Vol 6 - Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian ...

Price 4s.THE TRANSACTIONSANDJOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGSOF THEDUMFRIESSHIRE iGALLOWAYlatural Hi§torij\Jlntipuiaii Society.SESSIONS 1887-88, 1888-89, 1889-M.PRINTED AT THE STANDARD OFFICE,1890.DUMFRIES.

No. a.THE TRANSACTIONSJOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGSDUMFRIESSHIRE IGALLOWAYj\Am\ Historif\Jlntipariaii JOGietij.SESSIONS im-88, 1888-89, 1889-90,PRINTED AT THE STANDARD OFFICE,1S90.DUMFRIES.

—Nothing is so productive of elevation of mind as to examinemetliodically and truly every object which is presented to thee inlife and always to look at things so as to see at the same time whatkind of universe this is, and what kind of use everything performsin it, and what value everything has with reference to the whole,and what with reference to man who is a citizen of the highest city,of which all other cities are like families ; what each thing is, and ofwhat it is composed, and how long it is the nature of this thing toendure which now makes an impression on me, and what virtue Ihave need of with respect to it, such as gentleness, manliness,truth, fidelity, simplicity, contentment, and the rest. Whereforeon every occasion a man should say— " This comes from God."The Emperor Marcus Aureliiis Antotihimus (III. ii).

ITH0M4S^ coxjisrciL. ^prcsi&ent.RICHARD RIMMER, F.L.S.,Dalawoodie.JAMES BARBOUR, Architect.,J-^'-'-viAO M'KTF ^>i ivlii, Ar7 .HERRPRT Uii-RBERTG. p T!r»Ai-iAT-xT ,r Advocate.BO\\UEN, Major. . JAMES G. H. STARKE, M.A.Advocate.Secretary,EDWARD JAMES CHINNOCK, M.A., LL.D., Fernbank, Maxwelltown.(Treasurer.JOHN A. HOODIE, Solicitor, St. George's Chambers.GEORGE F.Curator of Iberbarium.SCOTT ELLIOT, M.A.. B.Sc, F.L.S.. of Newton.librarian.JAMES LENNOX, F.S.A., Edenbank, Maxwelltown.Curator of Museum.JAMES DAVIDSON, SummerviUe, Maxwelltown.©tber Members.Rev. WM. ANDSON.JOHNROBERTCOWAN.MURRAY.WILLIAMJOHN NEILSON, DICKIE.M.A.THOMASGEORGE H. ROBB, LAING.M.AROBERTJAMES S.M'GLASHAN.THOMSON.JAMES WATT.

— —————————-^KrC0:N TEI^TS. i^^. 2,64,172Page.Secretary's Annual ReportRoman Camp at Springfield Dr J. Callander 5Natural History Notes W. Hastinris 7,127Folk Lore in Tynron J.Shaw 9Va.va.sitic'F-angi—G. F. Scott Elliot 14Strange Atmospheric Appearance R. Rohson 15Flora of Wigtownshire, &c.—/. J/'J?«cZrei6- ... 17,193Dumfries 250 Years Ago—/. >- A', i?. Taylor 59Field Meeting at Barclosh 59Field Meeting at Leadhills 61Field Meeting at Springfield Camp 61President's Addi ess ... ... 66Ornithology of Glencairn J. Corrie ... 68,215Birds of Upper Nithsdale Dr A. Davidson 76Treasurer's Report ... ... 82,174Tumulus at Cauldside—7^. i?. CoZes 83Theories of the Ice Age—/. Watt 85Botanical Notes J. APAndrew ... 88Lists of Mosses and Hepatica.' J. IfAndrew 89Notes on Holywood Abbey and the Welshes J. C. Aitken 110

— ———— — —— ——CuXTKNTS. V.IPage.Baxter Bequest 126,141,148Stone Implements J. R. WiUon 129Relic of Burns—Portrait of Clarinda J.Barbour ... ... ... 131Dumfries in the Past P. Gray 133Fish Culture—/. /. Armistead 141Dumfries Words found in Chaucer, &c.—/. Shaw ... .. ... 148The Grave at Conchietown F.B.Coles ... ... 152Dumfries of Burnside's History and Dumfries To-day Bev. B. W.Weir ... 153Field Meeting at Ruthwell 161Field Meeting at Crocketford 162Field Meeting at Whithorn 162Field Meeting at Graitney 169Minerals of Dumfries and Galloway— P. Z)j

Rules.vii.7. The Field Meetings shall be held on the First Saturdayot each month, beginning with June and ending with Septemter,to visit and examine places of interest, and otherwise carry outthe aims of the Society. Arrangements for these Meetings shallas far as possible be made at the April Meeting.8. The Annual Meeting shall be held on the First Fridayof October, at which the Office-bearers and other Members ofCouncil shall be elected, Reports (general and financial) submitted,and other business transacted.9. A Member may introduce a friend to any Meeting of theSociety—such friend not to be admitted more than twice duringthe Session.ID. The Secretary shall keep a Minute Book of the Society'sProceedings, and a Register of Members, and shall give in aReport at the Annual Meeting.11. The Treasurer shall collect the subscriptions, take chargeof the funds, and make payments therefrom under the direction ofthe Council, to whom he shall present an Annual Account, to beaudited for submission at the Annual Meeting.1 2. The Secretary shall at any time call a Special Meeting ofthe Society on receiving the instructions of the Council, or arequisition signed by Six Members.13. The Society shall have the right to publish in whole or inpart any paper read before it.14. Members whose subscriptions are in arrears for ninemonths, and have received notice from the Treasurer, cease to beMembers unless satisfactory reasons for non-payment be given tothe Council.15. Alterations of any Rule, or the addition of New Rules,shall only be made with the consent of three-fourths of the Memberspresent at any meeting, notice of the same having been givenat the previous Monthly Meeting.

PROCEEDINGS AND TRANSACTIONSOF THEDUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALLOWAYNatural History and Antiquarian Society.SESSIOIT18SV-88.nth October, 1887.ANNUAL MEETING.Mr James G. H. Starke, M.A., Vice-President, in the Chair.Twenty-six members present.New Member.—Mr William Moodie, Solicitor.Donations.—A section of the rock obtained from the sinkingof the Artesian Well at Troqueer Mills, from Mr W. A. F. Coupland;two specimens of native ore—silver and copper—and a largebarnacle, from Dr Bruce of Castle Dykes ; a stone whorl found atCanonbie, from Mr William M'Dowall ] a MS. copy of the MinuteBook of the Trades Incorporation of the date IGOl, from MrsPearce ; the 6th Annual Eeport of the Bureau of Ethnology(United States) ;the Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution,1885 ; three Annual Reports of the Elisha Mitchell Society ; theTransactions of the Glasgow Natural History Society, the BelfastNaturalists' Society, the New York Academy of Sciences ; theAnnual Report of the British Association, 1886 ;nine parts of theJournal of the Linnean Society, from Mr Robinson-Douglas ;andeight volumes of the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, forwhich the Committee had exchanged Ethnological specimens fromNew Zealand.

2 Transactions.Secketary's Annual Keport eor Session 1886-87.The Secretary (Mr Wilson) read the Annual Report, which wasas follows :In presenting the Annual Report for the Session whichhas now drawn to a close, I have much pleasure in stating that thepast year has been the most successful in thisSociety's existence,and that in it the Society has increased in membership and considerablyextended its iisefulness, as the various details which Inow briefly submit will shew.At the last annual meeting our membership numbered 213,comprisiug 5 life, 187 ordinary, and 21 honorary members.During the session 24 ordinary members have been enrolled, and1 ordinary member has been transferred to the list of life members;but 1 4 names have been taken off the roll, 2 membershaving died and 12 either removed from the district or resigned.Now the total number of members is 223, which is 10 more thanlast session, and includes 6 life, 197 ordinary, and 20 honorarymembers.During the session the usual 7 winter meetings and 5 summermeetings were held, also 2 special meetings devoted to lecturesby members.All the winter meetings were fully occupied, and 15 communicationsby different members were read and discussed, thisbeing the same number as in last session.Several of these papersare of great local interest, and the majority treat of subjectsimmediately within the scope of the Society and for which thewriters again deserve commendation. Special reference may, Ithink, be made to the papers by Mr Hastings on " OrnithologicalNotes," Dr Davidson on his " Additions to the Flora," Rev. W.Andson on " Meteorological Notes," Mr J. 0. Aitken on " TheBridge of Nith," Mr Armistead on his observations of " Atmosphericand other Influences on the Migration of Fishes," Mr Coleson his explorations among the " Archaic Sculpturings and RingMarkings," and to Mr J. Wilson on " The Cinerary Urn found atGreystone."The exhibition of specimens and objects of local interest atthe meetings was an additional source of information and pleasure,and special reference may also be made to the unique articleskindly lent by Mr R. M. Witham of Kirkconnell.The five field meetings were held in the neighbourhood ofDumfries, Dalbeattie, Moffat, Sanquhar, and Kirkcudbright, so

Transactions. 3tliat members who live in different parts of Dumfriesshire andGalloway had the opportunity of attending one or more of them,and the Society had the pleasure of carrying on its investigationsin different directions. With regard to the field meetings somegood work has been done, but there is yet room for improvement,for the entomological department does not receive the attention itdeserves, except by one member—Mr Lennon.The members areto be complimented for their endeavours in preventing the extirpationof the rarer flowering plants and ferns as well as forrecording the lists of " finds." The kindness and hospitality theSociety received from Mr J. Gillon-Fergusson of Isle, Mr W. D.Kobinson-Douglas of Orchardton,Mr J. R. Wilson, of Sanquhar,and Mr Hamilton, Kirkcudbright, deserve special mention.The excursion to Moffat in July was again held as a jointexcursion with the Scottish Natural History Club, Edinburgh,Avhen the two Societies renewed their acquaintance and wererewarded by the finding of Rubus Leesii (Bab.), a plant not hithertorecorded for Scotland.The average attendance at the winter meetings was 34 andat the summer meetings 2 7 '6, the former being larger than lastsession, but the latter slightly under and no doubt due to theunfavourable weather for the June and September excursions.There were 15 committee meetings, all of which were fairlywell attended.In January last a sub-committee was appointed to memorialisethe Town Council of Dumfries in reference to the converting ofthe basement of the Midsteeple into a shop. The Town Councildid not acquiesce in the petition, but carried out their jjlans andmaterially altered the stability and security of that historicbuilding.This Society approved of the action taken by the Eev. J.M'Farlan and the Heritors of Ruthwell in protecting the EunicCross from the detrimental agencies of the weather and exposure,and contributed towards the expense.The donation of specimens to the Society's collection hasbeen progressing favourably, and those chiefly added were geolologicaland botanical.The Society purchasedtwo additional maps of Font's series,and now possesses the parts for Dumfriesshire and Galloway.The additions to the Library have been both numerous andimportant, and specialmention should be made of Mr Eobinson-

4 Transactions.Douglas's donation of the " Journal of the Linnean Society " todate, the valuable volumes we receive through the Smithsonianagency, and the Annual Keport of the British Association for 1886.In addition to the ordinary business of the session, yourcommittee decided upon holding a conversazione in Greyfriars'Hall on October 27, 28, and 29, and the success which this undertakingmet with was beyond the most sanguine expectations.The objects sent in for exhibition were so numerous that thecommittee restricted the exhibits to those only of the archaaologyand natural history of the district, and even then the exhibitionhall was well filled.This conversazione has already been the subject of a specialreport to the Society, and it is sufficient to mention here thatnot a single article lent for the occasion was lost, that all thevisitors were well pleased with the display, and that the balancein the Treasurer's hands was increased by more than £5 12s.However, for further information on this subject I beg to referyou to the preceding jjart of this Society's Transactions, as theappendix contains a brief description of the more importantexhibits and other necessary details.On the motion of Mr Starke, Mr Wilson was thanked for hisservices during the past session.Election of Office-Bearers.The following Office-Bearers for the ensuing session wereelected :—President, Dr Thomas B. Grierson ; Vice-Presidents,Major Herbert Bowden, Messrs F. E. Coles, W. J. Maxwell ofTerregles Banks, and E. Murray ; Hon. Secretary, Mr JosephWilson ; Assistant Secretary, Mr E. Barbour ; Hon. Treasurer,Mr James S. Thomson ; Members of Committee, Messrs JamesBarbour, A. Bruce, J. Davidson, A. Innes, T. Laing, J. Lennox, J.Neilson, T. Shortridge, J. G. H. Starke, T. Watson.it/iof November.Mr James Barbour, Architect, in the Chair.Milligan.Thirty memberspresent.New Members.—Mr James Barbour, Junior, and MissThe Eev. William Andson was elected a Member of the Committeein place of Mr Alex. Bruce, deceased.

