. mar. Legs black- ish. 8 1. B. . . . . . Rich gr. Mouth, pal., ba. 4 js. of an., and legs, r. 11 1. E.8.C ..... 4. Th. more or less tr. . - as long as broad. Blackish bl. Ap. j. of pal. consp. hatchet-shaped. E. with chain-like rows of elev. lines, 3 of them very consp. '12^ 1. E.s-w. 5. E. with rows of shallow but dist. imprs. - without dist. str. , imprs. , or elev. lines - dist. str., with elev. lines, but not dist. imprs. 6. Int. of str. continuous and dist. elev. , exc. 4th, 8th, and 1 2th, which consist of short elev. lines. Colour variable. 12 1. E. - - - - but scarcely elev., exc. 4th, 8th, and 12th, which consist of short strongly elev. lines. Colour vari- able. 9 1. B. - - - much interrupted ; 4th, 8th, and 12th more elev. than the rest. Bl. -b. Mar. of th. and e. often vio. iij^ 1. B. ! 7. H. and th. bronzy. E. greenish, gran., with 3 chain- like rows of scarcely elev. lines, on each of which is a very dist. row of imprs. 1 1 1. B. ! B. , with mar. of th. and e. , bl. E. only twice as long as th., covered with close elev. lines, on which are 3 faint rows of imprs. 8 1. E. S. Sut. gently elev., especially behind. B. gen. tinged with vio. or gr. E. gran. — the granulation tending to run into lines. 12 1. B. ! Sut. flat. Glossy b. , tinged with steel bl. Very conv. E. very finely and evenly gran. 12 1. B. M « . (To be continued.) Leistus Nebria Pelophila rostratus 2 4 3 granulatus clathratus nitens auratus 5 intricatus 7 8 6 . monilis arvensis catenulatus nemoralis cotivexus violaceus glabratus PHYTOLOGY. NOTES OF A BOTANICAL EXCURSION TO THE BKEADALBANE MOUNTAINS, PEKTHSHIKE. By COLONEL DRUMMOND-HAY, C.M.Z.S., and Dr. BUCHANAN WHITE, F.L.S. IN August last we made a short excursion to Breadalbane, and were successful in finding new localities for some of the rarer alpines. These will, of course, be published in the "Flora of Perthshire," now being prepared by the Perthshire Society of Natural Science ; but, in the meantime, we think it may not be amiss to give some notes on our excursion, and to record some of the more interesting species that we found. Arabis petr&a Lamk. This pretty plant has not, we believe, been recorded as a Perthshire species since Lightfoot reported it from Craig Chailleach, where we have never found it. It is abundant on Ben Laoigh. Here we chiefly found the white-flowered form, though a few plants of the purple-flowered occurred. The latter appears to be commoner in the west than in the east of Scotland. Sagina nivalis Fr. Ben Lawers, in two places. Altitude, 3100-3350 feet. Arenaria rubella Hook. Cam Creag and Ben Lawers. Cerastimu triviale Link., var. alpinum Koch. If this occurs at all in Breadalbane, it is very rare. It seems to be more a plant of the Eastern Grampians, occurring sparingly in Athole, and more commonly in Aberdeen and Forfar shires. It appears to be the mountain equivalent of the lowland var. holostcoides Fr. Rubus saxatilis L. A curious form of this on Ben Laoigh deserves mention. At first we thought we had found R. arcticus, but we fear the plant is only R. saxatilis, though it had no prostrate barren stems, and otherwise differed from the usual form of the latter. It was not in flower or fruit. The Scottish Naturalist. 19 Carduus arvensis L. A curious form of this grows at the base of Ben Lawers. It may be termed var. or form elegans, and differs from the usual fofm by its very spinous leaves, the segments of which are strongly involute ; by the arrange- ment of the flower stalks, which are less umbellate than usual, and rather assume a spike-like appearance — i.e., in- stead of the lateral flowering stalks attaining nearly the level of the primary one, they are shortened. The colour is of a paler, more yellow-green than in the common plant. It is difficult, however, to describe the difference, though when growing the plant has a striking appearance. Pyrola minor L. At an altitude of 2,300 feet, on Ben Lawers. Gentiana nivalis L. Cam Creag, near Craig Chailleach. We do not know if this locality has been recorded before. It was found on Maol nan Tarmachan by Mr. J. B. Balfour ; but this appears to be a different station. Bartsia alpina I,. Abundant on Ben Laoigh. Taxus baccata L. The " Fortingal Yew," whose age, if we err not, has been computed at something like 2,500 years, is still in vigorous health, though but little of the main stem, which once measured 56 ft. in circumference, now remains. /uncus castaneus Sm. Ben Laoigh, Cam Creag, and Ben Lawers ; as usual, sparingly. J. biglumis L. Cam Creag and Ben Lawers ; very local. Kobresia caricina Willd. Ben Laoigh and Ben Oss ; not un- common. This plant appears to like the spongy ground on wet hillsides, when it grows with Carex pulicaris and other small sedges. Woodsia hyperborea R. Br. Ben Laoigh, etc. Cystopteris montana Link. Ben Laoigh ; sparingly. We took the altitudes of a great number of plants, and found them at higher elevations than have been recorded for them in this country. These, however, will be published hereafter. It may be of some interest to give a list of the flowering plants which grow at the top, or within 10 or 12 feet of the top, of Ben Lawers, the highest mountain in Breadalbane, and which attains 3,984 feet. We found there : — Thalictrum alpi- num, Draba rupestris, Cer ostium alpinum, Silcne acaulis, Sagina procu7iibens (?), Cherleria sedoides, AlcJiemilla vulgaris, A. alpina, Saxifraga nivalis, S. oppositifolia, S. stellar is, S. hyp no ides, Gnaphalium supinum, Achillea millefolium, Euphrasia officinalis, 20 The Scottish Naturalist. Rumex acetosa, Polygonum vivifiarum, Carex rigida, lestuca ovifia. Of course, many other species grow 50 or 100 feet lower. Perth, Dec, 1874. New Scottish Plants. — During the excursion in August last of the "Scottish Alpine Club" to Braemar, Mr. John Sadler was fortunate enough to discover two flowering plants not previously found in Britain. One of them is a sallow, which has been described by Dr. Boswell Syme under the name of Salix Sadleri. It is probably, we understand, a hybrid between S. reticulata and -5". lapponum or lanata. The other plant is Carex frigida All. It may be briefly described (after Godron) thus:— Male spikelet solitary, blackish, oblong; female spikelets (about 4) dense, cylindrical, at first erect, then drooping, streaked with brown and green, the upper ones approximate and almost sessile, the lower somewhat remote and long stalked. Bracts herbaceous, long-sheathed, nearly reaching the male spikelet. Fertile glumes shorter than the fruit, linear, acute, mucronate, of a black brown with the keel green or reddish. Stigmas three. Fruit glabrous fusiform-trigonous, brown with a green border, insensibly attenuated into a plano-convex beak, which is bifid and ciliate on the margins. Nut brown, long-stalked, elliptic-trigonous and dotted. Leaves bright green, plane, keeled linear acuminate, the edges rough. Stem erect, triquetrous, for the most part smooth. Root stoloniferous. C. frigida is a not uncommon alpine species. The finding of these plants in such a compatively well searched locality as Glen Callater, proves that the list of native plants is not yet exhausted. (We may mention that Carex ornithopoda Willd. has been found in Derbyshire. It is common on calcar- eous soils in many parts of Europe,) Variety of Melampyrum sylvaticum L. — In Blairathole Woods I found a variety of the local Melampyrum sylvaticum, which I do not find mentioned. It may be thus described: — Melampyrum sylvaticum L., var. pallidijlora. Flowers smaller, corolla-mouth less open ; corolla pale yellow or whitish, touched with violet (somewhat resembling in colour the corolla of M. pratense) ; bracts shorter and broader. With the common form but much less common. — F. Buchanan White. Anthriscus abortivus Jord- — I have found in a wood, near Perth, one or two plants of what appears to be Anthriscus abortivus Jord. This, I believe, is considered a sub-species by Dr. Boswell Syme, who thinks it likely to occur in upland districts. It differs from Anthriscus sylvestris by its less divided and paler leaves, and by the absence of the circlet of minute hairs at the base of the fruit. There seems no reason to suppose that it is an escape in the place I found it, except it be its scarceness there. — F. Buchanan White. New British Fungus. — Specimens of Exidia truncata Fr., found on lime, have been sent me from Haddingtonshire by Mr Alexander D. Innes, The Gardens, Yester. I am not aware that this species has been previously observed in Britain. — James Keith, Forres, 7th December, 1874. The Scottish Naturalist. 21 Id. — In September last I found, near Forres, in company with the Rev. Messrs. Keith & Fergusson, Dothidea angelica; Fr. on Angelica sylvestris. I do not remember having seen any record of this fungus (for whose name I am indebted to Mr. C. B. Plowright) having been previously found in Britain. — F. Buchanan White. Kobresia caricina Willd., in Argyleshire. — Last summer I found this local sedge on a hill in this county, for which I think it has not been pre- viously recorded. — F. Buchanan White. The Botanical Locality Record Club— Report of the Recorder for 1873.— This Club — of which the first report is now before us — was formed "to collect, record, and publish the localities of rare local and other British plants, with the view of ascertaining more correctly the special circumstances as to soil, altitudinal range, &c, attending their geographical distribution, and limiting or favouring their existence." "Moreover, one of the main purposes of the Record Club is to assist in helping on to symmetry and completion that edifice of Topographical Botany, towards which far more than the foundation and the scaffolding has been contributed by one hand alone." At the formation of the Club we were not quite satisfied as to either its probable utility or indeed of the expediency of publishing the localities of rare and local plants. . Now, however, we begin to think that a certain amount (and we hope a good deal) of good work will be done by the Club, and our fears regarding the possible extinction of local species are to a great extent allayed by the regulations as to publication adopted by the Club. "At the end of every year the locality-list shall be arranged and printed, together with notes upon them, and a summary of the season's work. A copy of this Report shall be the right of every member, and some few others, who are eminent botanists, who would not be likely to abuse know- ledge of locality ; and the chief Botanical Societies and Journals shall have a copy sent them ; but none shall be offered for sale to the public, and no member shall be allowed to subscribe for more than one copy." Further, it appears that in the case of very rare species the locality is only given in general terms, though (we suppose) any member who is desirous may get a more definite indication. Another great object of the Club is to form a general herbarium of British plants (of the species recorded — each member recording being bound to verify his record by a specimen of the plant), which, when "worthy of acceptance," shall be presented to the nation. In the meantime the herbarium belongs to the members, and can be inspected by them at any time. Space will not permit us to enter at greater length into the objects of the Club since we must devote a few words to the Report. In the summary, the Recorder after alluding to the objects of the Club, points out that lists of the common plants of nine counties (as mentioned in Mr. H. C. Watson's Topographical Botany) are still wanting, while the plants of four others are but very imperfectly recorded. Amongst these we notice Wigtown, Peebles, Selkirk, Stirling, Mull, and Western Ross. He sug- gests to members who may visit any of these counties the propriety of pre- paring a list by ticking off on a "London Catalogue" all the species observed — the commonest as well as the rarest — and promises to such lists 22 The Scottish Naturalist. a prominent place in future Reports. We have much pleasure in making this request known in hope that it may come under the notice of botanists not yet members of the Club. The Recorder then alludes to various additions to the County Records, to the General Locality-list, to the list of Re-appearances and Extinctions, and to the list of Aliens, Casuals, and Escapes — all these lists being given in the remaining 22 pages of the Report. We are glad to observe the record of the re-appearance of that very rare British orchid Cypripedium Calceohis, which was found in plenty in 1873-74 in two denes in Durham (the names of which "though not withheld are for obvious reasons sup- pressed") neither of which is the old recorded station for this plant — Castle Eden Dene. " Like Epipactis," says one of the discoverers, "the Cypripedium seems to lie dormant in shade, and only springs up when the sun gets to the ground" by the cutting down of trees and underwood. THE EDIBLE WILD PKUITS OF SCOTLAND. By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S. DEEP in the hearts of all men, however high may be the culture to which they have attained, or however wrapt they may be in those pursuits— be they politics, or commerce, or literature — which seem farthest removed from all communion with nature — deep in all hearts (often indeed so deep, that seldom or never does it consciously reveal itself) there lurks, I believe, a love of the beauty of things in a wild and free state, unaffected by any human influence. Thus it is that the wild grandeur of the mountains, and the almost monotonous immensity of the sea, are so attractive ; and it is doubtless this same feeling which makes it so difficult to effect the civilization — within a few generations at least — of savage tribes. But, in civilized nations, it is the naturalist — not the mere classifier of species, nor he who gathers together a collection of objects of natural history as he would a collection of postage stamps, coins, or old china, but the true lover of nature — who is the chief inheritor of this love of the wild freshness of the earth's morning, still lingering on the mountain's side, in the depths of the primeval forest, or amidst the waves of ocean. And thus it seems to me that to the naturalist, wild flowers and fruits will always be more beautiful and attractive than all the richest treasures of the garden. But a comparison should scarcely be made, perhaps, between wild fruits and those which have become subject to man. The whole character of the latter has become changed ; the bitter The Scottish Naturalist. 23 has been made sweet, and the small large — all freedom has been lost. To a certain extent they are produced in the form and at the time that man decrees ; and thus, however much their utility may have been increased, the natural has, to a greater or less extent, been lost. That this is not so to many eyes I am aware, but to the eye of the naturalist and of the artist (and are not these in many respects convertible terms ?) it has gone for ever. The Sloe {Primus spinosa L.) would scarcely (save, perhaps, "to boyish appetites") be considered to merit a place among edible wild fruits, and yet, when gathered at the proper time — after the frosts of autumn have lit up the woods — a by no means despicable jelly may be made from the fruit. The blossoms, covering with "radiant sheen" the rough bank or rocky brow where this plant delights to grow, well merit the name of " spring's banner," which has been applied to them. The juice of the fruit is said to make a good marking ink for linen or woollen cloths, the part to be marked being placed on the fruit, and the letters pricked out with a pin. The young leaves dried are a substitute for tea, oftener perhaps used than is generally suspected ! In Gaelic the Sloe is called an-droi- ghionn and preas-uan-airneag. The Bullace {P. insititia L.) This, with its larger, less austere berry, is a rarer plant than the Sloe, to which, in many respects, it is similar. In Scotland, it is said not to extend north of Dumfries. It is, however, apparently wild in Perth- shire. The Gean {P. avium L.) is the origin of the garden cherry, and its fruit is too well known to need description. Though Gean (evidently, I think, derived from the French) is given in the manuals as the name of this, it is more especially a Scottish name, and applied to the black-fruited variety. Withering says, " Green Tree in Scotland," apparently having taken up the name wrongly. The Bird-cherry, or Hag-berry {P. padus L.), can scarcely be considered to produce an edible fruit, though, according to Lightfoot, it was used in Scotland for flavouring wine or brandy. The Swedes are said to use the blossoms for a similar purpose. Of all our wild trees, none is more worthy of admiration than this when in full flower, and its long snowy racemes, melodious with the hum of the wild bees, hanging over some murmuring 24 The Scottish Naturalist. brook, while under its slender branches the wild hyacinth and pale primrose grow side by side. The Cloud -berry, or Averon {Rubus chamcemorus L.) High up on the mountain side, where the bog-mosses grow in cushions of green, red, and yellow, flourishes the little mountain bramble. The flowers are large and white, and are followed in about six weeks by the large berries, at first red and opaque, then yellow and semi-transparent. The taste of the fruit is very peculiar, and (to my idea, at least) not very pleasant when un- cooked; but when preserved, either as jam or jelly, it is very agreeable and much sought after. Should a frost come at the time of flowering — end of May and June — (not unfrequent at the high altitudes which this plant affects), the blossoms are unproductive : this is doubtless the reason why one often sees acres of the plant without a single berry. In the north of Europe also, the fruit is much used, and so is the Arctic Bramble (Rubus arcticus), which is, however, more nearly re- lated to the following species. The Arctic Bramble, which has pink blossoms, has been reported as growing on Ben-y-Ghloe, but has not been recently, if ever, found there. The Stone Bramble (R. saxatilis), or Roebuck Berry. This is another plant of the same genus, descending, however, to a lower elevation, and preferring the banks of subalpine streams and subalpine woods. The barren branches are long and trailing, but the fertile ones are shorter, and bear a few whitish blossoms, followed in due time by the berries, consisting of two or three scarlet drupes. In no place does the Stone Bramble show to greater advantage than when growing among the rounded pebbles on the banks of a Highland stream, the leafy shoots trailing among the stones, and the bright scarlet clusters of berries shining forth against the green and grey background. The fruit is of a peculiar acid flavour, and has been made into a by no means despicable jam — so my friend, Mr. J. M'Farlane, reports from experience. In Russia it is fermented with honey. The Raspberry (R. Idceus), another plant of the same family, needs no description, and appears to be truly wild in many woods and on some mountain sides. The Bramble (R. fruticosus) is equally well known, but its fruit is not nearly so appreciated. It is a much more handsome plant than the last-mentioned, and when trailing over some rock or rugged bank, its tinted leaves and snowy blossoms — some- times rose-tinted — and green, red, and purple-black berries, The Scottish Naturalist. 25 make a picture that has often tempted the artist to linger awhile. The berries are often eaten, and afford a good jelly. Withering says that " they do not eat amiss with wine, and are rendered more palatable by being mixed with the juice of sloes." In many parts, the country people say that after the end of September Brambles are not eatable, as they then become the property of the devil — probably, I suppose, for the reason that they are often touched by the frost in October. The Dew-berry (R. cozsins) is somewhat similar to the Bramble, but is a rarer plant in Scotland. The Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.). This is another of the wild fruits which requires no further mention than the name. The berries are sometimes white, and have then a (perhaps imaginary) finer flavour. The Scotch Rose (Rosa spinosissima L.), the Downy- leaved Rose (R.villosa), the Sweet Briar or Eglantine (R. rubiginosa), and the Dog-rose (R. canina), have all a more or less edible fruit. The hip or fruit has a different flavour in each species, and in preparing them for use the rough prickly inside must of course be removed. In the north of Europe they are mixed with wine, but may also be made into a jelly with sugar. In some parts of Russia a spirit is extracted from the flowers, and they are also preserved with honey and sugar. The hips of the Scotch Rose are purple-black, and have a pleasant sub- acid flavour. With their juice silk and muslin may be dyed of a peach colour, and with the addition of alum, a deep violet. Of the other species, the fruit of R. villosa is the most palatable, and that of the Sweet Briar the least so. The latter plant is said to be a doubtful native of Scotland ; but, in Perthshire at least, it seems to have some claim to be considered indigen- ous. Thus speaks old Gerarde of the Dog-rose : — " It were to small purpose to use many words in the description thereof ; for even children with great delight eat the berries thereof when they be ripe, make chains and other pretty gewgawes of the fruit ; cookes and gentlewomen make tarts and such like dishes, for pleasure thereof; and therefore this shall suffice for the description." The Crab-apple (Pyrus mains L.) has scarcely an edible fruit in a wild condition, the juice being so very acid. It is the origin of the cultivated apple. The Rowan, or Mountain Ash (P. aucuparia L.). There is perhaps no indigenous tree that adds greater beauty to a moun- 26 The Scottish Naturalist. tain wood in September or October than the Rowan, with its glowing vermillion berries, seen against a bright blue sky. In former times, and even not so very long ago, the tree was reputed sacred, and a sovereign charm against witchcraft. The berries may be used in various ways, but chiefly for making a jelly which is eaten with venison or mutton ; the flavour of this jelly is very peculiar. Lightfoot says that in Jura the juice is used as an acid for punch, and that in some places the high- landers distil a very good spirit from the berries. According to Evelyn, ale and beer used to be brewed from them, and was a common and "incomparable drink" in Wales ; while Withering reports that the berries, dried and ground, make wholesome bread. In Strathspey, on May Day (the ancient Beltane), the sheep used to, and perhaps may yet, be made to pass through a hoop of Rowan wood. The White Beam (Pyrus aria L.) is rather rare in a wild state, and scarcely merits notice as an edible fruit-bearer save that the berries have, in the neighbourhood of Perth and else- where, unaccountably acquired the name of mulberries (a fruit entirely unlike the pomes of the White Beam), and are so called by persons who should know better. All the above-named plants belong to the Rosacea; the next order producing esculent wild fruits is the Grossulariacece, but few of them have more than a doubtful claim to be considered indigenous in Scotland. The Red Currant (Ribes rubrum L.), Mountain Currant (R. alpimun L.), Black Currant (R. ?iigrum L.), and the Gooseberry (R. grossularia L.), are the plants belonging to this order that are included in the British list, but they are more often found in a naturalized than in a really wild condition. Whatever may be said for the others, R. alpinum is not usually considered wild in Scotland ; and as the fruit is scarcely, from its insipidity, worth eating, we need not consider it further at present. The other species are too well known to need descrip- tion. We may, however, note that the young leaves of the Black Currant "tinge spirits so as to resemble brandy," and that the "seeds of Gooseberries — washed, dried, roasted, and ground — are a good substitute for coffee." The Elder, or Bour-tree (Sambucus nigra L.), is a well- known plant, but so far north as this it appears to be doubtfully indigenous, though common enough in many woods and hedges. Several parts of the plant have been, and one of them still is, The Scottish Naturalist. 27 used. From the purplish-black berries a wine is made, by no means despicable when mulled ; and from the same part a pre- paration for colds, etc., is also prepared. The flowers are made into wine also, and the cluster of flower buds is said to make a delicious pickle to eat with mutton. Tea, even (which cannot, however, be recommended), has been made from the dried flowers. It is said not to be prudent to sleep under the shade of the tree, from its narcotic properties. The Crow-berry (Empeirum nigrum L.) is one of those plants which clothe our mountain sides in great abundance, and whose very name brings to the memory of the naturalist many pleasant days on the hills, when the watery berries have been eagerly sought for, to allay the thirst that a too eager pursuit of his treasures — be they animal or tegetable — under the broiling sun, has induced. In this country the berries are always purple-black, but in North America they are often purple, and in South America red. I was at one time rather puzzled to account for the name of the Crow-berry, for, though both the berry and the crow are of the same colour, yet that did not seem a sufficient reason why the Empetrum should be called Crow-berry. My friend, Mr. J. W. H. Traill, however, told me that he once saw a lot of hoodie-crows feeding on the berries, and that fact, I think, explains the name. I was not aware till recently that a jam could be made from Crow-berries, but it seems that they are not very unfrequently so used. To my idea, the taste of this jam is not agreeable. In large quantities the berries are said to occasion headache. In Iceland and Norway, a kind of wine is made from them. With alum, the berries dye a dark purple. We now come to the genus Vaccinium, of which all the British species produce an edible fruit. As the fruit in each species has different qualities, it will be well to consider them in detail. The Blaeberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.). I imagine that few people would declare the fruit of this plant to be neither agreeable nor wholesome, and yet that is the judgment that the great botanist, Sir J. E. Smith, " dignissimus LitMesi hceres" pronounced upon them. Dr. Johnston delivers a different opinion — "good plucked from the bush, better when eaten with cream in the manner of strawberries." They also make good jam or jelly, which last the highlanders are said to flavour with whisky. The Blaeberry is one of the few wild fruits that are 28 The Scottish Naturalist. brought into the market, and in some places a considerable amount of money is made by those who gather them for sale. A variety with white berries is sometimes found, and has been observed in woods between Dunkeld and Blair-Athol by one of the Dukes of Athol. The Great Bilberry (V. uliginosum L.). This is a much rarer plant than the last, and is almost confined to the higher mountains. The black berries have not much flavour, and in large quantities are said to cause giddiness. The Red Whortle-berry, or Idaean Vine (V. vitis-idcea L.). Of late years especially, these berries, which in North Scotland are called Cran-berries (the true Cran-berry, V. oxycoccos, being scarcely known), have come into such extensive use for making a capital jelly or jam, that large quantities have been imported from Norway, and meet with a ready sale. The chief supply of Scotch-grown berries comes from the woods north of the Gram- pians, where the dark shining evergreen leaves and clusters of bright red berries make a beautiful carpet to the birch and pine woods in autumn, as do the white rose-tinted flowers in early summer. The Cran-berry ( V. oxycoccos L.), with its delicate wiry stems creeping over the many coloured bog-mosses, its bright rose-coloured petals so curiously rolled back, and the purplish- red and spotted berries, can scarcely be esteemed a common plant in Scotland, though in a few favoured spots it grows in great abundance. Yet there is scarcely a mountain side, I believe, where it does not grow, and where a close search will not be rewarded. The berries have a peculiar flavour, much esteemed by many people, and disliked by others. They are especially used for making tarts, but it is chiefly with American Cran-berries — which, though larger and finer looking fruit, are yet inferior in flavour — that these are made. In some parts of the south of Scotland and north of England, Cran- berries grow in sufficient abundance as to allow of their being brought to market. The cultivation of this plant has been recommended, and it is said that a bed five feet square ought to yield one quart of fruit — a profitable and easy method of cultivating land otherwise of little use. (To be continued.) INSECTA SCOTICA. THE LEPIDOPTERA OF SCOTLAND. (Continued from Vol. If., p. 376.) Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S. PISI L. Common. Pascual, ericetal, nemoral. Ascends to 1400 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther- land Orkney § West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross g Lat. 54°4o"-59°io". Range in Europe. Central and north- ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August-October. Food-plant. Broom and low plants. OLERACEA L. Abundant. Agrestal, nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § o o West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross o Lat. 54°4o"-57°5o". Range in Europe. Nearly throughout. Type. European. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August, September. Food plant. Low plants. dissimilis Knoch. (1781); suasa Bkh. (1792). Not com- mon. Pascual. Distribution — East. §0000000 West. Solway [Clyde] 000 Lat. 54°4o 7 -[56 ]. Range in Eurofe. Central and northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. English. 30 The Scottish Naturalist. Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. August, September. Food-plant. Low plants. H. irifolii Rott. (1776) = ckenopodii F. (1787) has been reported from Forth, Dee, and Clyde, but is a very doubtful Scottish species. dentin A Esp. Common. Nemoral. Ascends to 1300 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § Orkney o West. Solway Clyde Argyle g § Lat. 54°4o"-59°io". Range in Europe. Nearly throughout. Type. European. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September- May. Food-plant. Low plants (roots). GLAUCA Hb. Not common. Nemoral, ericetal. Ascends to 1200 (?2ooo) feet. Distribution — East. 3 ForthTay Dee Moray [Sutherland] o o West. § Clyde Argyle g o Lat. 55°-5o°58". Range in Europe. Northern and central. Type. Septentriono-central. Type in Britain. Scottish. Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. July, August. Food- plant. Sallow, etc. protea Bkh. Common. Nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Moray §00 West. Solway Clyde 8 8° Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central and South- western j S. Sweden, &c. Type. Central. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. September. Larva. June. Food- plant. Oak. adusta Esp. Abundant in highlands; not uncommon in lowlands. Nemoral. Ascends to 1300 feet. The Scottish Naturalist. 31 Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray- Sutherland Orkney § West. Solway Clyde Argyle § o Lat. 54°4o"-59°io". Range in Europe. Central and northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-April. Food-plant. Low plants. APLBCTA Gn. advena F. Not common. Pascual. Distribution — East. § Forth Tay 00000 West. Solway Clyde 000 Lat. 54°4o' / -56°3o' / . Range in Europe. Northern and central. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August- September (?May). Food-plant. Low plants. tincta Brahm. Common in highlands ; rarer in lowlands. Nemoral. Ascends to 1200 feet. Distribution — East, g § Tay Dee Moray [Sutherland] o o West. g Clyde Argyle g g Lat. 55 4o"-57°5o' r . Range in Europe. Central and northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September- May. Food-plant. Birch and low plants. NEBUL.OSA Hum. Not very common. Nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay g Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde Argyle o o Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central. Type. Central. Type in Britain. British. 32 The Scottish Naturalist. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September- May. Food-plant. Low plants. occulta L. Not common. Nemoral. Distribution — East, g Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray [Sutherland] o o West, g Clyde Argyle g g Lat. 55°5o"-59°. Range in Europe. East - central ; S. Sweden, &c. Type. Centro-oriental. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. September- May. Food -plant. Low plants. Highland specimens are usually much blacker than lowland ones. PRASINA F. (1787); herbida Hb. (1798). Not common. Nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee g o o o West. Solway Clyde goo Lat. 54°4o"-57°io". Range in Europe. Central ; South Scandinavia, &c. Type. Central. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-May. Food -plant. Low plants. POLIA Tr. [flavicincta F. Rare. Distribution — East, o o Tay Moray 000 West. 00000 Lat. 56°3o"-57°3o". Range in Europe. Central (Sweden?). Type. Central. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance — Imago. August, September. Larva. May- July. Food-plant. Low plants. A doubtful Scottish species. ( To be continued. ) The Scottish Naturalist. 33 THE OOLEOPTEKA OF SCOTLAND. (Continued from Vol. II, />. 384. ) Editkd by D. SHARP, M.B. LATHROBIUM Kr. BRUNNIPES Fal). Lowland. In marshes. Common. Distribution — East, g Forth g g Moray 000 West. Solway §000 boreale Hoch. Lowland. Distribution — East. 000000 00 West. Solway 0000 elongatum Lin. Lowland. In marshes. Common. Distribution — East, g Forth Tay g Moray 000 West. Solway 000 fulvipenne Grav. Lowland, highland. Common. Distribution — East, g Forth g g Moray o o Shetland West. Solway g o o o MULTIPUNCTUM Grav. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. Tweed 0000 000 West. Solway g Argyle o o quadratum Payk. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway 0000 terminatum Grav. Amongst sphagnum. Common. Distribution — East. g Forth Tay g g o o o West. Solway g o o o ATRIPALPE Scriba. Lowland. Very rare. Distribution — East, o Forth 000000 West. Solway 0000 PUNCTATUM Zett. Very rare. Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000 West. 00000 " Shingle near Preston bridge. " R. Hislop. FILIFORME Grav. Rare. Distribution — East. o Forth o 0000 o West. 00000 "Dalkeith, Duddingstone, Cramond." Murray. I do not feel quite sure that Murray's reference would be correct. — D. S. 34 The Scottish Naturalist. longulum Grav. Lowland. Scarce. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o West. Solway § Argyle o o angusticolle Lac. Riparial. Rare. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o West. Solway § o o o CRYPTOBIUM Kr. fracticorne Payk. Amongst sphagnum. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o West. Solway §000 STILIGUS Kr. RUFIPES Germ. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. 000 00000 West. Solway o o o affinis Er. Lowland. Not common. Distribution—East. Tweed Forth 000000 West. Solway 0000 ORBICULATUS Payk. Lowland. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o ' o o West. Solway o 000 SCOP^US Kr. erichsoni Kol. Riparial. Rare. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway 0000 LITHOCHARIS Kr. DILUTA Er. Very rare. Distribution — East. 000000 00 West. Solway 0000 The only specimen of this insect that has, as yet, been recorded as found in Britain, was taken by me on the banks of the Cairn. — P. S« cchracea Grav. Lowland. In vegetable refuse. Not common. The Scottish Naturalist. 35 Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee Moray 000 West. §§000 OBSOLETA Nord. Lowland. Very rare. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway 0000 melanocephala Fab. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway 0000 SUNIUS Kr. ANGUSTATUS Payk. Lowland. Not common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay 00000 West. Solway §000 Obs. — The Sunius brunneus, recorded by Murray as occurring in Kinross-shire, would probably be a pale variety of this species. — D. S. P^EDERUS Kr. FUSCIPES Curt Very local. Distribution — East. o 000 0000 West. Solway 0000 Taken in abundance by W. Lennox at Caerlaverock. Pcedetus littoralis has been stated to occur near Edinburgh, but probably this is a mistake. EV-^ESTHETUS Kr. SCABER Grav. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. § Forth 0000 o o West. Solway 0000 l^jviusculus Man. Lowland. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed Tay 000000 West. Solway 0000 ruficapillus Lac. Lowland. Very local. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway 0000 36 The Scottish Naturalist. DIANOUS Kr. aajRULESCENS Gyll. In moss by streams and waterfalls. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee 0000 West. Solway Clyde 000 STENUS Kr. BIGUTTATUS L. ' ' South of Scotland. " Murray. gtjttula Mull. Riparial. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee g o o o West. Solway §00 o BIMACULATUS Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. Tweed o o [Dee] 0000 West. Solway 0000 JUNO Fab. Lowland. Abundant. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g g Moray 000 West. Solway g o o o POVEIVENTRIS Fair. Lowland. Abundant. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay g g o o o West. Solway g o o o CINERASCENS Er. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000 West. Solway 0000 incanus Er. Riparial. Rare. Distribution — East. o o Tay 00000 West. Solway 0000 MELANOPUS Marsh. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. o Forth 000000 West. 00000 canaliculatus Gyll. Lowland. Scarce. ■East. Forth o o West. Solway Clyde 000 Distribution — East, g Forth 000000 The Scottish Naturalist. 37 PUSILLUS Steph. Not common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee 0000 West. Sohvay 0000 exigutjs Er. Rare. Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000 West. Solway 000 o speculator Lac. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay § g o o o West. Solway Clyde 00 00 ROGERi Kr. Lowland, highland. Distribution — East, g Forth Tay g Moray 000 West. § g o o o GUYNEMERI Duval. In moss by streams and waterfalls. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000 West. Solway Clyde 000 LUSTRATOR Er. Very rare. Distribution — East. o o 000000 West. Solway 00000 CARBONARius GylL In marshes. Very rare. Distribution — East. o o 000000 West. Solway 0000 FUSCIPES Grav. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000 West. Solway 0000 DECLARATUS Er. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Solway g o o o CRASSlVENTRis Th. Lowland. Local. Distribution — East. g Forth Tay 00000 West. Solway g o o o UNICOLOR Er. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East, g Forth Tay Dee goo Shetland West. Solway g o o o 38 The Scottish Naturalist. [nigritulus Gyll. Doubtful as Scottish. " South of Scotland. Rev. W. Little."— Murray Cat. binotatus Ljun. Scarce. Distribution — East. Tweed forth o o o o o o West, g o o o o pubescens Steph. Not common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o West. Solway o o o o PALLiTARSis Steph. Local. Distribution — East. g Forth Tay Dee o o o o West. Solway o o o o A variety S. niveus, Fauv., much smaller than the usual form, is not un- common in the Solway district. — D. S. bifoveolatus Gyll. Common. Distribution— East. Tweed Forth g g g o o o West. Solway Clyde o o o brevicornis Th. Lowland, highland. Distribution — East, o o o Dee Moray o o Shetland West. Solway Clyde o o o PICIPENNIS Er. Lowland. Very rare. Distribution — East. o Forth o o o o o o West, o o o o o RUSTICUS Er. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee o o o o West. Solway g o o o TEMPESTIVUS Er. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o Shetland West. Solway g g o o impressipennis Duv. Common. Distribution — East, g Forth Tay g Moray o o Shetland West. Solway g o o o geniculatus Grav. Lowland, highland. Scarce. Distribution — East. o o o Dee Moray o o o West. Solway Clyde. o o o The Scottish Naturalist. 39 flavipes Steph. Local. Distribution — East, o o Tay 00000 West § o 000 CICINDELOIDES Grav. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Solway 0000 SlMlLis Herbst. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East, g Forth Tay § Moray 000 West, g Clyde 000 TARSALis Ljun. Lowland. Abundant. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay g Moray 000 West. Solway 0000 paganus Er. Lowland. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay 00000 West. Solway Clyde latifrons Er. Lowland. Local. Distribution — East. g Forth Tay West. Solway g o GLACIALIS Heer. Alpine. Very rare. Distribution — East. 000 Dee West. 00000 BLEDIUS Kr. SPECTABiLis Kr. Maritime. Very local. Distribution — East, o Forth 000000 West. Solway 0000 SUBTERRANEUS Er. Riparial. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g g Moray o o Shetland West. Solway Clyde 000 PALLIPES Grav. Riparial. Local. Distribution — East. o o o o o 00 West. Solway o FUSCIPES Rye. Maritime. Very local. Distribution — East, o Forth o West. 0000 o t 40 The Scottish Naturalist. arenaritjs Payk. Maritime. Very local. Distribution — East. o Forth o o o o o o West, o o o o o FRACTICORNIS Payk. Very rare. Distribution — East. oooooooo West. Sohvay o o o o Found by Mr. W. Lennon, near Dumfries. — D. S. OPACUS Block. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. Tweed o o o o o o o West. Solway o o o o ATRICAPILLUS Germ. Rare. (? Maritime.) Distribution — East. oooooooo West. Solway o o o o Found near Dumfries by Mr. W. Lennon. — D. S. PLATYSTETHUS Kr. ARENARIUS Fourc. In dung. Abundant. Distribution — East. § Forth Tay Dee Moray § § Shetland West. Solway §888 OXYTBLUS Kr. rugosus Fab. Abundant. Distribution — East. Forth Tay § Moray § § Shetland West. Solway 8 8 8 8 LAQUEATUS Marsh. Common. Distribution — East. § Forth Tay § Moray o o o West. Solway § o o o SCULPTUS Grav. In dung. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee § o o o West. Solway § o o o SCULPTURATUS Grav. Abundant. Distribution — East. § Forth Tay § Moray o o Shetland West. Solway Clyde o o o MARITIMUS Th. Maritime. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o West, o o o o o ( To be continued. ) GEOLOGY, ON CLAYS CONTAINING OPHIOLEPIS GEACILIS AND . OTHEK ORGANIC EEMAINS, WITH NOTES ON EECENT GEOLOGICAL EOEMATIONS NEAE ST. ANDEEWS. BY ROBERT WALKER, F.G.S.E. ON the East Coast of Scotland the Glacial deposits are fairly represented in the Boulder and Brick Clay series. The latter is distributed here and there along the lowlands, in the main at no great distance from the sea, but it is some- times met with at a considerable height above it. Although these clay beds have been worked for years at several places, as yet comparatively few organic remains appear to have been found in them. Taken in all, the record they have furnished of the animal and plant life of the land and sea at the period of their deposition, is on the whole arathermeagre one; as far as it goes, however, it is of considerable scientific importance. No doubt this is made more prominent than it would otherwise be from the comparison we are apt to institute between the scant remains yielded by these deposits, and the rich fossili- ferous contents of the clays on the west coast of Scotland. Thus, if we take the shells as one of the leading features of these formations, we find that the west coast beds have afforded about 234 species, while those on the east coast have produced about sixty species. This is exclusive of the Caithness shells, which are stated to be from boulder clay. The same thing is observable in the case of the other invertebrate animals : they are all more numerous in the west coast deposits, than in those of the east. There may be various reasons brought forward to ac- count for this discrepancy. The main cause appears to me to be that the brick clay, of the east of Fife at any rate, is an older member of the Glacial series, than the shell-bearing clay of the west coast, and I consider that it occupies the same 42 The Scottish Naturalist. position in that series as the brick clay at Kilchattan, in the Clyde basin, described by Professor Geikie,* who says that this red brick clay sometimes dwindles down to only a few inches in thickness, but is almost always found between the shell-clay and the hard-till. Round the whole of the coast of Bute and on the Cowal shores, the invariable layer of fine, stoneless, and unfossiliferous clay is intercalated between the shell-bearing bed and the coarse, stiff boulder clay. The absence of shells is not less singular : after not a little inquiry, I have been unable to ascertain the discovery in it of a single organism. Of the shells found in those clays on both sides of Scot- land, a number are boreal or arctic species, but some of them are also southern forms. The former have now either moved out to the deeper water of the ocean, or migrated further north, according as each finds an environment most suited to its nature. All the other species are still living in the surrounding seas : a few of these may have altered somewhat in size, or in the thickness or thinness of shell ; otherwise they are unchanged since the close of the Glacial period. On the east coast, shells have been met with, although rarely, in brick clay at Tyrie, near Kinghorn ; with this exception, shells may be said to be unknown in any of the brick clays along the coast, from the Tay to the Tweed — the Elie clay containing shells is a different formation. Beyond the Tay they have been found in clay at Errol, at Montrose sparingly, in Aberdeenshire, and in several places farther north. In 1863 Professor Allmanf obtained a star-fish from a brick clay near Dunbar ; he named this new species Ophio- lepis gracilis, and described it at a meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Shortly after this, specimens of the same species were found in brick clay at Seafield, near St. Andrews. I directed attention to these in the " Annals and Magazine of Natural History," January 1864. Dr. Howden has also procured this star-fish from clay near Montrose. Since 1864 although star-fish have turned up now and again in the Seafield clay, it was not until recently that they could be said to be at all nume- rous. Last autumn the workmen in digging the clay at a depth of about eleven feet from the surface and some thirty feet above the sea, struck upon a part of it where there was a thin parting of sand that contained these star-fishes in consider- * Glacial Drift of Scotland. + Proceedings Royal Society, Edin., Vol. 5. The Scottish Naturalist. 