Zoology

Modern ostracods from the recently cleaned moat at Caerlaverock Castle present a
sequence that appears to reflect re-colonization, with Cypria ophtalmica (O.F. Muller,
1776) as the pioneering species. It is followed by Cyclocypris ovum (Jurine, 1820) and
Notodromas monacha (O.F. Muller, 1776), then Candona candida (O.F. Muller, 1776).
They are all hardy, eutrophic taxa common in freshwater to slightly brackish habitats. One
species, Xestoleberis sp., at the top of the sequence, is interpreted to be a contaminant from
the nearby marine environment.

Summary of a lecture delivered to the Society on 19th November 2004.
Originally a bare tract of crofts and a few trees, dominated by a Tower House, the environment at Culzean changed with the building of the mansion house by Robert Adam and the developme

Extracts from the ornithological and wild-fowling notebook of James H Wilson a Glencaple Wildfowler 1872-1947. Full species records are provided as also records of communications with noted ornithologists of the period such as Sir Hugh Gladstone, Sir Pete

During the complete county census of 2008 the total of 13,459 rook nests was recorded. Thus, in the five years since 2003, there has been a 25% decline in nest numbers. This continues to confirm the 5% per annum rate of decline extrapolated from the parti

Wildlife Art as such is a fairly recent development coinciding with a desire to celebrate the natural world and to conserve it. Animals and birds have featured in art of one form or another however down the centuries, from cave paintings onwards, but subs

The Solway islands are little known beyond Dumfries and Galloway, indeed several books about the islands of Scotland omit them altogether (e.g. H.Haswell-Smith. 2004. 'The Scottish Islands a comprehensive guide to every Scottish island)'. Progressing fr

Summary of a lecture given to the Society on 21st October, 2005. An overview of the ecology of black grouse was initially described from identification, breeding behaviour, where they live and what the birds ate at different times of the year. The status

Rooks have nested in Dumfriesshire since time immemorial and their numbers have been surveyed since at least 1908. During the decade (1993-2003) they decreased dramatically by 30% and by a further 5% between 2003 and 2004. The climate and topography are c

Summary of a lecture delivered to the Society on 19th March 2004 by Nick Chisholm, Environmental Manager to the River Annan District Salmon Fishery Board. The River Annan is unaffected by hydro-electric power schemes, unlike so many Highland rivers, and i

Summary of a lecture delivered to the Society on 6th February 2004 by Stan Tanner, Planning and Environment Forester, Forest Enterprise. Forestry Enterprise manage the Forestry Commission estate to create attractive productive woodland and manage them fo

The 2003 Dumfriesshire Rookery census has revealed that since 1993, the number of nests has fallen from 25,489 to 17,853, a decline of 30%. Earlier surveys in 1908, 1921 and 1963 had indicated a relatively stable population. Subsequent censuses in 1973, 1

Reviews the historical status of the Galloway Pony or Nag. Although now extinct it bears a relationship to the still extant Cumbrian Fell Pony. Shakespearean references are included as also an entry from the Dumfries Weekly Journal of 1801 advertising rac

Linear measurements and masses of over 700 geese, most shot around the Solway Firth in 1938-1960, provide scare information on total length and wing span and identify some differences in mass and in linear measurements from those reported elsewhere. The s

WeBS is a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology, The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
This paper summarises, on a species by species basis, the results

A history of the development of cannon-netting as a procedure to capture and ring birds as a part of migration studies on the Solway Firth. The equipment developed is described in in detail and the the paper is supplemented by statistics of birds captured