Transactions. 5Donations.—Transactions of the Edinburgh Geological Societyand of the Epping Forest Field Club.Mr James Lennox submitted the audited balance-sheet forthe -precedingSession, which was unanimously adopted, and theTreasurer was thanked for his honorary services.Communications.I. A Note on the Roman Camp at Springfield Hill, Dimscore. ByJ. Callander, M.D.The height on Springfield Hill Farm, Dunscore, on which theRoman Camp is situated, is neai'ly oblong in shape. Its longerdiameter, roughly speaking, runs nearly from east to west. Onits north, west, and south sides it is separated from surroundingheights by wide and deep hollows. On its east side it is joined bya narrow sloping neck of land to the cultivated fields which trendaway to the level holms far below. The surface of its summit islevel, and measures about five thousand square yards. It isdistant about two hundred yards from the public road leading overthe hill from Dunscore Village to Dunscore Old Churchyard, andabout the same distance from Si^ringfield Hill farm house. It wasfor a cantonment in time of peace, and as a post of observation,we believe, that the Camp on Springfield Hill was constructedabout the year A.D. 82. It marks not a position taken up by anarmy on active service in the field, but a permanent station heldby a small force in time of peace.Several facts may be mentionedwhich appear to give support to this theory. The Camp is situatednear to the line ofa Roman road, which ran from the southeastin the direction of the north-west, some vestiges of whichwere discovered and removed a few years ago.It is far too smallto have afforded accommodation to any considerable force. If aEoman army of twenty thousand men required an area of fourhundred and ninetythousand square yards on which to constructits camp, as we know it did, the Springfield Hill Camp, with itsavailable area of five thousand square yards, could only haveaccommodated a detachment of from two hundred to two hundredand twenty men. Water must have been brought from somedistance to Springfield Hill. A small force in the field wouldnever have entrenched itself in a position where an active anddetermined foe could easily have cut it off from its water sujîjly.The Camp is not fortified in the manner in which a Roman army

6 TriANSACTIONS.on active service entrenched its camp. When a Eoman army wasin the field, and halted even for a single night, the unvaryingpractice was to throw up an entrenchment in the form of a square,large enough to contain the whole army with its baggage. Thedefences consisted of a ditch twelve feet deep and twelve feetwide. Tlie soil dug out was thrown inward so as to form a ramparttwelve feet high all round. On the summit of the rampartwas a palisade formed of sharp wooden stakes.In the SpringfieldHill Camp this style of circumvallation is departed from. On theeast, a ditch, fossa, gently curved, stretches along the whole side.This ditch is backed by a rampart, agger, also curved, about fiftyeightyards in length. Immediately behind this first rampart is asecond ditch, and on its inner edge rises a second rampart aboutsixty-three yards in length.This second ditch and rampart, withan interval at the north-east corner of the Camp for the entrance,porta, are carried round the whole length of the northern andwestern sides. A single ditch and rampart, with the deep declinationof the ground beyond, appear, in the opinion of the garrison,to have afforded sufficient protection to the Camp on these twosides. Behind that part of the second rampart which defends theeastern side of the Camp is a platform, nine yards broad at itswidest part. On this platform fifty men could be drawn up inorder of battle, according to the Roman method. Behind thisplatform, and also running the whole length of the eastern side ofthe Camp, but stopping at the entrance way, is a third ditch backedby its corresponding i-ampart. From the inclination of theground this third rampart rises high above and overlooksall the works in front of it. Each one of these rampartswould be surmounted by its palisade, vallum, made of sharpwooden stakes, sudes. On the southern side the rocks,which stand out bare and jagged and grimly overlook the levelgroimd far below, would form an impassable barrier to anyassailant. As a post of observation, the Camp is admirablysituated. It overlooks the country to the west, to the north,and to the east for many a league. Constructed about A.D.82, at the close of Agricola's wars—certainly before A.D. 84,in which year Agricola left the whole of England and the Lowlandsof Scotland pacified, in the enjoyment of settled laws andthe conveniences of life—it would be occupied till a.d. 120, whenthe Emperor Hadrian, who visited Britain in person, wearied outby the frequent incursions of the wild Caledonians into the

Transactions. 7country south of Agricola's forts, withdrew his garrisons, left theinhabitants of the South of Scotland to their fate, built a wallbetween theSolway and the Tyne, and made a new boundary tothe Roman Emjiire in Britain. The Springfield Hill Camp, alongwith the other military stations, would be evacuated at this timeand left for nineteen years to ruin and decay. In the year A.D.1.39 LoUius Urbicus, under Antoninus Pius, rolled back the tideof barbarian invasion which had swept over theLowlands of Scotland,repressed the lawlessness and anarchy which prevailed, builta wall in the line of Agricola's forts, and re-established the Romanauthority in the land as it had existed nearly sixty years before.The likelihood is that our Camp was restored and re-occupiedbecause it was required for the same purposes for which it hadbeen constructed in the days of Agricola, and that the occupationcontinued till A.D. 210, when the Emperor Severus rebuiltHadrian's wall and again made it the northern boundary of theRoman province. The legionaries, recalled, marched from SpringfieldHill never more to return for any length of time. It is truethat, in the year A.D. 368, in the reign of Valentinian, the countrybetween the two walls was re-conquered by Theodosius, theRoman governor of Britain ; but as the Empire had at this timeentered on its decline, it is very improbable he retained possessionof his conquest for any length of time. The Romans finallyabandoned Britain about A.D. 448.This discussion shews, then, that in all probability the Campon Springfield Hill was constructed about A.D. 82 as a militarypost of observation, that it was occupied as such till A.D. 120,that it was abandoned for nineteen years, that it was re-occupiedin A.D. 139 and maintained till A.D. 210, when it was finally andfor ever abandoned.11. Natural History Notes for 1887. By Mr Wm. Hastings.There is little to note this year in reference to anythingunusual among our native birds so far as I have seen. There hasbeen a great scarcity of the cuckoo this year compared with thetwo last seasons.I have had only one specimen this year, whereasI used to have a good many both old and young binls. In theSpring I received a nice specimen of a pure white starling. Ihave had the starling peculiarly marked, but never before saw onepure white. In the month of May I received a fine specimen oftlie golden eagle (male bird), trapped in Argyleshire, where in

8 Transactions.that shire and in Inverness-shire there are still a few pairs scatteredthroughout the country. I lately received a pair of crossbills shotupon the Shambellie estate. The crossbill is a very uncertainvisitant to this country, many years elapsing and not one beingseen or heard. However, when they do come, there are often afew pairs remain with us to breed and rear their young. Theirnests with young birds have been taken in Dalswinton Big Wood,and I have had them from Raehills and seen them in Closeburnthe whole season through. Their native home is in the pineforests of the Baltic, where they feed upon the seeds of the larchand Scotch fir. Their remarkably formed bill and powerfulmuscles of the neck are beautifully adapted for wrenching openthe imbricated scales of the fir cones, so that they may get at theseeds.The hooded crow (Corvus Comix) seems to be plentifulhere this winter, as I have received several specimens from diff'erentparts of the country. They are plentiful upon the Argyleshirecoast, feeding upon any garbage that the sea may cast up, uponcrabs—in fact, upon anything that offers them a meal. They arevery destructive of the eggs and young birds of almost everyspecies that they meet with throughout tlie country. They areascertained to breed with the common carrion crow, and I havemyself seen a decided hybrid betwixt the two. In the month ofJuly I was down on the Colvend coast, and I saw a small flock ofbirds that I had never seen before in life and could not make outwhat they were, and regretted that 1 had not a gun with me.A few days after I received one of the same kind of birds, whichturned out to be the greenshank, which is rarely met with in thisdistrict. Not long after I had another sent me, shot upon theAnnan Water, as flir up as Dalfibble. I have not had above twoor three specimens of the same bird for more than thirty years.This autumn I had a specimen of the solan goose or gannetbrought me in a very peculiar dress. The gannet is a large whitebird, with the points of the wings black. This one was darkbrown and beautifully marked with round white spots, which gaveit a very unusual appeai'ance. About a month ago I received aspecimen of the little stint, shot at 8outherness. The little stintin its general appearance is very like the dunlin or sea mouse,only it is a full third smaller and very seldom met with upon ourshores.In the month of April last I received a fine specimen ofthe female badger, trapped in Dalswinton Big Wood, the onlyone I have ever had killed in the district. In the month of

TwoTransactions. 9September last I received from Newton-Stewart a siiecimen of ashark called the Porbeagle Shark. It was 9 feet in length andweighed about 400 lb?. It is described as being rare, or at leastvery seldom seen upon our shores.This one was caught in Lochryan,having got entangled in some fishermen's nets, and Avas withdifficulty brought to land. It has three rows of very sharp teethin the upper as well as in the under jaw, and is said to be veryvoracious, having been known to attack men in a small boat andtear their clothes off their backs. It lives upon other fishes,and will have no difficultymouthful.in swallowing a fish two feet long at aIt was not a very agreeable subject to handle.in. Folk Lore in Tynron. By Mr James Shaw.An old farmer who died three years ago in Tynron related tome his experience with a witch in Closeburn when he was a boy.He was carting freestones from a neighbouring quarry, when hishorse came to a standstill opjôsite the witch's door.. othercarters passed him, and only jeered both at the witch and theboy, when the former, to whom he had always been civil, cameforward and with a slight push adjusted the ponderous stone whichhad slipped and -was stopping the wheel. " Now, go," she said," thou wilt find them at the gate below Gilchristland." At thatvery spot he found the perplexed carters standing, both horsestrembling and sweating, sothat he easily went past them and gotto his goal first. The same individual could name a person atwhose glance the milk being drawn from the udders of the cowsbecame blood, while his sister was milking them.I have observedhorse-shoes nailed up against his stable wall to scare away uncannyinfluence. A dairywoman who resided beside me about fifteen yearsago informed me that when young she had resided in Kirkconnel,Tynron, and that the house was haunted. At night strange facespeered in at the window, and eldritch laughter was heard. Herfather once saw a red figure at dusk on the ledge of the bridge,near the house,which appeared of human shape, but disappearedas he approached. He also on one occasion saw my informant'ssweetheart on the road coming to see her, although at the time hewas several miles off. A housekeeper I had, who died a few yearsago, assured me that, while she was a servant with a medical manin Moniaive, strange foot-falls were frequently heard in an upperroom. The doctor, after a while, suddenly took ill, lay down on asofa and died, over the very spot on the floor where these alarming