43 able abundance. They were not generally distributed over the exposed surface of the clay, but lay in shallow depressions in it, very closely huddled together, in most cases the one overlying the other. Although plentiful enough, yet, from the crowding and the facility with which they split and broke in pieces when the clay was lifted, one part adhering to the upper layer and another to the lower, it was impossible, except in rare instances, to get anything but a confused heap of fragments. Through the attention of Mr. G. Blair, the intelligent foreman of the work, a few of the specimens were secured in a better condition than they would otherwise have been. The examples procured differed somewhat in size : in the largest the disk is about three-eighths of an inch in dia- meter, each ray is about two inches in length, and when they could be traced, it was found that they were perfect to the minute points. From this it may be inferred that the animals were hurriedly killed ; whether this was caused by a sudden irruption of fresh water, as has been suggested, or by some physical change of the sea itself, is not easy to determine; at any rate they had evidently been quickly covered up by the clay after death, without being long exposed or tossed about in the water. Through the kindness of Mr. Wilson, I have received specimens of this star-fish, that were found in the brick clay at Brighton, near Cupar Fife. The clay at this place is from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and thirty-five feet above the sea. The Seafield clay, as well as all the other brick clays in the neighbourhood, appears to be lying im- mediately above the boulder clay. They all trend down the low ground toward the estuary of the Eden. Before reach- ing this the Seafield clay runs under another clay of a bluish colour, containing a considerable number of littoral and other shells, which, as far as I have seen, are all living on the coast at the present time. The bivalves have both shells adherent, and in exactly the same position they had in the mud, when the animals were alive. At the beach the top of this clay is about eighteen inches above high water mark ; it is overlaid by a deposit of loamy-looking material about thirty inches in thickness ; on the top of this is a stratified layer of sand and gravel about fifteen inches thick, above which is a de- posit of fine sand about three feet in thickness. From the blue clay have also been obtained bones of a large ox, horns 44 The Scottish Naturalist. and bones of a large deer, and from the lower part of it trunks of oak trees have been dug. The contents of the deposit, as well as its position, indicate pretty clearly that it is of a similar age to the lower Carse clays, that have numerous long-buried peat beds and trunks of prostrate trees — the remains of the ancient forests that flourished in the Carses, when the land stood many feet above its present level. The blue or shell clay extends away seaward, as far at least as low water mark. At this point it is in near contact with a bed of peat that some years ago was occasionally exposed to view at extreme low water, and also during storms, when pretty large pieces of it were thrown ashore on the sands. These I used to examine closely for remains of insects. From the action of the sea, combined with a change of the current of the Eden, all the peat within reach of the water is now either washed away or covered up with sand and mud. This is not a solitary instance of peat being found within tide mark. It is well known that beds of peat, containing trunks and branches of large trees, occur at numerous places along the coasts of Scotland, England and other countries, not only be- tween tide mark, but often stretching away, far out under the sea. From the frequency with which submerged peat and forest beds have been discovered by the dredge, soundings, and otherwise, along the bottom of the German Ocean and English Channel, and the number of bones of land animals that are now and again brought up from these areas, many eminent geologists are of opinion that almost the whole bed of the North Sea and English Channel,, was slowly upraised into dry land after the deposition of the Gla- cial clays, and that about this period the connection between the British island and the continent was once more completed. A continental condition of Britain in recent times, geologically speaking, was one of the able speculations of the late Professor Forbes,* mainly arrived at from the study of the distribution of the present flora and fauna of Europe. He pointed out, that as nearly all our indigenous animals, and the greater part of our plants were derived from the Germanic regions of the continent, a union of the two countries was absolutely necessary to allow of the migration of these plants and animals over the elevated bed of the sea. When the bed of the German Ocean thus stood above * Memoirs of the Geological Survey Vol. I. The Scottish Naturalist. 45 the level of the sea, Mr. Austen * considered that the Rhine would then flow down what has again become the bed of that sea, being joined in its course by the Thames, the Tweed, the Tay, and other lesser, streams, the whole forming a magnificent river that poured its waters into the Northern Ocean beyond the British isles, and that along the banks of this great river lived and died the extinct animals whose bones, as we have already seen, are still brought up from this submerged land. No great elevation would be necessary to lay bare the bed of the German Ocean, which is nowhere so deep as Loch Lomond, and still less would suffice to lay dry the English Channel. Mr. J. Geikie f considers that an uprise of little more than three hundred feet would accomplish this purpose, and that about one hundred feet more would unite every little island round our coast with the main- land, and the mainland with the continent. There would still, however, be a pretty broad space of water between this upraised land and Norway towards the mouth of the Baltic. Of this upheaved land by and bye animals and plants began to take pos- session, and large forests and other forms ofvegetation grew and de- cayed for ages, their remains forming the submarine beds of peat, and wasted trunks of trees still lying on the bottom of the sea. At the period when Britain was last united to the con- tinent, snow and glaciers continued to hold possession of all the uplands, and the climate was still severe. The summers were perhaps somewhat warmer than at present, and a much greater extent of the country would be exempt from the sea air, and its depressing influence on the growth of timber. This will account for the growth of forests in former times on some of what are now the most exposed parts of our coast, as well as on the outlying islands, that are now quite destitute of trees. But the evidence furnished by the trunks of large trees found in the peat of these islands, shows clearly enough that formerly trees had grown their luxuriantly. The growth of the 'trees, the formation of thick peat beds, the gradual elevation of the bottom of the German Ocean into dry land, and its subsequent sub- mergence, makes a long draft on time. It will be observed, if in this brief sketch we have succeeded in intelligibly and correctly explaining the phenomena pre- sented by the submerged forests, peat mosses, and mammalian * Quarterly Journal, Geological Society, Vol. 7. t Great Ice Age. 46 The Scottish Naturalist. bones, that all the great physical changes of land and sea necessary to account for their present position, took place subsequent to the deposition of the glacial or brick clay, and before the Carse or shell clay, containing mammalian bones, above referred to, was laid down. To carry the matter still further down toward our own time, it may be stated that this blue shell clay extends across the estuary of the Eden, where it is seen on the opposite side stretching away under Tentsmuir; whether it crosses the whole muir or not, is scarcely determinable, but the same clay, apparently, is seen on the other side not far from Tayport. Of course Tentsmuir, em- bracing the whole accumulation of that great sand plain, has been heaped together since the Carse or shell clay and its super- imposed beds of loam and gravel were formed. This of itself might take a long time. At any rate, after vegetation commenced to grow on its surface, beds of thin peat have formed here and there on it. At one place facing the estuary of the Eden a bed of peat occurs, which Jias been long quite diy, from nine to ten inches in thickness. This peat does not seem to me to have resulted so much from the growth of the common bog moss, as from the decay of other marsh plants, that had long carried on a struggling and stunted existence on the surface. At what rate peat would form on this sterile and sandy waste, it might be hazardous to venture more than a conjecture. Bearing in mind, however, the nature of the ground, and the class of plants it is capable of supporting, we would perhaps not be over-estimat- ing the rate at which it would accumulate, if we suppose one eighth of an inch in'thickness to have formed in a century; should this be a fair approximation to the time required for the purpose; then Tentsmuir must have remained much in its present con- dition for a long time. St. Andrews, I March, 1875. THE AURIFEROUS QUARTZITES OF SCOTLAND. BY W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R. S.E., F. L. S. SINCE the year 1861, I have, over and over again, both abroad and at home, and in various forms, given public expression to my opinion, that certain districts in Scotland not only contain auriferous drift* but auriferous quartzites. The * I use the term Drift rather than Alluvium, because (1) it is shorter; and (2) it is more comprehensive ; while (3) there is, even in modern geo- logical works of the first class, great confusion between these terms and the The Scottish Naturalist. 47 year in question was a notable one in the history of the British colony of New Zealand, and especially of the Scotch Province of Otago, in so far as it saw the first of a series of gold discoveries, the result of which has been that, up to March, 1874, Otago alone has exported no less than ^"12,762,892 worth of native gold, nearly one-half the total gold export from New Zealand (^o 2 5> 2 73?379 worth) up to that date.f It so happens that I had a share in the development of the gold fields, both of the South and North Islands of New Zealand, having made a reconnaisance survey of the Tuapeka gold field in the Province of Otago, and the Coromandel, or Thames, gold field in the Province of Auckland, long prior to their examination by the staff of the Geological Surveys of Otago or New Zealand. It was while surveying the Tuapeka gold-field, between October and Decem- ber, 1861, that I formed a strong opinion regarding the auriferous character of the whole Lower Silurian area of Scotland. In 186 1, while in Otago, having been invited by the Colonists to address them in public, on the subject of the natural resources of their Province, I gave a lecture in Dunedin in December of that year, on " The Place and Power of Natural History in Colonization; with special reference to Otago." Under the head of " The Geology of Otago," and of its auriferous rocks, I called attention to my belief that " They are identical with the rocks . . . of the Grampians and other parts of Scotland." . . .% " Years or cycles of years will probably elapse before your alluvial deposits are exhausted ; after which the perhaps even richer, original quartzites will fall to be searched for and operated on." (2d edition, p. 12). materials they represent, in relation to their containing nuggety or granular gold. According to Geologists, Drift is the older formation, and involves the idea of extensive denudation, in great measure at least, by ice action ; while Alluvium is newer, more recently formed, mainly or exclusively by water action, the result of the assortment of the older drift. T These figures are taken from pp. 95 and 37 of " The Official Handbook of New Zealand," by the Honourable Julius Vogel, Premier of the colony (London, 1875.) But the larger sum represents "alluvial" gold exclusively ; while it is stated at p. 60 that the total gold exports from New Zealand, up to the end of 1872, had been of the value of ^26,084,260. + The said Lecture was published as a pamphlet by, and for behoof of, "The Young Men's Christian Association" of Dunedin in January, 1862. The quotation is taken from p. 12 of the pamphlet in question. Inasmuch, however, as — having been printed after I had left Otago, and without cor- rection of the proofs by myself, it contained many typographical errors — a second edition was published in Edinburgh, in July, 1863. 48 The Scottish Naturalist. In 1862, having returned to this country, I stated to the "British Association" at Cambridge, that "The auriferous resources of Otago are only beginning to be developed, and will only be fully developed in the course of many years, by the addition of Quartz-mining and others of the skilled branches of Gold-mining, to the shallow or alluvial digging to which the miners' operations are at present mainly confined. This im- plies a greater concentration of attention than at present on the auriferous quartzites, from which the drift or alluvial gold has originally been derived; the working whereof, should these quartzites exist to any extent, is much more likely to yield a steadily remunerative employment, and a permanent and valuable source of revenue than the said alluvial digging (p. 2)." Of the Coromandel gold field (Auckland) I reported — "The auriferous quartzites are frequently developed to an extent as yet unknown in Otago (p. 1)." . . . "The Coromandel slates are characterised by their prominent and numerous Quartz- reefs, consisting of auriferous quartzites " (p. 2). . . . I adverted also to " The scarcity of the auriferous drifts and the abundance of the parent quartzites" (p. 2); and summed up, "that while there is at Coromandel a veiy limited and insig- nificant field for alluvial digging, there is ample scope for Quartz mining " (p. 3). . . . " that slates similar to those of Coromandel, with associated auriferous quartzites, will be found to occur over a comparatively large area of the Province of Auckland ; . . . and that new gold-fields remain to be discovered in that Province" * (p. 3). In 1863, in a " Special Programme" of a Conversazione of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (in February), descriptive of a series of Geological exhibits which I had collected in New Zealand in 1861, 1 drew attention to the "Gold-fields of Otago, characterized by their Alluvial deposits or Drifts," and the "Gold field of Coromandel ( Auckland),characterized by its Quartz-reek'" pointing out the " general resemblance of the auriferous slates of Otago to the metamorphic slates (of Lower Silurian age) of the Scottish Grampians;" and deducing therefrom the "probable * These quotations are from two Papers on (1) The Geology of the Gold-fields of Otago, N. Z. ; and (2) The Geology of the Gold-fields of Auckland, N. Z. ; published in "The Proceedings of the Geological Section of the British Association at Cambridge," in October, 1862: Reprints of 4 pp. (Otago) and 3 pp. (Auckland). The Scottish Naturalist. 49 diffusion of Gold in Silurian slates, and their derived Drifts or alluvium in Scotland." In reference to these opinions, the late Mr. George Anderson of Inverness, Solicitor, one of the authors of the well known and excellent " Guide to the Highlands" — the best of all our Highland guide books — who was geological critic or correspon- dent of the "Inverness Courier" — wrote me (of date January 17, 1863): "I quite agree with you that if our Highland rocks are not rich in gold, they are at any rate of much the same geological era that the deposits abounding in that metal are elsewhere, and hence they are worthy of the greatest study. I expect to have an article for the " Courier" of next week on the subject, calling on our local explorers to be on the out- look." In 1865, still referring to the gold-fields of New Zealand, I stated to the Royal Geological Society of Ireland, that "I have not (since 1861) seen reason to alter any of my opinions, or modify the results or records of my personal observations. On the contrary, the mining experience of the last two years has only served to confirm the predictions or assertions I ventured to make while on the spot." .... "The parallelism between the auriferous slates of Otago and Scotland is remark- able. I was struck with it while in Otago, and I have since traced and proved it by a personal examination of the Highlands of Dumfries, Lanark, Peebles and Perth shires. The Leadhills district, may for instance be said to be a second edition of Tuapeka .... Gold is procurable under precisely similar circumstances, though in smaller amount." . . . "I have a high opinion of the auriferous richness of these Coromandel Quartzites, and of the yield they will give when science is properly applied to the extraction of their wealth ; and I may make the same remark in regard to the auriferous Qiiartzites of Otago and Nelson." The newspaper report (of date January 1 1, 1865) of the same memoir quotes me as of opinion in regard to Otago, that "Gold occurs in Quartz, which is associated with meta- morphic slates similar to those of Scotland. . . . Quartz reefing has not yet been undertaken ; but from the richness of the washings, it is probable that the regular Quartz-mining will be highly productive." In 1867, I reported to the "British Association" at Dundee, that "there are indications (if they do not always amount to proofs) of the existence in Scotland of auriferous Qiiartzites — of Gold in 50 The Scottish Naturalist. situ — aswell as of auriferous drifts and alluvial Gold."* I repeated this opinion to the Edinburgh Geological Society;! adding of the Leadhills district, " there is no present local evidence of the existence of auriferous Quartzites" (p. 1 08). . . . "Hitherto there have been few well authenticated discoveries of Gold- quartzites of any extent in situ in Scotland. But this is simply, I believe, because they have not been systematically looked for. That they occur is rendered at least probable by the fact of the frequent discovery of Nuggets with the Matrix adherent : while in all old historical references to the working of Gold in Scotland, " Gold mines" are spoken of — a phrase which, though an ambiguous and comprehensive one, leaves open the question whether Quartz-reefs and Reef-crushing were not known about Bulmer's time" (p. 113). In 1868, I repeated many or most of these statements to the Royal Geological Society of Ireland. { In I869, I made a number of statements that had special reference to what might be expected at the Sutherland diggings. A newspaper report of a paper on " The Sutherland gold- diggings of 1869," presented to the Edinburgh Geological Society in November 1869, stated that "operations were confined simply to surface washing, Quartz mining not having been per- mitted .... although he was certain that there was gold in situ." || In the earlier parts of the year, and prior to my visit to Kildonan (in August 1869), I had expressed "no doubt as to the existence of gold-quartz in Sutherland, as well as in many other parts of Scotland ; for all my experience of gold fields goes to show that gold-drift is usually superjacent to, or in the proximity of, gold -rocks in situ."*& .... " There are the indications usual in gold-fields of the presence *In a paper on "The Gold fields of Scotland," published in its "Report" for 1868: Transactions of the sections, p. 65. This paragraph also appears in a reprint of the same paper in the "Mining Journal" of March 13, 1869, with the addendum: "Gold in its Matrix has been apparently found at least in Leadhills, Tweeddale, and Breadalbane." + In a paper on "The Gold and Gold-fields of Scotland," read in Nov- ember 1867, and published in its Transactions in 1868 (Vol. 1, p. 107). %\\\ a paper on "the Goldfields of Scotland," written in 1867, pre- sented in 1868, and published in the "Journal" of the Society in 1869, (vol. 2, new series: pp. 178, 180, 186). II " Scotsman " of November 19, 1869. IT Article on " More Gold-fields in Scotland," in the "Northern Ensign" of June 17, 1869. The Scottish Naturalist. 51 of auriferous quartzites. These indications are such as to justify a careful search for gold in the matrix."* .... " Quartz mining has not been permitted, though the occasional discovery, unlooked for, of fragments of auriferous quartz, as as well the granular or angular character of the gold, point to the probable existence of gold in situ Such is the confidence of the diggers themselves in the auriferous character of the drifts and quartzites, that they are ready to embark capital in proper mining operations. "t In 1870, at the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, I made reference to " gold in situ in its matrix in the Quartzites, which penetrate the schists of the Breadalbane and other High- land districts" (p. 39). I mentioned several isolated finds of gold- quartz, as well as of nuggets, as "of importance in reference to the existence not only of auriferous drifts, but of auriferous quartzites in the Highlands of Perthshire " (p. 44). % And, lastly, so lately as the beginning of 1874, I re-asserted that " there is good ground for encouragement in the search for auriferous Quartzites throughout the Silurian area of Scotland § (p. 13), and that " auriferous Quartzites, containing a much larger per centage of gold [than those of Bute, according to Mr. Cameron, which contained J oz. per ton] will probably be found in Scotland, as they have been found in other auri- ferous countries, when properly looked for (p. 7). . . • The general result of my own observation and inquiry on this subject is that auriferous Quartzites, are to be looked for throughout the whole Silurian area of Scotland" (p. 12). Now it has so happened that, while the correctness of my opinions has been far more than verified as regards both the auriferous quartzites and drift of New Zealand) as may be seen by reference to the " Official Handbook of New Zealand," pub- lished at the beginning of the present year) ; and while the now well-known Sutherland gold diggings of 1869 bore me out in all my anticipations regarding drift gold in Scotland, it is only lately * Article on "The Gold-field and Gold-diggings of Kildonan," in the "Northern Ensign" of September 16, 1869. + Paper on "The Sutherland Gold-diggings, as a scientific and social experiment," presented to the British Association at Exeter in 1869, and reported at length in the "Northern Ensign" for January 13, 1870. X Presented in January, 1870, and published in the Society's Proceedings for that year. § In an article on "Recent Gold Discoveries in Scotland," in the "Perthshire Constitutional" of February 18, 1874 : Reprint of 15 pp. 52 The Scottish Naturalist. that anything like a good illustration has offered itself of the correctness of my views as to the Auriferous Quartzites of Scot- land. In 1872, however, a lump of gold-bearing quartz was found near the lead-mining village of Wanlockhead, Lanark- shire, by a lead-miner, still resident there — Andrew Gemmell. His discovery was not made public till the autumn of 1873, when a fragment of the specimen in question was exhibited at the " Society of Inquiry" in Thornhill, Dumfries-shire, by my old and worthy friend, Dr. Grierson, well known as the benevolent founder of " the Grierson Museum" there ; and the find was reported in " Nature," as well as in the Edinburgh and other newspapers. In September, 1873, I had a written communication from Dr. Grierson regarding it ; and this was the beginning of a correspondence not yet closed, which has only within the last few weeks given me at all full and satis- factory information concerning the circumstances of GemmelPs discovery. The mass of gold-quartz alluded to was found on the side of the public road, and was, unfortunately, broken up into at least seven fragments, which subsequently found their way into the hands of five different owners. I have not myself had an oppor- tunity of examining any of the pieces, seeing that Dr. Grierson's specimen, which he expressed himself willing to send me for examination, was, with other specimens, borrowed by the pro- prietor of two of the fragments, and has not been returned. It is probable, however, that all interested may have a speedy opportunity of inspecting "the Gemmell Quartzite" for them- selves, inasmuch as I understand there is a prospect of the re-pieced mass being placed in the Museum of Science and Art, Edinburgh. Gemmell's own account of the matter, as contained in a letter to me of date February 10, 1875, is the following: — "About the lump of gold-quartz that I found in 1872. . . . I have no bits of quartz of the same lump now. I never knew of any being found here as large. It would be about 10 lbs. weight, and mixed with gold all through, less or more. When I found it, I broke it all up into smaller pieces. A -number of gentlemen got a piece of it ; and one gentleman has got a number of the pieces from the other gentlemen, and is going to take a model of it." Mr. Stewart, of Wanlockhead, states — also in a letter to me of same date : — " Regarding a piece of auriferous quartz found by Andrew Gemmell in this The Scottish Naturalist. 53. district a few years ago, I may state that just now I have not in my possession any of the pieces, and Gemmell informs me he has none left. Mr. Dudgeon of Cargen, near Dumfries, was gathering all the pieces he could borrow to have the stone made up as near the original as possible, to have a cast taken of it." So many finds of gold in Scotland have been reported in the newspapers, which have turned out to be false reports — to have been discoveries only of glittering, yellow, gold-like minerals, such as Iron Pyrites or Mica ; so many of these reports have I myself investigated and found to be untrustworthy, that it is important to establish, once for all, the genuineness or authen- ticity of the Gemmell Quartzite, and its discovery. 1. There can be no doubt that it is auriferous quartz ; for, in the first place, it was found by a Wanlockhead lead-miner, who is as familiar with gold as he is with lead. The official " Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Scotland," tell us that " for more than three centuries gold has been collected in small quantities from the Alluvia of the streams in the Leadhills and Wanlockhead district."* All the lead-miners of the district are thus hereditarily, as well as by individual experience, gold- diggers ; and I have had occasion repeatedly to point out else- where that the unpretentious, but practical gold-digger is a much better judge of gold, in at least its topographical relations, than the professional geologist or mineralogist. I am not aware of a single gold-field that has been discovered and de- veloped by a professed scientific man : in other words, I know no exception to the rule that, throughout the world, gold-fields, gold-diggings, and gold-mines, have been found out and worked successfully by uneducated, plain, unassuming men, with strong opinions of their own, the physical strength necessary for pro- specting, washing and mining, and the determination requisite for following up or out an object. So far as Scotland is con- cerned, while it was an Australian gold-miner — albeit a native of Helmsdale — Robert Nelson Gilchrist, that discovered and de- veloped the auriferous riches of Sutherland in 1869, and who paved the way therefore for the finding of what deserves to be called in his honour, " The Gilchrist Nugget" it was a Scottish lead-miner, Andrew Gemmell, who in 1872, as a culmination to a whole series of previous gold finds in the same important lead-mining district of Crauford Moor, met with the largest mass of aurifer- * Explanation of Sheet 15 : Edinburgh, 1871, p. 43. 54 The Scottish Naturalist. ous quartz that has ever been reported as met with in Scotland, and which is equally appropriately to be designated " The Gemmell Quartzite." These two specimens indeed, the Gil- christ Nugget, at present in the possession of the Duke of Sutherland, and the Gemmell Quartzite, presently belonging nominally and apparently to the Duke of Buccleuch, are ex- cellent types of the two different or main forms in which native gold occurs in Scotland, viz., in waterworn fragments and in the matrix. I believe, therefore, Gemmell to be a perfectly good judge of gold and of gold-quartz. But his assertion as to his lump of quartz being infiltrated with gold is borne out or confirmed by the testimony of (a) Mr. T. B. Stewart, Manager of the Lead Works at Wanlockhead ; (b) Dr. Wilson of Wanlockhead ; (c) Dr. Grierson of Thornhill ; and (d) last, though not least, by a thoroughly competent and experienced Geologist and Minera- logist, Professor Harkness of Cork, who tells me he saw* one of Gemmell's fragments — a companion fragment to Dr. Grierson's — in the cabinet of Mr. Dudgeon of Cargen (Dumfries-shire). 2. Nor can there be any doubt as to Gemmell's having found his Quartzite where it is stated to have been found — his own evidence being supported by that of Mr. Stewart, Dr. Wil- son, and Dr. Grierson. Dr. Wilson says there can be " little doubt as to Andrew Gemmell's finding a large piece of gold- quartz, weighing . . . nearly 10 lbs. :" and that "Gemmell is always most successful in finding gold, and is one of the most respectable and trustworthy men in the place." f He is, there- fore, no myth, and his word can be depended upon. 3. But there is a flaw in the evidence, as to the said Quartzite belonging to the rocks of Wanlockhead, in so far as the mass was found loose, by itself, on the side of a public road; and it has been impossible to trace it to any of the quartz-veins in situ in the subjacent or surrounding Silurian slates. Dr. Wilson reports that " as to its being native to Wanlockhead, there are conflict- ing opinions amongst the miners." % That it does belong to the rocks of the district admits of little doubt : but it is most de- sirable to supply this missing link in the chain of evidence by perseverance in the local search for gold in the rocks in situ. 4. One of the strongest arguments in favour of the Gemmell Quartzite being a genuine product of the district, is the fact *In letter of date February 10, 1875. t Letter dated nth January, 1875. X Letter dated January II, 1875. The Scottish Naturalist. 55 that it is not the first, but only the largest, piece of auriferous quartz that has been found about Wanlockhead or Leadhills, even by Gemmell himself. The latter writes me — " There is gold to be found here in all the glens, less or more, in small particles, and sometimes (the gold-grains are) attached to small pieces of quartz. I believe all the grains to be found come from gold-reefs. I never knew of any (gold-quartz) being found here as large."* Dr. Wilson remarks of Gemmell, "according to his own account, he has often found gold in quartz at Wanlock- head. At Leadhills it is found frequently ; " though it is not quite clear whether the latter sentence refers to quartz-gold or nuggety-gold. " He, with other residents, assures me that both gold in quartz and in nuggets is found here (Wanlockhead)." Mr. Stewart tells me that "some small pieces of quartz and gold connected have been found from time to time in this district, but nothing equal in the least degree to Gemmell's specimen, which was as large as a man's two hands." f And lastly, Mr. Noble of the Hopetoun Arms Hotel, Leadhills, who was the means of procuring me samples of stream gold from that locality in i863, informs me, " I do not know of any gold specimen in the meantime in the rock. I believe it has been got in that way about Leadhills." It is proper here to mention also that, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, an English adven- turer, George Bowes, "is said to have sunk a shaft, and discovered a small vein of gold at Wanlockhead ; " } while, in the time of King James V., pieces of gold of 30 ounce weight were found in the same neighbourhood " mixed zaith the spar, some with keel, and some with brimstone." § But this discovery of Gemmell's, though by far the most important, is not the only recent instance of the finding of gold-quartz, or of quartz associated with gold nuggets, in Scot- land. Gold was found in quartz — that is gold in its matrix — as well as nuggets with adherent or intermixed quartz, in Kil- donan in 1869; of which I saw several specimens myself in the hands of the diggers. || I then reported that I had seen "'not a * Letter dated February 10, 1875. t Letter dated February 10, 1875. + "The search for Scottish Gold in olden times," Part III., by Mr. R. S. Fittis of Perth, in the " Perthshire Constitutional" of March 30, 1874. § Ibid, Part II., March 23, 1874. || Article on "The Goldfield and Gold-diggings of Kildonan," in the " Northern Ensign" of September 16, 1869. 56 The Scottish Naturalist. few instructive samples of gold in the matrix," collected mostly in the Suisgill stream.* Dr. T. R. Rutherford, formerly of Helmsdale (and now of Kilmote, Loth, near Golspie, Suther- landshire), writes me, of date Feb. 27, 1875 : "It is quite true that I have a small piece of quartz with gold in it, found either at Suisgill or Kildonan, but I really cannot say which. I under- stand Mr. M'Hardy, superintendent of police, Dornoch, has also a small bit found at Suisgill." Dr Bryce, of Glasgow, is reported to have stated at the Liverpool meeting of the British Association in 1870,1 that on crushing the granite of the Suisgill burn, and washing the debris, " grains of gold were found in every speci- men. A similar result came about on crushing and washing specimens of the Mica Slate, but the gold was less abundant." Again, in the granite of the upper parts of the valleys of the Errick and Nairn rivers (Inverness-shire), " gold was found in considerable quantity" still, according to Dr. Bryce. I am in- debted to Sir Alexander Anderson of Blelack, formerly Lord Provost of Aberdeen — as factor for Lord Saltoun — for the follow- ing letter, dated Feb. 22, 1875: "Sir Alexander Anderson begs to send Dr. Lindsay an Assay of a quantity of quartz-rock from Kinnaird Head, obtained for Lord Saltoun some years ago. The rock dips toward the sea. My Lord was advised, that if the search were to be prosecuted, gold was most likely to be found where the quartz joined other strata." Assay Office and Ore Floors, Hatton Garden, London, E.C., May 21st (1869). CERTIFICATE OF ASSAY FOR LORD SALTOUX. " We have crushed, mixed, and carefully assayed the parcel of quartz-rock from Aberdeenshire, and find the following to be the result : — " 1 qr. 12 lbs. nett contain a distinct but very minute trace of gold — under 12 grains per ton of 20 cwt. of quartz." (Signed) Johnson, Matthey, & Co. And, lastly, in an article on " Recent Gold Discoveries in Scotland," in the " Perthshire Constitutional" of February 18, 1874, I quoted a full circumstantial account, by the finder him- self, of the discovery of auriferous quartz in Bute. * Article on "Gold Prospecting in Helmsdale," in the "Northern Ensign" of September 23, 1869. + According to the " Northern Ensign" of September 29, 1S70. ZOOLOGY, ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL EEASON. ( Continued from p. 8. ) By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. IN December 1873, I was favoured with the following com- munication from William Chambers, LL.D., proprietor of, and a frequent contributor to, " Chambers's Journal." " I am requested by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts* to draw your attention to a very interesting and true anecdote illustrative of the affection of a white barn-door Cock, which, on the death and burial of a favourite hen (the hen having died naturally), laid itself down on the little grave, and was there found dead one morning. The incident is rather remarkable, as the Cock is not usually deemed a very sentimental animal. The anecdote is verified by Mrs. Brown, the companion of Lady Burdett-Coutts r and has been given in the Animal World." In reply to a query as to the authenticity of certain anecdotes of animal sagacity, recorded in Chambers's Journal, Dr. Cham- bers gave me, at the same time, the following assurance : — " All the statements regarding the intelligence and affection- ate qualities of "Donald," in the story of a. Donkey, are quite true In the article on animals, I introduced an anec- dote about Cats, which I heard told by Dr. Carpenter f as occurring in connection with his own house. I likewise in- troduced the anecdotes about Rats in Hertfordshire, as related * Whose efforts on behalf of, and interest in, the lower animals, have long been well known in connection with the proceedings of the Ladies' branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, of which she is President. + Presumably W. B. Carpenter, M.D., F.R.S., Registrar of the University of London ; and formerly President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. 58 The Scottish Naturalist. to me by my sister, Mrs. Wills, at Shenards, near Welvryn, in that county, last summer." In July 187 1, the late Sir Henry Holland* thus addressed me : " I cannot feel satisfied without writing a few lines to thank you for the very valuable Treatise on ' The Physiology and Pathology of Mind in the Lower Animals.' ... I am one of those who do not object to the word ' Mind ' thus applied, as you will see, I think, in an article I wrote for the Edinburgh Review of January last, on the 3 vols, of M. Laugas, having relation to this and other kindred subjects. You will observe in this article (written on a voyage to and from Jamaica last autumn), that I especially allude to the Sense of Fun in the higher animals, as a striking demonstration of the relation of their faculties to those of man. I do not perceive that you include this in your Enumeration, but it undoubtedly ought to have place there." It is quite the case that I have not yet published all the ma- terial I have collected in proof of the possession by other animals, as well as man, of a Sense of Fun or Humour. Such proofs, if not very abundant, are at least convincing. They are to be found for instance, in those very "practical jokes" which certain animals play, not only upon each other, but upon man himself. In August 1 87 1, I had the following letter from Dr. Humph- reys Storer of Boston, Massachusetts, formerly Professor of Obstetrics and Medical Jurisprudence in Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. " I have been much gratified by reading your paper in the ' British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review,' on ' Insanity in the Lower Animals,' and feel prompted to send you an anecdote relating to a favourite Newfoundland Dog of my own, which, on account of his size, I was compelled to destroy, a few years since, at the age of 13 J years. I relate this to show you that dogs do not always want the faculty of speech, to make themselves fully understood. My dog ' Tiger ' — a splendid fellow weighing over 90 lbs. — was a great favourite with my whole family, and consequently was allowed, for several years, to do pretty much as he pleased. Upon removing my residence to another portion of the city, the new house was fitted up with some more costly furniture, requiring more care in its preserva- tion than we had been accustomed to bestow upon the old. * TheVell-known author of "Chapters on Mental Physiology," "Medical Notes and]Reflections," and other works. The Scottish Naturalist. 59 It was thought advisable, therefore, that 'Tiger' should no longer be allowed to sleep upon the parlour sofas, but should rest himself upon the tarpets instead. He understood our wishes perfectly, and for more than a year he was never known to have mounted the forbidden spots. Entering the parlour one morn- ing, I found him crouched upon a sofa. Surprised upon seeing him there, I sharply cried out, 'Tiger! what do you mean?' He at once slowly opened his eyes, and, very carefully moving from the sofa, stood upon three legs, holding up the other for me to examine. Looking at the foot, I found a small nail or brad deeply embedded in its fleshy portion. Not being able to remove it with my hand, I muzzled him, and assisted by my son, was able, with considerable force, to withdraw it with a pair of forceps. He immediately put his foot to the carpet, and after trying it a few moments, and satisfying himself that he was relieved, his gratitude was unbounded. He leaped upon my shoulders, licked my face, and seemed delirious with joy. Could any human being have acted more intelligently to attract attention ? Did not his actions — much more than any words could — convey his sense of 'obligation ?" Interesting as this incident is, it is far from being so excep- tional as it may appear. It is, in fact, only one of many incidents of a similar kind, of which I have notes, illustrative of the fact that certain animals, in their distress, seek surgical or medical aid from man ; and deriving benefit from his assist- ance, they display their gratitude in the only way in which they can show their sense of benefit. In July 1 87 1, Dr. Brown of Rochester, Kent, wrote me: — "J have just read your article in the ' British and Foreign Medico -Chirurgical Review' for July (on 'Insanity in the Lower animals.') I am much pleased with it. I have long advocated the possession of Mind by the Lower animals. I will give you a case of Suicide by a Dog, occuring at Upnor, near Rochester. The dog had been given away. It returned and was sent off again. Next morning it came to the house and was again driven off. This broke the dog's heart ; for the animal immediately went to the river side, and entering the water held his head under until drowned If you try to kill a cock-roach on a stair-case, the judgment displayed by the insect is thoroughly human Those that deny Reason to Insects because of the want of a Cerebrum proper, forget that nervous matter, before it is much differentiated into 60 The Scottish Naturalist. special organs, may contain every nervous faculty. ... In the ' British Medical Journal' for 1866 (May 19, p. 519) is pub- lished a paper by me, ' Do true ///sentient animals exist? (Unzer's question)." The most interesting of Dr. Brown's observations is that which refers to Suicide. The case he gives is a typical one, exhibitive of intention to destroy life, from a sense of weariness of life. Such instances are not uncommon ; but it is desirable their recorded number should be multiplied, because the possibility or fact of Suicide by other animals than man is still denied or disputed by very eminent authorities. For instance Miss Frances Power Cobbe of London — whose knowledge of the lower animals, and especially the Dog, is exhibited in her admirable articles on the " Consciousness of Dogs," in the Quarterly Review for October 1872, and on "Dogs whom I have met," in the Cornhill Maga- zine for December, 1872 — remarked to me, in a letter dated December 1873 : — "With respect to the Suicides of Dogs, to which she sees Dr. Lindsay refers as an accepted fact, Miss Cobbe has carried on a little friendly controversy with Mr. Charles Darwin and some other friends, and remains still ////satisfied that we possess de- monstrative evidence of the fact, though many stories seem to indicate something of the kind." In July, 1 87 1, the late Professor Day of St. Andrews asked me by letter : " Have you seen the article on the Tasmanian Devil* (noticed in yesterday's ' Spectator ' f), which seems to exist in a state of Chronic Insanity?" The Professor's ingenious suggestion of Insanity as accounting for the ferocity, or untam- ability, of the Tasmanian Devil, is worthy of the attention of Zoologists in connection with a similar condition in many other animals. My own impression, however, is that, though Insanity of the same type as that of man is common among other animals, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to establish it in such cases as that of the Tasmanian Dasyure. Some years ago, Dr. Murray Lindsay of Derby, gave me the following particulars, illustrative of the Individuality and Idio- syncrasies of a favourite Skye Terrier, now dead, bearing the curious name of "Mum"; many of whose performances or peculiarities I have myself witnessed : — * Dasyurus Ursinus — a marsupial — otherwise known as the Ursine Dasyure or Ursine Opossum. fOf date July 9, 1871. The Scottish Naturalist. 