10 Transactions.foot-falls had been most frequently heard. A young man who hadbeen attending classes in Edinburgh came home, and one eveningwhen I was in his father's house set off a balloon after sunset. Thecandle in it set the whole tissue on fire while it was soaring aboveour heads. A shepherd whom I knew, seeing the light from adistance, rushed in a state of great agitation into a neighbouringcottage, which he happened to be near, and brought out the goodmanof the house. Both thought that it must have been the lightuiliicli is seen before death ; but the mistress of the house rathersoothed them by remarking that such a light could not be seen bytwo at once.An old woman informed me that she had witnessedthis premonitory light, which lighted up the interior of the byrewhile she was engaged milking her cows, and she learned that hermother, residing some miles distant, had expired that same evening.Readers will recollect the fateful light in Sir Walter Scott'sballad of lovely Rosabelle. James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd,refers to an omen called the " death bell," a tingling in the ears,which is believed to announce a friend's death. As the " lightbefore death " could not be seen by two atonce, so the death-bellcould only be heard by one at the same time. The relations of agentleman residing in Tynron have been warned of death by thesound of wheels upon the gravel walk leading to the door, whenno wlieels were there, and to a family in Durisdeer the warningcame like a switch against the panes of the window. The oldprecentor of Glencairn, who died six or seven years ago, told methat while walking one moonlit evening in his garden in a meditativemood he heard a sound, as if a cart containing pieces ofmetal had been tilted up aud the materials discharged.His beliefwas that a murdered infant had been buried in that garden.These murdered innocents were frequently heard wailing aboutforty years ago in the corn and in the thickets around Maquestonin Tynron. A gentleman of suspected morality had occupied thishouse early in the century. So troublesome were these soundsthat the new tenant had for a while great difficulty in retainingservants. A white lady has been observed hovering by moonlightover the little cascade in the Shinnel which forms Paul's Pool." Bennett's Tales of Nithsdale " mention is made of the custom ofplacing a wooden platter with salt, or more correctly salt andearth—for a turf was cut and put above the platter—on the breastof a corpse. There is a reminiscence of this in our parish, and thereason given for the custom was that it prevented the corpse fromIn

1Transactions. 1swelling. In Thiselton Dyer's " Folk Lore," and Napier's " FolkLore of the West of Scotland," the custom is referred to. Theplate of salt was intended for the sin-eaters, who came and devouredthe contents with incantations, and thus relieved the spiritsclogged with earthly frailties, and kept them from hoveringtoo closely near their friends and relatives. Pennant mentionsthe custom, suggesting that the salt was an emblem of theincorruptible spirit and the earth of the body. When the sineaterarrived, Napier mentions two plates—one of salt andone of bread—which required to be devoured. A shepherdin Tynron told me that he recollected seeing perforated stones,or stones nearly perforated, from the channel of the stream,attached to a rowan tree near a house at the head of the Kiunel,and that he understood both stones and rowan tree were lookedupon as likely to scare away evil influences. At or near Fleuchlarg,in the adjoining parish of Gleucairn,might have been seen ahole in the wall of the byre, letting out a rope, so that if the evilspirits got in they could get out more readily by the hole. Iunderstand that when I was carried to church for baptism, theyoung woman who carried me bore a piece of bread and cheese inher pocket, presenting it to the first person she met, who wasexpected to bless me. Baptism being private in Tynron, I havenothing of this kind to record. The beggars' benison, however,was of such esteem in the eyes of an old woman in Tynron that itsecured a night's lodging for many a tramp. Silver is lucky. Afather gave a lucky shilling to his daughter at her marriage.Crooked sixpences are worn at the watch chain, so that you mayhave silver when you first see the new moon. Turn your apronthree times and look at the new moon, wishing for a present, and apresent will arrive to you ere it wane away. One person, tryingthe experiment, received in a present a pair of curtains, a dozeneggs, and a hen. If you see the plough coming towards you forthe first time of the new year, it augurs well, but if you observeit going aAvay it is unlucky. It bodes ill to turn when you aresetting out on a journey.It is better for you should the day be awet one. Great care should be taken not to burn hair or nails.It is unlucky to pare your nails on Sunday, but if you pare themon Saturday, expect to see your sweetheart to-morrow. Tuesdayand Friday evenings are the orthodox evenings for courting, but itis not well to marry either on Thursday or Saturday, while mostScotch marriages are performed on Friday. Mr M'Caw, our

"12 Transactions.shepherd-author, told me that when lie was young many persons incontributing to a raffle wrote against their subscription the word" Friday," expecting thereby better luck from the dice. It is notwell to change situations on Saturday. " Saturday's enter is ashort residenter." I quote the following rhyme from a native ofthe district :" Gang and see the swallow flee,Sit and hear the gowk,The foal before its minnie's e'e,And all that year ye've luck."If a hare cross your path to the left it is of evil omen, but not ifit cross to the right. If a person eats the brains of a hare hewill be ill-tempered afterwards.This Tynron saying is somethinglike La Fontaine's estimate of the hare, whose flesh producedmelancholy." melancholy meat."In Swift's " Polite Conversation" hare-flesh is called" The robin and the wren are at God's right hand.The yeldrock and the sparrow are the Devil's bow-and-arrow." The robin and the wren made their porridge in a pan,Ere the robin got a spoon, the wren had them all done."A dairyman once asked me for the scientific name of the " wormthat first breaks through the coffin lid." He also informed methat the bat and dormouse and the hedgehog were three of theseven sleepers. To rub shoulders with a bride or bridegroomaugurs a speedy marriage. If a girl eat a herring before going tobed she has a chance to dream of her sweetheart. A rainywedding-day goes with a greeting bride. It is the correct thingto dance in stocking soles at the marriage of a sister or brotheryounger than yourself, the sister at the sister's, the brother at thebrother's. It bodes not well to make a present to your sweetheartof a knife or other sharp article, lest it should cut love. Itwas a custom at Hallowe'en to wind a clue in a kiln-pot witli theexpectation that your future partner in life might be seen holdingthe other end of it. Should a girl scoop a hole where three ormore roads meet and apply her ear to it, she may hear a whispertelling her the trade of her future lover.If your palm tickle it isa sign that you shall soon shake hands with the rich or obtainmoney. Sitting down to meat causes the invited guests to arrive.The tongs falling head foremost into the ash-pit is a sign that astranger is coming. An itching palm is a sign of change ofweather. If your right ear be warm or tingle it is a sign that

— 3Transactions. 1Isomebody is praising, but if the left you are being reviled. Acurly head is the sign of a quiet temper. The hair of the eyebrowsmeeting above the nose signifies unsteadiness and love of change.The howling of a dog at night is indicative of death. The burningof withered grass on the moors in spring " cankers the air andbrings on rain." The clothes of dead men don't last long. Awhistling woman and a crowing hen are uncanny. An excellentcure for warts is to rub them in the morning with your fastingsiHttle. It is unlucky to turn either horse or vehicle widdershins—that is, against the sun. It is dangerous for future welfare topour out any liquid turning your hand backwards. When acandle runs—that is, when a shaving descends down its stalkIf a window blind fall of its ownlook soon for the coffin of a friend.accord, it is unlucky. Bees leaving a hive full of honey is a badomen.Bees are encouraged to settle when swarming by loud noisesand rattling of instruments. It is unlucky to spill salt at table orto help another to it. Cast some salt over your left shoulder andyour mistake will be rectified. To drop your umbrella or walkingstickshows that your mind is likely to give way. The cuckooremains until it gets an awn of barley into its throat.Thirteen attable is unlucky—he who rises first runs most risk ; better, in sucha dilemma, all to rise at once. To dream of a wedding signifies acorpse. The grandfather of a lady in Tynron dreamed he was at aball with his sister, who looked well, and was in a white dress.She went out, saying to him, " You will not be long in followingme." She died in a short time, and he died soon afterwards. Ifyou dream on Sunday morning, you shall have a letter within aweek. One instance has reached me of a person seeing anothersitting in a chair when the person thus seen was not at all in theroom. Brewster accounts for similar visions by a diseased conditionof the retina. Swallows building in your eaves is lucky.Crickets leaving the house is a sign of death. The culm whichaccumulates on the bars of a grate foretells a visitor. The brightspark often seen on a candle declares, if it falls, a letter is postedto you ; but if it sticks to the side of the candle, it denotes that itis only on the way to be posted. Such are the greater part of mygleanings of folk lore in Tynron and the neighbourhood. I fearthere is not much new in it ; but it may give you an idea of theresiduum of belief which still lingers on from the time which somepeople have named " The Ages of Faith."

-14 Transactions.^7id of December.Major BowDEN, Vice-President in the chair. Twenty-sixmembers present.Neiv Member.—Mr John A. Moodie, Solicitor.Donations.—Mr Robert Thomson, Joiner, presented, throughMr James Barbour, the dove carved in wood and gilt whichformerly stood over the canopy of the New Church, Dumfries(Greyfriars'). When that church was taken down the dove waspurchased by the late Rev. Dr MTarlane and placed by him overhis pulpit in Troqueer Church, which has lately been rebuilt.This interesting relic came into the possession of the contractor,Mr Thomson. Mr James M'Andrew presented Jnnais tenuis andRhyncospora fusca found by him in the district and now firstrecorded. Fifteen new rules were adopted, on the motion of MrJ. Wilson, the Secretary.Communications.I. Certain Common Parasitic Fungi. By Mr George F. Scott-Elliot, M.A., F.L.S.The fungus {Peronospora infestans) that causes the well-knownpotato disease consists of a delicate series of liranching filamentsthat penetrate between the cells of the potato leaf and suck fromthem the materials that should feed it. By this procedui-e thepotato leaf decays, and this causes the unpleasant odour that isone of the signs of the disease. The fungus is enabled to spreadfrom one potato plant to anothei by means of conidiospores.These are formed on the under surface of the leaf (giving riseto a sort of whitish bloom) on the extremities of a branchedfilament which is protruded through a stoma. The conidiosporesare blown by the wind on to the upper surface of a potato leaf, orin some cases on an exposed tuber. If the weather happens to bewet, the conidiospores break up into 7 or 8 little " swarm spores,"and these penetrate (in the case of the leaf) through the cuticle,and by germination produce a new series of filaments in it.(In the case of the tuber, the fungus makes its entrance by the" eye.") Towards the end of the autumn the fungus makes itsway down the stalk to the tubers, and passes the winter in a latentcondition in them. When the tuber germinates in spring thefun"-us grows, keeping pace with the growth of the young plant,which is thus doomed from its earliest days. A special kind of

same remedy might also be used for the onion mildew, which isTransactions.jgspore {Oospore) with a hard coat, is also formed by the fungusnsK e the leaves and stalks. These are set free by the decay of'f''t,'" f '' '"'^ ^" '^^' 'P^^"S ^^^"^^"''^te and infect newfound to be of service are easily explained. First, it is obviouslynecessary destroy, by burning, all dead or decaying remainsSecondly, '' earthn^g up » the tubers prevents their bein^g infected^Lrn'u rT"- Ti-dly, a remedy which has been foundt^ôughly satisfixctory in the case of the American grape vinem Ide also caused by a Peronospora. consists in sprinkling theleaves with a mixture of 8 kilogrammes of copper sulphate IGkilogrammes of chalk in about 130 litres of iter. This ne dm b tVrl .1 V'' ^^^'" ''''' ''' ^"' -d - b-om dippedniethod. It IS extremely probable that this would prevent thepread of the potato disease, as the mixture prevents ^he conidiosporesfrom forming swarm spores, and so infecting the leaf ThedesirTble""' ^^^^"^î^°^^^' ^- ^^/^/-^—,and a trial is highlyII. J Sfra,!ge Atmospheric Appearand. By Mr Robert Robson,Penpont.On the evening of one of those splendid summer days in themiddle of July last, half-an-hour before sunset, a party of five ofu a lady and four gentlemen, were standing in front of PenpontManse adnnring the beautiful landscape directly in front of uLaview which embraces the greater portion of Middle NithsdaleIh s view IS bounded on the east and south-east by the Closebun;nils and on the south and west by the hills of Ke'ir, broken i^by the deep gorge at Anldgirth through which the Riverenters Niththe valley of Lower Nithsdale. Owing to theof the configurlhills and the low elevation of the manse, no vlw canaLTi ,1: r'"' 1 '" ^^"^^ '^^^"^- ^' -^ -- --• rf"".'" '"' "" ^°"-and, "°S^""S ^-^ behindas if bestowing his parting blessing, shone forth with speciat^Îôften does before .sinking for the night Eê pa ty to the strange appearance of what at first sight seemedto b the sky towards the south. Another of the party pointdout the vivid outlines of a large field, with a wood to the'sS of

16 Transactions.it, directly in the centre of the gorge ah-eady referred to, but on alevel with the spur of the Closeburn hills. No such field had everbeen observed there before. Then, to our surprise, what we hadat first taken to be the reflection of the sun's rays by the cloudsap2)eared to be the whole valley of Lower Nithsdale elevated tothe level of the hills and brought within our view, while in thefar distance the waters of the Solway were plainly visible. Thesurface appeared uniform and unbroken by any elevation, whilethe woods, jjlantations, and groups of trees .shone as dark patchesand more prominent than usual. The valley sloped gentlyupwards on the west, as it does towards the ridge occupied bythe parishes of Tinwald, Torthorwald, and Mouswald, &c. Theoutline of this ridge on the west was somewhat indistinct, and atthe sensible horizon merged into the clouds above. The generalcolour was of a reddish yellow, not unlike cultivated land, andformed a strange contrast to the sky above, which presented anatural appearance, with overhanging clouds in some parts. Nohouses were visible, nor, with the exception of the one alreadyreferred to, could fields be distinguished ;but the general contourof the valley, with a clearer outline of the Solway, was distinctlymarked. This strange appearance lasted fully twenty minutes,and when the sun went down nothing could be seen but the welldefinedoutline of hills against the clear sky. On the followingdayI climbed the Doon, a hill in our neighbourhood over 900 feethigh, and from this coign of vantage made minute observations ofthe landscape in sight. The general outline corresponded exactlyto that seen on the evening previous, while I at once recognised,down in the valley, the field and wood that had a23peared sovividly in the foreground. The relative positions of the woodsand plantations were exactly similar. I may here remark that acorrespondent in the Scotsman gave a brief account of a similarappearance observed by him about two weeks previous. Suchphenomena are i-arely seen in this country, and can only beobserved by a person in a position such as we were—with hisback to the sun. No doubt this phenomenon was simply causedby the refraction of the rays of light from the valley on passingthrough the denser atmosphere immediately above it.

Transactions.17HI, Notes on the Flora of IVigioimishire. By Mr JamesM'Andrew, New-Galloway.As an introduction to the following notes on the Flora of^Wigtownshire, I shall say a few words descriptive of the countyItself.A\igtownshire is rhomboidal in shape, of about 30 miles oneach side, and is deeply indented by two large openings of the seaLoch Ryan and Bay of Luce, thus affording a large extent of variedsea-board in proportion to the size of the county, and also renderingthe climate milder and more equable than it would otherwisebe. J^ or instance, fuchsias attaining the size of tall shrubs growluxuriantly in shrubberies through the winter at such places asLogan House.The usual divisions of the county are the Machars, the broadpeninsula ending in Burrow Head ; the Moors, the northern partof the county; and the J^hins, or western narrow peninsula,ihese three divisions are considerably different in characterAt the head of Wigtown Bay, Bay of Luce, and Loch Ryanare extensive tidal sands, and in addition, at the head of LuceBay on the western side, are extensive wind-blown hillocks ofsand bound together by Ammophila arenaria, &c., and on the moorof Genoch making an excellent rabbit warren. The remainder ofthe coast hne is generally irregular, and in some parts, as nearBurrow Head and the Mull, it is rocky and precipitous, while inother parts, as about Port-William, the coast is shingly. Sandybays occur occasionally, and in these are found the best sea shoreplants. Ao county rises so little above the level of the sea asWigtown, yet Its surface is varied by many heights, which on theAyrshire border are about 1000 feet high, while those scatteredthroughout the county are considerably under that elevationof the .striking featuresOneof the county is the great number of freshwater lochs, and another is the wide stretches of marshy mossvand boggy ground called "flows." A great extent of the inlandpart of the Machars, and most of the Moors, is composed of thisunprofitable kind of ground, still undrained. The most fertileP ;" w-,?'' "''"' *^''' '°''"^' '"' ""^ Stranraer, Wigtown, WhithornFort-W\ilham, and the Rhins generally. The most prevalent rockIS greywacke or whiustone of the silunan system, and the soil isgenerally thin, though barley, oats, wheat, beans, &c., are cultivated on the richer ground.The Flora of Wigtownshire, from a botanical, physical, andterritorial point of view, should have been included in that of

—18 Transactions.Kirkcudbrightshire and Dumfriesshire, but from the paucity ofinformation at the time, it was deemed advisable in the compilationof our local Flora to restrict the list of Wigtownshire plantsto a few of the rarer ones, as given in the Appendix.Vêry strangely,Wigtownshire, as regards its flora, was, until a few years ago, asmuch a terra incognita as some counties of our Western Highlands.The late Professor Balfour of Edinburgh and other botanists paidflying visits to the county and recorded some of its rarer plants,especially those found in the neighbourhood of the Mull of Galloway,some 0^ which, I have heard, were obtained by means of aboat. Such hasty visits lack the true means of knowing the floraof a district, viz., systematic research. Records of Wigtownshireplants are also found in the old Statistical Account of Scotland,the Herbarium and Transactions of the Edinburgh BotanicalSociety, in the Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow,and in similar scattered literature. These records are, however,from 30 to 40 years old, and therefore many formerlyrecorded plants of " The Shire " require re-discovery. A greatnumber of the Wigtownshire plants given in the Appendix to ourlocal flora were observed by myself during two visits to Port Loganabout 10 or 12 years ago. Mr Charles Bailey visited Wigtownshirein 1883, and made a few additions to its list of plants, butit was in 1883 that Mr G. C. Druce, of Oxford, who delightsto botanise in out-of-the-way unexplored corners, gave an almostcomplete list of Wigtownshire plants. In the summer of that year,under the very great disadvantage of a sprained ankle, he botanisedfor five days the greater part of the county, and notwithstandinghis accident and the shortness of the time at his disposal, hislist is really astonishing in its completeness.inDuring the past twosummers I have personally verified the great maiority of the plantsin his list. In his list given in the Botanical Record Club Reportfor 1883, he begins his remarks in the following words: "Theaccompanying catalogue of Wigtownshire plants fills up the onlygap in the counties of Britainfor which no lists of common plantshas been supplied to Mr H. C. Watson, or to the Record Club."Botanically considered this statement is not creditable to the district.At the end of his list he gives this summary:Recorded before ... ... ... ... 35Bailie's additions ... ... ... ... 10New species recorded ... 4,39Aliens and denizens ... ... ... 3.3Varieties ... ... ... ... 35552

——Transactions. ] 9Thus it is seen that until 1883 almost nothing was done in the wayof making a complete list of Wigtownshire i)lants. To this list Ihave added at least 20 species hitherto unrecorded, and these fromonly two localities, viz., around Portpatrick in 1886, and aroundPort-William in 1887. Comparatively little now remains to bedone as regards the Flora of Wigtownshire except to add a fewadditional species from time to time, and to note new stations forthe rarer ones. Many jjlants not recorded from our three southwestern!counties in the Second Edition of Watson's " TopographicalBotany " are yet given in our local Flora, which unfortunatelywas not available when this second edition was issued. As thematter at present stands it is bewildering to ascertain what jjlantshave been recorded from this district and what have not, andtherefore to pledge myself toperfect accuracy on this point wouldbe impossible. This will, no doubt, be remedied in the thirdedition, for which Mr Arthur Bennett is collecting material. Theplants new to Wigtownshire in 1886 from Portpatrick are :Botrychium limaria, Cakile inattfima, Raphanus raphanistrutn,Arenaria trinervis, Circcea luietiana, Juniperus covununis, Cerasiiiaiitetrandfum, Veronica hedercefolia, Leontodon hirius. Euphorbiaparalias ; and at Port-William this year I gathered new to Wigtownshire:Carcx putidata, Carcx pali/dosa, Sagina apetala,Astragalus glycyphyllos. Chaiophyllum temulentuvi, Lysi/iiachiavulgaris, Typha latifolia, Scolopendrium vulgare, A7n/iwpktlaarenaria, and Blysmus rufus. Of these the two most interestingplants are Carex punctata and Euphorbia paralias. This givesanother county record for the rare Carex punctata for Scotland.It has been found in Scotland before only by the Rev. JamesFraser, Colvend, at Glenstocking, in his own parish. I gatheredit at Craigs of Garchew, six miles north of Port-William.Euphorbia paralias I found last year at Morroch Bay, soutli ofPortpatrick, and this year on the shingle north of Port-William.Hitherto it has been recorded for Scotland only from Fife as anintroduced plant.As the natural features of the two Galloways, East and West,are considerably different in many respects, it would be difficultto say which county has the greater number of flowering plants,but there can be no doubt as to the very marked superiority ofKirkcudbrightshire in the variety and abundance of its cryptogams.As far as jiresent lists go, the Stewartry has also a decidedadvantage in the number of its phanerogams. Wigtownshire has

20 Transactions.ouiythe very commouest mosses and other cryptogams, aud evenits bogs have only a tiresome repetition of the commoner species.However, I would say without contradiction that Wigtownshire,from the character of its shores, has more seaboard plants thanKirkcudbrightshire, while on the other hand it is sadly deficientin alpine and sub-alpine species. Mr Druce says that Galiumboreak is the only mountain and almost the only northern planthe found, and even this was washed down from the hills by theKiver Cree. In the rich and cultivated districts the weeds ofcultivation are many and varied. Mr Druce remarks of Wigtownshire:" There is little in the flora to suggest its northern situation.One could easily imagine one was walking through theMidlands did not the prevalence of Lepidium Sniithii and CEnanthecrocata suggests a more western flora. In mountain flowers it isalmost destitute. The drier mosses are singularly sparing in thecarices, and even Jtuicus squarossus is rare. Hobenaria chloranthais present, to the exclusion of H. bifoHa." Owing to thelateness of the season I had not an opportunity of verifying MrDruce's last statement about H. bifolia ; but it is very strange ifit is true. Also many plants rare in Kirkcudbrightshire are morecommon in Wigtownshire, and vice versa.I shall not inflict on you a list of the Wigtownshire plants,but I trust it may be useful and interesting if I were to make afew comparisons as to the abundance, the rarity, or absence ofcertain plants in the two Galloways, and in doing so I shall followno definite order. The luxuriant fern vegetation of DunskeyGlen, near Portpatrick, interspersed with large patches of magnificentspecimens of Equiseiiim maxiiniDii, reminded me of tropicalvegetation or of the forests of the coal period. At Dinvin, again,the ground under the trees is one carjiet of matted ivy, while atMonreith grounds the most striking feature is the profuse growthof Lyclmis dioica, making the woods a perfect blaze of red, andexcluding almost entirely Mercurialis perennis, so common in thewoods of the Stewartry. Every visitor to Castle-Kennedy admiresits pinetum, or collection of conifers, one of the best in the kingdom,while its lochs, terraces, and grounds would amply repay agood day's botanising. The sandy shores of Monreith Bay are"ay with a profusion of Ononisarvensis, Erodiuin cicuiariitni. Convolvulussoldanella, Eryngiuiii inaritiniuiii, and Galium. At LagPoint, south of Monreith Bay, thereis an almost complete coverof Salsola Kali, resembling a field of young whins. In some