61 " I. The girl, Johanna, who helped in our house, was so fond of the dog and had so high an opinion of his intelligence or sagacity, that she used to declared he was 'no dog,' but some- thing higher. His affection for Johanna was very strong. She used to feed him, and pet him, and admired him, and the ad- miration was mutual. When he could see (for he subsequently became blind) he used to go to the ward door in the morning and wait for her to accompany her over to the house. And, poor dog ! when he became blind, if Johanna went outside the grounds for a walk with the children, he knew it quite well, and sat howling on the door step till she returned. When he could see, he used to accompany them in their walks. His affection, too, for Mr. M'Curley was very strong, much stronger than it ever was for me, even stronger than it was for Annie, who loved the dog. In presence of Mr. M'C. the dog was unusually bold and defiant, and showed his cunning, discrimination, and judgment. When Mr. M'C. came to see us, the dog would venture into the drawing-room, where, as a rule, it was not allowed, and it would refuse to leave the room, lying under Mr. M'C.'s chair, and showing his teeth if an attempt was made to dislodge him. Or he would place himself on the mat at the drawing-room door, acting as Cerberus, and refusing to let any one into, or out of, the room where Mr. M'C. was." " II. He exhibited a love of, and powers of discrimination in, music. He appeared to like lively, cheerful-sounding music, and showed his appreciation and delight by wagging his tail, and in other expressive ways. He had a great aversion to sad, dole- ful, slow, and sacred music; but his objection was not, I think, so much to its being slow, as to dull, depressing music of a plaintive character. When I whistled or sang the ' Old Hun- dred,' he would invariably raise his head, stretch his neck, and howl. He also disliked the chapel bell ringing, and howled at that. He was never taught to like or dislike music ; it was his natural character. As far as my memory serves me, he did not like discordant sounds, and appeared to like lively, cheerful music, whether vocal or instrumental." " III. He also exhibited jealousy occasionally. If the babies or children were petted, he now and then insisted on being recognised as a pet too, and would come and rub . up against you, or jump up in your lap, when the child was being petted." " IV. In connection with Mr. M'Curley, I ought to have 62 The Scottish Naturalist. mentioned that his strongest affection was shown to Mr. M'C., for this reason no doubt, that Mr. M'C. one day, when out walking near Hanwell, had to carry " Mum " home a good distance, as the dog had a severe Epileptic fit, and Mr. M'C. thought it would have died. The dog's gratitude to Mr. M'C. when he got home was something wonderful, and from that time his affection for Mr. M'C. was extreme, more so than for any one else." "V. I may mention that when I had "Mum" at Wells (Somersetshire), he had his first Epileptic fit, which I witnessed, in the garden there. He suddenly fell down, was convulsed, then rallied a little, got up, reeled and staggered, and ran round, describing a circle. I waited, he got better, and I did not re- quire to carry him home. There was an interval of seven or eight years between the first and second Epileptic fit. When first seized with the fit, I thought he had been poisoned, and that he had taken some poisonous article in the garden." " VI. " Mum " was far more intelligent than a Microcephalic Idiot-girl of seventeen I had (as a patient) at Hanwell, whose brain was remarkably small, and weighed only 13 ozs." The following short disquisition was sent me some years ago by a busy Surgeon, harassed with the cares and worries of a large practice, who yet, like the late Sir Benjamin Brodie, finds time for, and takes obvious pleasure in, " Psychological En- quiries * " of the most abstruse kind. PSYCHOLOGICAL NOTES. " Where are we to draw the boundary line between man and the brute? Nowhere that we can see, short of the point at which the creature becomes endowed with the high gift of knowing God, of feeling his accountability to Him, of desiring communion with Him. This gift may be latent in low, degraded races, and the endowment may appear in action in many and varied forms ; but with improvable reason it is ever potentially present. By improvable reason we mean the faculty of com- prehending abstract ideas. Writers have held that Will dis- tinguishes man from the brute, when this is shown in selection with approval or cofiscience. Does that quality distinguish man from the lower animals ? We train a dog by chastisement and * This is the title of a couple of well-known volumes by the late Sir Benjamin C. Brodie, the first London surgeon of his day ; which volumes had reached a third edition in 1862. 9 The Scottish Naturalist. 63 kindness, and he learns to distinguish right and wrong within the range of his capabilities. Abstract right and wrong he cannot reason upon ; but right and wrong, so far as his master has taught him and he has learned, are known and acted on. He makes selection. He makes selection with approval, for when he does right he is satisfied, when wrong afraid. This know- ledge becomes hereditary, selection with approval becoming more and more easy, wrong selection causing deeper dis- satisfaction or increased terror, as the fact of wrong becomes more and more clear to the creature's mind. Conscience has become more sensitive. The dog (many other animals come under the same category) is then capable of being trained to a sense of responsibility to his master, whom he knows, fears and loves. Man is capable of being trained to know, fear and love an unseen Being as his Master." " A recent writer says : — " We identify conscience with the re- mains of the Pneunm in fallen man. The Pneuma and Psyche y spirit and mind, are thus distinguished and separated ; the former the Divine breath ; the latter, reason. The one is peculiar to man, the other is not denied to the lower animals, or at least only by those who fear to acknowledge any relation- ship between the 'Lord of Creation' and the inferior creatures." If we are right, this view is wrong, for we hold that conscience does exist in the lower animals. They have conscience towards the higher creature man, and also conscience towards each other. Observation shows that many creatures of the same species, and not a few of different species, perform kind actions towards other creatures ; actions which are not performed by all individuals of the species to which they belong. These actions indicate clearly choice of one kind of action rather than another, this choice made with a consciousness of using means to accom- plish an end, that end being the safety and happiness of a fellow. In what do such actions differ from those of like kind performed by man towards man? There is conscience or choice with approval in both cases. So far as we can see, there is self-consciousness in the brute as well as in man : the difference is one of degree, not of kind. We hold then that conscience is a quality inherent in all living beings possessing a brain suffi- ciently developed to enable them to remember and reason on facts ; which quality enables the creature possessing it to choose a course of action with approval." In giving expression to the foregoing opinions regarding the 64 The Scottish Naturalist. Psychical Differentiation of man from other animals, the Sur- geon in question has attempted an "operation" of the most diffi- cult kind, one that has perplexed, and will continue to puzzle, the most powerful Human intellects. It is obvious that the use of such a criterion of distinction as the knowledge of the God of the Christian — that is of the English Bible — must relegate to the category of Brutes, many thousands of Human Beings ! On the other hand, he will find it difficult in the extreme so to define such terms as Conscience, Conscious- ness, Self-consciousness, Pneuma and Psyche, Reason, Abstract ideas, and Potentiality, as to include all men in one category, and place all other animals in a second ! (To be continued. ) Captures of Lepidoptera near Edinburgh, in 1874 — The following are amongst the better species that I captured during the past year in this neighbourhood. The weather was frequently unfavourable, and I myself was so busy with other things, that I could only really "get out" for a couple of days, else much more might have been done. Lyccena Artaxerxes — Common at the end of June, on the low undercliff near the shore between Pettycur and Burntisland, Fife. Seems to frequent Geranium sanguineum. Some of my series have the red marks, on the border of the wings on the upper side, as well marked as in specimens of the true Agestis taken on the chalk downs of Kent and Hants. Ma- laria liturata — In fir woods at W. Linton ; middle of June. Emmelesia alchemillata — Two specimens on Blackford Hill, near Edinburgh, on June 26. Emmelesia albulata— Common in marshy ground near W. Linton, where Rhinanthus cristagalli (its food plant) grows. Middle of June. Eupithecia helveticctta — One specimen by beating, near Blackford Hill, June 12. Eupithecia centaureata — Pettycur, Fife, June 27. Mel- anippe tristata — W. Linton, June. Afamestra furva — Larva? not un- common under stones on Arthur's Seat. Imago bred, July 15. Plusia bractea — One specimen in the Botanic Gardens, July 10. Botys fuscalis — Occurs with Emmelesia albulata. Oncoccra ahenella — Common on hills at Pettycur, end of June. These Scotch specimens are larger, brighter, and more distinctly marked than those from the S. of England. Tortrix kterana — One specimen at Pettycur, June 27. Mixodia ScJinlziana — Common on heath amongst fir woods. W. Linton ; middle of June. Halonota scutulana — Marshy ground near W. Linton, June 15. Calosetia nigromaculana — Near Pettycur, end of June. Lozopera stratnineana — Common at Pettycur, June 27. — W. A. Forbes, S. Castle St., Edinburgh. Lepidoptera of Scotland— Addendum. - Hadena glauca occurs in the Tweed district. — A. Kelly, Lauder. Little Gull — An immature specimen of the Little Gull, Lams minulus, was shot by Mr. Arthur Robb, near Aberdeen, on Saturday, 12th Dec. lie observed three others at the same time. — G. Sim, Aberdeen, Dec. 1874. The Scottish Naturalist. 65 OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OP BRITISH COLEOPTERA. (Continued from p. 17.) By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A. [As it is possible that some readers of the " Scottish Naturalist" who would like to make use of the "tables" in the " Outline descriptions of British Beetles," may not be sufficiently familiar with the dichotomous system, it may be of advantage to describe the process that should be gone through in order to arrive at the name of a species. For this purpose we will take an example, and suppose that a collector is endea- vouring to identify by the descriptions — say a specimen of Cychrus rostratus. He will act as follows : — 1st. He will turn to the " Table of Groups" (p. 13), in order to discover to which main division of the Coleoptera his specimen belongs. In this table, under the figure 1 (on the left hand side of the page), beetles are divided into two classes ; one con- taining species whose elytra reach considerably beyond the insertion of the 3rd (or hind) legs ; the other, species in which the elytra are much shortened. Finding his specimen to belong to the first of these classes, he will be referred (by the figure 2 on the right hand side of the page) to the place where there is a separation into classes of the species whose elytra reach con- siderably beyond the insertion of the 3rd legs. (This will be where the figure 2 occurs on the left hand side of the page). There they are split into the following divisions, viz. — (a) those, none of which have the antennae clubbed, which are not aquatic, and which have tarsi easily seen to consist of five joints ; (p) those having the antennae not clubbed, not being aquatic, and having tarsi easily seen to consist of four joints ; (<;) aquatic species ; (d) a residuum not possessing all the characters of any one of the other divisions under the figure 2. By comparison of the specimen under enquiry with the characters of these several groups, it is seen to belong to the first of them, against which, on the right hand side of the page, is set the figure 3. Turning to the line where the figure 3 occurs, on the left of the page, it will be seen that the species attributed to that number are divided into two groups — one having the anterior tibiae simple, the other having them either notched on the inner side or with a spine at the apex. As the specimen will be found to have a 66 The Scottish Naturalist. strong spine at the apex of the anterior tibiae, it will be referred to the Geodephaga. The student will now turn to the " Table of families of Geode- phaga" (p. 14), to ascertain to which of those families his specimen belongs. Against the figure " 1 " on the left of the page, there are three divisions characterised. The absence of a distinct notch on the anterior tibiae will refer his specimen to the first of these, against which " 2 * is set on the right. Referring to " 2 " on the left, he will find the species composing that class divided into two groups, distinguished by the length of the eye, as compared with the length of the basal two joints of the antennae together. The eye of the specimen in question being shorter than the basal two joints of the antennae, it will be referred to the Carabidce. Next, the table headed " Carabidce" (p. 16) must be referred to, to determine what genus the specimen belongs to. Under the figure "1" on the left of the page it will be referred (by the form of the base of the thorax) to the figure " 2 " on the right. Consequently the student will look where " 2 " occurs on the left, and, observing that the elytra of his specimen are not striated, he will decide that it belongs to the genus Cychrus. Finally, he will turn to the table headed " Cychrus" (p. 17), and, finding that his specimen answers to the description of the single species, he will decide that it is Cychrus rostratus. If the genus contained more than one species, he would go through the same process (to determine which species it belonged to) that he had previously gone through to discover its group, its family, and its genus. It is necessary, in concluding these remarks, to draw atten- tion to the necessity of observing accurately the slightest point mentioned, as any failure in doing so might lead the observer far wrong indeed; and it may just be added that, after a little practice, the collector will carry the characters in his mind sufficiently to render it unnecessary for him, in most cases, to do more than turn at once to the table of species in a genus.] Calosoma. Blackish, E. shining, gr. , p. -85 , with smooth elev. ints. A row of puncs. on the 4th, 8th, and 12th ints. 12^ 1. E 8 - sycophanta The Scottish Naturalist. 67 Shining gr. E. p.-s., with flattish hits., which are tr. wrinkled, the 4th, 8th, and 12th with a row of consp. puncs. Legs and an. bl. 7^ 1. E. I. . Nebria. 1. E. not unic. ..... - unic. ...... 2. B. Disc of th., mar. of e., an., pal., and legs, pale. 7 1 E. c - (Yorkshire) .... Test. E. with 2 irreg. tr. fasc., joined by longi. lines, b 9 1. E. wc - .... 3. B. An., pal., tib., and tar., r. E. consp. p.-s. Th. very tr., almost as wide at ba. as in fr. 5 1. B ! ! B. or reddish. An. and legs more slender and long than in prec, an. darker Str. of e. almost impunc. Th. strongly contr. behind. 4^ 1. B. M Leistus. 1. Th. bl. b. or blackish. Mouth, an. legs, and pal. , test. Fem. pitchy or b. Rest of limbs (which are very long and slender) dusky r. Th. very tr. E. strongly p.-s. 4X 1. E. ! ™ !• • • • • • • • 2. H. and e. bluish b. or r. Th. twice as broad as long. E. short, very strongly p. s., the in. ints. dist. elev. Th. without a consp. r. mar. 3^ 1. B. H. and e. consp. bl. Th. longer than in prec. E. longer and more parallel, less strongly p. -s. , ints. less elev. Th. with a consp. r. mar. 3^ 1. B. M « . 3. Unic, varying from pale to deep r. E. deeply and unif. p. -s. Hi. angs. of th. sharp. 3 1. E. ! H. b. E. r., with ap. (and sometimes ba.) b. E. p.-s., the p.-s. failing at sides and ap. Hi. angs. of th. obt. 3 1. B. Fourth Family— SCARITID/E. (2 genera). Fr. of clyp. simple. Sides of th. not strongly rounded. 1\CU» •••••• - - - with 2 or 3 teeth. Sides of th. strongly rounded. Brassy. ...... Clivina. Unic. but varying from r. to r-b. H., pal., an., and legs, often paler. Back of h. almost impunc. E. strongly p.-s. 2^ 1. B. ! Very like prec. (? var. ). H. and th. consp. darker than e. H. clearly punc. behind. E. often with a dark blotch. 2% 1. B. inquisitor 2 3 livida complanata brevicollis Gyllenhalli spinibarbis 3 fulvibarbi montanus ferrugineus rufescens Clivina Dyschirius fosso collaris 68 The Scottish Naturalist. Dyschirius. 1. Clyp. prod, into 3 teeth in fr. .... - - - 2 teeth only in fr. 2. E. dist. p.-s. Th. strongly] rounded. Legs reddish. R. -m. of e. carried round ba. Ant. tib. with 2 well def. ext. teeth. E. el. -oval. 2 1. B. c - . Very like prec. E. more deeply str. Str. impunc. E. oval. 1% 1. E. N - EC - .... 3. Striation of e. reaches ap. Ant. tib. only obs. toothed on ext. mar. ..... - - acutely toothed on ext. mar. - - - fails near ap. Brassy b. Legs and an. r. Th. round. E. oval, p. -s. in fr. Ant. tib. with a strong ext. tooth, i^l. B. . 4. R. -m. of e. not carried round ba. - - - carried round ba. Th. el, E. cyl., strongly p.-s. Mouth, an., and legs reddish. \% 1. E. sc - 5. Str. of e. not dist. punc. throughout. In. ap. spine of ant. tib. clearly shorter than outer. E. oblong oval. Mouth, legs, and an., reddish. - - - dist. punc. throughout. Ap. spines of ant. tib. about equal. Th. el. E. narrow with sub-parallel sides. 2 1. B. c - . 6. Str. of e. unif. deep, and impunc. in hi. half. Int. elev. 2 */ 1 "Re. Str. of e. not deep, and fainter near mar. , punc. exc. in 2 3 thoracicus obscurus 4 7 globosus extensus hi. third. 2J4 1. B. NC - Legs and an. 7. R. -m. of e. not dist. carried round ba. dusky ...... - - - dist. round ba. Crown strongly wrinkled, E. not broader than th., cyl., deeply p.-s. Clyp., mouth, an. and legs r. 1^3 1. E. c - 8. E. cyl., deeply p.-s. in fr. fainter behind. Str. unif. punc. to behind mid. Out. teeth on ant. tib. both well def. 2 1. B. c - E. oblong oval, deeply p.-s. nearly to ap. Str. more faintly punc. from mid. Only loiver ext. tooth on ant. tib. well def. 1 l A 1. E. politus impunctipennis nitidus 8 angnsiahis salinus seneus Fifth Family— BRACHINID.E (1 genus) Brachinus. I. U.-s. ofh.-b. dusky. H., th., pal., and legs, r. An. r., often marked with b. .... U.-s., h., th., pal. and an., clear r. E. bl., with ba. of sut. r., scarcely str. 2-3 1. E. 8 - . sclopeta The Scottish Naturalist. 2. E. bl., spar, puna, dist. str., withelev. ints. 2^-4.1. E. E. bl., rarely marked with r., punc., scarcely str., ints. flat. 2-3 1. E. N - * . . . . 69 crepitans explodeiis Sixth Family— LEBIAD^. (12 genera) 1. Ba. j. of an. not longer than h. Th. very tr. and bu little contr. behind - el., much narrower than h., nar rowest in fr. - not as in either of prec. - - - - longer than h. . 2. Th. br. r. - not br. r. 3. Pen. j. of an. tar. bil. and larger than 3rd. Claws simple - Claws toothed not as in prec. H. and th. closely and unif. punc. ..... --- not closely and unif. punc. 4. Ap. j. of pal. thickest behind the mid. in fr. . 5. An. entirely pale .... - not entirely pale. Claws toothed - - - -. - untoothed .... 6. Mentum toothed .... - untoothed * Odacantha 3 Drypta Lebia Masoreus Aetophorus Demetrias 4 5 Cymindis Polystichus Dromius 6 Lionychus Metabletus Blechrus Drypta. Pub. , punc. H. , th. , and e. br. bl. Mouth, pal. , legs, and an.,yel. Ba. of an. partly b. E. str. 3^1. E. s - Polystichus. Pub. punc. R. Legs, and a large dorsal mark on each of the e., paler. E. p. -s. 4I. E. c - • Odacantha. H. and th. br. gr. An. dusky, pale at ba. Legs test. ; knees and tar. dusky. E. reddish test, with blackish ap. , very faintly p. -s. 3 1. E. ' . Aetophorus. H. b. Th. r. An., pal., legs, and e., test. E. faintly p. -s. , with a b. cloud forked in fr. on the sut. , and marked with b. on the mar. Breast b. 2 l / z 1. E. F - dentata vittatus melanura imperialis 70 The Scottish Naturalist. Demetrias. R.-test., with the h.-b., and the sut., more or less clouded with fuscous. U. -s. test. E. faintly p. -s. Claws with i tooth. 2 1. E. FC - Very like the prec. . The e. vary in the fuscous clouding (it is sometimes absent). Breast, b. Claws with 3 teeth. 2,% L E. ! monostigma atricapillus Drominus. Th. tr. (E. gently 1. Hi. half, at least, of u. -s. of h. -b. b oil* !•'•••••« 2 --------.- not tr. (Mouth, pal., legs, and an., pale. }«.•»■••■ a II. -b. reddish beneath ; often rather darker near ap. . . 6 2. E. with well def. markings. (Mouth, pal. , legs, and an., pale.) ....... 3 - unic, blackish r. H. dark. Th. reddish with paler mar. Sides of E. very parallel. 3 1. E . . meridionalis 3. Hi. angs. of th. very obt. H. b. Th. r. E. b., each with 2 large pale spots, the ant. spot not reach- ing mar. of E. 2)4 1. B. ! . . quadrimaculatus Very like prec. Smaller. Hi. angs. of th. hardly obt. Ant, pale spot on e. touches the mar. i}( 1. E. . 4. E. not unif. blackish r. (H. b. Th. reddish. E. gently str. ) . - unif. pit. Very like meridionalis. An. longer and stouter. E. longer, with less parallel sides. 3I. B. ! 5. E. b. , each with 2 well def. pale spots, of which the hi. is smallest. The ant. spot sometimes fills ba. \% 1. B. ! - pale in fr., dark behind ; often an obsc. pale spot near ap. ; or unif. brown ; or sut. entirely dark. \% 1. B.c- ..... b. Legs, pal., and an. pale. E. with dist. markings. (H.-b. Th. r.) - with no dist. markings. (H. and th. reddish.) ...... Pal. dark brown. H. b. Th. r., about as broad as long. Legs and an. test. E. pale, often darker near sut. \}/£ L B. ! . . . melanocephalus j. A pale cloud at ba. of each of the obs. str. e. The in. mars, of these pale marks meet on sc. and run very obi. apart backw. Rest of e. dark, exc. round ap. of sut. \%\. E. 6C - .... vectensis Very like prec. An. longer. Th. more el. E. longer and more parallel. In edges of pale clouds on fr. of e. more parallel. Ap, of e. entirely pale 1^1. E.»- sigma quadrisignatus 5 agilis quadrinotatus nigriventris 7 8 The Scottish Naturalist. 7i 8. E. pale, dusky on sut. and behind. H. and th. about equally long and broad. E. parallel, dist. p.-s 1^ 1. B. ! . . . . . linearis Very like prec. H. consp. longer and narrower than th. E. broadest behind, obs. str. 2 1. E. F - . longiceps 2 3 M. foveola Blechrus, Metabletus, and Lionychus. 1. E. with pale spots ..... - b., very ind. p.-s., without a dist. impr. on the disc - brassy brown, faintly but dist. p.-s., a consp. impr. on the disc of each. An. , pal. and legs, blackish. i3^ 1. B. ! 2. E. brown brass, obs. str., with a pale hum. spot; r.-m. pale. H. and th. b. An. dark, with ba. j. gen. r. Legs r., fern. dark. 2 1. E. . M. obscuro-guttatus Shining b. Ba. j. of an. r. E. dist. str. on disc, each with a pale hum. and ap. spot, that at ap. often obs. t 3/ 1 ~F s.c. I y/^, I. i-i. ..... 3. B. Tib., and often ba. j. of an., reddish. Th. very tr., shorter than h. i^f 1. E. -. Th. not strongly tr. , about length of h. 1 1. E. ! Lebia. L. quadrillum M. truncatellus B. maurus 1. E. unic. gr. orbl., p.-s., ints. punc. H. gr. orbl., puna Th. r. An., tar., and pal., dusky' E. b., with a pale spot. Mouth, an., th., and legs, r. E. r. -yel. , with b. marks forming a + . H. b. , punc. Th. r. Sc. b. Legs r. Knees and tar. dusky. Breast b. An. dusky, ba. js. r. 3 1. B. 2. Breast and sc. b. Fem. and tib. partly b. Ba. j. of an. r. 2>% h E. - fem., tib., sc, and ba. js. of an. r. Ints. less dist. punc. than in the prec. 3X h B. 3. The spot on e. ap. H. r. Breast b. E. faintly p.-s. Ints. obs. punc. 2% 1. E. s - . ' . - - - - hum. H. b. Breast r. E. strongly str. Ints. almost glab. 2h 1. E. 2 3 crux-minor cyanocephala chlorocephala hamorrhoidalis turcica Cymindis. H. b. An. pal. and legs r. H spar. punc. Th. r. , spar. punc. on. disc, thickly on sides. E. b. , deeply str. ; with mar. , & hum spot, r. ; ints. spar. punc. \% 1. E. H. and th. pit. deeply and unif. punc. E. pit., ba. r., finely p. -s. , ints. thickly and deeply punc. An. pal. and legs r. 4X 1. B. M - Masoreus. Reddish, much clouded with fuscous. Mouth, pal, an. and legsr. E. finely p.-s., ints, glab. 2^ L E. s - C - axillaris vaporanorum Wetterhali 7 2 The Scottish Naturalist. Seventh Family— CHLiENIIDiE. (7 genera). 1. An. set. with long stout bristles. Th. and e. not pub. Loricera Not with the 2 characters of the prec. Th. and e. pub. 2 Not pub. Th. broadest at ba. . Oodes - - -. - -. - not broadest at ba. ... 4 2. Ap. j. of pal. consp. hatchet-shaped. (Eyes prominent). Panagseus - - - - not consp. hatchet-shaped .... 3 3. Th. very much contr. behind, dull pale r. . . Callistus - not as in prec. ..... Chkenius 4. H. and th. unif. punc. Ap. j. of pal. hatchet shaped . Licinus - - - not dist. punc. Ap. j. of pal. not hatchet shaped Badister Loricera. Brassy gr., rarely reddish. Pal. tib. and tar. r. E. p.-s., with 3 consp. imprs. on the 3rd int. 3^ 1. B. ! pilicornis Panag^eus. B. Th. strongly tr. E. each with 2 very broad, tr., r. fasc. (not reaching the sut.) often joined on the mar. 3X 1. E. F - . . . . crux-major Very like the prec. ; smaller, & with th. not tr. 2.% 1. E. s - quadripustulatus Callistus. H. bl. or gr. Th. and pal. r. E. r.-yel ; shoulds., and 2 bands (1st. not reaching sut.) joined on mar. of e., b. Legs test., marked with b. An. r. at ba. 3X I- E. s - ..... Chl^enius. 1. E. unic. gr. (H. and th. cop. orgr.) . Th., e., legs, and an., unic, dullb. H. brighter. Th. much punc. E. str., ints punc. 5 1. E. I. F - - gr. E. gr. , with yel.' mar. and ap. Mouth, pal. , an. and legs, yel. E. finely str. , ints. punc. 5 1. E. 2. Th. broadest at mid., hi. angs. very obt. No more than 1st j. of an. r. Legs r., often more or less pit. 5 1. B. ! . - - in fir, of mid. , its hi. angs. hardly obt. Pal. and ba. 3 js. of an. r. Legs r., often more or less brown. 5 1. E. s - C - .... Oodes. B. H. and th. smooth. Th. very massive. E. finely p.-s., str. not reaching ba. 4X L E. r - lunatus* holoset iccus vestitus nigncornis Schranki helopioides (To be continued.) PHYTOLOGY. THE EDIBLE WILD PKUITS OF SCOTLAND. By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S. ( Continued from p. 28. ) THE remaining plants which have any claim to be included among those that produce in this country edible wild fruits aspire more or less to the dignity of forest trees. Most notable of these are the graceful Beech and the sturdy Oak — often indeed termed the king of the forest — but we would rather bestow that title on the Scots Fir. Let the Oak — noble tree that it is — hold sway over the forests of the south; but of all the trees in Scotland's woods the native Pine is the un- doubted chief. See him standing amidst the crags of a rocky hill on a glowing summer day, his thick and blue-green crown shining out clear against the glorious azure sky, and his sturdy and rugged stem planted firmly amongst the cold grey rocks, and lighting them up with its warm redness; or see him dead, but still a king, stretching aloft his gaunt and whitened limbs through the weird-like mists which roll down the corries, and trail, like the funeral procession of some hero of old, along the mountain side. But to proceed with the proper subject of this paper. The Beech (Fagus sylvatica ~L.). Though not a native, the Beech is yet so extensively planted in our woods, and is withal .so beautiful a tree, that I think it should not be passed by without notice. Though we " of the north countrie " do not know the Beech in its full glory, yet we have sufficiently large specimens to be able to appreciate the combination of strength and gracefulness that is exhibited by this tree. Its smooth and polished stem, its spreading branches,' here spiring up towards heaven, there feathering in sweeping curves towards the ground, and its delicate foliage, which, especially in spring, is unsur- passed for colour and texture, all unite to make the Beech a 74 The Scottish Naturalist. most picturesque and lovable tree. Nor has it been left unsung by the poets. Thus Wordsworth — " Huge trunks ! and each particular trunk a growth Of intertwisted fibres, serpentine Upcoiling, and invet'rately involved." But especially have the poets referred to the smooth and silvery bark, which almost seems made on purpose to tempt the love- sick swain to inscribe thereon his mistress's name. And this is no recent practice, for the old, poets, even Virgil and Ovid, allude to the practice in their days, " Crescent ilhe; crescetis amores." "As the letters of our names increase, so may our love;" referring to the increase of size in the letters as the bark of the tree grows. The same idea is expressed by Ovid, and in later times by Thomson and others. The fruit or beech-mast, when eaten raw, is said to produce giddiness and headache, but dried and ground makes a whole- some bread. Sometimes the nuts have been used as a substitute for coffee, and the oil therein contained has been eaten instead of butter, and also burnt in lamps. Many animals are very fond of the mast. The wood is used for various purposes ; though not very lasting when exposed to the air, it is exceedingly durable under water, and is therefore employed for making piles for bridges. The Oak (Quercus robur L.); An Darroch in Gaelic. Cele- brated a tree as the Oak is, it is only by courtesy that we can admit it among those bearing edible wild fruit. In cases of famine it is possible that the acorns (as the fruit of this tree are called) may be serviceable, and it has even been recom- mended to use them as coffee, or fresh like chestnuts, or ground and made into bread. The acorns produced by some other species of Oak, are far more palatable, and are actually used as food in Italy, North America, and elsewhere. To enter into an account of all the other uses of the Oak would occupy too much time. No tree has been perhaps more celebrated both in verse and prose, but we in Scotland are scarcely qualified, from our local experience, to appreciate fully the tree, regarding which even Cowper the poet wrote — It seems idolatry with some excuse, When our forefather Druids in their Oaks Imagined sanctity. The Scottish Naturalist. 75 Some Oak trees have trunks from 60 to 100 feet in length .and 70 feet in girth near the base, and contain 1,000 cubic feet of timber. There are, I think, no great number now of really wild Oaks in Scotland (at least in the north), though formerly they were abundant. The Hazel (Cory/its avellana L.); Gaelic, An Caltain. Both the tree (of which there are several cultivated varieties) and its nuts are too well known to need description. The tree has, however, a reputation of another sort, for from its twigs were wont to be made divining rods, by the occult virtue of which it was supposed that not only subterranean treasure, minerals, and water might be detected, but those guilty of murders and other crimes pointed out. In the Highlands, it is said, this tree is considered one of ill omen, but two nuts naturally united together — a kind of vegetable Siamese twins — are considered to be an amulet of great power. The kernels of the nuts are, as is well known, very palatable, and are sometimes converted into flower and made into biscuits. The wood is useful for making charcoal and other purposes. The Yew (Taxas baccata); Gaelic, Anfiuchar. This tree, so interesting in many respects, ought perhaps scarcely to be included among those producing edible fruits, for though the beautiful red berries, contrasting so well with the sombre green foliage, are edible, they are neither very palatable nor of any use as an article of food. Yews are now rarely met with in this country in a wild state, though that they were at one time more numerous in that condition the Gaelic names of several places testify. Perthshire has the credit of having the remains of what was once one of the largest, and at the same time one of the oldest Yew trees in Britain. I mean of course the Fortingal Yew. In Pennant's time the trunk of this tree, which is still alive and vigorous, but in a disjointed con- dition, measured 56 feet in circumference. Its age has been com- puted at 2500 years. Just for a moment think of the events which have happened in this and other countries since this venerable tree put up its first seed-leaves. Possibly if it could speak it might enlighten us regarding the origin and object of the mysterious cups and rings that the ancient inhabitants of this country carved upon so many stones ; it might tell us when and how that ancient people were driven away or absorbed by the race which now occupies the Highlands ; it might make clear all the ancient mythology of the land, and tell us about the worship of those gods, Bel and Annat and Neth — whose names 76 The Scottish Naturalist. vox et prceterca nihil — names and nothing else — still remain in the land; it might tell us of the old Romans, who doubtless often rested under its spreading branches and gazed in admir- ation on its immense stem ; it might tell us when the dark shades of Paganism were dispersed by the light of the new and true faith, and when reversing the usual order of things, the churchyard was made round the Yew, and not the Yew planted in the church-yard ; it might tell us — but enough ! Twenty-five centuries have passed over the head of this venerable tree ; the suns of twenty-five hundred summers have warmed its old branches, and the snows of twenty-five hundred winters have there found a resting place. The Juniper (Jwiiperus co?nmunis \i.) ; Gaelic, An faiteal. In some parts of our Highlands, the Juniper is a common plant. The berries are not much used now in this country, I believe ; but formerly they were sometimes collected and exported for flavouring Gin or Juniper water. (It may not be out of place to allude to the origin of the word " Gin," which is said to be acontraction of "Geneva," and that again a corruption «.;f Genevre, the French forji Juniper-berry.) This liquid is properly a malt liquor, distilled a second time with the addition of Juniper- berries. Formerly these were added to the malt in grinding, but now they are said to be omitted entirely, and oil of turpentine used instead. In past ages (and more recently in Norway and Sweden) sprays of juniper were used for strewing over floors in- stead of rushes, on account of their fragrancy, and also from being supposed to promote sleep, as well as from being efficacious in driving away domestic insects. In Germany the berries are bruised in sauce and eaten with the pork of the wild-boar, while in Lapland the inhabitants drink infusions of the berries, after the manner of tea — a custom not altogether unknown in Scotland within the last hundred years, and even recommended as a more wholesome beverage than that obtained from the Chinese plant ! Moreover it is said that a pleasant diuretic liquor may be obtained from the bruised berries. One or two ripe berries will not be found unpalatable. These, then, are all of what can in any degree be considered, edible wild fruits in Scotland. The Scottish Naturalist. 77 NOTE ON SOME KECENTLY DESOKIBED SCOTTISH FUNGI. FOR the last fifty years or longer Scotland seems to have always had at least one good student of mycology. Pre-eminent among these were Johnstone, Carmichael, Jerdon, and, the greatest of all, Greville. Each of these has made known to us the Fungi of a more or less wide dis- trict, and left behind them indelible records of their industry and research. Still there remains a great deal to be yet discovered among the Fungi of Scotland, and that searchers are not wanting is very apparent from an analysis of a paper on British Fungi, published by Messrs. Berkeley & Broome, in the January number of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. In this paper somewhere about 100 new British Fungi are noticed, and of these more than half the number were found in Scotland, besides a few others found almost simultaneously in England and Scotland. In addition to these some other new Scottish Fungi have been recorded in the columns of our own {vide the interesting "List of the Fungi of Morayshire" and other notes, by the Rev. J. Keith and others) and other Magazines. Altogether, this may be considered as a very encouraging state of matters, and none the less so when we find that it is chiefly to the energy of four botanists that these discoveries are due, and that the district in which they have been made is comparatively a small one, and included in five counties — Forfar, Kincardine, Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray. The chief discoverers are the Rev. J. Stevenson (Glamis), Rev. M. Anderson (Menmuir), Rev. J. Fergusson (Fern, late of New Pitsligo), and the Rev. J. Keith (Forres). Though in the paper referred to the localities of the new species are given (by a not unnatural mistake) as the districts where the respective discoverers reside, yet we understand that while in some cases these are the correct localities, in others the plants were found in quite another part (even 50 or 60 miles distant) of the district we have indicated. This, however, is a matter of little importance at present, and will, no doubt, be rectified when the Floras of the various parts of the district are published. One thing is evident and that is, that we in other parts of Scotland must begin to show a little more activity, unless we wish our friends in the north-east to carry off all the honours of mycological research. The following are the species mentioned (and their finders) : those with * were new to science. By the Rev. T. Stevenson : — Agaricus (Omphalia) philonotis Lasch. ; A. ( Entoloma) resutus Fr. ; A. ( Hytholoma) silaceus P. ; * A. (Collybia) Stevensoni B. and Br. ; * Cantharellus Stevensoni B. and Br. ; * Lentinus scoticus B. and Br. ; Polyporus floccopus Rostk. ; P. trabeus Fr. ; P. callosus Fr. ; * P. coll abef actus B. and Br. ; * P. blepharis- tovia B. and Br. ; * Hydnum Stevensoni B. and Br. ; * Radulum epileucum B. and Br. ; Grandima crustosa P. ; * Kneiffia subgelatinosa B. and Br. ; * Leptothyruim pictum B. and Br. ; * Peronospora interstitialis B. and Br. ; * P. rufibasis B. and Br. ; * Cylindrosporium rhabdospora B. and ~Bv. ; Septoria hyper ici Desm. ; S. stachydis Desm. ; * Helotium sublateritium B. and Br. ; Eustegia arundinacea Fr. (Mr. Stevenson has also found the following, which however had previously occurred elsewhere in Britain : — Polyporus Rennyi B. and Br. ; Protomyces menyanthes De By. ; and Peziza ciborium Fr. ) By the Rev. M. Anderson : — Raduhim tomento- . sum Fr. ; * Penicillium megalosporom B. and Br. ; * Puccinia AudersoniB. 78 The Scottish Naturalist. and Br. ; P. senecionis Lib. ; * Uromyces concomitans B. and Br. ; Proto- myces macrosporus Ung. ; Helotium tuba Fr., v. ochracea. By the Rev. J. Fergusson : — Agaricus ( Lepiota) cinnabarinus Fr. ; Hyphelia rosea Fr. ; * Cylindrosporium niveum B. and Br. ; * Puccinia Fergussoni B. and Br. (on Viola palustris) ; * P. tripolii B. and Br. (on Aster tripolium) ; Proto- myces microsporias Ung. (on Ranunculus Ficaria) ; * P. chrysosplenii B. and Br. (on Chrysosplenium oppositifolium ) ; * P. Fergussoni B. and Br. (on Myosotis) ; Peziza rubella P. ; * Helotium melleum B. and Br. ; * Psilopezia myrothecioides B. and Br. ; * Patellaria Fergussoni B. and Br. By the Rev. J. Keith (Forres) : — Boletus sulfureus Fr. ; * Polyporus Keitliii B. and Br..; * Radulum deglubens B. and Br. ; Cortinarius traganus Fr., var. finitimus Weinm. ; Hysteiium arundinaceum Schr. , var. gramineum. Other Scot- tish species mentioned, with or without special indication of the finders, are : — Agaricus ( ' Hebeloma) Bongardii Weinm. (Culbin sandhills — G. Nor- man) ; * Radulum corallinum B. and Br.; * ' Lepto stroma glec/iomalis B. and Br. ; Peziza fusispora B., var. scotica Raben. (Berwick — Dr. Johnstone; more recently by the Rev. Messrs. Anderson and Ferguson) ; and P. strobilina Fr. Vibrissea Margarita Buchanan White, described in this magazine (Scottish Naturalist ii. 218), is also mentioned in the list. — F. Buchanan White. A SCOTTISH CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY AND FUNGUS SHOW. AT the Fungus Show, held last September in Aberdeen, there was a committee appointed (as we intimated at the time) to organize a Scottish Cryptogamic Society. This committee consisted of Professors Dickie, Nicol, and Ogilvie, the Rev. Messrs. Anderson, Fergnsson, and Stevenson, and Dr. Buchanan White (convener). It is now proposed to have a meeting on April 1 6th, at 2 p.m., in the Rooms of the Perth- shire Society of Natural Science, St. Ann's Lane, Perth, to formally inaugurate the Society, adopt a Constitution, and elect office-bearers, as well as make some of the necessary arrangements for the Show to be held in Perth in September next. We trust that as many of those interested in Cryptogamic Botany as possible will attend this meeting, and that those who cannot attend will intimate their desire to become original members to any member of the above committee before the day of meeting, as it is de- sirable that the Society should have a good start. Many persons may, however, reasonably object to become members without knowing what the objects of the Society are, and to what the proposed laws bind the members. Space does not permit us to give here the proposed Constitution in full (and besides everyone desiring to become a member will receive a printed copy of the laws when adopted) ; but we may mention that the objects of the Society is the promotion of Cryptogamic Botany by (1st) mutual assist- ance, and (2d) an Annual Conference and Show (especially of Fungi) ; and that while it is hoped that the annual Show (which will be held each year in a different town) will defray most of the expenses of the Society, the annual subscription (if it be necessary to levy one at all) will not exceed The Scottish Naturalist. 79 2s. 6d. from each member per annum. From original members no entry money will be required. Ladies can be members. We shall be glad to hear as soon as possible from any one desirous of joining the Society. Potamogeton polygonifolius, var. linearis Syme M.S., in Roxburgh- shire — This peculiar long-leaved variety (some of the linear submerged leaves are upwards of two feet in length), recently determined by Dr. Syme, grows plentifully in an old pond near Kelso. * As far as I am aware, Gahvay and Killarney in Ireland are the only other British localities where it has been found hitherto. Dr. Syme says, " It differs from both P. sparganifolius and P. variif alius (the two species which it most resembles) in having the stem unbranched, i.e., there are no side shoots without flowers, and having nothing but submerged leaves, and the peduncles and flowers quite similar to those of ordinary polygonifolius" I may here mention that P. nitens Web. is plentiful in the Tweed in this neighbourhood. It differs somewhat in appearance from the Tay plant,, to judge from a dried specimen belonging to Mr W. B. Boyd, which had been gathered by Mr. J. Sim in the Tay at Perth Bridge, by having the leaves more wavy and broader, and often quite glossy, as if they were varnished. There is a much "drawn" (caused, I believe, by the rapidity of the current) form of P. perfoliatus, growing plentifully in the dam above Selkirk, near Philipshaugh Saw-Mill, which has a general resemblance to- the Tweed form of P. nitens. The following remark about P. nitens is. from the "Students' Flora" — "Foreign specimens (authentically named) approach P. perfoliatm" — Andrew Brotherston, Kelso. Ulleriore, a Water- Weed — "Moreover, Moray contains a lake of fresh water denominated Spynie, greatly frequented by swans, in which is a certain uncommon herb with which the swans are greatly allured ; we call it ' the ulleriore ' ; it is moreover of this kind, that when it hath fully established its roots, it spreads itself so widely that, in my memory, it hath extended its basis so far as to have rendered five miles of the lake itself of Spynie, where salmon formerly abounded, altogether shallow." The above is a translation given in the ' ' Agricultural Survey of the Province of Moray, " from the History of Scotland of John Leslie, Bishop of Ross, 1578. I do not find any reference to the quotation in Mr. Gordon's " Collectanea for a Flora of Moray " of 1839 (where however Spynie is frequently mentioned), nor is there anything in the list that I can fix upon or suggest as the plant meant. — F. M. Webb, in Journal of Botany. [Can any of our readers throw a light on the subject ? — Ed. Sc. Nati\ Correction: — Breadalbane Plants— Sc. Nat. iii. p. 19. — The altitude attained by Pyrola minor on Ben Lawers is 3,300, and not 2,300 as inad- vertently stated. Anthriscus abortiv.us. — I.e., p. 20. — I was wrong in an- nouncing that I had found this, as I have since shown a specimen to Dr. Boswell Syme, who tells me that the variety recorded is not referable to Anthriscus abortivus Jord., which is much more markedly different from A. sylvestris. — F. Buchanan White. * P. obtusifolius M, and K. grows in the same pond. 80 The Scottish Naturalist. Bryological Notes. — The investigation of the Bryology of the north- east of Scotland has been prosecuted with much vigour and success during the past year. New men are rising up and doing excellent work in places hitherto almost or totally unexplored. For example, Mr. James Grant of Lossiemouth, who is so well known in connection with the fossils of the Elgin Sandstone, and who has lately found an apparently new and remark- able fossil reptile in his neighbourhood, spent some time last summer among the mosses about Tomintoul, in Banffshire, where mountain limestone forms so large a proportion of the geological formation. Mr. Grant directed special attention to such mosses as might be expected to occur in a region of this character, and his short stay there has been prolific of good results. In several places he found Seligetia pus ilia, a moss always difficult to find because of its minuteness, and always interesting because of its comparative rarity, there being few counties in Scotland in which it has hitherto been observed. In the same quarter Mr. Grant detected a yet rarer species, viz., Anodus Donianus, which is even more diminutive, and more easily overlooked owing to its more scattered, almost gregarious, habit of growth. As in the "Scottish Naturalist" (II., 173), I had indicated the probability of Anacalypta latifolia growing in the Tomintoul district, I was delighted to receive from Mr. Grant very fine specimens of this species which he had gathered there. In Scotland the localities for this plant are being rapidly increased. In addition to Mr. Grant's, Dr. Buchanan White and Mr. Roy of Aberdeen found another in Glentilt last summer. Among Mr. Grant's Tomintoul gatherings we were glad to see specimens of Thiiidium abietinum and of genuine Brachythecium salebrosum. This latter has hitherto been so much confounded with B. Mildeanum and B. glareosum that the old stations given for it are almost always unreliable. It may be mentioned that, while about Tomintoul, Mr. Grant made Trichostomum glaucescens a special object of search, but did not succeed in finding it; but as there are already three stations for it in the north-east of Scotland, I cannot think it can be confined, to these. — J. Fergusson, Fern, by Brechin. Botanico-Geology — In the part recently issued of the Edinburgh Botanical Society's Transactions (Vol. XII., Part I.), is an account of an excursion to Clova by Professors Balfour and Geikie, in which some remarks are made by the latter on the mineralogy of the rocks on which certain of the rarer alpines occur. It was thought that there might prove to be some .special conditions in the mineralogical constituents of the rocks, whereby it might appear why these plants ( Oxytropis campcst)is, Lychnis alpina, &c. ) are so very local in their British distribution. It was found, however, that there was nothing by which this could be accounted for in that respect; and it is suggested that the cause is more probably a meteorological one — the situation, altitude, and breadth of the Grampian range affording in that district the conditions necessary for the survival of these plants, which find their proper home in the Alps and in the Arctic regions. A good sugges- tion is thrown out, viz., that botanists in this country should do as some of the Scandinavian botanists are doing, namely, examine the contents of our older peat-mosses for the remains of northern plants no longer living in this country. We daresay insect-remains may also be found. — F. Buchanan White. INSECTA SCOTICA, THE LEPIDOPTERA OP SCOTLAND- ( Continued from p. 32. ) Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S. CHI L. Common. Agrestal, nemoral. Ascends to 1200 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g g o West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross g Lat. 54°4o"-57°5o". Range in Europe. Central and north- ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago, August- September. Larva. April- June. Food-plant. Shrubs and low plants. The ab. olivacea Stph, (front-wings more or less infuscated with greyish- olive) is reported from Forth and Tay, but its headquarters are the north of England, HECATBRA Gn. SERENA F. Not common. Agrestal. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay o West. 2 2 o o o o o o Lat. 55°3o"-56°3o". Range in Europe. Central and south- ern. Type. Centro-meridional. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. May- August. Food-plant. Low plants. DIANTHCECIA Boisd. NANA Roth. (1776); conspersa Esp. (1788?). common. Agrestal, pascual. Not un- Distribution — East. g Forth Tay Dee Moray g o West. Solway Clyde o o o o 2)2 The Scottish Naturalist. Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Nearly throughout. Type. European. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. July-Sep- tember. Food-plant. Campion (Silene and Lychnis. ) cucuBALii Fuessl. Not uncommon. Agrestal, pascual, palustral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay § Moray §00 West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross o Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central and northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. July- September. Food-plant. Campion (Silene and Lychnis). capsincola Hb. Common. Agrestal and pascual. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § [Orkney] o West. Solway Clyde § 8 ° Lat. 54 4o"-[59°io' / .] Range in Europe. Nearly through- out. Type. European. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. July-September. Food-plant. Campion (Silene and Lychnis). carpophaga Bkh. ' Not common. Agrestal and pascual. Distribution — East. 3 Forth Tay §0000 West. Solway Clyde goo Lat. 54°4o"-56°3o". Range in Europe. Central and northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance. — Imago. June, July. Larva. August, Sep tember. Food-plant. Campion (Silene and Lychnis). Some of the Scottish specimens are much darker than the English form. EPUNDA Dupon. LUTULENTA Bkh. Rare or local. Pascual and agrestal. Distribution — East. § [Tay] Dee Moray 000 West. § g o o o Lat. 57°57"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, &c. Type. Central. Type in Britain. British (?) The Scottish Naturalist. 83 Time of Appearance — Imago. September, October. Larva. Octo- ber-May. Food-plant. Low plants. * nigra Hw. Local. Pascual, agrestal, nemoral. Distribution — East. § § Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Solway [Clyde] § g o Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Britain ; central and southern Germany ; France, Switzerland, and South Europe. Type. Occidento-meridional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. September, October. Larva. October- June. Food-plant. Low plants. VIMINALIS F. Local. Nemoral. Ascends to about 1000 feet. Distribution — East. g Forth Tay 00000 West, g Clyde goo Lat. 55°4o' / -56°4o' / . Range in Europe. Central and nor- thern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. May, June. Food-plant. Willow. The var. obscura Stdg. (very much darker) is reported from north Eng- land, and occurs in Perthshire as an aberration. MISBLIA Stph. OXYACANTH^J Hb. Common. Agrestal and nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray goo West. Solway Clyde goo Lat. 54 4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central (South Sweden, &c.) Type. Central. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance. — Imago. September-October. Larva. May, June. Food- plant. Sloe and hawthorn. A dark, almost unicolorous variety (Capucina Mill. ) occurs in England, but I have not seen Scottish specimens of it. DICHONIA Hb. aprilina L. Common. Nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde 8 8° 84 The Scottish Naturalist. Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o' / . Range in Europe. East-central (to South Sweden). Type. Central. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. September, October. Larva. June. Food-plant. Oak. PHLOGOPHORA Ochsen. METICULOSA L. Not uncommon. Agrestal and pascual. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § Orkney § West. Solway Clyde Argyle § § Lat. 54 4o"-59 io". Range in Europe. Southern and central (to S. Sweden). Type. Meridiono-central. Type in Bri- tain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. September-June (two broods?). Larva. July- April. Food-plant. Low plants. EUPLEXIA Stph. LUCIPARA L. Locally common. Nemoral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § Orkney § West. Solway Clyde Argyle § 8 Lat. 54°4o"-59°io' / . Range in Europe. Central and northern. Type. Centro- septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. September, October. Food-plant. Low plants, bracken, &c. AMPHIPYRHXEL AMPHIPYRA Ochsen. TRAGOPOGINIS L. Common. Hortensal and agrestal. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray goo West. Solway Clyde § 8 ° Lat. 54°4o"-57°4o". Range in Europe. Central and north- ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. August, September. Larva. April- June. Food-plant. Low plants. A. pyramided L. ought, from its European distribution, to occur. ( To be continued. ) The Scottish Naturalist. 85 THE COLEOPTEKA OP SCOTLAND. (Continued from p. 40.) Edited by D. SHARP, M.B. NITIDULUS Grav. Abundant. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee §000 West. Solway Clyde §00 COMPLANATUS Er. Not common. Distribution — East. § Forth 000000 West. Solway Clyde 000 TETRACARINATUS Block. Lowland, highland. Abundant. Distribution — East. 800 Dee Moray 880 West. Solway Clyde 800 FAIRMAIREI Pand. Very rare (?). Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000 West. 00000 HAPLODERUS Kr. C^JLATUS Grav. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. o Forth Tay o o o o o West. 00000 ANCYROPHORUS Kr. OMALINUS Er. Riparial. Common. Distribution — East. 8 Forth ° ° ° West. Solway 8 ° ° ° longipennis Fair. Riparial. Not common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 000000 West. Solway 8 000 TROGOPHLCEUS Kr. . ARCUATUS Steph. Riparial. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed 0000000 West. Solway 0000 bilineatus Steph. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o- o o West. Solway 8 ° ° ' " ° 86 The Scottish Naturalist. o o o o o o o o ELONGATULUS Er. Lowland. Distribution — East. o Forth o West. Solway FULIGINOSUS Grav. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. Tweed West. Solway CORTICINUS Grav. Lowland. Distribution — East. o o West. Solway o PUSILLUS Grav. Lowland. Not common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee West. Solway goo TENELLUS Er. Riparial. Rare. Distribution — East. o o o o o West. Solway o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o THINOBIUS Kr. MAJOR Kr. Riparial. Very rare. Distribution — East. West. o o Tay o o o o o o o o o LONGIPENNIS Heer. Riparial. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay 3 Moray o o o Solway 3 ° ° ° Riparial. Very rare. o o Tay o o o o o West BRTJNNEIPENNIS Kr. Distribution — East. West, o o o o o linearis Kr. Riparial. Scarce Distribution — East. West. Solway 3 ° ° g Forth Tay o o o o o ^INEUM Mull. SYNTOMIUM Kr. Lowland. Not common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth 3 Dee Moray o o o West. Solway 3 ° ° ° The Scottish Naturalist. 87 COPRGPHILUS Kr. STRIATULUS Fab. Lowland. Scarce. Distribution— East. Tweed Forth § Dee § o o o West. Solway §000 DELBASTER Kr. dichrous Grav. Riparial. Very rare. Distribution — East, o Forth 0000 o o West. Solway 0000 The Scottish specimens of this species differ considerably from those found near London. — D.S. ANTHOPHAGUS Redt. alpinus Payk. Highland, alpine. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed o Tay Dee 0000 West, o § o o o testaceus Grav. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde 000 GEODROMICUS Redt. nigrita Mull. Near streams and waterfalls. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed g g Dee Moray 000 West. Solway g o o o GLOBTJLICOLLIS Mann. Highland, alpine. Rare. Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee Moray 000 West, o Clyde 000 LESTEVA Kr. long^litrata Gseze. Lowland, highland. Abundant. Distribution— East, g Forth Tay Dee Moray g g Shetland West. Solway Clyde g g g SHARPi Rye. Highland. Local. Distribution — East. o Forth Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde 000 PUCESCENS Mann. In moss about streams and waterfalls. Scarce. 88 The Scottish Naturalist. Distribution — East. Tweed § Tay Dee Moray o o Shetland West. Solway Clyde o o o PUNCTATA Er. Lowland. Not common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway g o o o MUSCORUM Duv. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East, o o o o Moray o o o West. Solway Clyde o o o ■• ACIDOTA Kr. crenata Fab. Lowland, highland, alpine. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o o West. Solway o o o o Cruentata Mann. Lowland. Very rare. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth o o o o o o West. Solway o o o o OLOPHRUM Kr. piceum Gyll. Lowland, highland. Common in wet moss. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray o o Shetland West. Solway §000 fuscum Grav. Lowland. Local. Distribution — East. o Forth 000000 West. Solway 0000 consimile Gyll. Highland. Very local. Distribution — East. 000 Dee 0000 West. 0000 o LATHRIM^3UM Kr. atrocephaltjm Gyll. Not common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g Dee g o o o West, g g o o o unicolor Stph. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g Dee Moray 000 West. Solway g 000 (To be continued.) ZOOLOGY. ANIMAL PSYCHOSIS. By the Rev. J. Wardrop. LOOKING on the psychological manifestations of animals- and of man, we are at once struck by the intense simi- larity of the two series. We have to go far and wide over the field of man's mental nature before we find in him anything that we wholly miss in his dog. Between the Asiatic and his elephant, where is the difference ? What do we discern in the two-legged member of the pair that is quite exclusively a pre- rogative of humanity — except, perhaps, the matter of dominion or a certain mere superiority in adroitness and craft, which dominion and superiority are themselves sometimes made sufficiently questionable ? This similarity extends to the material organism by which the mental series in both cases is ministered to or from which it arises, as the case may be. The question then presents itself, is there really any specific uninterchangeable difference between the two classes of phenomena? Or, allowing there may be some difference in degree, are the kinds of powers, competent to the two orders of life, identical ? The question, always in- teresting on the ground of mystery, has of late become urgent on the ground of scientific needs. In its settlement, the interests of the most thorough-going of biological theories — the evolution-theory of life — are held to be in a very serious manner implicated. And, to those, who, from the facts of con- sciousness, experience, and revelation, maintain the existence of a dual substantial nature in man — a material and mental, and an immaterial and immortal, the question places additional points of truth at stake, and, in proportion, presents more elements of interest; for if the psychological manifestations of the lower animals are of the same nature with those of man, then it would 90 The Scottish Naturalist. seem to be necessary to allow to them also the possession of an immaterial and immortal soul as the subject or source of these manifestations ; inasmuch as we could hardly, while hold- ing the actions to be of the same kind, deny the agents in their production to be of the same kind too. We could not maintain the substances to be different, while we were obliged to allow the qualities to be the same. Agassiz accordingly argues for the existence in animals of such a soul. And it is long since theologians have speculated on the possibility of meeting their four-footed friends in heaven. Such is something of the question before us — a question not more extensive in range of application and interest than it is difficult of definite solution. The great savan and sceptic of Rot- terdam, M. Bayle,who in his Historical Dictionary is led to touch on this subject almost passim, says in one place, " Of all physical subjects there is none more abstruse or perplexing than the soul of brutes" (vol. viii. 273, English edition). In another place, he says, " The actions of beasts are perhaps one of the most pro- found abysses which our reason can exercise itself upon ; and I am surprised that so few people perceive it" (vol. ii. 647). Sir B. Brodie says, "There are few more interesting subjects of inquiry than that of the moral and intellectual qualities of animals; yet there are few of which we know so little." Plato and Aristotle have both recorded the dictum, that astonishment is the commencement of philosophy (Theaet. and Met. 1, 2, 9). And so it has been found here. The mystery of the animal soul has called into exercise the wits of philosophy for two and a half thousand years. Failing in one hand, it has always been taken up afresh by another. Those philosophers who have looked into the abyss, however, are more numerous than those who have discovered that it was very deep, and far more numerous still than those who have made any well- managed attempt to reach the bottom. There are only three general views that can possibly be taken of the question. And it will be found historically that they have all, with various subordinate modifications, been espoused and advocated. Each system of philosophy, in fact, has been characterised, amongst its other distinctive marks, by one or other of these views in reference to the animal soul. Com- parative psychology is at least as old as comparative anatomy. The possible views are these. It may be held, first, that animals have a rational soul like man — the difference being The Scottish Naturalist. 91 only in the degree of its powers. It may be held, second, that animals have a soul specifically different from the human — say a soul sensitive only, and not rational. Or, third, it may be held that animals have no soul at all, that their actions are the result of their organisation — that, in short, they are machines. These three exhaust the possible views that are throughout distinct. The first — the rational soul view, was the first in history. And we shall find that a modification of it through an admix- ture of the third, or machine view, is also the last, being the prevailing one at present. The Pythagoreans held this view. It was involved in their system of transmigration of souls. Many pre-Socratic philosophers, not of their school, also held it. The Platonists as a body did the same. The second view was represented by the Aristotelians. They held the animal soul to be sensitive, not rational, and, therefore, specifically different from the human. The Cynics and Stoics in- clined to this side. And the schoolmen felt the Aristotelian influ- ence here as in other things. The third — the automaton view — seems to have originated with a Spanish physician, Gomez Pereira, about the middle of the sixteenth century, half a century before Descartes was born. But it was the French philosopher who reasoned it out, and left it as a dogmatic legacy to the new school of philosophy of which he was the master. This view easily held its own against the Aristotelian. The Aristotelians, in defending their position against the Platonists, urged that rationality was only an appear- ance on the part of animals. In reality, tliey had a sensitive soul only. Yes, said the Cartesians, that is true as against the Plato- nists ; but we have the same right to urge against you — the Aris- totelians — that sensitiveness in animals is only an appearance. In reality, they have no more sensation than reason. Both are an appearance alike, and on like grounds. Animals are mere machines. All their apparent manifestations of mind are of a kind with those actions we perform without the help of our minds at all, through the "disposition of the organs," and "the flow of the animal spirits." Thus the rival sects waged the war. The battle was hottest in the seventeenth century when Cartesianism was fresh and prevalent ; and it. raged from one end of Europe to the other. Meanwhile, the vagaries of individual opinion were many and sufficiently wild. In hot anti-Cartesian zeal a papal nuncio, called Rovavius, wrote a book to prove that animals not only 9 2 The Scottish Naturalist. have reason, but use it better than man. Some might be in- clined to think that this book was no mean evidence of the position which it advocated, though in a somewhat different way than its author intended. The old essayist, Montaigne, expresses his fancies on the subject characteristically thus : — " Presumption is our natural and original infirmity. The most wretched and frail of all creatures is man, and yet withal the proudest. He sees and feels himself lodged here in the dirt and nastiness of the world; yet, in his imagination he soars above the moon, and casts the sky under his feet. By the vanity of this same imagination he makes himself equal with God, withdraws and separates himself from the crowd of other creatures, carves for the animals his brethren and com- panions, and distributes such a portion of faculty and force to them as he sees fit. How does he know, by the strength of his understanding, the internal and secret motives of the animals ? From what comparison betwixt them and us does he infer them to be so stupid as he thinks them ? When I play with my cat, who knows whether puss is not more diverted with me than I am with puss ? The defect which hinders the com- munion between us and them, why is it not as bad for us as for them ? It is yet to determine where the fault is that we do not understand them any more than they do us. For this very reason they may reckon us beasts as we do them" (Essays, 2 p., 157- 8). But the most curious of all opinions respecting the under- standing of beasts is that advanced by Pere Bongeant, a Jesuit, in a work entitled " Philosophical Amusements on the Language of Beasts." In this book he contends " that each animal is in- habited by a separate and distinct devil ; that not only this was the case with respect to cats, which have long been known to be very favourite residences of familiar spirits, but that a peculiar devil swam with every turbot, grazed with every ox, soared with every lark, dived with every duck, and was roasted with every chicken" (S. Smith, 239-40). Borri, an Italian " Chymist, Empiric, and Heretic," as Bayle calls him, held also that the souls of animals were an emanation of the evil angels. It must have been out of sheer despair over an impracticable subject, that it was thus handed over to the devil. If this disposal of their case could be considered injurious or insulting, the animals have had their revenge, and that at the hands of no meaner advocates than the great Grotius, the greater Sir I. Newton, and Lord Brougham. These three, with lesser satellites, have The Scottish Naturalist. 93 all maintained that God Himself is the moving principle of the animal. (Newton, Query 31st; Bayle, 8. 770; Sir H. Holland, p. 217). This opinion, which probably was as much the issue of despair as the one it seems to avenge, rouses the indignation of Sydney Smith, who says, " To talk of God being the soul of brutes is the worst and most profane degradations of Divine power." He thinks that men are jealous of any shreds of mind belonging to their animal rivals, when they thus ascribe their actions to some eternal principle. " In the name of common sense," he says, " what have men to fear from allowing to beasts their miserable and contemptible pittance of faculties ? " This jealousy if it ever existed has disappeared, and men are again magnanimous. The view that has taken possession of the field during this generation, being espoused by most great names in ' science if not in philosophy, and bidding fair to subdue all things to itself, is, whatever else it may be, positively or nega- tively, not one that is niggardly in its concessions to the brutes. Sydney Smith, when lecturing before the Royal Institution on the faculties of animals, began with these words. " I. con- fess I treat on this subject with some degree of apprehension and reluctance ; because I should be very sorry to do injustice to the poor brutes who have no professors, to revenge their cause by lecturing on our faculties ; and at the same time I know there is a very strong anthropical party, who view all eulogiums on the brute creation with a very considerable degree of suspicion, and look upon every compliment which is paid to the ape as high treason to the dignity of man." The times are changed. The poor brutes " have many professors now to lecture on our faculties in their interest." Instead ofa" strong anthropical party " who scruple to grant the poor brutes any- thing, there is a strong anthropological party who will not scruple to grant them everything. The opinion which scientists now generally espouse is, so far, the Platonist, the first opinion with which philosophy began the course of its evolution, viz., that the mental manifestations of men and animals are of the same kind, and that there is no essential mental distinction, phenomenal or substantial, between the two orders of being. But this opinion also combines in its explanations the principle of the third or Cartesian view. By recent researches, both physiological and psychological, at the hands specially of three investigators, who represent so many successive stages in the advancing development of the subject — 94 The Scottish Naturalist. Marshall Hall, Dr. Carpenter, and Dr. Laycock, the first estab- lishing on a scientific basis the fact of reflex action, the second, extending the automatic principle to the region of sensation, and the third, extending its operations still farther to that region of action, the organ of which is the brain — by these researches, it has been, once for all, made out that automatism is a character pervading large spheres of both animal and human action ; it has been established that there is automatic action not only of the nervous organism, but of the psychological powers them- selves, which are found, for their outward results, not to require always a conscious, intelligent regulation, but in much that they do to act perfectly machinewise. Such investigations, so far from requiring us to set aside the principle of the Cartesian view as an explanation of the animal soul, plainly set it on a sure basis of physiological and psychological science ; and require us to hold by it. The case accordingly has now come to this, that no sooner is the principle of automatism, established and corrected by facts and extended by analogy, applied to its task of fathoming the abyss of the animal soul than it shows itself to be a fathoming line, the like of which we have never seen before. No clue ever adhibited to the mystery has had such effect. Animals, indeed, are not unconscious, unintelli- gent automata, as Descartes would call them; but they are auto- mata notwithstanding — automata conscious, and sensitive, and rational too. It was well that these researches and results on automatism were at hand at the juncture. Of late, as already noticed, the evolutionist had been attracted to the animal soul by more than astonishment at its mystery. His phlosophy here com- menced from another side. He needed those researches to help him over the great gulf that he found yawning, both in popular and scientific opinion, between the animal and human souls. Hitherto, if any doctrinal system found a certain opinion on the animal soul at all essential to its wants, it was theological orthodoxy. The Cartesian view, e.g. seemed to get rid of certain theological difficulties that other views raised or failed to evade. Now, it is the doctrine of continuity that gives interest to that question. To a continuous evolution of living beings it is held to be essential that no such wide gulf exist between animals and man, as a thorough going non-identity of their psychological characters would be. Hence, the wide attention given to the psychological character of animals — an The Scottish Naturalist. 95 attention which has been rewarded by there being found, it is thought, ample reason for maintaining that there is no essential difference between the two orders of souls. The popular opinion that there is such a difference is now little more than a superstition, Mr. D. Spalding tells us, though perhaps too sanguinely. Continuity is thus preserved. Whatever may be thought of the right of this view to perma- nence as a true or exhaustive interpretation of the facts, there is this hopeful feature in the matter, that it is the real character of the facts of the case, the psychical actions, so called, of animals that is being made the subject of investigation. There has been often theorising on the essential nature of the psychi- cal principle in them, which was mere working in the dark so long as the facts — i.e., the actions — were not made the foundation of inference. If ever we are to determine the true nature of the moving principle in the brute, it can only be after we have detected the real nature of the movements which it is capable of causing. The true nature of the effects may be expected to indicate the true nature of the cause. The wide general view, that the animal and human souls are identical, phenomenally and substantially, is consistent with various, and indeed conflicting subordinate opinions. It is the general ground of two such opposing views as the fol- lowing. First, in the words of Mr. Huxley — "The actions of animals are the result of their physical organisation. . . . . They are machines, one part of which (the ner- vous system) not only sets the rest in motion and co-ordi- nates its movements in relation with changes in surrounding bodies, but is provided with special apparatus, the function of which is calling into existence these states of conscious- ness which are termed sensations, emotions, and ideas ; " as to which states of consciousness he adds, "there is no evidence that it is they that cause these molecular changes which give rise to muscular motion." (F. Rev., No. 132 p. 574-5.) So that this view, which Mr. Huxley also extends to man, is exactly as Mr. D. Spalding (in Nat. 10, 520) has described it. " Not only the reflex action of animals, but also all the con- scious, so-called voluntary actions of men — those, viz., that we perform for the first time, and, as we say, with a conscious end in view, are purely automatic ; that is, that consciousness, while it accompanies the workings of the animal machine never stands in a causal relation to any movements whatever ; that no move- 96 The Scottish Naturalist. ment ever was the result of a state of consciousness ; that every movement is the result of physical antecedents, which, being present, the movement must of necessity follow ; and that in this physical chain there is no break whatever." In this view the identity of the two souls is retained at the expense, it will be seen, of putting man's soul in the same predicament as the animal's, of being merely the idle spectator of the automatic action of the organism. Second, the view once thus expressed by Dr. Carpenter, " Notwithstanding the evidences of rationality which many of the lower animals present, and the manifesta- tions which they display of emotions that are similar to our own, there is no ground to believe that they have any of that controlling power over their psychical operations that we pos- sess ; on the contrary, all observation seems to lead to the conclusion, that they are under the complete domination of the ideas and emotions by which they are for the time possessed, and have no power either of repressing those by a forcible act of will, or of turning the attention by a like effort into another channel. In this respect then, their condition resembles that of the dreamer, the somnambule, or the insane patient, in all of whom this voluntary control is suspended, and who (when their minds are susceptible of external impressions) may be so played-upon by the suggestion of ideas, that any respondent action consistent with the habitual mental state of the indi- vidual may be evoked by an appropriate stimulus " (H. Phys. 672-3, 4th ed.). Both of these opinions, it will be seen, build on automatism; but their difference lies in this, that Mr. Huxley offers as his theory, automatic, action of the organism alone without the efficient interference either voluntarily or automati- cally of an intelligent principle. Dr. Carpenter offers as his, auto- matic action of the organism, and automatic action of an intel- ligent principle likewise. ( To be continued. ) ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL EEASON, ( Continued from p. 64. ) By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. THE " Illustrations of Animal Reason" given in the last number of the Scottish Naturalist have called forth sun- dry friendly comments or criticisms, of a kind that is acceptable The Scottish Naturalist. 97 and valuable as exposing the weak points of the common run of anecdotes of animal sagacity and its perversions. The Editor of a certain Quarterly — devoted to Mental Science — himself an eminent Psychologist — takes exception to tire case of Suicide described by Dr. Brown of Rochester (p. 59), regarding it as a mere " story," without proof positive — from the eye-witnesses of the dog's death — that the said death was deliberate and volun- tary. He suggested that the person, or persons, who had actually seen the dog drown itself, should forthwith be " inter- viewed," and all the facts of the case recorded, in order to enable others to draw their own conclusions. I communicated these difficulties in the acceptance of his apparent facts and his personal conclusions, to Dr. Brown, with this result,— that his case at once collapsed as one of proven or provable Suicide. It is still possible that the dog did commit suicide, but there is nothing like proof that it did so. Dr. Brown's own account (of date April 7, 1875) of his further inquiry — for it appeared that he had not himself been an eye-witness — is as follows : and it is instructive as illustrating the danger of accepting any evidence, on such subjects, that is not direct and personal, as well as the the tendency to the substitution of inferences for facts : — "The owner of the dog ' Bruce,' of Upnor, has just been to my house, and has supplied me with the following facts. The case breaks down ; for it seems to be one of effort to obtain relief by cool water, exhaustion accidentally causing drowning. " Case of the dog ' Bruce'' that drowned itself at Upnor, in March or April, about eight years ago. — Mother of the dog, spotted white and brown, and used for hunting rabbits. Father, a water-dog (retriever or something of that sort). ' Bruce' had red eyes, and was rather ferocious, not allowing any one to touch him except his mistress ; body white, with long silvery hair • head and ears brown. Owner, Mr. Hone, of the ' King's Arms Inn,' Upnor. ' Bruce' was a puppy at this house. Mr. Hone removed to Frindsbury. 'Bruce' did not like this, and showed attachment to the Upnor house, nevertheless resided with his master. Mr. Hone's brother took the ' King's Arms' after Mr. Hone left Upnor. The dog usually disliked water, because it was thrown into the water when young. " Mode of Bruce 's death. — A supper was given, and a sucking pig eaten. ' Bruce ' ate some of the pig, and was supposed to have got a bone in his throat, or to have eaten poison. There " was no certain knowledge on this subject. For eight days the 98 The Scottish Naturalist. dog suffered, vomiting, and eating nothing, but fed on gruel with a spoon by his mistress — who was extremely fond of him. Frequently ' Bruce' would dip his head in a pail of water, and let the water run into his throat and out again so as to cool it, not being able to drink properly. He became nearly blind. The last night, his mistress sat up all night to attend to him, and to prevent him from tearing about and injuring the paint-work. At five a.m. she let him out of doors, when he went over to the ' King's Arms' at Upnor, and howled or cried. The master's brother heard him but did not open the door, fearing the dog because of his illness ; for the people said that he was mad and ought to be drowned. The dog went to the river's side at six a.m., walked out into the river, and lay down on the shore with his head inclined in the water. The mistress thinks that he was too weak to get up, and so got drowned. She disbe- lieves in suicide. " The witnesses were Hobbs (now alive) and Roemer (dead), of Upnor, watermen or lightermen, who were in a lighter at the time, close by. The dog was submerged for three weeks. The witness thinks that the dog wished to cool its throat as it had done in the pail of water. The witness, aged forty years at the present time, related these facts to me." Here is another instance of a much more public kind, in which the proof of alleged Suicide breaks down at once on strict inquiry. There are probably few readers of current popular British literature who are unacquainted with a racy volume, descriptive of a yacht voyage in northern seas, by the present Governor-general of Canada, the first edition of which appeared some years ago.* At page 32 of the said work he gives the following account of the Suicide of a cock : — "A very melancholy occurrence took place. I had observed for some days past, as we proceeded north, and the nights became shorter, that a cock we had shipped at Stornoway had become quite bewildered on the subject of that meteorological pheno- menon called the dawn of day. In fact I doubt whether he ever slept for more than five minutes at a stretch without waking up in a state of nervous agitation, lest it should be cock-crow. At last, when night ceased altogether, his consti- *" Letters from High Latitudes; an account of a yacht voyage to Iceland, Jan Mayen, and Spitsbergen;" by the Earl of Dufferin (then Lord Dufferin). Fifth editition, illustrated, post 8vo. London, 1875. The Scottish Naturalist. 99 tution could no longer bear the shock. He crowed once or twice sarcastically, then went melancholy mad. Finally, taking a calenture, he cackled lowly (probably of green fields), and leaping overboard, drowned himself ~." Regarding the story as an illustration of doubtful authenticity, involving on the one hand a doubt as to the facts, and on the other as to their interpretation, and desirous of ascertaining the kind and amount of credence to be attached to the incident as narrated, I ventured to appeal to the distinguished author himself, explaining my object. The result was the following characteristic reply, which reads like the record of the incident itself, and the celebrated dog-latin speech the noble yachtsman delivered in Reykjavik — all three probably to be regarded as mainly or merely playful jeux d' esprit. Writing in November 1873, from Government House, Ottawa, Lower Canada, the Earl's private secretary remarks : — " The Earl of Dufferin desires me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter" . . and in reply to inform you that the incident related in ' High Latitudes,' of the cock committing suicide, is so far strictly true that the poor animal was drowned overboard with- out the intervention of human agency. But he perhaps is hardly prepared to support the literal statement by scientific reasons. May be, if the cock had been saved, he would have declared that it was a gust of wind, or a higher wave than usual, that carried him from his nautical perch. But as the body of the decea^sed was never recovered, and he left no papers to disclose his intention, Lord Dufferin is afraid it must be admitted, that perhaps a coroner's inquest properly conducted would have brought in a more open verdict !" Though the fact of deliberate suicide was " not proven " irr the foregoing case, it is still quite as possible, as in the Upnor dog, that suicide was committed. At all events, the mental perturbation produced by continuous daylight is quite probable, inasmuch as I can myself vouch, from personal experience, for its disquieting effects in Iceland in the month of June. In Reykjavik, the capital, I found, for instance, etiquette visits as commonly paid at midnight — literally by daylight (however much such an expression may appear to be an Irish " Bull") — as at mid-day : and the want of any means of creating artificial darkness during the night in my bedroom utterly pre- vented sleep on my part. In connection with the defects of the records of the incidents relating to the Upnor dog and ioo The Scottish Naturalist. Stornoway cock, I would direct the attention of readers to the desirability of collecting and publishing all properly certified instances of deliberation or intention in self-destruction by animals. The Editor of another Quarterly, devoted to Natural History, himself a well-known Naturalist, remarked that the only thing singular in the case of the dog "Mum" (p. 61) is its name. He asserted that he himself had seen Epilepsy in a Dog; and that the mental qualities described in " Mum's" case are common to dogs in general, as well as to other animals. Now there are other kinds of " fits " in dogs than those of an Epileptic charac- ter, and only the experienced scientific Veterinarian, or the Physician who has had a special experience of this class of motor nervous diseases, can be trusted to distinguish between real and spurious Epilepsy. In " Mum" the Epilepsy was vouched for by a Physician whose experience of that disease in man possibly far transcends that of any one of our best Veterinarians in other animals. Again, it is among the main objects of these " Illustrations " to shew, on the one hand, how difficult it is to obtain well-authenticated instances of the exercise of pure Reason in the lower animals, and on the other, to point out the value of cases that are properly established. My object is to exemplify the influence of common reason in the common incidents or affairs of animal life. It is not enough for an objector to say — this or that mental quality is " common." It does not follow that the alleged possession of any given mental aptitude has been established as a fact — generally accepted as such. It is desirable to prove its commonness, as well as the significance of its commonness, and to explain its common operation ; in reference to which a single well-observed and properly recorded case, with its analysis, is worth endless mere unsupported assertions — affirmative or negative. The Editor in question is probably quite unprepared to explain, in the case of " Mum," for example, how it, being blind, knew when or whether a particular person was in its vicinity ; a circumstance I have myself observed in the case of an old blind cat, though I do not profess myself able to explain it. It may be that hearing, or smell, or some additional sense, of which we know nothing (albeit our Editor friend appeared to regard such phenomena as too u common " to deserve record), leads to or is the basis of this species of discrimination in animals. But the subject is as interesting and as much an unsolved problem as is Way-finding The Scottish Naturalist. 101 over unknown ground by the dog, horse, ass, and other animals. The discussion of this circumstance alone in " Mum's " case — the power of distinguishing personal identity without the aid of vision — would require a long article to itself; but the following additional points of interest arise — all under the very first section of " Mum's " biography : — (i) Its boldness when it felt itself supported by a friend : a kind of adaptation to circumstances — or behaviour according to external conditions, that is quite common in various animals, though the modus operandi of their judgment or feeling in such change of conduct has not been analysed nor explained. (2) Its knowledge of right and wrong — at least of what was forbidden and permitted — or, in other words, the basis of a moral sense, which, though quite common in well-trained dogs, is one of the mental or moral qualities that are denied to the lower animals by theological and other bigots. (3) Errors of judgment and temper, which strike at the very root of the absurd, popular, and theological conceptions of so- called "unerring" instinct. (4) The eccentricities of affection in animals, as illustrating choice and caprice, — peculiarities which, though common, too frequently defy all attempts at rational explanation, any more than do human vagaries of a similar kind. In short, to analyse properly the mental phenomena illus- trated in so simple and " common " a zoo-biography as that of "Mum" would require a large amount of space, insofar as such an analysis might be made the basis of whole chapters on such subjects, as (1) the moral sense and moral responsibility; (2) temper and temperament ; (3) jealousy and other passions ; (4) gratitude and other virtues; (5) the diseases common to man with other animals ; (6) the comparative intelligence of man and other animals ; (7) expression or language ; (8) per- ception of musical harmony or discord ; (9) individuality ; and so forth. It so happens that the following fuller particulars have been sent me relating to the dog " Mum : " details that are even more interesting than those first recorded — the narrator, in the present case, being the dog's mistress, Mrs. Murray Lindsay of Mickleover, by Derby. "When my father was in the habit of coming home at a 102 The Scottish Naturalist. certain hour daily, some time before, in expectation of his com- ing, ' Mum ' would lie near the sitting-room door, nose resting on fore paws, ears erect intently listening, and would run occa- sionally to the window upon hearing a passing footstep, looking anxiously up and down the street. When the expected knock came, he would bark and run to and fro in the utmost impa- tience. The door being opened he would welcome his friend with most extravagant signs of delight, run to the place where my father's slippers were kept, and if he found it locked, would bark and scratch at the door till it was unfastened for him, seize a slipper, carry it in his mouth and place it at my father's feet, then return and fetch its fellow, being unable to carry both at once, as I have often seen him try to do. " He also proved himself a most conscientious dog ; for if any of us placed on the corner of the table a piece of sugar or biscuit, for which he would eagerly beg, telling him it was ' on trust,' he would not take it until told by the giver that it was 1 paid for,' although he might be encouraged and even coaxed to do so by another person ; and if we knocked the piece of sugar or biscuit, by pretended accident, on to the carpet he would not touch it without leave of the giver. He had a strong objection to taking meals in the kitchen, and would eat the same food in the dining-room he had refused below. He knew the sound of his tub when being prepared for his washing, and at the sight of turned up sleeves, or the mention of the words 'Tub, Mum !' would hide himself for an hour or two. " In our walks in any place in which he had once found a cat, he would always know the spot again, and would hunt for pussy the next time we passed that way. Although he dis- played so strong an affection for his two beloved friends, and was affectionate to all but beggars and shabby people, still he always recognised the authority of his mistress, and would not appear at ease to do their bidding without at first, in his dumb way, obtaining her permission. For instance, if invited by them to go for a run, he would sit down before her, looking wistfully up into her face, giving at the same time a kind of im- patient stamp with his fore feet, and a low plaintive whine, and when told by her he might ' go,' would trot off quite happy in his mind. " Poor ' Mum ' died at length of some painful disease, and upon his mistress going to see him in his last moments, recog- nised her voice at once, stood up for a caress, wagged his tail The Scottish Naturalist. 