Transactions. 21places north of Poi't-William Glaucium luteum, Malva moschata,and a prostrate form of Vicia sylvatica are most conspicuous, andsouth of Port-'William Crambe maritima is in plenty. I saw onefield almost covered with wild carrot and another with bugloss.Of ferns, the Parsley Fern, Green Spleenwort, and Cystopterisfragilis seem to be absent. The Royal Fern, now rare, wasformerlj' very plentiful about Mochrum Loch, &c., but it hasshared the fate of many other rare native plants—almost completeextirpation. A person told me that in her youth it was cut anddried to cover potatoes, &c., as brackens are commonly used, butthat it had been carried off in cartloads by fern vendors. MrDruce did not notice Raiiinicu/iis bulbosus in the county. Hypericumdubium is the most common St. John's wort, and Epilobiumobscuruin the most common willow herb. The typical plants ofthe county are Lepidiuin Sinithii, CEnanthe Crocata ("hech-how")Carum verticillatum, and Jasioiie niontana. The Kock Rose isvery rare and so is Golden Rod, so common in our sub-alpineglens. Swine's Cress is very common, though very rare in theStewartry. Some of the shore plants become scarcer as weproceed up the Solway Firth, while others seem to increase inabundance. For instance, Scilla verna, the vernal squill, soabundant in spring on the heughs of the west coast, does notoccur to my knowledge east of the River Dee. Gemnininsanguineiim, on the other hand, seems to increase in frequency aswe go eastwards, until we find it in plenty at Almorness.Erodium cicutarium is very rare in the Stewartry but veryplentiful in such sandy spots as Port-Logan and Moureith Bay.ScuicUaria minor has been recorded from only one or two stationsin Kirkcudbrightshire, whereas it is frequent in damp placesbetween Glenluce and Port-William. I could easily point outother differences in the frequency, rarity, or absence of plantsfrom the two Galloways, but the above will suffice.I have compared the lists from Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire,and I find that while nearly seventy plants recordedfrom the Stewartry have not yet been found inthe " Shire," onlyabout twelve plantsin Wigtownshire have not yet been noticedin Kirkcudbrightshire. These are Sagina maritima, Spergularianegiecta, Erodium maritimum, Carduus tenuijlorus, Bartsia viscosa,Thymus chamcvdrys, Lamium intermedium, Euphorbia para/ias,Equisetum maximum, Iso/epis savii, and Caucalis nodosa. Themost of these should be in the Stewartry. Those in Kirkcud-

22 Transactions.brightshire, but not yet recorded from Wigtownshire, where Ihave no doubt many of them will yet be found, are :Hypericumhirsutuin, Limun perenne, Radiola millegrana, Geraniian pratenseand sylvaticHin, Rhammis frangiila, Genista tinctoria and Anglica,Ononis spinosa, Medicago Iiipulina, Teesdalia nudicauUs, DroseraAngiica, Alsine verna, Sisymbrium tha/ianum, Subularia aquatica,Orobus sylvatica, Vicia lathyroides, Lathyrus sylvestris, Potentillafragariastrum, Saxifraga stellaris, CJirysosplenium alternifolium,Sedum rhodiola and villosum, Cicuia virosa, îhusa cynapium,Meum aihamanticuni, Viburnum opu/us, Adoxa moschatellina,Galium cruciata and mollugo, Valeriana dioica, Knautia arvensis,Seratula tinctoria, Carduus heterophyllus, Campanula latifolia,Vaccinium Vitis-idoâ, Pyrola media, Veronica scutellaia andtnontana, Lathrcsa squamaria, Calamintha clinopodium, Stachysbetonica, the Utricularias, Polygonum bistorta and minus, Rumexhydrolapathum, Euphorbia exigna, Salix herbacea, Listera cordata,Habenaria albida and bifolia, Epipactis latifolia, Ruppia, Alliumvineale, Typha augustifolia, Scirpus sylvaticus, Cladium mariscus,Glyceria aquatica, Aiillium effusum, melica nutans, Carex remota,filiformis, sylvatica, elongata, limosa, teretiuscula, and aquatilis.It will thus be seen that Wigtownshire has leeway to makeup before her list of plants equals that of the Stewartry. Inconclusion, I would urge the expediency and even the necessityof embracing the Wigtownshire plants in any futurelocal flora.edition of ourNote.—Many of the above plants have been found. 1890.J. M'A.^th op January, 1888.Mr Robert Murray, Vice-President, presided. Twenty-eightmembers present.Neiu Member. — ]\Ir Thomas Kerr, Teacher.Donations.— " The Macs of Galloway," from the author, MrPatrick Dudgeon of Cargen ;" Annan and its Neighbourhood,"by Mr Frank Miller, of Annan ; the Journal of the Elisha MitchellSociety ; the Transactions (Vol. IV.) of the New York Academyof Sciences ; the Essex Naturalist for December ; and a cast ofthe cup and ring markiugs from thestones at High Banks, Kirkcudbright,from Mr J. M'Kie.

Transactions. 23Communications.I. Dumfries 2^0 Years Ago. By Mr James S. Thomson.I intend in these few notes to call up a few of the characteristicsof society as it existed here 250 years ago. The features are.strongly akin in many particulars to those existing in our owntime—the same failings are here portrayed and the same virtues,and the names are often those of dwellers in our midst. Thenotes are mainly taken from past records of old session-books,the truth of which I have taken pains to ascertain.In reading overthe old records of the town—both municipal and sessional—one istaken back to the timeof intense religious feeling and hard fightingthat then existed in Scotland. Let me briefly recall theposition of affairs during the period from 1635 to 1654. TheNational Covenant was signed in 1638, and theGeneral Assemblyhad become rather than Parliament the power of the land, and, ashas been justly observed, " Church and State were not convertibleterms, but the former permeated the latter so thoroughly that theGovernment wore quite a Theocratic aspect. What the Assemblyresolved upon the estates readily assented to." The remembranceof this has to be borne in mind when the various penalties enforcedare mentioned here. Various matters are touched upon that havean aspect almost comic in the light of the present, showing historyto be repeating itself in small as well as great events. There isan impression that life at this time was painfully austere, but fromthese recoi'ds we gather that peoîle's daily life was somewhat likewhat exists in the present. Concurrent with deep religious feelingthere existed amongst the better class the weak brother whose lifewas not all that the minister could have wished. Dealing firstwith the social habits of the town, we find a set of roysteringblades who carried their drinking to the extent of having the towndrummer to assist them in their orgies, and it is ordained ;" Nov.1, 1649. That the session, resenting the great dishonour done tothe liurd by sundry persons in this burgh in the height of theircups, not only abusing the creature to the excess of riot throughdrinking of healths, but likewise by calling the drummer to beatthe drum at every health, do therefore discharge the drummer toanswer any persons in such ungodly demand under pain ofinflicting upon him the sharpest measure of kirk discipline andextruding him from his place withal. Margaret D., spouse toJames L. D., to be rebuked in sackcloth for the sin of drunken-

24 Transactions.ness." We luave also the case of the habitual drunkavd comingup, and although little is said, the mere intimation seems toconvey the impression that a warm interview was in store.Short,sharp, and summary is the intimation, " Nicholas Greer and MarionBrown, for habitual drinking of hot waters, to be summoned."The ten o'clock movement is looked upon as being an innovationand Forbes Mackenzie as being an interference with the libertiesof the lieges, but strange it is to find that both were anticipatedso long ago. Drinking in any alehouse or tavern after ten o'clockat night is forbidden under pain of ecclesiastical censure, and it iscommanded " that no person of whatsoever condition be founddrinking on the Lord's Day in taverns or ale-houses." Parties atbridals and baptisms seem to have occasioned a good deal ofscandal, not only as to the numbers invited, but also as to thedisorderly habits of some of those who attendedthem, for we findthat the minister is to intimate that none who have children to bebaptised shall invite above twelve nor exceed the number oftwenty-four at bridals, and no disorder to be committed. Fromthe foregoing allusions one can quite understand that the Dumfriesburgesses were men possessed of means, and with the will to enjoythe good things of this life. They seem also to have had a properestimation of their own position and importance in the community,and to have had little reason to pray for a guid conceit of themselves,as the following will show : A supplication was given intothe session, bearing ineffect " That they, a number of merchants,as burden-bearers of this burgh (no ways to be balanced with thevulgar and promiscuous multitude, &c.), claim the two foremostseats of the loft in the kirk called the common loft, for theirbetter accommodation (which place has been for many yearspossessed by plebeians who rudely and uncivilly have rushedthemselves in there without any order), for which cause theyoblige themselves to make new entries thereto and erect railsbehind, so that those behind be not frustrate of the benefit of thedoctrine," and the session ordained accordingly. A rev. gentleman,some time ago, complained of the offensive nature of the languageemployed by the lower classes, and the same thing seems to havecaused serious concern to the session in those days, but in thiscase means to secure decency of language were adopted which onemay well envy at the present time.— " 1649.—Country peopleresorting to the mercat belching forth horrid oaths and impreca-

—Transactions. 25tions, rending tlio name of God asunder, are to be delivered overto the Session for a deserved measure of punishment. Aug. 22.James Moffat and James Wilson to search next Wednesday forcursers." We have also private parties dealt with, and the natureof their punishment. " R. S., for habitual cursing and drunkenness,to declare his repentance next Sabbath, and is enacted underthe penalty of banishment not to be found in the like sins. M.IB., for cursing her husband, to sit two days in the pillar. J. T.,sword sharper, to be rebuked for ordinary cursing." We comenext to a matter that caused much excitement all over the countryat this time—the crime of witchcraft ; and from the records herethe Session seems to have had its feelings far more under controlthan in many other places. "Jan. 17, 16.50.—The minister is tointimate that whosoever person shall brand any man or womanwith the common upcast of witchcraft, unless they have pregnantand warranted grounds, shall have the sharpest kirk discipline.Jan. 5, 1654.—R. S. deponed that he heard M. C. say to AgnesJ. ' That the devil rode on her back seven years, and that she wasbut a dyvour,' or witch." The sin of talking scandal seems tohave been put down with a firm hand at this time, and the variouspunishments meted out are of a kind fitted to keep unruly tonguesin order." Thos. JNIeik, for slandering Agues Fleming, is ordainedinstanter to stand in the gorgets (a sort of pillory with an iron ringfor the neck) at the Trone till 1 2 o'clock, and thereafter upon hisbare knees to ask her foi'giveness at the Mercat Cross." " JanetJardine is enacted, under the pain of twenty pounds, never henceforthto be heard scolding."" Catherine Purdie, for calling BessieHarper a lewd lown, debusht, mainsworn glutton, filthy lown andthief, wabster's get, skemland stablerakei-, and praying ane blacksight to Bessie and her bairns, to be rebuked from the body of thechurch." A departure from virtue such as is now commonlybrought before the Divorce Courts was dealt with as follows :" Allan Cunningham, for adultery, is ordained to appear before tliePresbytery in sackcloth, and there confess his fault, and thereafterbe remitted to the Session. John Black, for the same offence, tosit seven Sabbaths in sackcloth, and the first and last to standbarefooted at the church door between the second and last bell."For a departure from virtue for the fourth time on the part of aAvoman, she is ordained " to be carted from the town." Absencefrom worship was a frequently recurring subject before the Session,

:26 Transactions.and a few particulars of how it was met are of interest at thepresent time, when means to fill our churches are often discussed." Jan. 28, 1641.—The Session, resenting the great slackness andremissness of certain persons in resorting to God's house, but moreespecially those of the Landward Parish, have, for remeid thereof,statute and ordained that every gentleman of note in the parishshall pay for every day's absence from the kirk thirty shillings,Mies quoties. Also the lady Elshieshields, tlie Lady Craigs, &c.,to be summoned for not haunting the kirk, and everyone ofthe inhabitants of Kelton is fined for absence." Akin to the sin ofnot attending worship, although more trivial, is the following"The minister to intimate to the congregation that henceforthwhen they address themselves either to the Sabbath or week-daysermon that they walk not in the churchyard inventing worldlythoughts, but go into their seats, that so their unbecoming carriagebe prevented, and tlie Lord less dishonoured than hitherto." Imay also cite a few things that are forbidden as sinful. " ThomasEichardson purgeth himself, but paid twelve shillings for playingat cards." " John Clerk Taylor, for being observed to shavesundry of this burgh on the Lord's day in the morning is commandedthat he be not found in the like breach of the Lord's dayunder the penalty of ten pounds.'' " A woman for gathering cale isfined and set in the pillar, and the year after this May games areforbidden and Dorothy Herries and Marion Hairson for going toSt. Jargon's Well on the first Sunday in May in ane superstitiousway to fetch the waters thereof, are ordained to acknowledge theiroffence in the body of the church on Sunday." There are also afew remarks about the poor tliat may prove interesting. " Theminister is desired yet, as oft before, to intimate that the mostpart of the congregation are sparing (and many give nothing at all)to the great necessities of the poor, and the magistrates will beenforced to take course with those who withdraw from sopious aduty. The minister is to intimate on Sunday to the deficients inthe necessary duty of charity to the poor that their names henceforthshall be read out publicly, to their great disgrace."I cannotclose without a few remarks as to the feeling towards our neighboursover the border. There seems to have been little goodwill,which may possibly be accounted for by the fact of some of theburghers having been taken captive, yet at times there seems arace feeling at the bottom of it, as if they recognised the English

Transactions. 27as their " auncient enemie?." "July, 1640.—John M'Courtie, remittedby the Presbytery to the censure of this Session for hisoften falling into sin with Isobcl Wright, they are ordained toresort to the pillar in sackcloth the ensuing Sabbath, and there, inface of the whole congregation, cancel and destroy the paper whichthey brought from England of their unlawful marriage and disclaimthe same and for ever dishaunt her comijauy. John Maxwell, oneof the elders of the Session, for accompanying his brother over themarch to their unlawful way of marriage contrair to the disciplineof the church, is removed off the session, and ordained to paytwenty punds to the poor." " John Laurie, piper, petitions theSession for liberty to use and exercise his calling of piping andplaying, undertaking not to play at all to any of the English.The Session notwithstanding, conceiving his way of living to beuseless, have unanimously discharged him henceforth to use thesame, and to take himself to some lionester way of living." Itmay be conceived that boycotting would be unlikely to existamongst neighbours at this time, but such undoubtedly was thecase, for we find the Session (April 29, 1647), giving "liberty toMr John Corson and Mr Cuthbert Cunningham to speak withLord Herries, notwithstanding he be excommunicate, in respectthey have sundry business of good with his lordship. Also grantsthe same liberty to Robert Newall anent his affairs vnth. Maynesand John Maxwell of Mylnstone." I simply lay these extractsbefore you as of antiquarian interest, and forbear, as contrary toour custom, to criticise in any way their religious bearings. Theyare matters that concern our good town, and serve to throw lightupon a chapter of our history of no mean importance. Beforeconcluding, permit me to read you the duties laid down totheeldersof the church. Their position at this time seems to have beenparticularly onerous, and the scale of Christian duty and observanceno mean one. Their duties were to enquire as they wentthrough their several quarters every quarter of the year :(1) Howthe master of the family behaves himselfIf his wife walk orderly.If children and servants are obedient. (2) If children be trainedup in their learning and honest trades. (3) If they be kept fromprofaning the Sabbath, and brought to the public worship. (4) Ifthe little catechise be in every family and exactly learned. (5; Ifthere be family wor.ship, and the word read therein ; and if ineach family there be a bible and exhort to private worship. (6)

28 Transactions.If there be cursing, swearing, scolding, and drunkenness in any ofthe families. (7) If any absent themselves from public worship,and who they are, and to exhort to keep the Thursday's sermonand Presbytery's exercises. (8) If there be any servants broughtin, and if they have testimonies from the places they come from.(9) If there be any idle persons in families, and profane personsbrewing. (10) That none of whatsoever condition be founddrinking on the Lord's Day in taverns or ale-houses. (11) Thatno scandalous person coming from elsewhere be permitted toenter this bureh.II. The Meteorology of the Dumfries District in i88y. By theRev. William Andson, of Kirkmahoe.It may be right to give an explanation here respecting theinstruments used in taking the observations which are recorded inthe subjoined table. For the first three months of the year acommon standard barometer, with Vernier scale to measure tenthsand hundredths of an inch, was used. It was considered fairlyreliable, though it had not been scientifically tested. But in thebeginning of April it was replaced by a new one, made byAdie & Wedderburn, of Edinburgh, with Vernier to measure totwo thousand parts of an inch, which had been tested in the ofliceof the Scottish Meteorological Society, and was recommended byDr Buchan, the secretary of that society. During the first twomonths of 1887, the temperature observations were taken from aSelf-registering Sixe Thormometer, kept in the shade, but not protected.But since early in March last two thermometers havebeen used—a Philip'sSelf-registering Maximum (mercurial) and aEutherford's Minimum (spirit)—both certified at Kew, and placedin a Stevenson box or screen, four feet above the grass in anopengarden space. The rain guage is a Glaisher's, of 5 in. diameter,with the mouth raised 10 in. above the grass. The observationsof the barometer are taken twice a day, at 9 a.m. and 9 p.blThose of the maximum and minimnm thermometer are taken at 9P.M. for the previous 24 hours \ and the rainfall every morning atnine for the same period. The direction of the wind is taken at 1P.M., mostly from the vane of the Midsteeple. The instrumentswere inspected in September last bj' Dr Buchan, and on beingcompared with his standard ones were found to be extremelyaccurate.

3oTransactions. 29

30 Transactions.mean minimum 39 '5°. The winter quarter, taking in Decemberalong with January and February, was not characterised by anygreat extremes of temperature. In these months there were 50days in which the thermometer fell to the freezing point andunder, with an aggregate of 228° of frost.This compares favourablywith the previous year, in the same months of which thethermometer registered 444° of frost in 72 days. But it indicatesat the same time a winter of considerable severity, the meantemperature of these months being about 37 "6°, as compared withan average of 39°. The wintry weather, however, extended asusual a long way into March, in -which 10 nights of frost wererecorded, with an aggregate of 28°. There was frost also to someextent in April and May. April had 10 nights with 24°, and May2 nights with 3°. The temperature of the spring months wasconsiderably below the average, with a prevalence of northerly,north-easterly, and north-westerly winds, and unusual dryness,which awakened fears of a late and deficient harvest. But themarked rise of temperature, which came with the bright and sunnyweather of June, and was continued in July, along with copiousrains in the latter month, proved so favourable to the progress ofvegetation, that the harvest, instead of being later, was ratherearlier than usual, though deficient in quantity inlight soils, fromthe want of sufficient moisture at an earlier period. In Junethere were 14 days on which the maximum temperature exceeded70°, and in seven of these it rose above 80°, ranging from 70° to87°. In July also there were 14 days with a maximum of over70°, the range being from 70° to 80-5°. The mean temperature ofJune was 59 '7°, being more than 4° above that of last year, andabout 3° above the average of the month.The mean temperatureof July was still higher, being 60-9°, exceeding that of July, 188G,by 2-6°, and the average of former years by 13°. The hottestdays occurred in the latter half of June, but in July the nightswere warmer. As illustrating the effects of this unusual heat onvegetation, it may be mentioned that in Mr Henderson's gardenat Newall Terrace ripe cherries were gathered on the 23rd ofJune, ripe strawberries on the 25tli, early vegetables, such as peas,turnips, carrots, and onions on the 30th, and ripe gooseberries11th July. August and September do not call for any particularremark on the point of temperature. Both were about 2° belowthe average, and there was a degree of uusettlement in the weatherbetween the middle of August and the middle of September, whichon

Transactions, 31greatly retarded the work of the harvest, and caused in many casesserious damage to the grain crops. In the other autumn monthsthere was an unusual decline of temperature, the mean of Octoberbeing only 45° and that of November 39"7°, as compared with•49-8° last year in the former month and 42-1° in the latter. Asearly as the 8th October the higher hills in Dumfriesshire andover Scotland had a covering of snow, and on the night of the11th or morning of the 12th the thermometer registered 8° offrost. Northerly and easterly winds prevailed in both thesemonths, and in November the sky was for the most part overcast,with a consequent minimum of sunshine, which made the weatherboth cold and gloomy. October had 10 nights of frost, with anaggregate of 28°, and November 13 nights, with an aggregate of47°. The total number of days throughout the year in which thethermometer was at or below the freezing point was 96, and theaggregrate degrees of frost 360.In 1886 the number of days was112, and the aggregate .536°. So far, however, was the excess ofcold this year counterbalanced by the unusual heat of June andJuly that the mean temperature of the year was 1° higher thanthat of 1886, viz., 47'2° as compared with 46'2° in the latter yearComparing this with the mean temperature of other parts of Scotland,as reported this week in some of thenewspapers, I find thatArdrossan had a mean temperature for the past year of 47*3°;Leith, of 47'2°; Aberdeen, of 46-4°; and Wick, of 45-3°. It maybe interesting to note, as showing the diflerence between a northernand southern temperature, that the mean annual temperature ofGreenwich for the last fifty years is 51 '8°. Mr Dudgeon of Cargenreports a mean for the year of 46 '2°. How this difference fromthe temperature of Dumfries is to be explained I cannot say ; butI have repeatedly observed that both the highest maximum andthe lowest minimum temperatures of the month atCargen are, asa rule, lower than those reported at Dumfries by one or twodegrees, and sometimes more. There must be different local conditionsaffecting the temperature to give rise to this difference inplaces so near one another. The mean of 47'2°, though above themean of the previous year, is still somewhat under the usual average.Rainfall.—There were 181 days on which rain or snow fell(rain, 170; snow, 11); on 34 of which, however, the fall did notexceed one hundredth of an inch ; total, 30-99 inches. In 1886rain or snow fell on 224 days, with a total of 41-13 inches. Theheaviest fall in 24 hours in 1887 occurred between 9 A.M. of 6th

:32 Transactions.December and 9 AM. of the Ttli. There was very lieavy rain onthe Gth, followed by snow during the night, which at 9 A.M.measured 6 inches in depth ; and was the heaviest snowfall of theyear. The rain and melted snow together gave a depth of 1-26inches in the guage, equivalent to 126 tons of water to the acre.The year, as a whole, however, was remarkably dry. There weretwo months in which the rainfall was less than one inch ;Mayhaving 0-98 in., and June only 0-56 in. From the 8th June to the2nd July not a drop of rain fell. February, March, and April,and later in the year October, were also abnormally dry ; theaggregate rainfall of these six months being only 8*09 in., whereasin the previous year it was 16-79 in., and the mean of the preceding26 years as observed at Cargen was upwards of 19 in. Thetotal rainfall of the year was 30'99 in. :that of 1886 was 41-13 in.;showing a deficiency for the past year of 10-14 in. as comparedwith the previous one, and of 13-66 in. as compared with the meanof the preceding 27 years at Cargen. In consequence of this unusualdryness, especially in the first half ofthe year, many of thesprings and wells in the district failed as early as July, and werenot replenished again till Decemlier. The same deficiency ofmoisture seems to have prevailed in a greater or less degree overthe whole country, but more on its western than on its easternside. Thus Colmonell, in Ayrshire, records a deficiency of morethan 10 in., Greenock of nearly 15 in. (the lowest since 1875),Bridge-of-Allan of about 9 in., Leith of neai-ly 7 in., and EastLinton in Haddingtonshire of nearly 5 in. In illustration of thefact stated, it may be mentioned that the Eiver Tay, near Perth,is said to have been lower by half-an-inch on July 10th than itslowest point in 1826, which was one of the driest years on recoid ;and the Nith for many weeks was lower than the writer remembersto have seen it.There were few thunderstorms during the year, and none ofany severity. The writer of this paper observed only six occasionson which thunder was heard—two in July, on the 2nd and 31st ;two in August, on the 17th and 18th ;one on the 1st November,with sharp hail showers ; and one on 14th December between 4and 5 A.M., also accompanied by hail showers. The total numberof hailshowers observed was ten.The following is a summary of the wiml directions for theyearCalmorVar. N. KE. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W.7 41 35 17 24 23 90 54 74

more when the circle was complete. There is no central stone •a are round the sides. One was l^ feet distant from the next •other distances were, 17 ft., 19 ft. 8 in., 25 ft., 34 ft. 4 in 37 ft'Transactions. 33Note toMr Thomson's Paper.The following will throw light upon the expression "profanepersons brewing" (page 28): "Bailie Johneson reports that ingonig through the town last Sabbath he found in the house ofJames Moorehead a large pot upon the fire boyling wort, and inJohn Baxter's house Wright found the said James Moorehead'swife with a choppin stoup in her hand, and the said James Mooreheads wife sitting at a table and said she was seeking barm."The following extracts may be interesting from the form ofpunishment:-" 1641. Bessie Black for her 3rd departure fromvirtue to sit six Sabbaths and at the cross in the Jougs." " 164'>Euphane Thomson and Jane Johnson, servants, for scolding eachother, to be put m the Jougs presently." " 1644. A man and hiswife for slander are sentenced to stand at the kirk style with thebranks m their mouths." « 1695. It is statute and ordained thatwho drmk to excess shall pay the Nobleman twenty pounds • theBarron, twenty merks ; the Gentleman Heretor or Burgess,' tenmerk.s;the Yeoman, forty shillings ; the Servant, twenty shillings•and the Minister the fifth part of his stipend.III. The Druidical Circle in Troqueer. By Mr JoHN Brown,F.E.I.S.,of Drumsleet.The Druidical circle on the Hills farm lies about four milesfrom Dumfries, a little over half a mile to the left of the farmcalled East Hills, as one journeys towards Lochrutton.Or takinothefootpath to Lochrutton Kirk, a quarter of a mile past Turnfeen"the travellerwould find it about 200 yards to his left just as he is'aboutto reach the top ot the ascent. It is, on a contour line ofthe trigonometrical survey maps, shewn to be situated exactly 500feet above the level of the sea, and lies in a somewhat depressedplace close to the last rising of the hills behind, which attain 625tcet In the depression is a platform evidently to some extentartificial and irregularly circular, 70 to 80 feet in diameter Thetop has been levelled, or rather made level, by using the materialsbrought from the sides. On this little platform is the Druidicalcircle. There are now ten stones in the circle, but, judging fromthe distances from stone to stone, it is probable there were a few'm.; the average is about 25 ft. 3 in.; and the circumference