103 as the only sign of affection he had strength to bestow, and in .a few minutes after breathed his last. "He was never taught any of his odd tricks and Ways (for he had many more than I can relate), but acquired them merely through his powers of observation, having noticed that they gave rise to amusement ; and when laughed at, or given a pat of encouragement, he would repeat them." Dr. Murray Lindsay characterises the foregoing as a " faithful account," bringing out, " very well and clearly," certain features of the dog's character, such as those relating to obedience, discipline, discrimination, knowledge of right and wrong, and dread of 'water. The latter was the result of his "having once jumped on green weeds, floating on the top of a pond, which he mistook for grass, when he found, to his disgust and surprise, that he got a ducking." In short, it had received one of those practical lessons of experience of which the lower animals, no less than man, profit, and which are serviceable in the regulation of future conduct. Dr. Brown, of Rochester, lays it down (in a letter of April, 1875) as a proposition, which I would commend to the attention of zoologists, and comparative physiologists or psychologists, that "wherever Eyes are found, we know that there is conscious mind." He is also of opinion that "the higher animals possess moral nature like man. This is seen in qualities like gratitude The difference between man and the dog lies in the presence of the instinct of super- nature, and the existence of abstract notions (or ideas), in man." As to moral nature, he is right ; as to feeling, or perception of the supernatural, and the formation of abstract ideas, I believe him to be, in common with hosts of other people — including all classes of philosophers so-called — wrong. The same gentleman also sent me what he calls, "A tale of Insanity in a Cat;" one that is, however, singularly inconclusive : — " My brother, John Don Brown, of Rochester, obtained a cat, not quite full-grown, last year (1874) in the autumn. The cat did not take to the family, and hid itself in a cellar. It lived in the basement for about a month or six weeks, concealing itself in a disused chimney, coming out at night to partake of food placed in a saucer for it in the cellar. A large dose of prussic acid was mixed in the saucer at last, and the cat died on the spot, unable to reach the chimney. The rushing about of the 104 The Scottish Naturalist. cat in the first instance, with the persistent concealment after- wards, shows mental perversion, whether of instinct or of reason ; in either case Insanity." There is, however, no proof here of anything more than the alarm, perhaps suspiciousness, so commonly exhibited by cats when removed to strange quarters, their old associations of locality having been suddenly and ruthlessly severed or broken up. On the subject of Insanity in the lower animals, Dr. Edwards Crisp, of London, who has for a long series of years distinguished himself by his attention to, and knowledge of, the diseases of domestic and menagerie animals, wrote me as follows in June, 1 87 1 : — "As regards the question respecting the mental aberra- tion of the lower animals, if such a term be allowable, I can give you but little information, although the subject is one that I have often thought about; but up to the present time I have been unable to meet with a tangible example. Our domestic animals, as you know, exhibit peculiarities of temper, and some are unusually savage and unruly; and so with some foreign animals in confinement ; but whether this is due to an abnormal condition of brain it is difficult to say. " ' Chunie,' the great Elephant at Exeter Change, was said to be mad; but then he had a decayed tooth that caused the excite- ment — so it was inferred ; and I have known other examples of a similar kind. I am sorry that my information is so meagre." Professor Cobbold, also of London, our leading — and it may indeed be said, our only — British authority on Entozoa in man and other animals as a cause of disease, informed me (in a letter of December 11, 1872) that, "It is not likely that Veteri- narians have recorded as such any case of genuine Lunacy in animals from Entozoa : nevertheless it is well known that these parasites frequently give rise to severe cerebral disturbance. It is probable that some of their recorded cases might be with justice described as maniacal." (To be continued.) Carabus nitens — I have to notice, on 10th March, the capture of the rare beetle Carabus nitens. At the same place this, beetle was first discovered in Kincardineshire by myself about the year 1847 — that is twenty-eight years ago.— J AMES Taylor, Clashfarquhar, Aberdeen, 17th April, 1875. The Scottish Naturalist. i°5 OUTLINE DESCRIPTIONS OF BRITISH COLEOPTERA. (Continued from p. 72.) By Rev. T. BLACKBURN, B.A. LlCINUS. B. Th. very tr. E. finely p. -s. , hits, with large puncs. ; the alt. ints. elev. Winged. 6^ 1. E. s - -. - hardly tr. E. finely p. -s. ; ints. punc.,flat. Th. shin- ing, much more deeply punc. than e. Wingless, c 1 F s. Badister. 1. Th. , legs, and ba. and ap. of an. , clear r. II. b. E. r. , with ap. and a broad tr. fasc. (not reaching sut. , varying in size, but at least leaving a r. spot near ap. of sut. ) b. H., th. and e. , dusky ..... 2. Breast with the sides r. Th. shorter, and hardly broader, than h. 3^ 1. E. - b. Th. not shorter, and cons, broader, than h. 3 1. B. ! 3. Mar. of th. , and mar. and sut. of e. , pale. E. with a pale hum. spot. Legs, and ba. and ap. of an. , pale. Th. hardly tr. E. str. 2 1. E. . Fuscous b. Mar. of th. , extreme ba. and ap. of an. , r-m. ofe., and legs, sometimes pale. Th. tr. E. str. 23/ 1 F s - I s - silphoides depressus Eighth Family— FERONIIDtE. (13 genera). 1. Claws dent. Ap. j. of labial pal. forms a thick cl. - -. does not form a dist. cl. - not dent. An. with 3d j. more than twice length of 4th .... .... not more than twice as long as 4th 2. Th. consp. narrower at ba. than in fr. . - not consp. narrower at ba. than in fr. 3. Ant. tib. much dil. from ba. of notch to ap. of tib. - - not much dil. from ba. of notch to ap. of tib. 4. - - with I spine at ap. on in. side. Th. tr. and widest ClL [Jd« • • • • • « - - not as in prec. , but very tr. An. and pal. r. ..... - not tr. An. and pal. r. E. not dist. str. ...... ---. ---•. - dist. str., but not dist punc. . ..... - - - -. - - - -. - • p.-s. Th. nar- rowest at ba. ..... 2 3 unipustulatus bipustulatus sodalis peltatus Taphria 2 Sphodrus 3 Pristonychus Calathus 4 Amara (part) Amara (part) Miscodera Platyderus Stomis io6 The Scottish Naturalist. • - -. - - - -. - - - -. - -infr An. and pal. dusky. Th. contr, at ba. . . . - - - 2 well def. spines at ap. on in. side. 5. E. dist. str., gen. with a shortened str. near ba. of sut - only obs. str., without the shortened str. 6. Th. dist. narrower than e. . - - scarcely narrower than e. . Broscus. B. Pal. and an. reddish towards ap. H. punc. Th. joined to e. by a peduncle. E. el., parallel, obs. p.-s. 8 1 Be.! MlSCODERA. Shining brassy. Pal., an. and legs, r. Th. globose, joined to e. by a peduncle. E. obs. p.-s., sides rounded. 23/ 1 "R n.m. Sphodrus. Dull b. An. paler towards ap. Th. contr. at ba. E. finely p.-s. 10 1. B. . Pristonychus. Obsc. bl. b. rather shining. An. and pal. gen. brown. Th. hardly tr. E. str. ; str. finely punc. Interm. tib. bent. 7 1. B. Calathus. 1. A row of consp. imprs. on 3d and 5th str. of e. Th. rectang. at ba. H., th. and e., b. 1st j. of an. r. Legs r. or blackish. E. str., the str. gen. punc. 4% 1. B. ! No dist. rows of imprs. on e. Th. sharply rectang. at ba. Ba. angs. of th. rounded off or obt. 2. Th. dist. contr. at ba. ; with, at most, a very narrow yel. mar. B. An. pal. and legs yel. E. deeply str. 4 1. B. c - ..... - hardly contr. at ba., with a dist. yel. mar. A broad, brown b. insect. An., pal. and legs, yel. E. finely str. 4 1. B. 3. E. and disc, of th. unic, or nearly so. An. wholly pale. H. b. An. th. and legs, vary from pale r. to b. E. pit., often with a r. mar., finely str., ints. flat. (When disc, of th. is b. the an. are dusky. This var. is nubigena. Halid). 3 1. B. ! ! 4. Ba. of th. dist. broader than fr. An., pal. and legs, test. ...... - - - not dist. broader than fr. Pit. An. , pal. and legs, dusky r. E. finely str. 3^ 1, B. 5. Th. broadest in fr. of mid., b., with a'yel. mar. H. b. E. b., very finely str. 3 1. E. N - S. Pt. inaequalis 5 Zabrus Pterostichus Broscus Anchomenus Olisthopus cephalotes arctica leucophthalmus subcyaneus cisteloides 2 3 flavipes fuscus 4 melanocephalus 5 piceus micropterus The Scottish Naturalist. 107 - - at, or behind, mid. H., th. and e. reddish. Rarely pit., with mar. of th. and of e. paler. E. finely str. 3 1. B. C I Taphria. Blackish, shining. Mouth, pal., an., and legs, test. Th. tr., as broad at ba. as in fr. E. strongly str. 2H Anchomenus. 1. H. and th. br. gr. Ba. of an. and legs test. E. test. a greenish cloud behind. Th. el. ; hi. angs. obt E. str. 3X 1. B. ! Not as prec. Hi. angs. of th. sharply def., not obt. .... .... extremely obt. . 2. Brown b. An. , pal. , and legs test. Th. gently tr. mar. narrow. E. str. ; ints. flat ; mar. often pale 3#1- B. !! ... .... brown. Th. el. : ints. elev. 2% 1. E. I, B. Th. very tr. ; mar. broad elev. 5X 1. B. ! 3. E. with a row of 4 to 7 large consp. pits, on 3d int E. not with a row of consp. pits, on 3d int. 4. Entirely cop. b. Th. twice as wide as long. E. rather mollis nivalis mar. narrow. E. p.-s • • • E. deeply str. ; ints prasinus 2 3 albipes oblongus junceus 4 5 uneven, parallel, finely str. iV 2 1. E. N - quadripunctatus Met. H. and th. gr. E. cop.; mar. gr. An., pal., and legs, dusky. Th. very tr. E. finely p.-s ap. pointed ( Colour varies). 4 1. E. Very like prec. Gen. unic. cop. Th. only slightly tr E. not pointed at ap. Often with a gr. mar, 3X 1. B.n. .... 5. H., th., and e., br. gr. Mar. of e. yel. An. and pal dusky. Legs dusky; tib. test. Th. tr. E. finely str. ; ints. elev. 4^ 1. B. Not as the prec. An. with 3d j. pub. . . . . .. . . _ . smooth, as 2d h. Fifth str. of e. forms a consp. fov. near ap. B. Ba. of an., r.-m. of e., and legs, gen. reddish. Th hardly tr. E. str. t>)4 LB.. - - - - simple. The str. deeper, and ints. more elev., near ap. ..... - - and ints. unif. throughout 7. Obsc. gr. (or b., mccstus Duf. ). Th. tr. E. rather deeply p.-s.; ints. somewhat conv. in fr. 3^ 1. B ' Very like prec. Th. more tr. E. very finely p.-s. ; ints. quite flat in fr. 3^ 1. E. . . , sexpunctatus ericeti marginatus 9 6 atratus 7 8 viduus versutus io8 The Scottish Naturalist. 8. H. and th. gr. E. cop. Tib. and ba. j. of an. pale. 3 or 4 dist. puncs. on 3d int. of e. 3^ 1. B. ! parumpunctatus Very like prec. Unic. cop. Ba. j. of an. hardly pale 5 dist. puncs. on 3d int. of e. 3^ 1. E. . gracilipes Reddish or pit. An., pal., and legs, pale r. H. much contr. behind. 3 dist. puncs. on 3d int. of e. 5 1 y s. 9. Th. not el., its sides dist. rounded. Legs quite b. - more or less reddish or test. - el., its sides little rounded. E. very finely str. 10. B. Th. slightly tr. E. widest behind, very finely and unif. str. ; ints. flat throughout. 2% 1. E. Very like prec. E. narrower and more parallel. The str. deepen a little, and the ints. are not quite so fiat close to ap. 2^ 1. B. 11. Dusky, with a gr. gloss. Ba. of an., legs, and r.-m. of e. , brown. Th. dist. tr. E. rather broad, with gently rounded sides, finely str. 3 1. B. Very like micans. Th. more tr. and less contr. at ba. E. brown (not gr.), and much more el., with more parallel sides. 2}( LB. A stoutly built species. Th. hardly tr. H. and th. b. E. reddish or b. (not gr.). Legs and ba. of an. reddish b. E. broad and not parallel, rather strongly str. 3 1. B. ! ! 12. H. and th. pit. b. E. pit. brown. Ba. j. of an. and legs dark brown. 3 1. B. Very like prec. Mar. (at least) of th. test. E. brown, darker near sut. Ba. of an. and legs test. 3 1. Olisthopus. Brassy brown. An., pal., and legs, test. Th. tr. E. dist. str. ; . the str. obs. punc. ; ints. flat. 3 1. B. Stomis. Pit. An., pal., and legs, r. Th. el., much contr. in fr. of ba. E. el., narrow, strongly p.-s. ; ints. flat. -) I . I >. • • • • • • Platyderus. Rusty r. Th. almost square, gently contr. towards ba. E. moderately str. ; ints. flat. 3 1. E. . Pterostichus. I. An elev. keel on 1st j. of an. (Species vary in colour — met. gr. cop., bl. orb. An. dusky. Legs pit. or r.) 1st j. of an. simple. Ba. angs. of th. rounded off, ill def. --- - well def., not rounded off . livens 10 II 12 scitulus gracilis micans piceus fuliginosus puellus Thoreyi rotundatus pumicatus ruficollis 2 3 4 The Scottish Naturalist. 109 2. .3- 4. E Ba., and gen. 2nd, j. of an. test. H. punc. Th. tr., narrower than e. E. broad, widest behind mid., str., ints. gently elev. About 10 hairs on in. mar. of post. tib. $y 2 1. B. ! Very like prec. Brighter. H. impunc. E. narrow, widest at mid. About 6 hairs on in. mar. of post, tib. 5 1. B. Only u. -s. of ba. js. of an. test. H. and th. cop. ; e. br. gr. (H., th. and e. rarely unic.) Th. tr., hardly narrower than e. E. broad, deeply str. ; Ints. slightly elev. $}{ 1. E. . An. b. Th. slightly tr. E. el., parallel, deeply str.; ints. flat in fr., but less so behind. 5^ 1. B. No large pits on e. Sc. small. B. Legs often r. Th. tr. E. el., widest at mid., str., ints. ind. elev., I punc. on 3rd. 1% 1. B. J ! Very like prec. Shorter. E. less parallel, widest behind mid.; ints. dist. elev., 3 dist. puncs. on 3d.- 6 1. BM. 3 large pits on 3rd int. of e. Sc. dist. Deep b. Th. tr. E. el., parallel, finely p.-s., str. fainter on sides. b J /2 1. E. F - wider than ba. of th. An. pale r. Pal. and legs r. H., th. and e. pit. No abbrev. str. near sc. E. consp. p.-s. 23^ 1. E. c - . . . . - dusky. An abbrev. str. near sc. Less than 2>H L ..... - -. More than t,H L - not dist. wider than ba. of th. An abbrev. str. near sc. B. An. and pal. r. at ap. Th. tr. , widest near mid., with 2 equal ba. fov. on each side. E, str., str. not dist. punc. Ints. flat (exc. 7th at ba.) ; no puncs. on 3rd. 9 1. B. - hardly wider than ba. of th. No abbrev. str. B. Legs, and ba. of an. , reddish. Th. tr. E. deeply str. ; ints. elev. 3 1. B. 5. Th. hardly tr., punc. on u. -s., contr. only in fr. of ba.., punc. across ba. B. Legs r. E. p.-s., faintly at sides. 2.% LB.! - - -, impunc. on u. -s. , contr. from mid. nearly to ba. , ba, angs. obs. punc. B. Tib. reddish. E. p.-s. 1% L B. ! - gently tr., punc. on u.-s., contr. from mid. to ba., ba. angs. punc. B. Legs reddish. E. p. s. 3 1. B. 6. No consp. pits on E. Legs dusky. More than 6 1. . - -. Less than 6 1. E. with hardly elev. ints. Pit. Legs r. An. & pal. dull r. Th. hardly tr., contr. at ba. E. long & flat, str., ints. hardly elev. 5^ 1. E. cupreus versicolor dimidiatus . lepidus madidus jethiops aterritnus inaequalis 5 6 . striola . vernalis strenuus . diligens minor 7 9 picimanus no The Scottish Naturalist. Consp. pits on 3rd int. of c Brassy b. Legs pit. Th. very tr., its elev. mar. dist. widest at ba. E. el., parallel, str. ; str. obs. punc. in <$ , dist. in ?. Ints. gently elev. in 6 , flat in?. 5 1. B. M - ........ Gr. -b. Pal., tib. and tar., reddish. Th. gently tr., its elev. mar. hardly wider at ba. E. short, dist. broadest behind mid. , simply str. ; ints. vitreus gently elev. 5 1. B. M - oblongopunctatus 7. B. Th. contr. from mid. to ba., punc. at ba. E. str. ; ints. elev. ..... -. - - suddenly infr. of ba.., the ba. impunc. E. str. ; ints. elev. An elev. keel under ap. seg. of h.-b. 8 in 6. 7I. E. N - 8. Winged. Th. not tr. An elev. keel under ap. seg. of h. -b. in 6 . 9 1. B. ! Wingless. Th. dist. tr. Ap. seg. of h. -b. in <$ simple. 81 B " 9. Th. tr., ba. angs. prod, laterally in a small tooth. Str. of e. not punc. A short keel under ap. seg. of h.-b. in i^ S^. i\Nfl Wir A ffljll _• ~^~~--^ j^ ^"^KJBKJ'- ttnJF'rtf*- v T "^ w»v^\'iifflu W jmn] KPtS. VjSp^R yy3S5B8§ 1**** hsj|^_'_ ■ ■ , i ■ '"tSjJ^ HBin^kLJ ^Uf nflg^S ZOOLOGY. ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANIMAL REASON. f Co nli lined from p. 104. ) By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. WHEN studying two years ago the subject of Laughter and Tears in the lower animals, in connection with the feelings which these phenomena express, it seemed to me necessary in the first place to determine whether and to what extent the said animals possess the muscles, which in man are concerned in the actions or expressions of Laughing and Weep- ing. I therefore addressed myself to two eminent Comparative Anatomists and Zoologists — Professor Turner of the University of Edinburgh, and Professor Macalister of that of Dublin. The former replied by proxy, through the then senior Demon- strator of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh, who is now Professor of Anatomy in the Owens College, Manchester. Writing from the Anatomical rooms of the University or Edinburgh, of date 8th December, 1873, Professor Morrison Watson did me the favour to report : " Professor Turner has asked me to reply to your questions regarding the Facial muscles and Lachrymatory apparatus of the animals you name. "As regards the Facial muscles of the dog, monkey, and elephant, they are very similar to those of the human subject in number and general arrangement, with such modifications as are necessitated by the difference in form and configuration of the cranium and face. In the Elephant (Indian) it is worthy of remark that a particularly well developed Risorius muscle is present. Whether the different facial muscles in these animals are arranged in such a manner as to admit of the expression of laughter is more difficult to determine, this expression in the human subject being the result of the actions of so many muscles, that it is almost impossible to decide as to the precise 133 The Scottish Naturalist. action of any particular muscle when the general expression is assumed. Upon this point, therefore, I cannot offer an opinion. I may further observe that in the Elephant (Indian) neither the large nor small Zygomatic muscle is present. As to the cor- responding muscles in the Hare and Rat, I cannot give any information, not having examined these animals. ."With reference to the Lachrymatory apparatus — it is present in both the dog and monkey, and arranged in the same manner as in man. As to the Elephant there is a difference of opinion on the subject, and I enclose the proof-sheet containing my own observations, which you will find printed in the last number ot the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology. " Having extensive notes on the Facial muscles of the Ele- phant, I shall be happy to furnish you with any further par- ticulars you may wish regarding them." The special notes to which Professor Watson refers on the Lachrymal Apparatus of the Indian Elephant are as follows : — " Regarding the laclwymal apparatus of the Elephant we find that various statements have been made by different authors. Camper and Harrison on the one side maintain that no portion of a lachrymal apparatus is present in the elephant ; while on the other hand, Mayer (the most recent writer on the subject) says — ' The puncta lachrymalia are small, the lachrymal duct single and very narrow, the lachrymal gland of tolerable size. Its excretory duct is as large as a strong knitting needle, and opens on the external angle of the eyelids.' And, he adds, 'it is striking that Camper should neither have discovered this gland, its excretory duct, nor the lachrymal canal.' Perrault also men- tions the presence of lachrymal glands in the elephant. My own observations agree with those of the authors who have not discovered any portion of a lachrymal apparatus, although each separate element was carefully looked for. It is difficult to explain the statements of those authors who maintain the existence of such an apparatus ; more especially when it is borne in mind that the Ethmoid bone in the elephant is quite imperforate, and consequently affords no way of escape for the lachrymal secretion. True, a Harderian gland, similar to that which exists in connection with the third eyelid in birds, is to be found in the elephant. It does not, however, occupy the usual position of the lachrymal gland at the outer angle of the orbit, but rests between the inner wall of that cavity and the inter- nal Rectus muscle. Its excretory duct, moreover, opens on the The Scottish Naturalist. 139 surface of the third eyelid, and not in the usual position of the ducts of the lachrymal gland. That this gland, to some extent, fulfils the function of the lachrymal gland is rendered probable by the statements of African travellers, one of whom (Cumming) describes an elephant, after suffering from the effect of several balls, as weeping profusely. The mode, however, in which the secretion of this gland is got rid of under ordinary circumstances is difficult to determine in the absence of all trace of an excre- tory apparatus." Professor Macalister wrote me from Trinity College, Dublin, of date 15th February, 1873 : — " I send you some papers* which may help you. You will see from them that some Facial muscles are present in very many animals. The Gorilla has a fine lot of them, and there is no anatomical reason why he should not laugh as well as the best of his cousins. The Risorius Santorini is by no means a con- stant muscle, nor is it essential to laughing. The Zygomatics, which are among the most constant muscles of the face in mammals, are very much more directly concerned in the action. My idea is that the hairy covering of the face obscures the action of the muscles in- many animals, and if we shaved them we would see a very much greater play of feature than we ima- gine them to possess. Barefaced monkeys do show modifica- tions of expression very decidedly." To the same distinguished Irish zoologist I am indebted for the following additional Bibliographical notes : — "There are some very interesting things on your subject of Mind in the Lower Animals in C. G. Cams' ' Vergleichende Psychologie oder Geschichte der Seele in der Reihenfolge der Thierwelt,' published at Vienna in i860. Also in a rather curious treatise by W. Wandt, ' Vorlesungen iiber die Menschen * These papers consist of reprints of a number of the Professor's contri- butions to Comparative Anatomy — originally published in the "Annals and Magazine of Natural History, "including the following subjects : — (1) "On some points in the Myology of the Chimpanzee and others of the Pri- mates." Annals, May, 1871. (2) " On the Myology of Bradypus tridactylus, with remarks on the general muscular anatomy of the Eden- tata." Annals, July, 1869. (3) "On the Myology of the Wombat and the Tasmanian Devil. " Annals, March, 1870. (4) " Further observations on the Myology of the Tasmanian Devil." Annals, July, 1872. (5) "The Muscular Anatomy of the Koala." Annals, August, 1872. (6) "Notes on the Anatomy of the Derriah." Annals, July, 1872. 140 The Scottish Naturalist. und Thier-seele.' Leipzig, 1863. There are two other books dealing with the subject that have a good deal of interest — Ludwig Schmarda's ' Andeutungen liber das Seelenleben der Thiere,' and Scheillin's ' Versuch einer vollstand Thierseelen- kunde.' I came across these in the course of my reading lately^ and was much struck with them." There is a popular belief that the dog, cat, and other animals — domestic or wild — are in the habit, at certain times, or under certain circumstances, of inducing in themselves vomit- ing or purging by chewing or swallowing various common native plants, especially one or more Grasses. And the presump- tion is that such a common popular belief is based, to some extent at least, on facts. But it is important, for the purposes. of generalisation, to determine exactly what the facts are. In order to which I had occasion recently to apply to several authorities conversant on the one hand with our domestic ani- mals and their habits, and on the other with our native plants and their properties. The fullest and most satisfactory reply I rceived came from Mr. William Gome of Trinity, Edinburgh, formerly one of the Vice-Presidents of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, and also one of the editors of the " Farmer" news- paper, published in Edinburgh. Writing from Rait Lodge, York Road, Trinity, Edinburgh, on 3d May, 1875, Mr. Gorrie, says : — " I regret that I am not able to give you any definite information on the use by animals of plants, medicinally. I have never seen the dog using the Cynosurus cristatus, but have often seen dogs chewing up the common Couch grass (Triticuvt repens), as well as other broad-leaved grasses, such as Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata). And when they get into my garden here they frequently make free with the leaves of the Holy grass ( Hicroclilocborealis), and the Bunch grass of British Colum- bia (Elymus condensates). Their teeth do not appear to be suited for pulping these grasses, but they rather roll them up aud swallow them nearly whole. This is generally, or rather among shepherds and other dog owners, looked upon as a proof that the dog is not well. The grass does not seem to be digested by them, but passes through much in the same condition as when swallowed. I have on several occasions seen it so passed, with tape-worm intermixed or entwined in the folds of the grass. And rightly or wrongly, I have a notion that these broad, The Scottish Naturalist. ' 141 roughish-leaved grasses thus act mechanically in clearing them of this troublesome parasite, which, or something like it, is very frequent in them. Cats sometimes chew up broad-leaved grasses as keenly as dogs, and their doing so is looked upon •as evidence that they are unwell. "In the large sheep park at Prestonhall, we had a large number of old Holly trees, which in autumn 1851 were attacked by the sheep peeling off and eating the bark. To save them from destruction, we had to use means for their immediate protection, and after a fortnight or three weeks these attacks ceased, and were never repeated for the remaining eight years that I lived there. The shepherds in the district said that the sheep had used the bark for either the prevention or cure of some disease, and not for food, of which they had plenty in the shape of pasturage at the time. " Gerard says of Dog's-bane, that " it is a deadly and danger- ous plant, especially to four footed beasts." M'olfs-bane is a name applied by him to two plants very different from the Aconite. An arrow dipped in the juice of which, and a man or four footed beast wounded therewith, 'they die within half an hour after remedilesse.' The Aconiium he calls ' Mithridate wolf's-bane.' " Mr. George R. Jesse, author of the well-known " Researches into the History of the British Dog," published in 1866, writing from Henbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire, on 17th April, 1875, says:— " There is no doubt whatever as to the Dog grass.* That I know for certain. Try a poor creature who is chained like a malefactor near his master's door, lingering out a miserable life in captivity, as Professor David Low well said it. Try him with a handful of it, which the poor tyrannised-over brute has seen waving a few yards from him, and longing for in vain for many a day, and see if he will not think you a friend. To Dr. M'Dowall of Morpeth, I am indebted for the following instances of so-called " Monomania in Horses " — " The following curious facts are extracted from a paper by Professor Rodet, in the " Veterinarian," a sensible monthly publication : — * Cynosurus cristatus — otherwise known as "Dog's-tail grass" — so named according to Hooker & Arnott's "British Flora," (1850, p. 542), "from the shape of its spike," and not from the use of the plant medi- cinally or otherwise by the dog. 142 The Scottish Naturalist. (1) " In 1 806, during the campaign of Austerlitz, a Piedmontese officer possessed a beautiful, and in other respects, a most service- able, mare,but which one peculiarity rendered at times exceedingly dangerous for the saddle. She had a decided aversion to paper, which she immediately recognised the moment she saw it, and even in the dark if one or two leaves were rubbed together. The effect produced by the sight or sound of it was so prompt and so violent, that in many cases she unhorsed her rider ; and in one case, his foot being entangled in the stirrup, she dragged him a considerable way over a stony road. In other respects, this mare had not the slightest fear of objects that would terrify most horses. She regarded not the music of the band, the whistling of the balls, the roaring of the cannon, the fire of the bivouacs, or the glittering of the arms. The confusion and noise of an engagement made no impression upon her ; the sight of no other white object affected her; no other sound was regarded ; the view or the rustling of paper alone roused her to madness. All possible means were employed to cure her of this extraordinary and dangerous aberration, but without suc- cess ; and her master was at length compelled to sell her, for his life was in continual danger. (2) "A mare belonged to the Guard-Royal from 18 16 to 1 82 1. She was perfectly manageable, and betrayed no anti- pathy to the human being, nor to other animals, nor to horses, except they were of a light-grey colour : but the moment she saw a grey horse she rushed upon it, and attacked it with the greatest fury. It was the same at all times and everywhere. She was all that could be wished on the parade, on the route, in the ranks, in action, and in the stable ; but such was her hatred towards white or grey horses, that it was dangerous to place them in the same stable with her, at whatever distance. If she once caught a glimpse of one, whether horse or mare, she rested not until she had thrown her rider, or broken her halter, and then she rushed on it with the greatest fury, and bit it in a thousand places. She generally, however, seized the animal by the head or by the throat, and held it so fast that she would suffocate it if it were not promptly released from her bite. As she grew old (for she was eighteen years old in 1821), this mania was not quite removed, but was somewhat weakened. No other body of white colour appeared to make the least im- pression on her. (3) " A mare, belonging to the fifth squadron of Hussars,. The Scottish A T aturalist. 143 feared, on the contrary, all white inanimate objects — such as white mantles or coats, even the sleeves of shirts and chemises too much displayed, and particularly white plumes. When any of these white bodies, and especially in motion, were suddenly perceived, if they were of any magnitude, and their motion was rapid, she was in a dreadful fright, and strove to escape ; but if they were of no great size, and moved more gently, she rushed furiously upon them, struck at them with her fore-feet, and endeavoured to tear them with her teeth. No other colours produced the slightest effect upon her ; nor did the appearance, however sudden, of white horses or dogs ; but if a white plume waved, or a white sheet of paper floated by her, her fear or rage was ungovernable. "These three cases of singular and particular aversion possess, in my mind, all the characters of true monomania^ — [Extract from " Penny Magazine," 1835.] It is noteworthy that in all the above cases Mares, not Horses, were the subjects of Eccentricity. From Wakefield, Yorkshire, Dr. M'Dowall also wrote me on 29th June. 1873 : — " Perhaps the following passage in Shakespeare may be of use to you as a curious illustration of Insanity among the lower animals. Rosse. — And Duncan's horses (A thing most strange and certain), Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would Make war with mankind. Old Man. — 'Tis said they eat each other. Rosse. — They did so, — to the amazement of mine eyes, That look'd upon't. (Macbeth, act il, scene iv.) " In all probability you already know that in former times, when luitchcraft was believed in, Insanity among the lower animals was believed to be exceedingly common. I am work- ing up a paper which will contain all sorts of " Antiquarian scraps relating to Insanity," and have a large number of cases of 144 The Scottish Naturalist. Insanity in cows, cats, and other animals, supposed due to witch- craft. You will find these cases in Dalzell's " Darker Supersti- tions of Scotland," a book in all public libraries. In all pro- bability my paper will appear in the "Journal of Mental Science " for October,* and will contain these instances of In- sanity among the lower animals. Of course their scientific value is small, but these cases might be used by you for literary ornamentation." According to a newspaper notice of his admirable volumes of " Etudes sur les Facultes mentales des Animaux comparees a celles de F Homme," published in Belgium in 1872, " Mons. Houzeau maintains that not only does each group of animals possess a language, which is understood by other members of the same group, but that they can learn to understand -the language of other groups. His dogs, for instance, perfectly understood his poultry. Cocks and hens have one danger signal for the approach of a bird of prey ; another for that of a terrestrial animal or for a man. When the latter was sounded, the dogs would rush out and bark ; while to the former they paid no attention whatever. He therefore concludes that fowls have the power of expressing slightly different but closely allied ideas, and that dogs can learn to understand these differences." In old historical works there are occasional descriptions of singular events illustrative of peculiarities in animal life : descriptions that are interesting as directing attention to the desirability of observing and recording any similar incidents at the present day. For instance, in certain " Memorabilia of the Seventeenth Century " in Britain, contained in " Chambers's Papers for the People" (No. 12), I find the following account of a remarkable Bird-Battle. I cite it not for the purpose of basing any remarks on the facts asserted, but simply in order to point out the propriety of recording, in such media as the Scottish Naturalist, accounts by competent observers — and properly authenticated — of any such occurrences as may happen now — in these our own times — in our own country. " In October 162 1, a most remarkable Battle oi Starlings was fought over the city of Cork, frightening the citizens out of their wits, and inspiring the whole country with terror and wonder as * It duly appeared, and maybe consulted in vol. xix, 1874, p. 386, of the said Journal. The Scottish Naturalist. 145 to what it might portend. Our author sets out in his preface by stating to the "gentle reader," that "to report strange or admirable accidents is subject both to danger and disgrace — to danger, in that they may be held as prodigious or ominous ; to disgrace, in that they may be reputed fabulous. I need not fear disgrace in reporting so strange an accident to be reputed fabulous, being able to free myself from any suspicion of such an imputation, by certificate of letters from right honourable persons in Ireland, where the accident fell out, to right honour- able persons at court, and divers in London at this present ; as also by the testimony of right honourable and worshipful persons, and others of good reputation, now in London, who were eye-witnesses, beholding the same during the time it continued. " To come to ihejight of these birds. They mustered together at this above-named city of Cork some four or five days before they fought, every day more and more increasing their armies with greater supplies. Some came from the east, others from the west, and so accordingly they placed themselves — as it were, ■encamped themselves — eastward and westward about the city. The citizens more curiously observing, noted that from those on the east and from those on the west some twenty or thirty in a company would pass from the one side to the other, as it should seem employed in embassages, for they would fly and hover in the air over the adverse party with strange tunes and noise, and return back again to that side from which, as it seemed, they were sent. "And further, it was observed, that during the time they assembled, the Stares of the east sought their meat eastward, as the Stares of the west did the like westward, no one flying in the circuits of the other. These courses and customs continued with them until the 12th of October, which day being Saturday, about nine of the clock in the morning, being a very fair and sunshine day, upon a strange sound and noise, made as well on one side as on the other, they forthwith at one instant took wing, and so mounting up into the skies, encountered one another with such a terrible shock, as the sound amazed the whole city and all the beholders. Upon this sudden and fierce •encounter there fell down into the city and into the river multi- tudes of Stares, some with wings broken, some with legs and necks broken, some with eyes picked out, some their bills thrust into the breasts and sides of their adversaries in so 146 The Scottish Naturalist. strange a manner, that it were incredible, except it were con- firmed by letters of credit, and by eye-witnesses with that assur- ance which is without all exception. Upon the first encounter, they withdrew themselves backward east and west, and with like eagerness and fury encountered several times, upon all which these Stares fell down in like strange and admirable manner as upon the first encounter. They continued this most admirable and violent battle till a little before night, at which time they seemed to vanish, so that all Sunday, the 13th of October, none appeared about the city. " Upon Monday, the 14th of October, they made their return again, and at the same time, the day being as fair a sunshine day as it was the Saturday before, they mounted into the air, and encountered each other with like violent assaults as for- merly they had done, and fell into the city upon the houses, and into the. river, wounded and slaughtered in like manner as is before reported ; but at this last battle there was a Kite, a Raven, and a Crow, all three found dead in the streets, rent, torn, and mangled." Another extract from the same " Memorabilia" illustrates control over, or at least inactivity of, the natural antipathies, passions, and habits of predatory animals of different species and gender — in the face of a serious common danger. Referring to a sudden flood in Monmouthshire, in which a milk-maid saved herself by retiring to a high* bank above water-mark, on which bank a number of animals — domestic and wild — had found a similar asylum, it is stated that — "The hill or bank where the maid abode all that space was all so covered over with wild beasts and vermin, that came thither to seek for suc- cour, that she had much ado to save herself from taking of hurt by them, and much ado she had to keep them from creeping upon and about her. She was not so much in danger of the water on the one side, as she was troubled with those vermin on the other side. The beasts and vermin that were there were these — namely, Dogs, cats, moles, foxes, hares, rabbits, yea, and not so much as rats and mice but were there in abundance ; and that which is the more strange, the one of them never once offered to annoy the other, although they were deadly enemies by nature the one to another. Yet in this danger of life they not once offered to express their natural enmity, but in a gentle sort they freely enjoyed the liberty of life, which in mine opinion, was a most wonderful work in nature." The Scottish Naturalist. 147 The following is a sample of anonymous newspaper articles of a commoner kind — representing incidents in animal life that are of daily occurrence. Nevertheless such accounts, however true to Nature, are valueless for the purposes of Science, by reason of their anonymity. We want some guarantee as to the reality of the facts — the veracity or credibility of their observers and recorders. "A Four-Footed Friend. — We believe our Nero to have been an English Cat, but we know nothing of his antecedents, for he came into our house one wintry day, seated himself on the hearthrug beside the chair of the house-father, and instantly adopted him for his master — a relation to which he contrived to give an entirely novel and much-varied significance, and which remained unbroken to the end. He was then full-grown and very beautiful, with a peculiar upright grandeur of demeanour, which was different from the usual slinking and stealthy grace of his tribe. His head was finely shaped, and his whiskers were superb, as was the fur upon his snow-white breast. He had large, green, wistful eyes, with such a gaze in them as I never saw before, and sometimes, when he was in grief, as I could hardly bear to look at ; and a small black mouth, the most eloquent with which a dumb creature ever spoke. He had powerful forepaws, and the daintiest little white hind feet, of which he was proud and careful. He would dispose them in the palm of his master's hand when he was carried up to bed by him, laying, at the same time, one forepaw round the back of his master's neck, and the other on his breast, while the face rested confidentially against his cheek. He allowed himself, especially after his health began to fail, to be carried about by other members of the household, but this particular attitude was strictly reserved for his master. He would sit with both fore- paws hanging over my shoulder, or lie along my folded arms, but he never put his paws round my neck, or rubbed his face to mine. In this way he invariably saluted his master, and occasionally, when he believed himself unobserved, he would stand on his hind legs, lay a forepaw on each side of his master's face, and laying his little white nose alongside of his, remain in that position for several moments, uttering a peculiar contented sound, not a purr, which we used to call his " bleat." He instantly recognized any new article of dress worn by any member of the family, and he iiiventcd for himself a method of curling himself up so as to adapt his back to the arch of a new 148 The Scot t is J i Naturalist. bonnet, with his legs stretched out in careful avoidance of the strings, which I venture to think has never been surpassed in effectiveness and ingenuity. Shortly after he took possession of our hearts and home we changed our residence. He was carried to our new house in a basket, and, when set free, went •direct to his master, with eloquent gestures and expressions of resentment and inquiry. The matter was gravely explained to him, for we never presumed to limit his intelligence to our per- ception of it, and he presently acquiesced. He led his master to the door of every room in the house in succession, deliberately made the tour of the apartments, was lifted up to each window- sill, whence he studied the front and back aspects of the house and adjacent gardens, taking his time over it, and then, return- ing to the study, as yet unfurnished, recognized, with manifest pleasure, a standing desk he was in the habit of seeing his master use, gave the little gasp which meant that he wanted to be lifted up, was placed upon it, went to sleep, and ever afterwards took to the new house with more than acquiescence, with enthusiasm. He had favourite rooms, and his especial place in each, and he resorted to them at different hours with undeviating regularity. If he found a door shut, he went to the nearest person, made the sound which we all knew meant that he wanted to be fol- lowed, and then led the individual to the door, and stood aside until it was opened." — Quoted from the " Spectator" in the local newspapers in January, Z872. Of the Dog with the ugly name, " Mum," this further incident has to be noted, from a letter written by Dr. Murray Lindsay, in June, 1875. The animal was not allowed to lie on a certain parlour sofa. He did so, nevertheless, in his mistress' absence from the house, well knowing that he did what was for- bidden, and, therefore, punishable. But he knew her footstep ; and whenever he heard it, he made off at once, assuming, as he best could, an air of innocence. All this he did over and over again, thus clearly exhibiting his sense of guilt (To be continued.) The Scottish Naturalist. 149;. ANIMAL PSYCHOSIS. ( Continued from p. 96. ) By the Rev. J. Wardrop. THIS view of Dr. Carpenter — that the animal, psychically, is not a free productive power, but only obeys stimuli, that is, so far from commanding motives, does not feel them, and is no cause at all, having no will, is the most feasible view, so far as it goes, yet offered on the whole question. It accords exactly with what a careful observation of animal action might suggest to any one. On the other hand Mr. Huxley's is, it may be said visibly, not true to the facts. But first, irrespective of whether Mr. Huxley's results answer to the facts, either on the human, or on the animal side, there is an error and an incon- sistency in his method. How is it that Mr. Huxley admits the excitation of " states of consciousness which are termed sensa- tions, emotions, and ideas," as the result of the ingoing mole- cular movement of the animal nervous organism? He does not strike on these things with the point of his scalpel. He does not see them under his microscope. They are not among the small dust of his balance. They are not to be detected by physi- ological observation in any way whatever. They are got only by the " introspective method," as it is called. Mr. Huxley has looked into his own bosom, and he has taken what he found there, and by a legitimate analogy employed it in philosophising on what he observes in animals. But if Mr. Huxley allows the introspective method to be the voucher for certain facts which he accepts and works with, consistency binds him to allow its testi- mony in the case of all facts, whatever they are, in reference to which it tenders testimony. Now men are not more conscious of the passive power of sensations — they are not more conscious of feeling emotions and having ideas, than they are of their active power — their real efficiency in muscular movements. Mr. Huxley must be held to the same witness for an explanation of the efferent phenomena, that himself has adduced on the afferent. And it is a witness clean against him. If the human consciousness vouches for anything, it vouches for this, that movements are often the result of a state of consciousness — that the will, the personality, the man, is a free productive power, and does ''stand in a causal relation to action." Irrespective of 150 The Scottish Naturalist. an inconsistency of procedure, Mr. Huxley's result, substantively, could not be accepted as a possibly true account of animal action, not to speak of human action. Admitting the analogy of man's mind at all, it is a result that cannot apply to all the facts. The animal transcends it. Blind automatism of an or- ganism is one thing, and is a sufficient account of certain actions. Blind automatism in an emotional and intelligent principle is a very different thing, and is the equally sufficient and necessary account of certain other and very different actions, The actions of animals are not susceptible of interpretation throughout by the former. Many of them, the actions i.e. in which there is, we would say, intelligence, require the latter. Be- sides you cannot divorce intelligence even from sensation. " It is manifestly impossible," says Sir W. Hamilton, "to discrimi- nate with any rigour, sense from intelligence," (Reid 878 and 881). It is not organism that feels or sees or hears. There is no place for sensations or emotions or ideas but in mind. " Mind seeth it, mind heareth it. All beside is deaf and dumb." Far less can you divorce what can only be called emotional and ideational action from an intelligent principle. We have no clue to the interpretation of animal action, but the clue our own action gives. This action reveals that intelligent mind is com- petent to act in an automatic manner. And we hail the discovery as applicable to our difficulties with animal action. As far as investigation has yet gone, the line on which we seem to be in- vited to proceed, in order to resolve the mystery of the animal soul, is certainly automatism. But while we are promisingly invited along this line, we are also warned from the same quarter not to leave out of our automatism the automatic action of intelligence. But however different may be the part allotted to the soul in two such views as those we have been considering, it is admit- ted by both that soul of some kind in animals there is. Both, therefore, remain burdened with the question, is the mind of animals of the same nature with that of man' — the same out and out in nature, though possibly differing in capacity ? or is there an essential difference between the two? We have already seen how that question is answered by the prevailing voice of the science of the day. So decided is the answer, that the popular notion of an essential distinction is, as we have seen, held to be little more than a superstition. A contributor to this Journal, Dr. Lauder Lindsay, is one of the ablest and boldest The Scottish Naturalist. 