;34 Transactions.227 ft. G in. This measurement is'not'given as strictly exact, butincludes the diameter of each stone. The stones are not from thequarry in the hill-side, which is a soft clay slate ; but they presentthe usual forms of boulders obtained from the drifts of the glacialperiod. They are not granitic, and they are not silurian, yet seemto be metamorphic, judging from the appearance of white softlookinggrains of which they are largely composed, with oneexception. This exception is the only one which is distinctlysilurian, and is the most remarkable one in the whole circle, as itcontains some of the "cup markings" on its flat top, which haveso strongly attracted the notice of antiquarians of late.This stonehas a flat top, but it is its natural top, and not made flat by thehand of man. It has two straight sides, the rest is roundish.From the angles two lines of 35 in. and 36 in. can be drawn. Ithas a circumference of nearly 10 ft. One of the cups is smallerthan the others, of which there are three on the top, running inline nearly straight about a foot in length. A line drawn straightacross the centres of the first and third would just cut the edge ofthe circumference of the second. The diameter of each of thesethree is the same, that is 8-lOths of an inch, and of capacity tohold a boy's marble—not the tmv, but the forfeits. A goodcounter might be able to run the number of holes round it toa higher figure, but there will be no difficulty in counting 12similar cups round the sides. The three on the top alone mightarousesuspicion as to their great antiquity, but the others upholdtheir claim in a manner not to be disputed.Zrd of February, 1888.Mr Thomas Shortridge, ex-Provost, presided. Twenty-sixmembers pi-esent.New Member.—Mrs Thompson, Rosemoimt Terrace.Donafiojis.-—Two volumes from the author, Mr Peter Gray,one on Fungi and Mosses, and the other on Seaweeds and Shellsa pamphlet on the Rock-Sculpturings in Kirkcudbrightshire fromthe author, Mr George Hamilton ; a Communion Token of theassociated congregations of Dumfries, dated 1766, from MrBarbour ; two Communion Tokens of St. Mary's Church, Dumfries,from Mr William Allan; the Tokens of Balmaclellan, Dairy,Minnigaff, and Kells, from Mr M'Andrew ;and of the following

Tkansaction.s.35Parishesfrom the Kirkcudbright Museum, viz. : Borûe, Buittle,Dalbeattie, Dairy, Girthon, Kelton, Kirkcudbright, Kirkmabreck,Kukbean, Newabbey, Parton, Berwick, Terregles, Troqueer,Twyiiholm, aud Urr.Communications.I. Botanical Notes for 1887. By Mr James FiNGLAND ofThornhill.The season of 1887 will be remembered for its ideal summerweather, which, for at least the months of June and July, was analmost unbroken record of sunshine and genuine warmth Thishot weather, although favourable and enjoyable for outdoor botanicalwork was fiitiguing for long excursions on foot, whilst a certaindrawback was experiencedin the shorter time plants remained inbloom. The rather unfavourable character, too, of the earlvautumn caused an unusually fine season to be also a short oneirom a held botanist's point of view.A notable feature of 1887 was the early flowering of manyplants, which I more especially observed amongst aquatics. Then^termediate form of the yellow water lily, which occurs inGlencairn, was gathered in flower on the 12th of July last. In18bo It was seen in flower on the 28th of August-perhapshowever at a later stage, for which a few days might be deducted\nevertheless, making a marked diff-erence of nearly six weekbetween the two dates.The water lobelia at Loch Urr I obtainedn flower on the 20th of July last, which was just a month earlierthan m the previous year. Some of the Potamogetons or pondweeds,I am sure, came very much earlier too, but I have noprevious dates to compare with. It has occurred to me that theflowering of aquatics might more fairly indicate the character of aseason in regar-d to temperature, these plants not being aff-ected byclrought, which so often hastens the maturing of terrestial vegetaion by stunting the growth, were it not that aquatics problblyderive a stimulus and benefit from direct sunshine whether theatmospheric temperature is of an average warmth or not Theamount of solar heat absorbed by a lake will vary with its depthshallowness. Other affecting circumstances will be found in itsphysical surroundings, situation, or exposure. The matter mayappear to be unimportant. It is not so, however, to a collectorwho wishes to secure specimens valuable for exchange from alocality at some distance.Disappointment may be thus saved by

36 Transactions.making a careful calculation.In the instances of early flowering Ihave given I do not think the atmospheric heat (which did notbegin till June) sufficiently accounts for the phenomena, but thatthe sunshine of the earlier dry months had a share in it.In giving a summary of results for 1887, I am indebted to DrDavidson, Sanquhar, for some notes from his district. The findsof most interest which he reports are Scabiosa arvensis, at Drumbuie; Arabis hirsiita, Kello Linns ; Veronica hedercefolia, Phleumarenaria, and Lolium toniileniuin variety arvense, from the riverside at Sanquhar ; Cerasiium semidecandrum, from Crawick ; andPotentilla argenfea, near Holywood. Two of these at least, if notthree, are additions to our Flora. Mr John Corrie, Moniaive, hasmade two good finds, both in his own parish of Glencairn. One isa valuable addition to our family of native Orchids in Malaxispaludosa, although Dr Grierson informs me sincethat he collectedthe same plant a number of years ago in the parish of Keir, butdoes not know whether it now exists there or not. The otherplant is Carex irrigua, a locality for which has hitherto been adesideratum. In the Thornhill district I have to add Callitricheautionnalis and Niiella flexilis from the parish of Closeburn. Twoother additions to the county are Carex (Ederi, for certain at last,growing in considerable quantity in a dried-up pond near Auldgirth,and Utricularia intermedia, found at Loch Urr. Two moreplants, Stachys betonica and Hippuris vulgaris,are new to the district.The former I gathered near Auldgirth, this new locality,therefore, becoming a link between the only other two localitiesfor it at Sanquhar and Caerlaverock in the Nith valley ; thelatter plant was found in Closeburn, but the specimens of itthere were rather dwarfed. Mr Corrie and I met with a veryluxuriant growth of the same plant in Fingland Lane, Kirkcudbrightshire,alongst with Potainogeton rufescens, Sparganiumminimttjn, and Carex paniculata. In critical genera Rom tonieniosa,var. scabriuscula is an addition and a variety of Rosacanifta between " arvatica " and " Wa/sonii." There has also beenfound a variety of Rosa mollis, '^ psuedo-rnbigiiiosa," on the Nith,which will, I think, be new to Scotland, as Mr Bennett ofCroydon, who kindly named it for me, and also sent the specimento Mr Baker of Kew, to have it confirmed, informs me that it hasonly hitherto been found in York and Surrey. In brambles,Rubus macrophyllus and Rubus nmbrosiis have been found nearAnnan, and Koehleri at Auldgirth. In Mints, the subglabra

Transactions.'67variety of M. sativa has been identified from the Nith near Kirkland.A pendulous and distinct form of Carex vesicaria, from amarsh near Kirkbog, concludes our list from Upper Nithsdale.During the season, however, I made one or two excursions tothe Dumfries shore of the Solway, thinking I might find theresome additions to our Flora, and I was not disappointed, havingbeen able to add several species and confirmsome previous doubtfulrecords. Thy physical character of the shore is on the Avholerather monotonous. The margin between the cultivated land andhigh-water mark (in many places of little width) consists mainly ofsand or mud, merse-land, and shingle or gravel, rougher or finer.Each variety of land surface has its own grouping of plants, andthroughout the season lovers of flowers may find much to interestthem. At Tordoft' Point I gathered Scirpus caricis and AUiumvineak, var. bulbifenim Synie. Near Annan Waterfoot, Erodiumciciitariuin, /uncus Gerardi, and Alopecurus agrestis. Between Powfootand Newbie I found Cakile inaritima and Agropyro>i junceum.These are all new records. The following plants, some of whichare rare, were also collected : Ranunculus scekratus, Brassicanioncnsis, Ononis spinosa, var. niitis, Eryngiuni maritinium (verysparingly), Filago /ninuna, and F. gernianica (both in dry banksbelow Powfoot),Matricaria inodora, var. salina, Polygonum aviculare,vars. vulgatum and arenastrum, Atriplex patula, Salsola kali,Animophila arundinacea, Lepturus filiforinis, /uncus glaucus, /supinus, var. subverficillatus (near Brow Well), and /uncus niaritimus,from Mr Kobei't Armstrong, obtained near Caerlaverock,For the purpose of making a comparison between the shoreflora of Dumfries and its two adjoining maritime counties, Thave looked up the records in last edition of the " TopographicalBotany," and in case of Dumfries and Kirkcudbright usingalso recent lists. Of the total number of 87 species which aredesignated as "littoral" in the " Cybele Britannica" (of coursethis excludes a number of plants common on theshore, but whichare found inland near " coast level " or in lower grounds), I find46 recorded for Cumberland, 40 for Kirkcudbright, and 27 forDumfries. As there are about 12 species unrecorded for thiscounty that are common to both the other counties, Ave mayexpect a closer examination of our shore will reveal an additionalnumber of species.

the38 TllANSACTIONS.II. Wood-Casile, Lochmaben. By Mr James Lennox, F.S.A.Wood-Castle, Woody-Castle, or Uinwoody Castle, is situate1500 yards north-west of Lochmaben Town Hall, on the farm ofLochbank, on the estate of Elshieshields. It is a circular camp ofBritish origin, and surrounded by a fosse and ditch which are wellpreserved, and also in part by remains of a second fosse, which,visible on the western and northern aspects, has disapiêared onthe southern and eastern. The extent of the fortification I havebeen at some trouble to ascertain by means of accurate measurements.There is one original entrance througli the ramparts.Taking a straight line from this gateway (in line with the innerbase of the rampart) to the most remote point within the linesthe distance traversed is 207 feet. A. transverse line, cutting thisin its centre at right angles, measures 193 feet. The circumferenceof the fort, measured round the top of the rampart, is 704 feet.From the outer base of this rampart to the opposite outer basemeasures 280 feet. This I'ampart reaches the extreme elevationof 15 feet above the fosse on the north side, and declines to itsleast height towards the western aspect, where it is only eight feethigh (at one point). This depression in the lines is directlyopposite the gateway and at (what now appears to be) the weakestpoint in the defence. As the southern aspect is reached the rampartreturns to about the same elevation as on the northern, andso it continues along che easteni face to the gateway. There isbut one gateway, and it is situate on the east by north part of thefort : in width it is about 15 feet. At first sight a second gatewayseems to be present directly opposite the entrance. But on morethan a casual inspection it is found that the break in the rampartson the east position is intentional, and has the pathway pavedwith boulders : whereas that on the west side is tlie result ofdemolition. What is left has the slope of the adjoining rampart,and there is no trace of a formed roadway. Besides, on thecast the ramparts rise on either side of the entrance with analmost added strength, whilst those on the west dip graduallydown to it. The interior of this British strength varies from twoto four feet below the level of the rampart : rampart risinghighest above the camp level on the north side and lowest on thewest. The fosse or ditch, which is still complete, runs in anunbroken manner from the north side of the gateway round thenorthern aspect of the fort to the west, where although traceableit becomes less distinct. In this clearly marked part it measures