151 in expressing the favourite 'conviction, the conviction that there is " no essential mental, distinction between man and other ani- mals." For myself, I have to confess that I feel insuperably hampered in coming to this conviction — hampered by what I conceive to be facts in the case that are not having their due at the hands of those who feel no difficulty. It has not been un- usual, with at least students of mental philosophy, to point to self-consciousness as a fundamental distinction between the two series of mental manifestations. Self-consciousness is a promi- nent fact of the mental nature of man. And it is held that this element is not proved to be found among the manifestations of the mental nature of animals. The idea of this distinction seems to have occurred first to those who saw so much else that nobody had seen before — the schoolmen of the middle ages. (Bayle 8, 762.) I do not know if it has been so syste- matically wrought out as, especially with the help of present science, it might be. I suspect it has not. The most ex- tended and powerful advocacy I have known it to have received was at the hands of the late Professor J. Goodsir, in a course of, I think, some six or eight lectures he gave about eighteen years ago. Few men then or since have had equal qualifica- tions, philosophical or scientific, for estimating the validity of such a view. But his lectures, which he promised to his stu- dents to publish, were not by himself given to the world. His lamented death interfered. And in reference to his powerful exposition of the view which they supported, such notes as we have in his posthumous works leave us but to desiderate " the touch of the vanished hand and the sound of the voice that is still." Bayle argued against the distinction made on the ground of self-consciousness. " It is evident to any person," he says, " who is able to judge of things, that every substance which has any sensation knows that it is endued with it ; and it would not be more absurd to maintain that the soul of man knows actually an object without knowing that he knows it, than it is absurd to say that the soul of a dog sees a bird without perceiv- ing that it sees it," (8, 762.) And he adds, it is a thousand times more difficult to see a tree than to know the art by which we see it. (p. 764.) But in so far as Bayle's self-consciousness, as these words describe it, may be more than the mere con- sciousness of phenomena, its presence in animals is begged or claimed to be self-evident, when it ought to be proved.. Self- consciousness is our consciousness of a self in our conscious- 152 The Scottish Naturalist. ness of aught else. As Dr. Bischoff, an advocate of this dis- tinction between the animal and the man, says — " We cannot deny to animals consciousness. We assert that man alone possesses self-consciousness, /. e., the capacity of meditating on himself and his connection with the rest of the creation." The late Professor Ferrier signalized this characteristic of human knowledge more than it had been before. The fact that what- ever man knows he has a knowledge of himself along with that knowledge, he made the foundation principle of his philosophy ; and though he did not himself pronounce an opinion, he says there is good reason for holding that this quality of mind does not belong to animals — that they have no cognizance of them- selves. Though Mr. Huxley himself now says, "very strong arguments would be needed to prove that such complex pheno- mena as those of consciousness first make their appearance on man," (F. R. p. 573) what did he mean, when not long ago he wrote that man is " the only consciously intelligent denizen of this world?" (Placeae no.) Was he not looking in the direction of self-consciousness, and did he not, instinctively it may be, attribute to man alone that prerogative, when he used the latter expression ? In another place, however, he says that animals, by perceiving objects as external, practically recognise the difference between the self and the not self. (C. Rev., May 1 87 1.) If what the animals do " practically" — which is very much the philosopher doing it for them — they would but do it speculatively, which would be doing it for themselves, the point of self-consciousness would be gained for them ; but only then. It is from the quarter of self-consciousness that my difficulties arise in accepting the identity of the animal and human soul. It is not proved that animals possess this power. And so far as the theory of their mental nature given above in Dr. Carpen- ter's words, is a true one — in fact, so far as automatism, organic or intelligent, is the real account of their psychical action, it seems to involve the absence of self-consciousness. But, to expiscate this matter farther, what is it that must be held im- plied in the want of self-consciousness — implied in fact as the source of its absence ? It is the want of a self— nothing less. Animals, if they want self-consciousness, want it because they have no self to be conscious of. They want Personality. Their soul is not a soul that is a self or a Person. The I, the ego, the ich, le moi, that idea of selfhood to which expression The Scottish Naturalist. 153 is given in all languages, that have become vehicles of a philo- sophy, is not attributable to animals. The home-felt conscious- ness of self, that goes, though generally unnoticed along with the man in all his walks of mental action, never warms the ani- mal spirit, never flits across the disk of its consciousness. A lady calls her dog an affectionate "thing" perhaps; never an affectionate person. It is at this point of the self and its consciousness, I con- ceive, that the battle of identity or non-identity of the animal and human souls is to be fought. It is here the day is to be lost or won for the " poor brutes." Other points of the field are often selected at which to make a stand. Man is said to be the only creature that laughs ; the only creature that can make or use a tool ; the only one that lights a fire, and so on. Max Miiller says, " the true Rubicon which the brute has never passed is articulate language. But if selfhood or personality could be claimed for animals, they would not find much diffi- culty in occupying in succession these and every other point in the field. Other writers select their ground, and make a stand nearer the central position. Quaterfages and others make the moral and religious powers of man the ground of distinction, and on that ground Quaterfages erects man into a separate king- dom — raising him, in view of the totality of his attributes, out of the animal kingdom altogether. Isidore St Hilaire does the same ; and perhaps they are near the truth. Another distinc- tion was signalised by a late Archbishop of Canterbury — Dr. Sumner — as it has been by others, viz., the character of progres- sive and improveable reason. Such efforts as these to find the fundamental distinction are on the right track. But they have struck on it, not at the beginning, but in the middle. We should begin with what lies involved as the foundation of these and such like powers in man, and what is awanting to be the fountain from which they might issue in animals, i. H k E. 7. Th. strongly puna all-over, though a little less thickly on disc. E. moderately puna In type specimens the th. is dist. but slightly tr., and rectangular (almost sharply) at ba. There are specimens, how- ever, with the th. scarcely tr. and the ba. angs. gently obt. This is probably a distinct species. It may be recta?iguhcs, Thorns. 3^ LB! Very like type form of prec. Smaller. H. and th. more regularly puna Ant. angs. of th. more rounded off. Outline of th. more sinuate. 2^ 1. E. Th. very strongly tr. ; rather finely puna , especially on the disc, where the puncs. are almost obs. ; ba. angs. ac. E. very short and very finely punc, I. E. . . • • • 8. Th. cordate, tr., its hi. angs. laterally prod. deeply str. B. Pal., an., tib. and tar., r. 4 1. - not cordate., its hi. angs. not laterally prod., sharply rectangular or ac. . obt. or rounded off. . 9. Some dist. puncs. on 7th or 8th int. of e. near ap. Not as above. , 10. The puncs. on the 7th int. H. and th. shining bl. or b. Th. puna at ba. E. consp. str. , coloured as th. , duller in ?. An. , pal. and legs r. A wide species. 4^ 1. E. S. I. - 8th int. B. An., and pal. r., gen. marked withb. Legs pit. Tar. r. E. finely str. (the str. puna in fr. ), pointed at ap. 4^ 1. E.» w - I. sw - . 11. Hi. angs. of th. right. H. and th. blackish. E. pit. or gr. Pal., an., legs, mar. of th., and sut., r. Th. punc. at ba. E. finely str. 4^ 1. E. s - - - - - ac. Pit. b. E. and mar. of th. often paler. An., pal., tar., and ba. of tib. reddish. Th. widest at ba. E. finely str. A wide flat species. Z}i 1. E. sc - ..... 12. Some dist. puncs. on 7th or 8th int. of e., near ap. Not as above. ..... 13. Th. dist. punc. at ba. E. with puncs. on 5th and 7th ints. B. Th. gen. bl. or gr. E. often bluish. An. pit., ba. r. Pal. pit. or r. E. consp. str. ; ints. often elev. 5^ 1. E. s - - not dist. punc. E. with puncs. on 7th int. only. B. or bluish. Pal. and an. r., pit. near ba. Legs pit. Tar. reddish. E. deeply str. 4^ 1. E. rupicola puncticollis parallelus 3/2 • rufilabris E. E. consentaneus but • 9 • 12 • 10 • 11 gr- rubripes melancholicus discoidens servus 13 14 caspius ignavus 164 The Scottish Naturalist. 14. Legs unic. r.-yel. B. An., pal., and mar. of th. test. Th. punc. at ba. E. strongly str. 4 1. E. S. I. ! Very like prec., legs often darker. Th. unic. E. with 2 or 3 large puncs. on 3rd int. 4X !• S. M - Legs more or less b. or pit. Th. ruggedly punc. at ba. , often very narrowly edged with r. H., th. and e. br. gr. An. and pal. pit. Sut. brown. E. deeply str. ; str. faintly punc. 5 J 1. E. s - - not ruggedly punc. at ba. 15. Th. not (or hardly) punc. at ba. - dist punc. at ba. Bl.-b. An. pal. and tar. r. Mid. js. of an. pit. E. consp. prod, at ap. and strongly str. 4J 1. E. 16. An. and pal. unic. rusty or r. . - - - not as above ..... 1 7. Th. hardly, if at all, wider in mid. than at ba. - cons, wider in mid. than at ba., its ba. impunc. exc. in the fov. Bl. -b. An. , pal. , tib. and tar. r. E. strongly str. 2>H !• E. ... 18. - very tr., its ba. impunc, and ba. angs. hardly rounded off. B. An. , pal. , and tar. r. Tib. more or less r. E. very strongly str. 2>/4 1- B. - tr., its ba. impunc, and ba. angs. very strongly rounded off. Pit. b. An. & pal. r. Legs pit. r. ; fern, darker. E. very finely str, 19. - dist. narrower in fr. than at ba. - hardly narrower in fr. than at ba. in the fov. ; ba. ang. obt. B. ba. Pal. reddish. Legs pit. 3^1. E.S-S.C. .... 20. Th. very much contr. in fr. ; ba. impunc, exc. in the fov. ; ba. angs. much rounded. B. Ba. and ap. of an. and pal. test. Tar. often reddish. E. strongly str. 4^ 1. E. c - - moderately contr. in fr. ; ba. impunc. ; ba. angs. hardly rounded. B. An., pal., legs and mar. of th. more or less reddish. E. finely str. t>% L E c - ' — ■• la 1 -. ' * • • • • ba. impunc exc. An. pit., with r. E. strongly str. latus qaadripunctatus cupreus 15 16 tenebrosus 17 18 sulphuripes tardus picipenms 20 neglectus sernpes anxius Stenolophus 1. Th. blackish, not tr., punc. at ba. ; its mar. yel. E. narrow, dusky, often pale in fr., str. Legs and ba. j. of an. test. H. b. 2.y 2 1. E. - Not as above. ..... 2. E. test, in fr., with a well def. b. cloud behind. Ba. of th.. not punc. exc. in the ba. fov. . - rusty r., often dusky at sides and ap., str. II. b. An. b. ; ba. 2 js. r. Th. tr. , r., punc. at ba. Pal. and legs r. 3 1. E. . vespertinus 2 Skrimshiranus The Scottish Naturalist. 165 Pal. and legs test. 3. H. b. Th. hardly ti\, r. E. str., r. in fr., wholly (except outer mar. ) b. behind. An. b. ; ba. 2 js. r. Pal. r.; ap. j. dusky at ba. Legs r. 3 1. E. c - Like prec. Th. tr. E. test., each with a large oblong b. spot. Sut. pale. 2 1. E. sc - Acupalpus I. Ba. angs. of th. very obt, or rounded. More than \Y%\. - - - - rounded. Not more than 1^ 1. Narrow. H. b. Th. r. or dusky, tr. E. pit. or brown, str. n. An. dusky ; ba. j. pale. - - - -hardly obt. H. b. Th. hardly tr., contr. behind, r. or dusky. E. str., test., with a dusky cloud behind. An. b., ba. 2 js. test. Pal. and legs test. 2 1. i-'j. ..«••• 2. Th. not punc. across ba. , nor wholly yel. , yel. , very tr. H. b. E. str. , dusky ; mar. and sut. test. An. b. ; ba. 2 js. pale. Legs and ba. of pal. test, ii 1. E. s - - punc. across ba. ; hardly tr. ; contr. behind ; b. H. b. E. el. ; str. ; b. ; extreme ba. and the sut. pale. An. b. ; ba. pale. Legs and ba. of pal. pale I73 1. E. ! 3. Ba. fov. of th., and the whole ba., quite impunc. Very like Gyllenhalli ; a wider insect ; darker ; th. lU 1. E. . wider ; tar. more el. - - - - more or less punc. .... 4. Pit. b. Th. and e. partly test. Ba. of an. and of pal. pale. Legs often pale. E. str., with some well def. puncs. in hi. half of 2nd int. 1 ^ 1. B. , - -. H. th. and e. unic. E. more finely str., without dist. puncs. on 2nd int. i^j 1. E. s - Bradycellus. 1. E. without a shortened str. near sc. - with a shortened str. near sc. 2. Brown, clouded with b. Legs and ba. of an. pale Th. tr., narrowed at ba. ; ba. angs. rounded; ba and fr. punc. E. str., rather wide; sides rounded Very like prec. Gen. darker, especially legs and ba. of an. Th. less narrowed at ba. E. more el. and parallel ; sut. consp. the palest part. 2 1. B. 3. Ba. angs. of th. dist. obt. or rounded, and not laterally prod. ...... - - - - hardly obt. , and slightly prod, laterally. Pit. or b. An. , pal. , and legs pale. Th. deeply punc. at ba. E. str. 2.\ 1. E. S. I. 4. Th. more or less reddish. .... Teutonus elegans exiguus consputus 3 flavicollis meridianus . derelktus 4 Gyllenhalli brunnipes 2 3 placidus cognatus distinctus 5 i66 The Scottish Naturalist. - h. and e. deep pit. b. An., pal., and legs paler. Sut. often r. Ba. of th. punc. only in the fov. E. very faintly str. , especially near mar. i| 1. B. . Th. not narrowest at ba. .... - narrowest at ba. H., th., an., pal., and legs rather consp. r. E. darker. Th. punc. only in the fov. E. str. l% L B. Hi. angs. of th. strongly rounded, and ba. dist. punc. Pit. r. An., pal, and legs paler. E. strongly str. 2 1. B. . - - - - dist., though obt., and ba. strongly punc. R. brown. E. often darker. An., pal., and legs paler. E. strongly str. 2^ 1. E. S. I. ! similis 6 collaris harpalinus verbasci Tenth Family— TRECHID.E. (5 genera.) 1. Eyes not pub. ...... -pub. [Ap. j. of pal. very narrow.] 2. E. very flat and parallel, not dist. str., and shorter than h. -b. Eyes hardly conv. A long spine under 4th j. of ant. tar. Not as above. .... 3. Ap. j. of pal. not dist. longer than prec. j. .... very dist. longer than prec. j. 4. H. and th. shining brassy or gr. - - - not shining brassy or gr. N.B. — Lymnczum (in the Be??ibidiadic) bears sufficient resemblance to this family to be capable of confusion with it. Patrobus. 1. Wingless species ...... 2 Winged. H. and th. b. E. pit. or r. An. , pal. , and legs reddish. Th. cordate, rather strongly tr. *J ba. fov. very large and deep, separated from side mar. of th. by a narrow elev. ridge. E. p.-s. 4 1. F S T M - Perileptus Aepus 3 4 Patrobus Pogonus Trechus 2. Very like prec. Smaller. Th. only veiy gently tr. y/i 1. B. . Very like excavatus. Th. rather more tr. ; ba. fov. close up to side mar. of th. E. longer and more parallel. 3^1. E.S.I.*- Pogonus. I.'H., th.^and e. brassy gr. Pal. and an. dusky H. and th. br. gr. An. , pal. , legs and e. test. Region of sut. dusky. Th. double as wide as long. 3^ 1. Ek. s. c septentrionis excavatus assimilis luridipennis The Scottish Naturalist. 2. Legs reddish. Th. tr. E. p.-s. on sides and near ap. 2% 1. The punc. str. obs. "R c. t Very like prec. Th. narrower behind. E. much more el. and parallel. The punc. str. hardly fainter at sides, and not at all fainter near ap. Tar. shorter and thicker than in prec. 3 1. E. c - Trechus. 1. E. pub. ...... - not pub. ...... 2. R. Legs paler. H. dusky. A dist. band near ap. of e. b. An. nearly as long as whole body. Ba. angs. of th. ac. E. p.-s. Ints. smooth. 2% 1. E. • -. - -. Disc of e. often dusky. An. not more than 3^ length of whole body. Th. rectang. at ba. E. faintly p. -s. ; ints. punc. 2 1. B. 3. Ba. angs. of th. well def., though sometimes obt. - - - - rounded off. R. An. and legs paler. E. short, with rounded sides. 1st str. very deep, reaching ap., punc. in fr., bent round at ap. to include 2d, 3d, and 4th str, which are fainter, but strongly punc. 5th str. faint, if 1. B. 4. E. with rounded sides. .... - very long and parallel. Pale brown. H. darker. An. long. Th. rectang. at ba. 1st, 2d, and 3d str. of e. deep, but faintly punc. Ap. of 1st str. bent round to include 2d. The 4th str. faint, if 1 B c - 5. Str. of e. rather strongly punc. Th. rectang. at ba. hardly punc, and faint. .... ; the 3 in. ones very deep, — the 4th faint. Pit. or r. An. r. ; 2nd, 3d and 4th js. darker. Legs test. Th. rectang. at ba. 2 1. E. F - 6. Str. of e. all well def. , the 4 in. ones very deep. R. An. pal. and legs paler. E. short, with strongly rounded sides. 2j^ 1. E. S. I. - Out. str. obs. ; the 3 in. ones only rather deep. Pit. r. Pal., an., legs, and (often) ap. of e. paler. E. longer and more parallel than in prec. 2 l /z 1. B. 7. Pit r. Pal. , an. and legs pale. Ba. angs. of th. dist. E. finely str., the in. 4 str. well def. l}£ L obt. -L>» • •••••• Very like prec. Rather darker. Ba. angs. of th. almost rounded. E. shorter, more faintly str. Not more than in. 3 str. well def. i 2 /$ 1. E. S. I. Aepus Th. rectang. at ba. Pale r. 1 1. B. c - 167 chalceus littoralis 2 3 discus micros 4 secalis 5 longicomis 6 7 rivularis lapidosus rubens minutus obtusus marmus i68 The Scottish Naturalist. B. angs. of th. very obt. Pale r. ; fr. of e. gen. darker i 1. B. c " ...... Robinii Perileptus Pit. Ba. of an. , mouth, legs and disc of e. pale. Th. tr., rectang. at ba. E. dist. p.-s. i% 1. B. c - . areolatus Eleventh Family— BEMBIDIAD^E (5 genera.) 1. E. with a shortened str. near sc. 2 - without a shortened str. near sc. 3 2. Ant. tib. with a strong spine near ap. of ex. mar. . Cillenum - - simple ...... Bembidium 3. H. , th. and e. unif. and densely punc. . . . Tachypus Not as above ...... 4 4. Sut. str. of e. consp. bent round at ap. . . Tachys Not as above ...... Lymnaeum N.B. Perileptus (in the Trechidcv) bears sufficient resemblance to this family to be capable of confusion with it. Lymn.eum Pit. b. Mouth, pal., an. and legs pale. Ba. of th. faintly punc. E. flat, deeply str. Ints. elev. ; 2 deep imprs. on 4th. 2 1. E. sc - . Cillenum H. and th. gr. Mouth, pal. , an. , legs and e. pale brown. Th. not tr. , with right angs. at ba. E. deeply str. ; str. faintly punc. \% 1. B. c - nigropiceum laterale Tachys 1. Ba. angs. of th. obt. ..... 2 - - - - sharp ...... 3 2. H. and th. dark brown. An. brown, paler at ba. Legs test. E. test. , clouded with darker. Th. tr. In. 2 str. of e. dist. ; the rest obs. Ap. of bent part of 1st str. consp. bent towards sut. i l /i 1. B. . scutellare Pit. (sometimes paler). Ba. of an. and legs paler. Th. tr. E. with only the in. 2 str. well def. Bent, part of 1st str. nearly parallel to sut. I 1. E. . bistriatum 3: Pit. b. Ba. of an. r. Legs r. brown. A r. spot near should, and ap. of each e. Th. tr. E. flat, with 3 dist. punc. str. ; the outer str. fainter; 8th dist. \yi 1. E. N - . . . . . quadrisignahan R. -yel. An. and legs paler. Th. gently tr. E. short, conv., twice as wide as th., with the in. 2 punc. str. deep ; the out. ones grow obs., the 8th deep behind. i# 1. E.» . . . . . Fochi (To be continued.) GEOLOGY, THE ORIGIN OF SOILS. By F. SMITH. AS all the multitudinous things in the world may be traced to a few elements, so there possibly was a time when the world was wholly made up of those elements, under a very few combinations. If, as the geologist asserts, he can read the world's history in the rocks of which it is composed, then there was such a time. That the world does contain its own history is undoubted, and that this history is in a measure decipher- able is as certain ; but that it will ever be read as it was written is altogether improbable, and, indeed, impossible. The record is itself a ruin — a ruin of former records ; the present volumes have been made out of old, their pages have been crossed and recrossed, and some of their characters have become illegible, or confounded together. Only he who has thought deeply upon the subject, and worked extensively among the rocks, can realize the full extent of their obliteration ; only he who has attempted to read that which does remain, can form a just estimate of its comprehensiveness, of its profound superiority to all that man has been able to do or to suggest, in his boldest experiments, and in his deepest philosophy. Yet one can read sufficient to be able to declare how wonderful earth's history has been, and that a human life is far too short fully to comprehend even one of its many pages. It is one of the greatest, as well as one of the highest pleasures, to read such portion of the record as can be discerned, for He, the God, the Infinite, Gives to the finite mind of man, A ray of omnipresent light, Wherewith the mighty work to scan ; And in that light the simple will Reads, meekly trembling as it reads, 170 The Scottish Naturalist. And tells that the Creator still The wonderful procession leads Of all things that are, that have been blest, And, being blest, were bid to yield The life He gave them. In making a few remarks on the origin of soils, a history of soils is not intended, but as an explanation has been asked ot one or two assertions in a former paper, relative to the origin of " soil " in the Carse of Gowrie, I take this opportunity to explain my ideas of the origin of rocks, or as we will now put it, the origin of soils. All sedimentary rocks, and, therefore, soils, have been de- rived from the plutonic rocks, or the crystalline masses of the first-formed solid crust of the globe. These igneous rocks — very various in their aspect — are composed of comparatively few elementary materials, but from these, by means of their chemical attributes, as affecting each other under continually altering conditions, have resulted all that can now be found to partake of the nature of things earthly. If granite be taken as a type of these early rocks, its con- stituents are quartz, felspar, and mica ; quartz comprises about one fourth of its bulk, felspar rather more than a half, and mica less than a fourth. These granitic rocks were, as soon as formed, subjected to degrading forces that cohesion and chemical attraction or affinity, were powerless to resist ; and from this disintegration has come about, with an economy and simplicity of design that may well astonish us, nearly all that is found in the inanimate world. The first or simple results of the disintegration of granite are (if by the sea) beds of sand resulting from the accumulation ot quartz grains near the shore ; micaceous clay-slate beyond the area of sand, the result of the liberated mica, or, mixed with the sand, micaceous sandstone ; and in the deeper parts of the sea beds of clay settling down from the finely disseminated particles of decomposed felspar. If the degradation takes place upon the land by atmospheric agencies, rain, wind, frost, &c, then the result is the same, but the distribution of the de- rived materials is less regular, the quartz and mica accumulating mixed or unmixed in the valley, while the lighter particles of felspar are carried to considerable distances, and scattered abroad with eveiy flood, and even in large quantities borne The Scottish Naturalist. 171 into the sea. This simple re-arrangement of the primary rocks- is a perfect illustration of what is now taking place, in so far as. re-arrangement is concerned, and yet the sources of the redis- tributed materials are indeed almost endless. But we will follow out the decomposition of granite some- what farther, and we may, perhaps, see more clearly what the laws which govern distribution and chemical combination have produced from these rocks. From quartz, silica is derived; from silica, silicon ; from mica, magnesia, lime, potash, peroxide of iron, silica, &c. ; from magnesia, magnesium ; lime, calcium - r potash, potassium ; from peroxide of iron, iron ; from felspar, silica, alumina, and potash ; from alumina, aluminium ; and so on ; and from the ultimate division of all these, oxygen. From quartz, as has been said, all sandstones were derived (in a former paper on " Trap Rocks," see Scottish Naturalist,. Vol. II., p. 219). Silex was more particularly spoken of, but (where magnesia is named as a colouring material please read manganese) it is not soluble in water at its ordinary temperature, but it is contained in the waters of the Geysers, and some thermal springs, and if fused with an alkali is soluble in water,, but much of its operation and modification in nature is beyond present chemical knowledge. To the lime and magnesia of mica (and to trap rocks, &c.) are owing the immense accumulations of lime, mountain limestone, magnesian limestone, chalk, &c, and to the peroxide of iron of mica, many of the iron impregnated masses of the earth are due. Clay, with its alum and potash, under any circumstances whatever found has possibly come from the felspathic ingredients of the early rocks. Lime is a compound of calcium, carbon, and oxygen ; but to attempt to follow these substances through their wonderful metamorphoses and combinations would be as absurd as it would be endless. The following graphic description of the important part that iron is playing in the economy of things tnay show us what a work this would be : — " How strange, if the steel axe of the woodman should have once formed part of an ancient forest ; if, after first existing as a solid mass in a primary rock, it should next have come to be diffused as a red pigment in a transition conglomerate ; then as a brown oxide in a chalybeate spring ; then as a yellowish ochre in a second- ary sandstone ; then as a component part in the stems and 172 The Scottish Naturalist. twigs of a thick forest of arboraceous plants ; then again as an iron carbonate slowly accumulating at the bottom of a morass of the coal measures ; then as a layer of indurated bands and nodules of brown ore underlying a seam of coal ; and then, finally, that it should have been dug out, and smelted, and fashioned, and employed for the purpose of handicraft, and yet occupy, even at this stage, merely a middle place between the transmigrations which have passed, and the changes that are yet to come." As with iron, so with most other substances, dissemination, combination, change, has been the perpetual order of all material things. Upon these mechanical and chemical laws ol change the vegetable, and hence the animal kingdom, has depended. Had not the denuding agencies laboured to destroy, and the mechanical distribution of the debris been effected, the world would have remained a bleak and barren wilderness of rugged rocks ; but " Nature is but a name for an effect whose cause is God," and so the hardest rocks have yielded to the influences that the Almighty Creator fore- ordained, and their ruins are spread abroad upon the earth, and the world is fitted for vegetable existence. Barren spots are greatly the exception, and places utterly void of animal and vegetable life are very rarely met with. If the general ideas of less than forty years ago were correct, that plants derived their nutriment from pre-existing vegetable matter, it were then necessary that all soils should contain a large proportion of carbonaceous and other constituents of vegetables ; but this is found to be not at all necessary, indeed, where the soil contains any such carbonaceous material it has invariably been derived' from vegetable growth, and where vegetation is growing upon such humus the carbonaceous matter is proportionably increasing. It is not necessary in some cases that any such vegetable materialjshould exist in the soil. Plants have been grown in soils from which all organic carbonaceous matter has been purposely expelled with perfect success, and crops are abundantly reared upon natural soils in which no vegetable material exists — indeed some plants grow best upon such soils. " According to Darwin, rich harvests of maize are yielded in the interior of Chili and Peru by soils consisting of the merest quicksand never enriched by manure. According to Colonel Campbell, the soil of the cinnamon gardens at Colombo, and where else the tree is cultivated, is The Scottish Naturalist. 173 pure quartz sand as white as snow. Dr. Schleiden again observes that the oil palms of the western coasts of Africa are grown in moist sea-sand; and that from the year 1821 to the year 1830 there were exported, as produce of these palm trees, into England alone, 107,118,000 lbs. of palm oil, containing 76 million lbs. or 32 thousand tons of carbon — these thousands of tons of carbon being furnished by trees grown in a soil that was practically free from organic or carbonaceous matter of any kind whatever." What then constitutes a soil? The answer is — any earthy material whatsoever. This is putting it broadly, but it is in this broad simple law that so much beneficence and wisdom is seen. Had it been an essential that earth, to become a soil, must contain an amount of organised carbonaceous and other material, then in a world constituted as is ours no soil whatever could have been formed, and carbon with every earth and mineral would have retained their inorganic form. But the vegetable kingdom is ever ready to transform the most arid plains into beautiful gardens where physical conditions are not sufficiently powerful to oppose this usurpation. If some extensive forests could be placed in the centre of the Sahara, it would bid fair to become in time as fruitful a country as any part of Africa. The shifting of the sand would be checked by an increase of moisture ; and if the forests extended their limits in the least degree, their conquest of the whole district would become almost a certainty. In other words, if perfect rest, with sufficient moisture, could be given to the Sahara sands, they were then soil fit for the growth of forests that would in the end produce a humus rich with vegetable material. The soil of the Carse of Gowrie, and of the Tay, and Earn valleys, are what I described them before as being the wear and tear of the high-lying shoulders of the Grampians. The floor of the Earn Valley is, as was before shown, com- posed of layers of coarse pebbles, beds of sand, merging from coarse material above the pebbles, to fine arenaceous, or argillo- arenaceous soils at top, or in some parts from the pebble-beds through sands to stiff clays at top. In all this we see nothing but the re-arranged materials of older denuded rocks, and we may generalize upon their origin by roughly estimating their several natures. The pebble beds contain perhaps 80 per cent of siliceous material : some of the pebbles are micaceous, and in other ways vary from a state of pure quartz, but not to any 174 The Scottish Naturalist. very great extent. The sands probably contain about the same proportion of silex, but as they become clayey they necessarily contain alumina, potash, lime, or some such materials in pro- portion as the clay increases. We have seen how of old forests flourished upon these sands and pebbles, and that then were produced countless tons of carbon, much of which remains still buried below the upper clay beds. This carbon was not derived from the sands (it was, ot course, chiefly, if not wholly, derived from the atmosphere, but this is not immediately our subject), but it remains an almost imperishable monument of the bygone forest. In many parts of England and Scotland, forest remains are met with embedded in peat, &c, in districts where trees at the pre- sent time scarcely exist. I have seen hosts of tree-boles (chiefly oak) exhumed from the peat of Cambridgeshire that grew upon the Chalk-marl and Uppei Greensand beneath. I found the peat at the foot of the " Sow of Athol " to be full of birch and Scots fir, and yet from that spot not a tree was visible in any direction. That last forest took its rise upon the glacial material with which the valley is thickly strewn, when the drainage was better than it is now, owing to the ab&ence of the humus. The accumulation of carbonaceous material was pro- bably the cause of the decay of the trees. The forests of the Fens of Cambridgeshire and Strathearn (and what has been said of Strathearn applies equally to the Tay Valley), were perhaps destroyed in the same way. Nothing blocks up drainage more surely than accumulating vegetable matter. The vegetable mould of our fields possibly originated from forest growth, but before the vegetable mould was formed the forests had to take up their abode upon the gravel or sand or clay that some geolo- gical phenomena had prepared. Scottish soils would be much more variable than they are were it not for the almost universal presence of the stiff Boulder clay or " till" of northern farmers. This covers a great variety of rocks that would have degraded into many varieties of soil. In many cases this "till" is an advantage upon what would have been ; in others it may not be so. Ancient soils are frequently met with in the stratified rocks. The Portland dirt-beds are a notable instance. These beds of humus are inter-stratified with Portland limestones, so that one sees forest beds resting upon ancient sea bottoms, upon which the vegetables must have taken root. In these beds tree trunks The Scottish Xaturalist. 175 are found still standing as they grew. Beneath layers of coal an under-clay is often found permeated by the roots of the coal- forming plants. The underlying beds, however, are not always clay, but sometimes sand, or limestone, permeated also with roots. In all this we see how wonderfully vegetable life adapts itself to circumstances, and it is enabled to do this because it does not derive its principal substance from the soil. But in adduc- ing this, we do not mean to disparage the value of certain soils above others, nor the fact that by adding certain substances to soils (they may, however, be entirely free from carbonaceous materials,) plants may be made to produce twice or thrice as much carbon and other matters as without the application of such substances. Most decisive experiments regarding these and similar facts have been made during a series of years by Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert, at Rothamstead. Soils are sometimes deteriorated, but often improved by the " subsoils" upon which they rest, so that the nature of the sub- soil being ascertained, it can at once be seen whether deep ploughing is advantageous or not. Natural mixtures of soils might be copied with good results. Or to put it in another form, we might say, Imitate in one dis- trict what nature has done for our advantage in another. For instance, eight-ninths of a soil good for turnips may be siliceous, and the rest lime or alumina ; then as far as practicable, clay or lime might be added to the turnip-land, not as an experi- ment, but with some assurance as to the result. Great improve- ments in agriculture have resulted from the practical applica- tion of Organic Chemistry to the developement of cultivation; and this is nothing less than an attempt to simulate Nature in her grand economy. The more the secrets of the conversion of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen into hosts of organised substances are inquired into, the more it will be found neces- sary to submit to, and to imitate the laws that regulate matter. In many ways the vegetable kingdom stands between us and the mineral (we use but one mineral as an article of food), but although sulphur, phosphorus, chlorine, calcium, sodium, potas- .sium, and some other elements are sometimes found in the substance of plants, they occur in very small quantities. The destruction of the rocks has produced the soils upon which plants through all time have flourished, and their ultimate division and dissemination have strewn a vast variety of mate- 176 The Scottish Naturalist. rials over the face of the earth, assorted and arranged so as best to suit the functions of vegetables, by what we conceive to be the most natural phenomena. Natural phenomena is of course another name for ordained law. and although all through the geological ages there have been great alterations in the " soils," there has never been anything like accident in the continuation of the vegetable kingdom, seeing that the magni- ficent but simple rule that the food of plants is not so much in the soils as in the atmosphere, made it of no vital importance of what the soils were composed. In fine, soils may be, and are, derived from an infinity of sources ; and any natural, or what is called accidental mixtures of decaying rocks, produces a soil that with few exceptions is a fit habitat for plants. This is a striking fact when one places it beside the wonderful mu- tations that have taken place on the world's surface during an immensity of time. Had the vegetable world depended even upon certain proper combinations having been geologically produced, its existence would have been precarious, and its continuation somewhat uncertain ; but tufa from the burning- mountain, accumulations on the bottom of the ocean, or any local patch of sand or gravel are adapted to the natural wants of vegetables. If the whole world were subjected to the influ- ence of rire, and the whole of the vegetable and animal tissue disseminated, its ashes would be ready to support its vegetable forms as heretofore. The universal atmosphere has since the world began been more essentially the habitat of vegetable life than the soil in which it has grown ; and it has exercised a divinely bestowed right of modifying and subduing the effects of the constantly occuring changes to which the soils have been and are still subjected. I have just seen the report of a lecture by Professor Wyville Thomson, delivered at Japan, June 21, 1875. After referring to the formation of ooze (chalk), from the accumulated shells of globigerina, &c, the Professor is reported to have remarked, •• At the great depths (2000 to 3000 fathoms), the bottom is a red ooze. This substance he ascribed .to the carbonate of cal- cium being entirely dissolved out ot the shells during their slow fall through such a distance, so that only the ashes, as it were, of the shell reach the bottom. These ashes were found to be a silicate of alumina and iron, thus upsetting the doctrine that day was formed by the disintegration of rockr (The italics are my own. ) The Scottish Xaturalist. ijj Many vast rocky, masses have been formed through the in- strumentality of animals, and it is not more wonderful that silicate of alumina — the general constituent of clays — should be formed by these means, than that carbonate of lime should have such origin ; but the Professor's fact does not disprove the chemical origin of clays any more than the coral reef or chalk ooze annuls the chemical origin of stalagmite and certain limestone strata. Still the fact that immense beds of clay may have been formed by means of organised beings is another of the grand illustrations of the perfectness of the economy that constitutes our world. Gold in Scotland.— On the occasion of a recent visit to the National Museum of .Science and Art at Edinburgh, I found, in the Mineralogical department, a large lump of Auriferous Quartz labelled "Gold : Gediegen Gold Gemi. : Or natif Fr., from Leadhills, Scotland: 1 It has quite the naked-eye characters of numerous samples of Auriferous Quartz I have seen from California, Australia, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, or other auriferous countries, F. W. Hutton, F.G.S., Provincial Geologist of Otago, and Director of the Otago Museum at Dunedin, New Zealand, writes me of date May 28 J 875> "I suppose that by Quartziles you mean Quartz-veins? For Quartzite is a Rock, an altered Sandstone, and never to my knowledge contains Gold. . . . It is quite certain that Quartz Mining is improving in Otago." I have used the term Quartzite in its most comprehensive sense, as includ- ing all forms of massive quartz, whether as a Rock or in Veins. In Scotland, Auriferous Quartz occurs chiefly, if not exclusively, in the form of Veinstones in various Rocks. But there are, in other auriferous countries, very few Rocks indeed in which Gold has not been frequently or occasionally found. Reports of Gold-finds in Scotland, in other localities than those men- tioned in my various published Papers on the Native Gold and Gold-rocks of Scotland, every now and then reach me. The latest comes from Dr. Grierson of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, who writes of date August 18, 1 8 75 — " I beg to communicate to you that Gold has been found in Gattozuay. I have just returned from a Natural History and Antiquarian tour in Galloway and have brought with me Native Gold. " He does not explain in what form it occurs, or under what circumstances or where he found it ; but he promises details in a future communication, which he might very fitly make direct to the Scottish Xaturalist in his own name. A subse- quent Dumfries newspaper, reporting the proceedings of the August (1875) meeting of the Society of Inquiry, Thornhill, states that "Dr. Grierson gave a lengthened account of a Natural History and Antiquarian tour in Galloway, from which he had just returned; in the course of which he mentioned the finding of Native Gold in Galloway, and exhibited specimens. The Gold will be specially inquired after by competent parties. It may be remembered that about two years ago the first Gold .178 The Scottish Naturalist. that had been found imbedded in Quartz at Wanlockhead was shown at this Society. The specimen has been frequently inquired after. But, owing to its having been lent for a special purpose, and not yet returned to the Museum, many inquiring Visitors have not had an opportunity of examining it, which is to be regretted." Dr. Grierson's regret at the non- return of a Museum specimen of such public interest, borrowed two years ago, is much too mild a criticism of the behaviour of the borrower, whoever he may be. — W. Lauder Lindsay, Perth, August, 1875. PHYTOLOGY, Note on Merulius lachryrnans. — The following seems to me a re- markable case of dissemination of the spores of Merulius lachryrnans : — In a closet, about seven feet in length and height, and four feet in breadth, two small plants appeared recently at the level of the floor, and soon began to shed their ferruginous spores. In die course of a fortnight I was surprised to find the floor becoming tinted all over ; and shortly after- wards, although I carefully guarded against disturbance, by excluding •draught, a wooden shelf, some feet above the floor, and the sill of a win- dow, still higher up, became quite coated with a layer of the same colour. Near the roof, also, one or two cobwebs, which I had preserved for the purpose of watching the habits of the spiders, assumed the same hue. On submitting to the microscope portions of this layer of colour from the different elevations, I found them to consist of the spores of Merulius lachryrnans. I could not discover any source from which these could proceed except the two small plants at the level of the floor. The whole atmosphere in the place must have been charged with their spores, which were in due time deposited. Such dissemination will help to explain the extraordinary rapidity with which this fungus usually completes its work of destruction. — J. Stevenson, Glamis, August 1875. New British Fungi.— I have recently found Ilydnum Icevigatum Fr. and Labrella ptarniiciv, which, I believe, have not previously been recorded as British. I am indebted to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley for verifying my determination of the first, and for determining the second for me. — F. Buchanan White, Rannoch, Sept., 1875. THE FUNGUS SHOW OF THE CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND. We need hardly remind our readers that the first Annual Conference and Show of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland is to take place at Perth on September 29th and 30th, and October 1st. We trust it will, as it promises to, be a great success. We under- stand that several of the foremost English, and, of course, most of the Scottish, cryptogamists will be present. The arrangements for the conference will be found on the last page of the wrapper. The Scottish Naturalist. 179 REVIEWS. 1. — "The Naturalist" : Journal of the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists' Society. Edited by C. P. Hobkirk and G. T. Porritt, F.L.S., Huddersfield. 2. — "The Quarterly Journal of Conchology." No. 5, vol. I., Leeds. 3. — "Field and Forest" : Bulletin of the Potomac-side Naturalists' Club. Edited by C. R. Dodge, Washington, U.S.A. 4. — "On the Conservation of our Rarer Native Plants and Insects:" a Presidential Address to the Edinburgh Naturalists' Field Club, by William Gorrie, Edinburgh. Though as a general rule we do not care to devote the scanty space at our disposal to matters of such temporary interest as reviews, we cannot, resist noticing the appearance of several new journals devoted to Natural History, as we trust their appearance in the field is an indication of pro- gress. The first on our list is the third attempt made by the West Riding Naturalists to establish a journal of their own, and we sincerely trust this venture will be more successful than the former two. Amongst so many Yorkshire societies, and with the editors whose sendees have been secured for the new journal, it ought surely to be a matter of little difficulty to obtain enough material and subscribers to make the Naturalist (rather an ill-chosen name by the way) a success. If, however, it is to have an interest outside of Yorkshire, less prominence must be given to the local societies' reports. The next two on our list are also well printed and got up Magazines, and not so local in their contents. We wish them also success. No. 4 is chiefly occupied by a review of various plants that have become extinct, or nearly so, in various localities known to the author. Botanists, sheep, rabbits, and rats appear to be the chief instruments of destruction. Mr. Gorrie suggests the introduction of some of our rarer plants into localities favourable for their naturalization, and suggests that field clubs should record such introductions, both past and future. The importance of the latter point should not be lost sight of. After disposing of the plants, Mr. Gorrie next directs attention to insects, and thinks that insect collectors are more to be blamed for extirpation of the objects of their pursuit than plant collectors. The will to do so may be present in some cases, but we do not think that in Scotland at least much mischief may be attributed to insect collectors. Some suggestions then follow regarding the advisability of the introduction of certain beautiful insects. By all means let this be attempted, but do not let the experimenter be too sanguine of success. " In conclusion," says Mr. Gorrie, "let each and all who study botany and entomology, or other branches of natural history, do so carefully, per- severingly, and above all, economically, not only avoiding needless waste, but rather promoting or aiming at the increase of the rarer objects ; so that those who come after may find no diminution of plants, insects, or other specimens they may be in search of, in the habitats where they may have previously been found. And in natural history, as in other pursuits, it is a good rule to avoid all needless and ostentatious expenditure, over- indulgence in which not only dulls personal exertion, but detracts from the real pleasures that are derivable from natural history studies generally, and from the country excursions of Naturalists' Field Clubs in particular," INSECTA SCOTICA, THE LEPIDOPTEEA OF SCOTLAND. ( Continued from p. 132.) Edited by F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S. bractea L. Not common. Agrestal. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g o o West. Solway Clyde § West-Ross o Lat. 54°4o'-57°5o'. Range in Europe. Britain, South and north-eastern Germany, Alps, Finland, &c. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. Scottish. Time of Appearance — Imago. July. Larva. September, June. Food-PLANT. Nettle, etc. festucje L. Not common. Agrestal and palustral. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Solway Clyde Argyle § o Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o / . Range in Europe. Central and northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time ok Appearance — Imago. August, September. Larva. May- July. Food-plant. Various low plants, grasses, &c. IOTA L. Not common. Agrestal. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray § Orkney o West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross o Lat. 54°4o'-59°io'. Range in Europe. Central and northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Aitkarance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-May. Food-plaxt. Nettle, etc. The Scottish Naturalist. 181 pulchrina Hw. Not uncommon. Agrestal. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g Orkney o West. § Clyde g West-Ross o Lat. 55°-59°io'. Range in Europe. Central (and northern?). Type. Centro-Septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June, July. Larva. August-May. Food-plant. Nettle, etc. gamma L. Common. Agrestal and pascual. Ascends to above 1200 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray g Orkney o West. Solway Clyde Argyle West-Ross g Lat. 54°4o'-59°io'. Range in Europe. Throughout. Type. Territorial. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. June -September. Larva. April- September. Food-plant. Low plants. P. Hocheivwarthi Hchw. may perhaps be found on the mountains. interrogations L. Not uncommon. Ericetal. Ascends to 1300 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay Dee Moray Suther- land o o West, g Clyde Argyle g g Lat. 55°4o'-58°3o'. Range in Europe. Central and northern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. Scottish. Time of Appearance — Imago. July, August. Larva. September- June. Food-plant. Heather. HELIOTHID-ffi. ANARTA Tr. MYRTILLI L. Common. Ericetal. Ascends to 1300 feet. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray Suther- land Orkney g West. Solway Clyde g West-Ross o Lat. 54°4o'-59°io'. Range in Europe. Central and north- ern. Type. Centro-septentrional. Type in Britain. British. Time of Appearance — Imago. April-July. Larva. August, Sep- tember. Food-plant. Heather. 1 82 The Scottish Naturalist. cordigera Thnb. Local. Ericetal. Ascends to 2200 feet. Distribution — East, o § Tay Dee Moray goo West, o § g g o Lat. 56°3o'-57°3o'. Range in Europe. Northern and central ; Alps, etc. Type. Septentriono-central. Type in Britain. Scottish. Time of Appearance — Imago. April-June. Larva. June- August. Food-plant. Arctostapkylos uva-wsi? &c. Some other species of Anarta may yet be found on our mountains, especially in the north. MELANOPA Thnb. Local. Alpine. Ascends to 4200 feet. Distribution — East, o g Tay Dee g g g Zetland West, o Clyde g g g Lat. 56°3o'-6o°3o'. Range in Europe. Scotland and Lap- land : (a variety on the Alps). Type. Boreal. Type in Britain. Alpine. Time of Appearance — Imago. June. Larva. July- August. Food- plant. Azalea procitmbens? &c. Heliaca tenebtata Sc. (1763; arbicti F. 1775) nas been reported from Clyde. HELIOTHIS Tr. armiger Hb. Rare. Pascual. Distribution — East. 00000000 West. Sohvay 0000 Lat. 54°5o'. Range in Europe. South and west-central, &c. Type. Meridiono-central. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance — Imago. August-October. Larva. June, July. Food-plant. H. pcltigera is reported from Clyde. CHARICLEA Stph. umbra Hufn. (1767); marginataF. (1775). Not common. Pascual, maritime. Distribution — East. Tweed g Tay g g Moray 000 West. Solway g o o o Lat. 54°4o'-57°4o'. Range in Europe. Central (S. Sweden). Type. Central. Type in Britain. English. Time of Appearance — Imago. May, June. Larva. July, August. Food-plant. Rest-harrow ( Ononis). Thalpochares ostrina lib. was reported from Clyde several years ago. (To be continued. ) The Scottish Naturalist. 183 THE COLEOPTERA OP SCOTLAND. (Continued from p. 136.) Edited by D. SHARP, M.B. 1 :al. Dee ( PROTEINUS Kr. brevicollis Er. Rare. Distribution — East. § Forth 000000 West. Solway 0000 brachypterus Fab. Common in decaying vegetable matter. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray 000 West. Sohvay §000 macropterus Gyll. Very rare. Distribution — East. 000 00000 West. Solway atomarius Er. In fungus. Local. Distribution — East. Tweed o o Dee 0000 West. Solway o MEGARTHRUS Kr. DEPRESSUS Payk. In dung. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth Tay Dee Moray §000 West. Solway §000 SINUATOCOLLIS Lac. In fungus. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee §000 West. Solway §000 denticollis Beck. In fungus. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth § Dee §000 West. Solway §000 [hemiptertjs 111. Very rare. Distribution — East. 0000000 West. Solway 0000 "Raehills, Rev. W. Little." Murray. PHLCEOBIUM Kr. CLYPEATUM Mull. Lowland. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth g Dee §000 West. Solway §000 184 The Scottish Naturalist. PHLCEOCHARIS Kr. SUBTILISSIMA Mann. Under bark of Scotch fir. Distribution — East, o o Tay Dee Moray o West, o o o o o MICROPEPLUS Kr. PORCATUS Payk. Lowland. Not common. Distribution — East. § Forth o o West. Solway § o STAPHYLINOIDES Marsh. Common. Distribution — East. Tweed Forth West. § § o o margaritje Duv. Lowland. Rare. Distribution — East. o Forth o o o o West, o o o o o o o o o Dee o o o o o tesserula Curt. Lowland. Very rare. Distribution — East. o o o o West, o Clyde o o o o o o o PSELAPHID^E. BRYAXIS Leach. [sanguinea Fab. Doubtful as Scottish. Distribution — East, o o o o o West. Solway o o o "Raehills, Rev. W. Little." Murray Cat. fossulata Reich. Lowland. Local. In marshes Distribution — East. o o o o West. Solway Clyde o COTUS De Saulcy. Riparial. Very local. Distribution — East. o o o o West. Solway o o In sandy places by the Nith and Ken ; peculiar to Scotland. h^matica Reich. Lowland. Very rare. Distribution — East. o o o o o West. Solway o o o Found at the actuary of the Nith below New Abbey. — D. S. (To be continued.) O O O O O o o o o o o o o o o PHYTOLOGY. P NOTES ON ERGOT. By A. STEPHEN WILSON , F. C. S. SX U THE investigations of the Messrs. Tulasne have left little of an obvious character to be gleaned on the subject of Ergot. But the following notes of observations and experi- ments may be of some use to any one who desires to enter on this branch of mycology. In those localities of Aberdeen and Kincardine which I have examined, about twenty of the grasses are usually ergotised. Whatever may have been the case anciently, when the land was undrained and full of gramineous weeds, and the crops perhaps later, at the present day cereal rye is very rarely ergotised. I have searched whole fields without finding a single spur. It is therefore obvious that some of the conditions under which rye is grown in France (from which the Ergot of rye for medical practice is derived), are different from those under which it is now cultivated in the north-east of Scotland. But whether the absence of Ergot on rye in Scotland, as compared with France and other places, is due to a cultivation which destroys the Ergot ; or whether it results from the fruit of the Ergot not being ripe in Scotland "when the bloom is on the rye" to the same extent as on the Continent, I am not aware. But the quantity of Ergot which can be found almost any autumn, on the various grasses of this country, would probably be found equal to the demand. The smaller Ergots are more compact and less fractured than those of rye, and would probably better preserve whatever qualities they possess. These Ergots are worth a practical trial. The grasses most liable to be ergotised are the common rye * Read at the Conference of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, Sept. 30, 1875. 1 86 The Scottish Naturalist. grass {Lolium perenne); the vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odora- tum) ; the cat's tail (Phleum pratense) ; the floating meadow grass (Glyceria fluitans) ; and some others. The crested dog's tail ( Cy Hosieries cristatus), and the various species of Bromus, are not ergotised in the places named. Wheat and barley are rarely ergotised; and on the cultivated oats, the wild oats (A vena fatua), the bristle-pointed oats {Avena strigosa), and the fly oat [Avena sterilis), I have never seen a single case of Ergot. The time of the year at which the grasses begin to be ergo- tized depends on the time at which the Clavkeps is ripe. I have found the Clavkeps growing naturally as the Ergot had fallen, nearly in a ripe state, on the 27th of June. The grasses therefore, which are fertilised before the middle of June, must generally escape Ergot. The latest date at which I have seen Ergot in its early and growing state is the middle of September. Thus the hay crops being past flowering before the heads of the fungus are mature, entirely escape the spores, which are so fatal to the seeds of rye grass on individual stalks at a later date. It appears from Mr. Cairuthers' recent paper in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, (vol. x. pt. 2, 1874) that differences of opinion exist as to the character of season most favourable to Ergot ; some holding that a wet sea- son is most favourable, and others that a dry season is most favourable. Such statements are too loose. The conditions necessary to a crop of Ergot appear to be these : — That there shall remain from the previous year a considerable quantity of Ergot upon the ground : that during May, June, and July, there be sufficient moisture to cause the vegetation of the fungus : and that at the time when the heads are ripe there be sufficient dry, hot, and sunny weather, for the dissemination of the spores. Because if a quantity of Ergot is collected at an early date, and with the Clavkeps only beginning to appear here and there, and is laid aside in a dry place, the growth of the fungus is instantly arrested. And if, when by sufficient moisture the heads come to maturity, there is heat and sunshine, the spores will be dis- seminated; while, if at this time, they are drowned by frequent rain, the spores will either not be projected into the air, or will be washed down into the soil and lost. There must be wet weather for the growth of the fungus, and diy weather for the scattering of the spores. The Scottish Naturalist. 187 In proof of this theory, if a quantity of Ergot, bearing the fungus nearly ripe, is put into a small clear bottle, the process of sporing may be watched. The pileus, smooth at first, is known to be ripe when the mouths of the conceptacles begin to pout in protuberances above the general surface. If the bottle is held up in the bright sunshine so as to give the proper reflection, instantly a head here and there begins to open its batteries, and to discharge a shower of needles in all directions. These needle-spores are about half a hundredth of an inch in length, and can easily be seen with the naked eye floating about in glittering shoals in the bottle. It would ap- pear that they are shot into the air by elastic pressure, brought to a crisis by the expansion by the light and heat ; for whenever the pressure (as it seems) has been withdrawn by the projec- tion of a certain number, the remainder, or some of them, are merely pushed to the mouth of the ascus and fall over on the surface. But of course it is obvious that although there may be plenty of spores flying about, if the season is unfavourable to the til- lering of the grasses, there will be fewer late-flowering spikes thrown up, and so a defective crop of Ergot from the want of nests to be hatched in. At any spot where the grass is much ergotised in one year, it is more ergotised in the same place the following year than the grass at a short distance. When the parts of a recently-opened grass floret have been attacked by a flying spore, there soon appears a drop of fluid adhering to the pales. Some ears of rye which I had inserted into a test tube containing many ripe heads from the Ergot of Glyceriafliiitans, were placed as they grew, in the inside of a clear bottle with the bottom out. This protected them from rain and wind. In a few days drops began to appear at various florets, increasing to large dimensions. These drops have a strong and peculiar smell. At the bottom of them there accu- mulates a deposit of spermatia, which must be exuded from the growing Ergot. But it seems clear that the great masses of fluid must be drawn from the air. These were constantly visited during the day by about six species of diptera, which drank part of the fluid, or the sperm it contained. A portion of the fluid was collected by a dipping tube every morning and put into a small phial. Some other neighbouring spikes became affected which had not been artificially touched ; but whether the flies had carried 1 88 The Scottish Naturalist. the spermatia to these, I could not determine. Nor could I determine what effect was produced on the flies themselves. Two artificially affected barley florets which stood inside in pots, were visited constantly and persistently by the house fly, and one of these dropt dead on the paper before me ; but whether from Ergotism or old age, I could not tell. Ergot, in its complete state, is also eaten by swarms of black ants and other insects as it hangs on the grass. In the case of the rye artificially ergotised, although the drops were immense and promised good spurs, all turned out very small. Two artificial barley Ergots were of large size, and one which showed the drop very largely merely destroyed the seed without producing an Ergot at all. Perhaps the rye Ergot may have been hindered in its growth by the withdrawal of the fluid. The Ergot on each species of grass is of a peculiar shape. The heavier spurs on rye weigh five grains, while those on Poa pratensis do not weigh more than about the hundredth of a grain. The heavier rye Ergots are ten times the weight of the healthy seed ; but in some of the other grasses the Ergot is from twenty to forty times the weight of the seed. In many cases, however, the Ergot is little larger than the natural kernel. The structure of many grass florets and their mode of fertilisa- tion render them specially liable to the floating spores of Ergot. When a rye floret opens for fertilisation, the feathery stigmas are thrown outside the pales on both sides, and are seldom retracted ; while in many cases the pales remain open to a certain extent after fertilisation has been effected. In wheat, on the other hand, the flower cup is much wider ; the feathers are seldom exposed outside, even when the flower opens for fertilisation ; and they are, as a rule, retracted as the flower shuts. The pales remain open only for twenty or thirty minutes, and finally close, barring all doors against the flying darts of the enemy. I have found the fungus growing naturally only upon the Ergot of Glyceriafluitans and Holms mollis, but have succeeded in producing it by cultivation from the Ergot of eleven species of grasses. Whether all these fungi are to be classed as one species, I will not venture to decide. But where many hundreds on the Ergots of one kind of grass are seen growing together — some a tenth of an inch in length of stem, some two inches, some with a double head, some purple in colour, some The Scottish Naturalist. 189 pale yellow, some with a thick stem and large head, some with a thin stem and small head — the species purpurea and micro- cephala seem to run into each other. The Claviceps, which grows in deep shade under withered grass, near the bottom of a ditch, is less ruddy in colour than that which grows on a ledge more exposed to the light. A question suggests itself — What may be the effect of Ergot on the grasses ? Of course the immediate effect is to prevent the growth and ripening of a certain proportion of the seeds ; and thus to hinder in one way the natural propagation of the plant. But it is a fact that the ripening of the seeds and culms of the cereal grasses tends to make these grasses annual. They are not absolutely annual even when a few spikes on a stool are fully ripened, but grow occasionally for two or three years. Now, if before rye was cultivated, it was so largely ergotised as to prevent all but a few seeds from maturing, the plant may at that time have been a perennial grass. And the present effect of Ergot on the grasses may be to give a longer term of perenniality to the roots and lower nodes, than if all the seeds were allowed to exhaust the plant by coming to maturity. o APPENDIX— No. I. List of Ergotised Grasses referred to. 1. Wheat, Triticum sativum Linn. 2. Wheat grass, Trit. repens Linn. Rye, Secale cereale Will. 3. Rye, Sec. cereale, artificially ergotised. 4. Barley, Hordeum distichum Linn. 4. Barley, Hor. distichum, artificially ergotised. 5. Vernal grass, Anthoxanthirm odoratum Linn. 6. Mat grass, Nardus stricta Linn. 7. Fox-tail grass, Alopecurus pratensis Linn. 8. Reed Canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea Linn. 9. Cat's-tail grass, Phleum pratense Linn. 10. Turfy hair grass, Air a caespitosa Linn. 11. Waved hair grass, Airafiexuosa Linn. 12. Creeping grass, Holcus mollis Linn. 13. Meadow soft grass, Holcus lanatus Linn. 14. Oat grass, Arrhenatherum avenaceum Beau. 15. Smooth meadow grass, Poa pratensis Linn. 190 The Scottish Naturalist. 16. Floating sweet grass, Glyceria fluitans R. Br. 17. Cock's-foot grass, Dactylis glo?nerata Linn. 1 8. Tall fescue grass, Festuca elatior Linn. 19. Meadow fescue grass, Festuca pratensis Hudson. 20. Rye grass, Loliuvi perenne Linn. 21. Darnel, Loliwn temulentum Linn. No. II. Grasses referred to on the Ergot of which the Claviceps has been grown. 2. Wheat grass, Triticum repe7is. 3. Rye, Secale ceirale (23 fungi on one spur). 5. Vernal grass, Anthoxanthum odoratui?i. 6. Mat grass, Nardus stricta. 10. Turfy hair grass, Aira caespitosa. . 12. Creeping soft grass, Holcus mollis (found growing naturally, 1874). 14. Oat grass, Arrhenatheru?n ave?iacewn. 1 6. Floating sweet grass, Glyceria fluitans (found growing naturally in many hundreds, 1874). 1 7. Cock's-foot grass, Dactylis glo?nerata. 18. Tall fescue grass, Festuca elatior. 20. Rye grass, Lolium pereiine NOTES ON KAEE OE PKOBABLE SCOTTISH FUNGI/ ByM. C. COOKE, LL.D., Cor. Mem. C.S.S. IT is never a difficult task for a practical worker in any de- partment of Natural History to find a subject on which to communicate with his fellow-workers, either in propounding and seeking the solution of problems which have presented themselves in his experience, or in communicating from his own knowledge facts and hints which may assist and lighten the labour of others. Hence it will be concluded that two or three days' notice was ample to enable me to present to the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland such a communication. It was, nevertheless, the cause of some anxiety, since such an opportunity so seldom occurs, of producing just such a short * Read at the Conference of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, Sept. 30, 1875. The Scottish Naturalist. 191 paper as should combine brevity with utility, and supply the kind of information which would best serve the interests of this Society and of Scottish Cryptogamists generally. It is well known that I have abjured the study of all other Cryptogamia on behalf of Mycology, and deeming the interests of the Hy meno my cetes perfectly safe in the hands of Mr. Worthing- ton Smith, it is but little attention that I can find time to bestow on any but Microscopic Fungi, and, therefore, it is of these alone that I purpose to write. The geographical distribution of Fungi in Scotland is a topic of interest ; but as yet the materials are deficient for constructing any such tables. This, I would suggest, is an eligible work for the Cryptogamic Society to undertake, and as the Rev. J. Stevenson is making a contribution to such a work, we may fairly conclude that it has really commenced. I shall not attempt, therefore, to enumerate the Fungi found in Scotland, or any portion of it, since this Society may soon avail itself of much more complete materials than any which I possess. The subject which appeared to me at once the most advisable to attempt, and the one which would best secure your approbation, consists of a few stray notes and suggestions on Fungi not yet recorded, or but rarely found in Scotland, deeming that thereby you might be enabled considerably to augment the Scottish catalogue. Before proceeding directly to this subject, I cannot forbear, on this the first opportunity I have had of addressing Scottish Cryptogamists on their own soil, to pay my tribute of respect to the memory of workers who have ceased their labours and gone to their rest. Foremost amongst these stands the name of Dr. Greville, whose Scottish Cryptogamic Flora still holds a respectable place in Cryptogamic literature, notwithstanding that his microscopical details are not up to the standard of the day. Dr. Greville was a hard and earnest worker, and set an example which may be worthily followed. In a humbler sphere William Gardiner must not be forgotten, although chiefly as a collector, yet he performed useful work in his generation. No collections however have been more important than those made by Captain Carmichael in Appin. Considering the time at which he worked and the difficulty of acquiring information, it is no small honour that Carmichael found so much that was new and interesting. 192 The Scottish Naturalist. Coming down to more recent times, the late Mr. Jerdon deserves mention, as quietly and in a manner void of assump- tion adding to the number of Scottish Cryptogamia. The rarer Scottish Fungi found by each and all of these gentlemen should be sought after again by their successors, so as to establish their work. Of Greville's species his Hysterium figured as Hysterium varium, but which Berkeley has named H Carmichalianum, although figured by Greville was found by Carmichael, and the specimen in the Edinburgh Herbarium, which I examined by permission of Professor Balfour, contains sporidia very similar to those of Hysterium repandum, Blox., except in being rather larger. It may be that additional specimens if found would prove that the two are identical. ALcidium ParnassicB found by Greville in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, I am informed has since been found by a mem- ber of this Society ; until recently the only specimen I had seen was the single leaf from Dr. Greville in the Edinburgh Herbarium. Puccinia Chrysosplenii, which, by the way, is quite different rom the P. Chrysosplenii of German authors, has recently been found south of the Tweed by my good friend the Rev. J. E. Vize, of Forden, fully according with Greville's specimens. Helotium ochraceum, the Peziza ochracca of Greville ; Helo- tium cribrostwi, the Ptziza cribrosa of Greville ; Helotium claro- flavum, the Peziza claroflava of Greville, are all species so rare that they merit a good search. Cylindrosporum concentricum^ Grev. fpl. 27J, is a species which has given rise to some confusion, and one I have never seen. It occurs on cabbage leaves, but I am not aware that it has been found since Greville's time. ' Puccinia Fabce, according to Greville's figure, is only an Uromyces ; but he speaks of it as containing more than one cell. I have never seen other than Uromyces on leaves of the bean, although included in the Handbook, on the faith of Greville and Berkeley. A Puccinia on Faba is therefore a desideratum. Sphoiria ( CryptospJuvria ) Tamariscinis, Grev., is a species which should be sought, as I do not think that the Sp/uuria on Tamarisk, with which I am acquainted, is the same species. Nectria Purtoni ( Cucurbitaria pinastri of the S. C. Flora, pi. 50), is certainly rare, and should be diligently sought after. The Scottish Naturalist. 193 Puccinia variabilis, according to Greville, has the cells often subdivided and constricted. I must confess that I could never find a spore with more than one septum in what is supposed to be Puce, variabilis, and the experience of others coincide with my own. If specimens could be found in Scotland upon Dan- delion leaves, agreeing with this portion of Greville's descrip- tion, the fact should be recorded. Whether Greville's Peziza reticulata (pi. 156) be the same as P. venosa is considered by some to be doubtful. The Scotch plant was found near Edinburgh, and it would be well that the forms of P. ve/iosa found in Scotland in the spring should be carefully compared with southern forms. Lophium elatum (pi. 177), is another of Carmichael's plants first figured by Greville. It appears to be everywhere rare — though since found on the continent of Europe — and is always worth searching after. Dothidea betulina is probably not very uncommon in Scot- land ; indeed Greville states that it is common, whereas I have never met with it in England or Wales. Sticlis Wauchii ( Crypto my ces Wauchii, Grev.J is clearly a condition of Rhytisma maximum, which occurs in some parts of England. Choetopsis Wauchii (Grev. fig. 236) I have never seen in any condition, or from any part of the world. It is a very curious mould, and requires further examination. It was found in spring, on rotten wood, at Fox Hall, and might probably be found again if sought after. Virgaria nigra is another scarce mould on dead trunks, found at Appin, but which is also found in N. Europe. It is one of those obscure plants which, being seldom met with, has never been satisfactorily figured. These are some of the fungi figured or described by Greville, which it is well that Scottish Cyptogamists should bear in mind, and probably they will be found again under similar conditions. For my own part, I always feel more satisfied in finding a lost plant which has been described by a botanist of a previous generation than in two or three which are absolutely new. There are also records of other rare plants in Scotland, be- sides those figured by Greville, which may be found again. For instance, a pale rosy-pink Peziza on old Stcreum, which I named Peziza stereicola, and of which the only specimen is in the Edinburgh Herbarium. A pretty little red Peziza on fir 194 The Scottish Naturalist. leaves, named Pcziza incarnata, hitherto only found by Mr. Jerdon. Venturia atramentaria found by Dr. Buchanan White on living leaves of Vaccinium uliginosum ; also Vibrissea Mar- garita, found by the same gentleman. Peziza albo-spadicea (Greville), which I have had recently sent me from the United States. Feziza livida (Sch.) — The true plant was found in Scotland by Sir William Jardine. Peziza Polytrichi Schum. — The only genuine plants yet found in Britain are the Scotch specimens. Pcziza Dalmeniensis, an elegant golden yellow Peziza, found on the ground amongst old nettles at Dalmeny. The little Peziza Grevillei, on stems of Umbellifers, which Greville mistook for P. nidulus. Peziza subtilissima, so like P. calycina, except in fruit, is probably equally common on firs. The rarest of our British species of Puccinia is P. Rhodiolce, found on Scdum rhodiola, in Clova and Glen Callater, and, I believe, nowhere else. It was first discovered by Gardiner. Ustilago vinosa on the flowers of Oxyria, found at Glendole, in August, is another of Gardiner's species, and one of the rarest species of Ustilago. Hydnangium carneum has been found by Dr. Dickson at the Botanic Garden, Glasgow, and hitherto in no other station in Britain. Subterranean fungi are apparently rare in the North. Eustcgia arundinacea, Fr., is certainly an interesting fungus, found in Scotland by the Rev. J. Fergusson, * but apparently not yet in England. The same gentleman has also found several other fungi, as yet confined to Scotland. It may be of interest to note that I found Puccinia Pcrgussoni many years ago in North Wales, as Puccinia Andersoni was also found ori- ginally by Mr. Gardiner. Amongst the Fungi collected at Appin there are several not yet recorded from any other place in Britain, as for instance : Stictis pallida P., Stictis Microstoma, Hclotium buccina Fr., Helotium sclerotioidcs B., Hclotium agaricinum B., Puccinia clandcstina Carm., Helm in thosporium subulatum N., Sporotrichum inosculans B., Peziza mclaxantha Fr. All of these should be sought again. Amongst Capt. Carmichael's specimens there were apparently fragments and indications of other species, too immature or insufficient for description. It is scarcely necessary to include here the more recently discovered or described species, such as those found by Mr. Jerdon, or those collected by mycologists still living, except *See note on p. 197. The Scottish Naturalist. 195 perhaps to intimate that Ascomyccs tricntalis requires more minute examination, especially in a fresh state, than it has received, and that Professor Thistleton Dyer found a Rhytisma on leaves of Vaccinium at the same time that he collected the Exobasidium, which was not in a sufficiently perfect state for description or identification. The same may be said of a Sphceria or punctiform Rhytisma on leaves of Empetrum nigrum. Species not yet recorded in Scotland include Uromyces Trientalis, found on a single leaf from Dr. Dickie, of Aberdeen. It has never been described or recorded, because only this single specimen has been found. Uredo Empetri was found sparingly in North Wales, but there is no reason why it should not be found on Empeti'um nigrum in Scotland. A single example of Mclampsora padl was found within about twenty miles of London, but it is far more probable that it will be found on leaves of Primus padus in Scotland, where Uredo poiphyrogenita occurs, than in the south. Calyptospora Gcep- periiana is a very curious brown fungus, investing the stems and branches of Vaccinium Vitis Idcea, hardly looking like a fungus, but a diseased condition of the tissues ; still it is placed amongst the Uredines, and I have great faith in its being ulti- mately found in Scotland, since it occurs in North Europe and North America. There is no reason to suppose that some of Karsten's Finland species may not also be found in these northern parts of the British Isles, or some of the smaller species found by other mycologists in Northern Europe. For instance, Peziza chrysophthalma and Peziza pithya, on small branches of firs, both elegant little orange species, not unlike Peziza calycina. Peziza hirtella and Peziza avicularia on grouse dung, also Ascobolus crenulatus and Peziza Cesatii on the same substance. It seems to me most extraordinary that hitherto no fungus has been found on grouse dung in Scotland, and I believe that it only requires to be looked for, and some one or more forms of Discomycetes will be found. There is certainly no scarcity of Pinus sylvestris in Scotland and yet we have no record of such species of Discomycetes as Ombrophila abacina, or Helotium proximellum^ or Desmazierella acico/a, all of which are very likely indeed to be met with, the latter having recently been found in the south. Fir leaves, and the small twigs or bark of firs, are the habitat of numerous species, some of which are still unknown to Britain. ig6 The Scottish Naturalist. Two other plants not at all uncommon in Scotland — Calluna and Erica — have not been satisfactorily examined. It would occupy too much time to enumerate all the species separately which should be sought on these and other common plants, such as the species of Vaccinium, Sfiircea, Alchemilla, &c, and, indeed, it would take more time to prepare a satisfactory list than was at my disposal in the preparation of these notes. It will perhaps be objected that these suggestions are too fragmentary to be of much service, and this is doubtless true ; but, as no intimation reached me that a communication would be acceptable until only a few days remained before the journey to Perth had to be commenced, this must be accepted as an earnest of good-will and a desire to assist, even though in- efficiently, the Mycologists of the north. CKYPTOGAMIO SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND. THE first annual conference of this Society was held at Perth, on Sept., 29th and 30th, and October 1st, 1875, and was fairly successful. As a report of the conference has been already published, it is not our intention to give here more than a brief account of the proceedings. The first day was devoted to excursions in the neighbourhood of Perth — Moncreiffe Hill, Scone Woods, and Dupplin Woods, being visited by different parties. Though by this plan more ground was searched than would other- wise have been the case, yet it seems to us that it might have been preferable for all the botanists to have united in one party, and thus given an opportunity to those from different parts of the country of making each other's acquaint- ance : (and more than one day might have been devoted to the excursions with great advantage). Another matter may here be alluded to, and that is the desirability on another occasion of so arranging matters that all the visitors to the Conference may have a common meeting place in the evenings, for the examination of specimens and for conversation. Under the circum- stances it was impossible to make any arrangement for this being done, chiefly because the various members were located (through the kind hospitality extended to them) in various places more or less distant from a common centre. The second day was fully occupied. The forenoon was devoted to the arrangement of the specimens. In the afternoon the Business Meeting was held. After the election of various honorary, corrresponding, and ordinary members, Kelso was selected as the place at which the conference of 1S76 should be held. It appears doubtful to us whether it would not have been more advantageous to have selected a larger town than Kelso for the place of meeting, but on behalf of Kelso, it was urged that it was a place very accessible from all parts of the south of Scotland, and that it was moreover the centre of a district probably very prolific in cryptogamic plants. The following papers were then read : — " On certain probable Scottish Fungi' by M. C. Cooke, LL.D., editor of Grevillea. This will be found at p. 190- The Scottish Naturalist. 197 In moving a vote of thanks to Dr. Cooke, the Rev Mr Fergusson, of Fern, said — I am sure that I express not only my own, but the feelings of all the members of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, when I say that we are deeply indebted to those distinguished English Cryptogamists who have come so far to honour us with their presence at our meeting, and to aid us in so brotherly a way by their wider and more varied experience, and larger knowledge. More particularly are we indebted to Dr. Cooke, whose name is so well known everywhere in connection with Fungi ; for he has not only come all the way from London, but has also been at the trouble to prepare this most interesting and important paper which he has just read to us. Before moving a hearty vote of thanks to him for this paper, I may perhaps be allowed to say a very few words on some of the points contained in it. We in Scotland know very little about Fungi ; and for a long time, until quite recently we had been doing very little that was worth mentioning — but lately some of us have been working up the Fungi of the north of Scot- land — though quietly not altogether unsuccessfully. The result has been, that though many of those species which Dr. Cooke has advised us to look for, have been looked for unfortunately without success, there are othei - s which have been found. sEcidium pamassia: has been found both by Mr. Anderson of St. Andrews and myself, in several localities, but except on one occasion never in any quantity. So far as yet appears it must still be considered as rather rare. Puccinia chrysosplenii though apparently local has been found in so many places that it can hardly be considered as rare. Puccinia rhodiolce has also been met with, far removed from Clova and Glen Callader, but the localities, for reasons which can be appreciated by many members of the Society, are not at present divulged. Again, Puccinia dandestina was discovered by Mr Anderson and myself in company, but only in one spot and veiy sparingly indeed. Dr. Buchanan White has gathered Uredo empetri in Rannoch, and I believe that I have also gathered it in the north-east of Scotland. Moreover Mr. Anderson and my- self once came upon Vibrissia mar^anta in great abundance. With regard to Puccinia fabcc, I may say that the Rev. Mr. Keith of Forres, and others, have gathered not only the Uromyces but the Puccinia state of this species, and that this latter state seems not very unfrequent in Scotland in certain seasons. I may further mention that though I am put down as the discoverer of Eustegia arundinacea, my friend Mr. Stevenson is really the discoverer of that species, which indeed I have never seen. I am also credited with some of Mr. Anderson's discoveries ; and some of the localities given by Mr. Berkeley for our gatherings are occasionally mistaken ; but this is not to be wondered at. The wonder is that, considering the thousands of speci- mens which pass yearly through his hands, he makes so very few mistakes. Other species mentioned by Dr. Cooke as worthy of our search, have already been discovered in Scotland. Amongst these are Stictis pallida, Helotium ochraceum, Helotium clarqflavtim, Peziza Grevillei, &c, and there are not a few of the Appin species of Captain Carmichael which have come to light elsewhere. But we are under large obligations to Dr. Cooke for calling attention, in this seasonable and important paper, to species which ought to be re-discovered, or which have not yet been, but are likely to be met with in Scotland. It is of the utmost importance to know what to look for, and where to look for it. Dr. Cooke has largely helped us in this way, and I beg to move that we accord him a hearty vote of thanks. 198 The Scottish Naturalist. In replying to Mr. Fergusson's remarks, Dr. Cooke begged to ask how they in England were to know what their Scottish brethren were doing unless the latter recorded their discoveries. He thought, too, that any mistakes (in localities) that might have crept into Messrs. Berkeley and Broome's report in the "Annals of Natural History" might be corrected in the pages of the Scottish Naturalist, where also other discoveries might be reported. Dr. Buchanan White remarked that he was always happy to give space in the Scottish Naturalist for reports of discoveries, and that some of these discoveries had been reported, and the mistakes alluded to by Mr Fergusson, corrected in that magazine. The next paper was "On the Fungi of Scotland north of the Tay," by the Rev. J. Stevenson, of Glamis. In submitting this extensive list to the Society, the author intimated that he intended to supplement it at next Conference, by a list of the species south of the Tay, and that then the Society might perhaps publish it. We would take an opportunity in the meantime, of asking assistance from every one who could give it. Mr. C. P. Hobkirk of Huddersfield, read the next paper " On Zygodon rupestris" in which he discussed the differences between that species and Z. viridissimus. This paper will appear in the Journal of Botany. The concluding paper was " On ergots" by Mr. A. Stephen Wilson, of Aberdeen, and will be found at p. 185. In the evening the members of the Society and their friends had a Fungus Dinner. On the last day the Show was thrown open to the public. It was estim- ated that at least 150,000 specimens of fungi, mosses, lichens &c, were ex- hibited — the space covered amounting to nearly 3000 square feet. A fan- amount of species new to Britain were exhibited. Special features of the show were the original drawings of Mr. W. G. Smith's discoveries (see Gardeners Chronicle, &c.,) regarding the potato fungus {Peronospora infestans), and a series of beautiful water colour drawings of fungi, by Miss Johnstone of Inverary. A full account of the Show will be found in the report referred to above. Though the Cryptogamic Society may well be proud of the success of their first exhibition, " the most comprehensive," it was declared, "ever seen in the world ; " yet there are one or two points of failure which we may allude to. The chief of these was the absence of a systematically arranged and named collection of fungi. An attempt was made to have such, but the immense number of specimens sent in for exhibition, and the shortness of the time available for arrangement, as well as the comparatively small number of workers, prevented anything approaching completeness. On another occasion it might be advisable to have more unpackers and arrangers, so as to permit those qualified to classify and name. To reduce the number of collections sent in, would be to risk the loss of many specimens instructive in various ways. On another occasion, too, the Show might be kept up for longer than a single day. As it was, the shortness of time prevented many of the arrangers from having a thorough examination of the specimens. Naias flexilis in Perthshire. — On the 13th of August last, I accom- panied my friend Mr. Robb, of Worcester College, Oxford, for a few days' botanizing among the aquatic plants of the Loch of Cluny. This Loch, The Scottish Naturalist. 199 as most readers of the Naturalist will know, lies about midway between Blairgowrie and Dunkeld, receiving the waters of the Lochs of Butterstone and the Lowes, and discharging into that of Marlee. Its surface is 157 feet above the level of the sea, and about two miles in circumference. It abounds in such interesting aquatic plants as Elaline hexandra, Sulndaria aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Nupkar lutea, Nymphaa alba, several species of Potamogeton, &c. ; and in addition, Stratiotes aloides, and, I believe, Bidomns nmbellatus, though I have never found it. Its castle, which stands on a small island near its western shore, is historically interesting, as, if not the birthplace of the admirable Crichton, at least the place where he spent the early years of his boyhood. In the course of our dredging operations — our dredger being a six-foot-rod with a strong hook attached — we were so fortunate as to fish up a plant, which was new to both of us, but a reference to Hooker's Manual, and afterwards to Bentham's Illustrations, convinced us that we had added Naias Jlexilis to the flora of Great Britain. We found the plant pretty generally distributed over that part of the loch which we examined, viz., the north-west side, growing on the gravelly and muddy bottom, generally along with Callitriche aiitumnalis or a C/iara, but sometimes in patches by itself. As seen from the side of the boat, the loch is so clear and limpid that plants may be seen and recognised through six feet of water — a patch of it looks very like Callitriche, only somewhat darker, and more diffuse. One peculiarity of its growth deserves to be noticed. A considerable depth of water, five feet at least, seems to be necessary to its existence, for nowhere did we find it on the shallow water near the edge. True to its name, it appears, like the Water-Naiads of ancient mythology, to avoid the curious gaze of mortals, and to delight in the placid depths of its native pool. The question at once occurred to us, "Is it native?" At first we felt disposed to doubt it, knowing, as we did, that other plants had been intro- duced into the loch. It is a well-known fact that the Rev. Mr. M 'Ritchie, who was minister of the parish of Cluny during the first thirty years of the present century, was an enthusiastic botanist, and introduced, at least, Stratiotes and Bidomns into the loch, and Typha latifolia into a pond near by the church. Of course he would not intentionally, but it has been suggested that he may, accidentally, have introduced it in seed along with another plant. I incline to think not. On inquiring of Mr. Duff, the intelligent and obliging gardener at Cluny Cottage, we learned that Mr. M' Ritchie inroduced these plants from Wales. Now, when we consider how irregularly Naias is distributed over Europe — in Sweden, North Germany, and Ireland — it is just as likely to be native in the Loch of Cluny as in Wales, from which it has never been recorded. As far as we could learn, Mr. M'Ritehie never got plants from Ireland or North America, where I believe Naias is common. On the whole, therefore, at present I incline to consider it one of the native rarities of the Loch of Cluny. — Abram Sturrock, Rattray, December, 1875. W NEW SCOTTISH FUNGI. E are indebted to Dr. M. C. Cooke, editor of Grevillea, for the following extracts from a paper on New British 200 The Scottish Naturalist. Fungi, about to appear in Grevillea. Some of the species were exhibited at the Perth Fungus Show, and the others found about the same time. Badhamia fulvescens. Cooke. Peridia sessile, subglobose, scattered, or 3-6 together, tawny- ochre, towards the base clad with a delicate white pubescence ; spores pale brown, minute, ovate. On old sacking. Dupplin Castle, Perth. Dr. M. C. Cooke. Spores ('0003 in.) '00 7 5 m.m. diam. The cysts investing the spores are quite distinct. I am in- debted to Mr. C. E. Broome for examining this plant, and he coincides in the opinion that it is undescribed. TJstilago intermedia. Schioter. Produced within the florets, violet-brown ; spores subglobose, ovate, or shortly elliptic, rather large ; epispore minutely spinu- lose. — Schroter in Rabh. F. Eur. No. 1696. On flowers of Scabiosa. Scotland. Rev. J. Fergusson. The spores are larger and darker than in U. flosculorum ; in the latter being *oi m.m., and in the present species "015 m.m. Geoglossum microsporum. Cook & Peck. " Mycographia, " fig. 11. Var. tremellosum. Sporidia biseriate, cylindrical, or subfusiform, hyaline, be- coming at length faintly 5-7 septate. On the ground. Rannoch. Dr. Buchanan White. This is referred to the American species as a variety, but it seems to be more tremellose than the typical form, and the sporidia do not flow out and cover the surface of the club ; this may be accounted for in that the specimens were not so fully matured. Sporidia -03 m.m. long. Peziza (Sarcoscypha) coprinaria. Cooke. Subgregarious, sessile, crimson. Cups hemispherical, soon flattened (1 cm. broad) : margin slightly elevated, fringed with long pale brown septate hairs ; asci cylindrical ; sporidia ellipti- cal, smooth ; paraphyses clavate at the tips, filled with orange , granules. On dung. Rannoch. Dr. Buchanan White. A very distinct species, exhibited at the Perth Fungus Show. The cups remain flattened in drying, external cells very large, hairs J m.m. long. Sporidia '02 x *oi m.m. The hairs are never stellate as in P. stcrcorea, nor is the cup so densely hairy, the hairs being confined to the margin. The name of P. The Scottish Naturalist. 201 hippocopra, under which this species was first reported, has been replaced since it appears to have occurred on cow-dung. It is curious that at the same time an interesting species allied to P. stercorea, on dung, was sent from the United States by Mr. W. R. Gerard, which also is undescribed. Peziza (Dasyscypha) comitessae. Cooke. Caespitose or single and gregarious, bright golden-yellow, externally paler, and tomentose, stipitate, common stem branching below. Cups at first clavate, then expanded and cupulate ; asci cylindrical ; sporidia minute, linear, straight or curved ; paraphyses filiform. On a fallen tree. Dupplin Castle, Perth. Dr. M. C. Cooke. Asci -05 x -006 m.m. ; sporidia 'oo6-'oo75 m.m. long. The branching stem resembles that of Peziza pygmea, to which this species is allied ; the tufts contain from two to four cups proceeding from a common stem, or sometimes single. It is an elegant species dedicated to the Countess of Kinnoull, on whose estate it was discovered. Peziza (Hymenoscypha) monilifera. Fckl. Sym. Myc. 310. Stipitate, scattered, or caespitose. Cups seated amongst Bis- pora, at first subclavate, at length dilated ; disc concave, patellate when mature, marginate, waxy, externally and rather long stem, smooth, pallid brown ; disc slightly darker ; asci elongated ; sporidia biseriate, oblong, attenuated towards each end, but obtuse, at length uniseptate, hyaline ; paraphyses filiform, sub- clavate. Amongst Bispora monilioides on cut timber. Dupplin Castle. Dr. M. C. Cooke. Cups 1-2 m.m. broad, 1-3 m.m. high; sporidia "012 x -004 m.m. Fuckel has constituted a new genus under the name of Bis- pora for this species, of which he assumes that Bispora monili- oides is the conidia form. Helotium scoparium. Cooke. Scattered or subgregarious, pallid, sessile ; disc convex, rather paler, whole plant becoming greyish in drying ; asci clavate ; sporidia cylindrical, obtuse, straight or curved, binucleate, at length with the endochrome divided ; paraphyses simple, fili- form, slightly granular. On dead twigs of broom. Dupplin Castle, Perth. Dr. M. C. Cooke. 202 The Scottish Naturalist. Cups i m.m. broad ; Asci "i x '02 m.m. ; sporidia , 02- , 02 5 x -005 m.m. Ascobolus crenulatus. Karst. Fung. Fenn. No. 763. Gregarious, sessile, at first spheroid, then flattened, nearly plane, greenish-yellow, furfuraceous ; margin crenulate (1-5 m.m. broad) ; asci clavate ; sporidia elliptical, striate, violet becoming brownish ; paraphyses slender. — Karst. Myc. Fenn. \.p. 77. On grouse dung. Rannoch. Dr. Buchanan White. Sporidia •oi2- , oi6 x -oo6-'oo8 m.m. ; cups about 1-1 \ m.m. broad ; disc of the Rannoch specimens, vinous when old, re- taining the greenish colour at the base of the cups. Ascobolus (Ascophanus) pilosus. Fr. Minute, sessile, yellow, testaceous, yellow or tawny-orange, externally pilose with long hairs ; disc papillate ; margin naked ; hairs simple, incrassated at the base ; asci clavate ; sporidia hyaline, oblong ovate ; paraphyses slender, septate, simple, or branched, granular. On grouse dung. Rannoch. Dr. Buchanan White. Cups /oth m.m. broad; sporidia "02 x -oi m.m. This is referred to A. pilosus as a variety, but the specimens were more minute than usual, scarcely visible to the naked eye, pallid. It differs from any form of A. papillatus and A. ciliatus in the hairs not being marginal but clothing the surface of the cup ; they are also more slender than in the other species. It was accompanied by a minute Rypai'obius and Sphceria (Sporormia) Notarisii. Xylaria Scotica. Cooke. Suberose ; stem very long, pallid, root-like, slender, 1-3 times dichotomously branched above ; branches elongated, or very short and fasciculate ; heads elongated, subcylindrical ; apex, more or less acute, greyish-brown, then black ; perithecia very numerous, slightly papillate ; asci cylindrical ; sporidia uniseri- ate, elliptical, brown, minute. On the ground. Meikleour. Mr. D. Matheson. Entire length, including rooting base, 2 to 6 inches. Clubs about 1 inch long ; sporidia 'oos-'ooG x -003 m. m. A most interesting addition to the British Flora. It was ex- hibited at the Perth Fungus show, and is wholly unlike any de- scribed species. The sporidia are smaller than in any other British Xylaria. Commonly 6-8 heads arise from the rooting stem. The Scottish Naturalist. 203 Sphoeria (Sporomia) Notarisii. Car. Rabh. Fung: Eur. 976b. Perithecia black, rather shining, ovoid or rounded ; ostiola wart-like or mamillaeform ; asci cylindrical, octosporous ; sporidia tetramerous, brown, not apparently surrounded by a hyaline coat — Hedwigia, 1868,/. 69, /. i,fig. 1. On grouse dung. R'ann< >ch. Dr. Buchanan White. Sporidia , o22- , 026 x •oo4- , oo5 m.m. ; segments of the sporidia *oo5-'oo6 m.m. long. Sphoeria (Sordaria) curvula. D. By. Morph. Pilze, p. 209. Perithecia scattered, superficial, or rarely semi-immersed, oblong-conical, rugulose, densely clothed with articulate fasci- culate brown hairs ; asci broad, cylindrical, stipitate ; sporidia ovate or elliptic, dark brown, with hyaline terminal appendage ; paraphyses articulated, longer than the asci. — Sphceria sterco- raria, Fungi Britt. i. 589. On cow dung. King's Lynn (C. B. Plowright). Rannoch (Dr. Buchanan White). Sporidia '029 x .015 m.m., without appendage. Bryological Notes.- Mr S. A. Stewart, of Belfast, who knows more about the Geology and Botany of the north east of Ireland, than any other man now living, has recently published a list of the Mosses of that district. The list is an admirable one, contai s many important species, and very largely extends our knowledge of their geographical distribution in that region. Among the more important species mentioned are Cryphcea heteromalla, Hypnum giganteum, Hyp. ha nulosum, Hyp. Teesdalii, Hyp. punnlum, Tayloria serrata, Zygodon cone lens, Z. saxicola {Z. Stirtoni Sch. ), Gly~ phomitruim Daviesii, Grimmi robusta, Hechuighivi imberbe, Grimmia coiiferta, Trichostomum tortile, 1 cttia littoralis, Seligvria calcarea, and many others. The district ought to i a rich one, and should furnish more than the 238 species here enumerated, which is only about half the number found in the north-east of Scotland, and we do not doubt but that continued search on the spot will yet revc I the existence of yet more and interesting species. Might we venture to hope that some one will do for the north- west of Ireland what Mr Stewa: •:. has done for the north-east ? As yet the the north-west is almost unknown to us, so far as its mosses are concerned. — J. FERGUSSON, The Manse, Fern, near Brechin. Manual of Bryology.— I should feel much obliged to all collectors of mosses were they to send me sj cimens of any rare mosses or records of localities for such, before I finish che manuscript of "the Manual of British Bryology. — Id. ZOOLOGY. ANIMAL PSYCHOSIS. ( Continued from p. 153. ^ By the Rev. J. Wardrop. IF animals have not a self or self-consciousness, let us see what else they must be destitute of, that man, in having a self and self-consciousness, has ; and let us observe, besides, if it be not the fact that, what the absence of selfhood dooms animals by inference to be without is exactly what they cannot by observation be proved to have. 2. A self or person is not only, as a being, self-conscious, but as an intelligence, it is self-regulated, and as an agent, it is self- determined. A self is a freely active and productive power. It is not only power, nisus, action, but will of self-determined action. Man is such a self or person. Will is an essential element of our personality. Kant says, will is a man's " proper self." In the proper sense of the term "Will is a power of control over the other faculties or capacities of our nature, by means of which we are enabled to determine personal activity" (Calderwood, Hdb. of Moral Phil. p. 165). In this sense of the term, "an animal," as Goodsir says (Anat. Mem. 1. 213), "has no will." Will is not only characteristic of man, as introspection at once shows, but observation of animal action can discover nothing to prevent us from call- ing it also distinctive of man. There is no indication of proper voluntary agency in the animal. All its activity is determined for it and necessary. Huxley's doctrine that man's volitions, so called, do not enter into the chain of causation of his actions, who that looks within himself can for a moment admit? It is the grovelling doctrine of H. G. Atkinson and Harriet Martineau over again. "All causes are material causes." " I am what I am," it makes a man say. " A creature of necessity, I claim neither merit nor demerit. I feel that I am as completely the result of my nature, and impelled to do The Scottish Naturalist 205 what I do, as the needle to point to the north, or the puppet to move according as the string is pulled." This is as false to fact as it is grovelling. The order of man's inner nature, as can be ascertained with certainty, is quite the reverse. The sequence of his thoughts and the resultant actions are determinable by will. In the words of Mr. Huxley, elsewhere than in the Fort- nightly Review : " Our volition counts for something as a condition of the course of events " (Phys. Basis of Life). It counts for that tremendous something, the rendering man a self-regulated intelligence, and a self-determined agent — that is to say, a man, and not a puppet. Huxley's other statement about the nonentity of volition will hold, however, of animals. They may take up the above language of H. G. Atkinson and H. Martineau. In them volition counts for nothing. It does not enter into the chain of causation of their actions. In them the connection between the idea, or feeling, or stimulus, and the action is immediate, predetermined, and necessary. There is no self-control — "no choice between action and inaction" (Goodsir). In the words of Carpenter, " there is no evidence that any of the lower animals have a voluntary power of guid- ing, restraining, or accelerating their mental operations at all similar to that which man possesses" (Hum. Phys. p. 771., and Mental Phys. p. 105. and 377). But Huxley's protean philoso- phy, true again to itself, had said, in the Comtemporary Review, " There is as good evidence that animals possess powers of emotion and volition as sensation, and as good evidence that they possess all these as there is that man possesses them." These, for the most prominent physiologist of the day, are rash words. It would be a strange philosophy, of which such tam- pering with " evidence " would not be unworthy. What is the evidence that animal action, in any of the conditions of it, is free and self-determined. It is harmless enough, in an easy and popular way of speaking, to allow animals wills of their own. But when, in scientific discussion, Mr. Huxley, and others who, it may be, are otherwise far from his platform, such as Dr. Leitch (Ethics of Theism, p. 373, seqq.), and Max Miiller (Lect. on Science of Lang. 1. Lect. ix.), ascribe the faculty of will to animals, there is the want either of vigorous definition, or of adequate evidence. If man be not the only second cause in the universe, he is the only second cause that is voluntary and free. 3. The absence of self-consciousness and voluntary agency must leave the whole mental faculties, whether subservient to 206 The Scottish Naturalist. knowledge or to impulse, modified in the animal in a manner totally different from what is presented in man — so modified indeed that they can no longer be called the same faculties. Leaving aside meanwhile the lower faculties of sensitive per- ception, memory, and the simply representative, as distinguished from the creative, imagination, and taking thought proper — that conceptual power by which man reduces to knowledge and truth the real, and that idealising power by which he can deal with the possible and body forth the desirable ; where is the evidence that animals can, even in the most rudimentary fashion, abstract, generalise, ideally create, extract the thoughts that are in things, or have a sense of certitude, or realise the dimmest feeling of axiomatic necessity, or taste in any way the joy of knowledge, or even rise to the dignity of being curious about knowledge. Their knowing is not of the human type. Hence it is at this point of abstract and notional knowledge that Locke found the fundamental distinction between animals and man. Max Millie* does the same, though he prefers to signalise the distinction by the outward expression of it in language. To him the brute creation constitutes what Lord Erskine called the "mute creation:" man, on the other hand, is "articulately speaking." He embodies in words the generalised thoughts that are his mental interpretation of the universe. It may of course be expected that it will not be easy to show, by a direct appeal to the psychical phenomena of animals, either that they have or have not the power of conceptional thought. I appeal here only to the following considerations. It is this power that makes man the possessor of truth, and the architect of science and literature, and that therefore bestows on him, as it makes him capable of, the boon of progressive civilisation, and the promise of indefinite perfectibility. All these characteristics man owes to his notionalising and ela- borate powers of mind. Now, first, these characteristics are strikingly distinctive of man, and peculiar to him, indicating that the mental ground of them is also distinctive and peculiar. The amassing of knowledge, self-culture, the power of in- definite unprovability, is absent in the animal, — of course, is it not? with the absence of the self to cultivate. There is no amassing of knowledge, no science, competent to animals, — is it not because the real condition of true knowledge and its end they lack — self-hood ? What have they done for self- development, for the improvement of their knowing powers, The Scottish Naturalist. 207 and the hoarding up of results in the shape of truth, during the secular periods that have been allotted to them. These periods of probation have been multiplied to them above those allotted to man ; but with what result ? Mr. Huxley has ex- pressed it when he says, " Man has accumulated and organised the experience which is almost wholly lost with the cessation of every individual life in other animals" (Man's Place, &c, 112). He says "almost wholly lost." True, a pointer can have his instincts somewhat improved by human care, and skill, and whipping. And he can bequeath the accumulation to his pos- terity ; and if the means of training at the hands of man are persevered in, the forced result in the shape of education may be considerable. At the most, it is plainly a limited, not an indefinitely augmentable, result. And if the means were neglected, what would the dog grow to ? He would ungrow very soon the whole product of his laborious education, and re- trograde to his own place. There is a fixity about animals most unlike anything about man. As Sumner says, " Animals are born what they are intended to remain. Nature has bestowed on them a certain rank, and limited the extent of their capacity by an impassible decree. Man she has empowered and obliged to become the artificer of his own rank in the scale of beings, by the peculiar gift of improvable reason" (ap. Lyell Antiq., &c, 497). Mr. Huxley has ascribed this accumulative power of man to the " possession of the marvellous endowment of intelli- gible and rational speech." But it is not speech, the logos pro- forikos, that is to be credited with this result. The achievement must rather be laid to the account of the logos endiathetos, the archbishop's " improveable reason." The amassed truth, the organised experience that exists in the body of human knowledge and science ; the self-culture, which the mere life-bound soul of the animal does not need, but which a self constantly craves, and to which every man may make his acquaintance with objects and beings beyond himself subservient ; and the fact that every man is capable of adding, in his measure, a con- tribution to the accumulated store ; all this forms one of the broadest and most glaring distinctions between animals and man. As, moreover, there is no self-development in the animal in- tellectually, so there is no self-aggrandisement, so to speak, in things material. There is no wealth, no trade, no commerce, no industrial occupation. The whole outward life is diverse 2o8 The Scottish Naturalist. from the human type. It requires a self-regulated intelligence, having conceptional powers, and a self-determined activity in the use of them, — a person, in short, to make use of tools or machinery, or to store their products and follow a system of material accumulation. Animals are as incapable of material civilization as of intellectual. In reference to some of the above points, and some others not here mentioned, the follow- ing passage from a very able, though not always a very clear writer, is well worth quoting — " Nothing appears more really conclusive against all sup- posed capacity for great development 'in the animal' than the history of what are called ' learned animals;' of the mechanical means necessarily employed for teaching them, and the me- chanical results obtained. There is, indeed, no better word to describe the true state of the case than the term ' mechanical,' as opposed to everything that is ideal or truly creative. If a brute could idealise the laws of outward nature, or the laws con- necting his own powers with their proper functions, he might see them as a man does, and give them a fresh existence within his own intelligence. He would then be able to invent an alphabet, conceive a picture, and view the properties of outward objects as universals inwardly apprehended. In this way he would acquire exemption from the reign of mechanism, and live a really creative life. It is manifest at a glance how far in fact these conquests are from the world of creatures — by us, there- fore, called unreasoning. Art, letters, and abstract thought are no visitants of the animal sphere. Words cannot come where thoughts are not, and therefore language, in the human meaning of the term, is unknown to brutes ; and no effort of man has ever been successful in sharing with his humble companions any one (much less all) of these attainments. His artistic sense of Beauty, and power of giving it varied expression, find no echo beneath himself. He can in nowise teach by historical record, poetry, abstract calculation, or abstract thought. Neither can he impart the true secret of social sympathy, and forbid the stricken deer to weep and die alone. Intelligence without imagination cannot conceive a sorrow so lonely or un- seen, therefore it knows little of deep sorrow, for even the mortally wounded bird will strive to hide its wound." — (Jack- son, Philosophy of Nat. Theology, pp. 312-3). Is it open to us to hold an identity of mental principle where the mental powers are so opposite ? Till it can be shown that The Scottish Naturalist. 209 at least the highest animal has something of the capacity for improvement possessed by even the lowest human savage, we should not be asked to admit that it is the same kind of being that the improvement is to affect. Especially as secondly, in the reverse way, if animals had had the self-consciousness and the abstract cognitive faculty that gave man his powers of attainment and progress, it may well be asked, How is it that animals do not benefit in the same way by the endowment ? Have they not yet had their opportunity ? What arrest has been laid on the natural tendency of the faculty that in them it has remained thus, not only stunted but altogether unger- minative ? These considerations do not make it hopeful that any direct inspection of the psychical phenomena of animals shall ever discern in them a likeness to human thought, or in their principle a subject identical with the human soul. 4. Animals are sometimes credited with the principle of prudence— that outward self-love that refuses a present good in order to secure a future greater good. In man the "reflex ego " is never busier with its reflex functions, never more occupied with itself than in an act of prudence. Through all such prudential actions in him, there constantly shoots the warm light of self-consciousness, making the end, the motive, and the means clear to the mind, personal, self-regarding, and self-determined. If the animal be capable of such action in a true human fashion, it is as much a person, self-conscious and free, as any of us. But is it true that the mole, while he stores his worms — even granting that he employs ingenious means of keeping them fresh — is exercised in mind much as the husband- man is when he stores his harvest ? Even if there had not been found far down in the animal series, such a typical storer as the bee or ant, I do not know that it would have been much less easy than with that circumstance it is seen to be, to answer the question. But with an entomological claim on the dignity of prudential motive and conduct, the anthropological preroga- tive must be held safe, sacred, and incommunicable. 5. The moral and religious faculties — the highest powers of humanity, still remain. They again stand or fall with self- hood ; and self-hood stands or falls with them. If there is no will, no personality, no self determining agency, the foundations of morality are not laid. It is because man is not pre- determined, but is a law to himself that he is moral and responsible. The animal receiving its law, all the conditions 210 7 he Scottish Naturalist. of its being from without, and acting thus by fate, is beyond the moral sphere. Having no will, " it cannot be conceived " as Goodsir says "to possess a choice between right and wrong." Where is the evidence that animate, even the highest of them, ever come within sight of such a power? It might have been well if all scientific men had left it to old Montaigne to lead this evidence. Dr. Lindsay, however, says, "the actions of certain animals, especially those which have been highly educated, such as the dog, show that they possess a distinct conscious- ness, perception, knowledge or appreciation of the nature or meaning of right and wrong, of praise and blame, of rewards and punishments, of justice and injustice, of duty and its obliga- tions, of trust and responsibility, of property and ownership, of moral and immoral actions, of honesty and dishonesty." {Journal of Mental Science, April 1871, p. 50). He then adduces proofs. But the words which Mr. Wallace has employed in dealing with Houzeau, who advances similar reasonings and conclusions, are a fair answer to Dr. Lindsay. "Our author adduces the usual proofs that animals have a sense of right and wrong, but which really show nothing more than that they can be made to acquire certain habits through the fear of punishment, or the expectation of reward." &c. (Nature, vol. vi. 470). Indeed a more conclusive method for convincing any one of competent philosophical attainments, that animals are not moral beings, could hardly be resorted to than just to study the facts and reasonings adduced to show that they are moral beings. One of the first established distinctions between the man and the brute, that of Aristotle, shall no doubt remain to the last. It is the possession by man of a conscience. Dr. Lindsay himself, to all intents and purposes gives up the point, when he says, " this — 'the conscience grounded on fear;'" which is not the conscience at all in Aristotle's sense, " animals un- doubtedly possess. Whether they possess also the gradually developed ' conscience grounded on spontaneous approval,' " which is the conscience of Aristotle and truth, bating something about the "development," "is one of the many probably insolu- ble questions that arise in comparing the mind of other animals with that of man." If " insoluble," or even if as yet unsolved, so far the conclusion that any " animals possess mind of the same nature as that of man," is beyond the premises. But why is comparative Psychology presumably so helpless at this point? If animals do really possess a true conscience, spon- The Scottish Naturalist. 211 taneously approving the right and disapproving- the wrong, their actions may be expected to reveal its presence. If their actions do not reveal the influence of such a faculty, why place its possession among possibilities — except indeed for the sake of the conclusion ? Thus, the whole round of faculty that belongs to human self- hood is untouched at any one point by any power within the animal range. There is no inward self to be either a free pro- ductive power or a conscious end to the brutes. Their outward individual life, and the life of their race, is all that their actions are directed to maintain ; and not for a moment is either that life or its maintenance before their consciousness or in their purpose in the homefelt sense of being theirs, their end, and their work. Such is the effect of the absence in them of self con- sciousness and free agency on the higher psychical functions. But now, since this want of personality affects the very nature of the psychical principle itself, does it not affect also the character even of the lower manifestations of mind, such as have been allowed to be similar to those of man ? If, on passing up the scale of mental powers, we come at last to personality, w r ith its accompanying specialities, and find them awanting in ani- mals, must not this fatal want at the top make its influence be felt on the previous series, even to the bottom, and really transform all the psychical powers we have previously allowed to have a similarity to man's, into something quite different from the human type? All human mental operations, from sensation upwards, are accompanied, we have seen, by a real home-coming knowledge of self. Those of animals never are. Are the two series, in that case, even at the start, of the same type ? Ending wide as the poles asunder, do they begin in identity ? We find them beyond dispute diametrically divergent at last, must not this radical distinction cast its shadow before, and establish a variety of type from the beginning? At all events, where the powers manifested are so widely different, the principial source cannot be the same. There is no reasoning ever yet resorted to by the keenest advocate of identity that has even plausibility about it, or, at least, such a speciousness as will bear a second look. When Bayle argues that the souls are the same, and that it is only deficiency of organisation in the animal tribes to which their deficiency in psychical manifestation is due, — this would have argued a serious mistake on the part of the Creator, unless it had turned 212 The Scottish Naturalist. out to be only an error on the part of the physiologist. Agassiz argues for an immaterial principle in all animals, simi- lar to that which, by its superior excellence and superior endow- ments, places man so far above them. He does this on the ground that they possess individuality. If this individuality had been a conscious possession of animals, i.e. one they knew anything about, it would have argued a psychical principle that might be equal to man's, for that possession is one of man's, highest prerogatives. But as the idea of individuality is only an attribute that the scientist describes the animal by, as he also does the crystal, it argues an immaterial, or at least a human- like soul in the animal no more than it does in the stone. ( To be continued. ) ILLUSTKATIONS OP ANIMAL KEASON. ( Continued from p. 148.) By W. LAUDER LINDSAY, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. IT is scarcely possible now-a-days to take up any Newspaper or Magazine of the better class, without finding- — whether or not they are looked for — incidents or Anecdotes illustrative of Animal intelligence. This is a significant sign of the times, showing the growing attention that is being given by the general public to the Mental status of subject creatures. But,, for various reasons, the paragraphs or articles devoted by news- papers or magazines of all kinds to the illustration of the mental endowments of the lower animals are too generally regarded as ephemeral and worthless. They are far too little utilised for the purposes of generalisation by those who will neither take the trouble to observe Nature for themselves, nor give their attention to the study of such published works as those of Darwin, Huxley, Wallace, and Spencer. It is only the in- dustrious and sagacious compiler, such as the Rev. J. G. Wood, F.L.S., who has the sense, and takes the pains, to garner the scattered grains of Newspaper science. This feeling or estimate of the valuelessness of Newspaper anecdotes arises partly, from their usually being anonymous, and partly from the ephemeral nature of the medium in which they are presented to the public. But that they, or at least many of them, deserve a better fate — a more permanent record — it is the object of the present article to point out. I have personally taken a con- The Scottish Naturalist. 213 siderable amount of trouble in the endeavour to fix the value pertinent to many " Illustrations of Animal Reason" given in current serial literature, and the results are perhaps of sufficient interest to warrant description somewhat in detail. Firstly, as regards newspapers of all classes — including not only the daily — such as the " Telegraph," but the weekly, such as "The Graphic," "illustrated London News," "North British Advertiser and Ladies' Miscellany," "Saturday Review," and " Spectator." (1.) Their occasional leading articles on subjects connected with Natural History are usually by men holding a high or a .good position in the scientific world, either as general Naturalists or as Zoologists. I do not happen to know who are the authors of those " leaders" of this class that every now and then appear in the " Daily Telegraph" — with reference, for instance, to doings at the London Zoological Gardens. But they bear the stamp of being written by men thoroughly versed in their sub- ject, men not only of great experience as Field Naturalists, but of great erudition as Library Students. These leader-writers are indeed of a far higher class — as will be shown in the sequel — than the contributors of zoological articles to such pretentious works as "Chambers's Encyclopaedia. " (2.) It is the custom of Newspapers now-a-days to give copious reviews of Natural History works, with extracts there- from. These criticisms are by the same class of popular Natu- ralists as the writers of leaders on Natural History subjects ; while the extracts or quotations, of course, give reference not only to the works criticised, but to various of the incidents contained in these works. (3.) In noting current events in which the dog, horse, and other animals take a part, the correspondents of the public press frequently give the dates of the incidents — the names, addresses or residences of the proprietors of animals, and of the eye-witnesses of their behaviour — whereby such Anecdotes ad- mit of satisfactory investigation. (4.) Newspapers are in the habit of giving copious extracts with comments, or of otherwise mentioning the contents, of all the leading Serials — such as " Nature," " Science Gossip," the various Quarterly Reviews, " Cornhill " and "Macmillan's" Magazines, and " Good Words." (5.) Even in Newspapers, articles on Natural History — Anec- dotes of Animal sagacity — are not always anonymous. 214 The Scottish Naturalist. (6.) It happens then that where incidents illustrative of Ani- mal Reason are of such a character as to render it worth while to investigate their authenticity or truthfulness, it is generally possible — with much trouble it may be — to prove to what ex- tent they are based on fact. Let me now give a few special examples from my own ex- perience, in support of the foregoing general propositions. I know no Newspaper which gives so much, or so frequent- attention to Anecdotal Zoology as the " North British Adver- tiser," an Edinburgh weekly, which contains not only original articles, but plentiful quotations from recently published volumes and serials. I have personally known that newspaper and its proprietors for at least thirty years ; and the nature of this knowledge leaves me in no doubt as to the genuineness of its extracts and the character of its contributors. In January 1875, appeared in its columns certain letters on the " Reasoning Powers of Animals," signed " Mary Mackellar." To assure myself of the character of the writer (whose signature might have been a mere nom de plume), and of the truth of her state- ments, I applied to the proprietors ; with the result that one of them at once wrote me (Feb. 1, 1875) in the following terms : "In reply to your memo, of 30th ult. Mary Mackellar is the wife of a sea captain, without family, and frequently accompanies her husband when he goes to sea. She has thus ample opportunity for observing the habits of animals on ship board, &c. Our Editor, who comes in personal contact with her, believes that her narative^ are founded on facts brought under her own observation. Her address is — Mrs. Mackellar, 22 William Street, Edinburgh." There are probably no readers of the well-known " Inverness Courier," which, under the editorship of the accomplished Dr. Carruthers — himself an eminent Scottish litterateur, is one of the best provincial newspapers in Scotland, who are not ac- quainted with the letters from its " Nether Lochaber " corres- pondent. Every now and then these letters contain, in the midst of a profusion of Celtic Folk-lore, incidents, obviously founded on personal observation, illustrative of the Intelligence of West Highland birds or other animals. Desirous, however, of being assured of the perfect accuracy of some of the more striking of the statements made by the anonymous writer of the letters, I made application to Dr. Carruthers. The result was the following answer from the Resident in Nether Lochaber himself : — The Scottish Naturalist. 215 " Dr. Carrutiiers of the " Inverness Courier " has sent me your note. "You are at perfect liberty to make use of such parts of my contribu- tions to the " Courier " as may best suit your intended publication, giving my name as writer and authority in full. " If you will explain to me the nature of the work on which you are en- gaged, and I find that I can help you in any other way, I shall be very glad. (Signed) Alex. Stewart, Minister of the Parish of Ballachulish and Ardgour — Feb., 1874," who is at the present moment, it may be added, editing, with memoir and notes, a re-issue of " Logan's Scottish Gael." His competency both to observe and report upon facts in Natural History is unquestionable, and far superior to that of the authors of not a few works on Animal Sagacity that I have had occasion to peruse. In October, 1875, there appeared in the " Perthshire Constitu- tional and Journal" newspaper, a couple of Papers entitled "The Cats' Opera Man," being the biography of Samuel Bisset — once a shoemaker in Perth, but who subsequently became known throughout the three kingdoms as a trainer of" performing animals : — who was in his way, indeed, one of the celebrities of Perth — one never heard of, however, alongside of the nobodies who, by reason of the butchery of their fellow-men, have achieved what is called military " Fame," or who, by " strict attention to business" and the " selection of the best style of goods," have amassed wealth and attained civic eminence. These articles — devoted to poor Bisset's memory — were con- tributed by the writer of the series of Antiquarian papers for which the " Perthshire Constitutional" has acquired local dis- tinction — a series of sufficient value to have required their re- publication in a more permanent form in at least 3 volumes — one of which has just been issued as " The Perthshire Antiquarian Miscellany," whose contents, however, cannot be wholly "Antiquarian," seeing that it contains a paper on " The Salmon of the Tay." The author of the said " Miscellany" — the Biographer of worthy Bisset — is a residenter in Perth, Mr. Robert Scott Fittis — known to the literary world less perhaps by his " Illustrations of the History and Antiquities of Perthshire " than by his " Gilderoy: a Scottish tradition,"* and other works. In reply to certain inquiries as to Bisset's Biography, Mr. Fittis favoured me with the following particulars : — * Published as one of the volumes of "Routledge's Railway Library :" London, 1866. 2i6 The Scottish Naturalist. "The 'old biography' referred to appeared in an octavo volume, of some 300 or 400 pages, entitled ' Curiosities of Biography, or Memoirs of Remarkable Men' (no author's name given), which was published at Glasgow byGrifhn & Co. in 1845. il * s a collection of the lives of dwarfs, giants, fat men, misers, &c. , and is evidently in the main a reprint of much older matter. Bisset's life occupies 2.\ pages. I suppose the book is now entirely out of print. I saw it in 1856, and at that time copied Bisset's life. But I may state that I have incorporated the whole of the biography in my articles— for there are two of them. Several notices of Bisset have occasionally appeared in periodicals. There was one, I understand, about a year ago, in Land and Water, and one, a number of years ago, in Hogg's Instructor. It is remarkable that no notice of him appears in Chambers's Book of Days, though that work contains an account of some ' Animal Comedians' in London about the same time. The well-known work, 'Wilson's Wonderful Characters,' never mentions Bisset." In April, 1874, an accident, fatal to a young lady belonging to a well-known family in the Carse of Gowrie, occurred on the Public Bridge of Perth — a runaway ox having butted her so suddenly and seriously against the parapet wall as to have speedily caused death. So at least said the Newspaper ac- counts, whicli differed in their details, though all were correct in the essential facts. Desirous, for many reasons, of ascer- taining the simple facts of the case, particularly in reference to the mental state of the accused animal — for 1 have a strong conviction that at least the majority of such accidents are due to man's culpability in his treatment of over-driven, footsore cattle, infirm both in body and mind — I appealed to Mr. Melville Jameson, the Procurator-Fiscal for the city and county, for permission either to read, or to be present at, the deposi- tions of the witnesses in the event of there being any judicial investigation. He promptly replied as follows : — "County Buildings, "Perth, 23d April, 7874. "Accident to Miss . — The circumstances did not render it necessary for me to conduct any criminal investigation, and no depositions were taken from any of the witnesses. Had an inquiry been instituted, I would have been glad to have suggested your name to the Crown Office as a professional witness in the special facts to which your attention has been directed." For a series of years the " People's Journal" (Dundee), has signalised itself by offering Prizes to youth of both sexes — especially to those still attending school — for Essays and poems on various popular subjects. The prize essays and poems are published in the Christmas No. of the "Journal," and constitute a special kind of Christmas literature. The subjects proposed The Scottish Naturalist. 217 have sometimes included Natural History, Popular Zoology, the Habits of the Domestic or other Animals : — the object of the donors of the prizes and projectors of the essays being apparently, on the one hand, to stimulate the faculties of Obser- vation and Description, and, on the other, to inculcate lessons of Kindness to the lower animals — a twofold object deserving of all commendation. Thus, in or about 1872, Dr. Stables, R.N., offered, through the Journal in question, a series of prizes for stories, anecdotes, or poems about Cats and their doings ; and many of the resultant facts — illustrative of the affection, sagacity, or other good qualities of these animals — are quoted in a work published by him in 1874;* or rather, it should be said, the Prize Poems appeared in the " Journal," while the Stories or Anecdotes were woven into the text of Dr. Stables' book. In December, 1872, I was struck with an article in the " Graphic," entitled " Our Parrot," which was described as possessing the power of appropriate remark and repartee. In- quiry at the Editor, as to the accuracy of the facets or state- ments, elicited the following prompt and courteous reply; and I mention specially that it was both prompt and courteous in contrast with the procedure of certain other Editors who vouch- safed no reply — and might have had good reasons for with- holding one — or whose reply was neither prompt nor satis- factory : — " ' The Graphic ' Office, ^ " igo Strand, W.C., London, Jan. 8, 1873. " In reply to yours of 6th instant, I beg to say that before inserting ' Our Parrot,' I wrote to ask the author if the facts were authentic, and she assured me they were. Mrs. E. M. Lynch, Warrenstown, Navan, Ireland, wrote the article. (Signed) Arthur Locker, Editor." The " Illustrated London News" has frequently reproduced in its pages, or supplements, the pictures of Landseer and other great Animal painters — pictures that in themselves are eloquent exponents of many of the noblest moral and intel- lectual attributes of such animals as the dog and horse; and these pictures are invariably accompanied by descriptive letterpress, occasionally at least embodying "Illustrations of Animal Reason." The same may be said of the "Graphic," and other illustrated newspapers or serials of the best or better class. * "Cats : their Points and Characteristics ; with Curiosities of Cat Life, and a Chapter on Feline Ailments," by W. Gordon Stables, M.D., R.N. London, 1874. 218 The Scottish Naturalist. On looking over my mass of Notes of Incidents illustrating Animal Reason, in order to determine their source, I find a large proportion taken, in the first instance, from Newspapers — and not only from the leading ones of the English and Scottish Metropolises— the "Daily Telegraph" or the "Scots- man" — but also from a number of smaller, even obscure, Pro- vincial ones, which use as " padding," in the paucity of local matter of sufficient interest, citations from recently issued works on Natural History, or from serials containing popular Zoological articles. Thus excerpts have been taken, amongst other news- papers, and in addition to those already mentioned in the text, from the "Daily Review" and " Courant," Edinburgh; "North British Daily Mail," "Weekly Herald," and " Evening Citizen," Glasgow; "Andover Chronicle," Hants; and "Pall Mall Gazette," London. These Newspaper criticisms and quotations have frequently introduced me to important sources of information. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that Newspapers abound in % sensational" Anecdotes of dogs, horses, and other sagacious animals. There is too frequent a mixing up of Fiction with Fact, and it is not an easy matter in such cases to distinguish the grain from the chaff. Fortunately, it is only now and then worth while to essay their separation ; for the "stock" — the general ru