^le camp is British. This is obvious for the following reasons •Transactions. 3915 to 16 feet wide. On the south-west it again deepens, and hereIt measures 14 feet, and so it continues to the south, where italtogether disappears.of It,The second fosse, or rather what remainscommences at the north-east, being fairly marked on the sidenext the ditch, and reaching an extreme elevation of 8 feet andsweeps to the north-west. At the west it is, however, barelytraceable. But on the south-west aspect it again becomes markedespecially towards the ditch, and finally it ends at the south.This outer rampart is fast disappearing under the plough, and in afew years I fear no trace of it will remain. The gateway throughthis rampart, as shewn on the ordnance survey, has disappearexlbut was situated about 70 feet north of the inner gateway. Thegreatest diameter of what remains of the camp is 370 feet. Thisruns from the south-west to the ,north-east. The ramparts areconstructed of large loose stones, on which there is neither themark of chisel nor trace of mortar. These boulders are coveredwith earth, dressed into a military shape.Having thus describedthe position, measurements, appearance, and construction of thecamp, I pass to a consideration of its origin. Beyond all doubtFirst. It IS circular. The fortresses of the ancient Britons arealways found to consist of concentric circles of stones, whereasthose of the Romans are invariably square. Hill Burton insistson tiie sameness of Roman camps in all parts of the world (p 73of History of Scotland), and says that inconstruction they evince" an extremity of immutability." And both he and Chalmers use" circular and British " and " square and Roman " as synonymousterms. Second. The ramparts are not of Roman constructionAccoiîng to Chalmers (Caledonia Vol. I, p. 25) the ramparts ofLritish forts " were composed of dry stones and earth, witliout anyappearance of mortar or cement."Maclagan deals largely on thisbut in a more extended form. This is the construction of "thelines" at Wood Castle. Third. The gateways through thedifferent ramparts in a British strength are placed in a zi-za-"Tf "°* ' ^^.t ^' "' ^"°'*'" "" ^^'^ '^''^''^y «PP««ite each otheit-Pjde Hill Burton, p. 84-86, Vol. I. Fourth. The ancientBritons often chose lakes for fortresses. Now the position ofW ood Castle is very peculiar. At the time of its construction itmust have been a peninsular stronghold. On the soutli-cast is theMill Loch, on the south-west the Upper Loch, an

40 Transactions.ground, reaching to Chapelcroft Farm.This mossy ground passesto the north and ends on the north-east in a peat moss, useduntil lately by the inhabitants of Lochmaben to cart their peatsfrom. Thus on three sides the camp was in the days of itsoccupation, in all probability, surrounded with water, or almostso, and the only possible mode of approach was from the east,where the gateway is. "Wilson in his Pre-historic Annals ofScotland (Vol. II., p. 89) says of Wood Castle that it is " aremarkable circular fort near Lochmaben, in Annandale, whichGeneral Roy describes as a Roman post, though it differs in everypossible featurefrom any known example of Roman castramontation.That it is a British stronghold is not now likely to becalled in question. It bears a close affinity to the circular earth-. . . .works which accompany some of the Scottish megolithic circles.The fortifications here specified are not, however, tobe classed with the simple circular hill forts first noted, wherein wetrace the mere rudimentary efforts of a people in the infancy ofthe arts. They display equal skill in the choice of site and theelaborate adaptation of such earthworks to the natural features ofthe ground." I have searched Roy's Military Antiquities for adescription of Wood Castle, and I find no description of it.All Ifind is a ground plan and elevation drawn to a scale on PlateNow, Roy belongedVIII. of " The Roman Post of Wood Castle."to a school of antiquarians who tried to prove that the chiefremains in the country are Roman, just as old-fashioned teacherstried to inculcate English grammar by teaching Latin rules. Thecircumstance that a Roman way passes close to Wood Castle is,I think, purely accidental, and the fact that thecamp is not on ahill top cannot be considered as powerful evidence against thetheory of its being British, when it is remembered that theBritons affected lakes, that the camp is of essentially British construction,and that the Romans have never been known to alterthe characteristic shape of their encampments. Those who wishto pursue the matter further will be aided by consulting Maclagan'sHill Forts of Scotland, Gordon's Itinerarium Septentrionale, andLeslie's Early Races of Scotland.III. New Studies of Some Old Scotch Ballads. By Mr Wm.M'DowALL, F.S.A.Mr W. M'Dowall occupied about an hour in analysing andcommenting upon some choice specimens of our old ballad

Transactions.4jminstrelsy. He .staterl that when hnnging the suhject before theSo eyaoout a year ago he had only a very slender stock ofballads rn his ..llet, but since then he had increased it toot s upwardsxty; and the more he read of these ancient lays thehemore wascharmed w.th the.r simplicity, their pathos, their mingledand forcetenderness, and their poetical beauty. Some of these newstudres of old ballads he would now lay before them. As on tl"first occasion he had explained the manner in which they haA beenproduced and their leading characteristics, he would not nowoccupy time by travelling over the same ground. After a fewmore preliminary remarks,Mr M'Dowall presented seven studiesZdH Tl '^n^"''^' '""S- Edom o' Gordon, Johnnie of'"''7"'"'''' ''"^'^ ^'''''' Ki-nount Willie,fidtl M Tand Ihe Marchioness of Douglas.2/^rt' of March, 1888.Major BOWDEN, V.P., presided. Thirty-five members present^v-^f'''J^^:'^'"''-~^' ^^^°^^' ^'^^^'^ Dalbeattie, and MrWilham M. Wright of Charnwood.Donafious.~Mr James Barbour presented a wooden platewith the initials J. F. and the date 171-5, which belonged to aJo n Frood of Blackshaw, Caerlaverock ; also a saucer with tieinitials M.D., 1752. The Rev. E. W. Weir presented the com!munion tokens of Closeburn, Dunscore, Greyfriars (Dumfries)Tmwald, and Trailflat. The Secretary presented from Dr Sharpan address read to the Entomological Society of London and acopy of a pamphlet on Insecfa : also nine parts of the' Journalof the Linnean Society from Mr W. D. Kobinson-Douglas theÎst Report of the Peabody Museum, and theNew York Academy of Sciences.Transactions of theCommunications.I. The Roman Baths of Aqua: Salis, Bath. By Mr James WWhitelaw, Solicitor.After apologising for choosing a subject not strictly withinthe hues of the Society, Mr Whitelaw went on to describe Bathand Its history, dwelling upon the time of the Romans and thevarious traditions connected with it. He pointed out that therewere evidences of the Roman Baths having been used for a long

42 Transactions.time after the Roman legions left.IMr Whitelaw then went on todescribe the baths, and in conclusion said thej^ were a splendidmemorial left by these old Romans, not only of the comfort,luxury, and siDlendour which they brought with them into thisremote part of their dominions, but of that solid, all-enduring,time-defying work which they did, and which was emblematic ofthe indomitable courage and perseverance which subdued thewhole of the then known world.II. The Old Ckiirc/i of Dumfries. By Mr Jajies Bakbour.St. Michael's Church is .still sometimes called "the Old Church,"but the title was first and properly applied to the building whichpreceded the present one, afterthe New Church, now Greyfriars',was founded in the year 1727. It is the form and character ofthis earlier building, of which very little is known, although notquite one hundred and fifty years have elapsed since it wastaken down, I propose endeavouring to elucidate in this paper.The site of the church is a conspicuous one, and with anoutline showing that peculiar kind of eminence which is suggestiveof the idea that it 7iiay have been a " high place " of heathenworship, afterwards appropriated to its present use when, underthe influence of Christianity, such worship had ceased. This atleast is the most ancient religiousfoundation in the town of whichthere is authentic record, receiving mention as early as the middleof the twelfth century, more than one hundred years before thefounding of Greyfriars' Monastery by Devorgilla.It has no doubtcontinued uninterruptedly to be a place of public worship eversince. Dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the patron of theBurgh, whose image the oSicial seal bears, it and the old Castlewhich stood near were doubtlessthe two institutions under whoseprotecting shadow and fostering care the town was first plantedand reared. Here the citizens worshipped, and in the smallcemetery around, the only one existing in the town until quiterecently, all their past generations are laid.Recently when repairs were being made on the existingbuilding remains of old foiindations were exposed, and some fragmentsof stones believed to be parts of the older church. Havingthese to start with, and wishing to follow out the subject, Iexamined the Records of various bodies likely to contain information,and fortunately found in those of the Presbytery, engrossedi?i extenso, the reports of tradesmen to whom remit had been made

Transactions. 43in the year 17-1:4, while the Old Church was yet standing, toenquire into the condition of the fabric. These reports furnishimportant and reliable information, from which, when supplementedfrom other sources and considered in connection with the foundationsand other remains brought to light, may be obtained a fairlycomplete idea of the design of the Old Church.The cluirch had long been in a state of dilapidation, and fromtime to time complaints were made, followed by ineffectualattemjjts to put the building in order, but it was evidently wornout and ruinous. At last several families removed from it anddeclined to worship there owing to its unsafe state. In these circumstancesthe Presbytery was called in, and on the 22nd March,1744, that reverend court held a visitation at the church, when aremit was made to tradesmen in the following terms :" To inspectthe state of the church as to the walls, roof and windows, accordingto their respective crafts, and bring in against the afternoon ajust report of the state and condition of the church as to these particulars,and what articles and pieces of reparation would beneedful for putting the same in good and sufficient condition, asalso to make up an estimate of the expense at which the needfulreparation might be wrought and completed."It will be observedthat the terms of the remit would exclude the reporters suggestingthat a new church ought to be built, and accordingly, althoughi-eparation of the old one would practically mean renewal, theyproceed in these reports to describe in detail one portion of it afteranother as insufficient and to be re-built, until nearly every severalfeature of the old church receives mention, rendering the reportsmuch more valuable for our purpose than they would otherwisehave been.From these sources I proceed with the description of the OldChurch as it stood in the year 1744, immediately before itsdemolition, in order to make room for the existing one. It comprisedthree divisions, frequently referred to in the reports onwhich we are drawing, the central one being described as " thebody of the kirk," and the other two as " the two side aisles."" jNIiddle Avails " are mentioned as separating the aisles from thebody of the kirk, and supporting the roof. These rested onarcades of three bays, each with a fourth bay on each side, notarched over. The pillars were six in number, with four half onesat the wall, giving four bays to each arcade, but only six archesare mentioned, not eight, as the number of spaces would require.

44 Transactions.The discrepancy is accounted for by supposing the design of thechurch to have been originally cruciform, in which case the bayswithout arches would represent the joinings of the transepts atthe crossings. The side walls of the aisles, which were finishedwith " cornices " and " rustic corners," were of equal height withthe middle walls ; and the roof was a triple one, being describedas consisting of " the middle roof," which covered the body of thekirk, and " the two side roofs," which covered the aisles. In theeast end of the body of the kirk, which was a gable, were twolarge windows, and there was a doorway in its west wall.Besidesthe west doorway there were four others, two being in the southwall and two in the north one ; and in each of the aisles therewere four windows, one being in the east end, two in the side wall,and one in the west end. One of the west windows is described asa large Venetian window of one hundred and seventeen lozenges.Admission of additional light was provided for by means of skylightsplaced in the roofThe foundations of the Old Church, /// situ, determine theposition and extent of the central division or " body of the kirk,"and its two sides and east end would correspond with those of thecentral division of the existing church respectively, but its west endwas four feet short of the existing west wall. They also show thatthe arcades stopped short of extending up to the east end of thebuildino-. Other remains indicate that some of the pillars wereoctagonal, that the arch-rings were chamfered, and that the gablewas of a high pitch and finished with a chamfered skew-stone,having a cross on the apex.Attached to the west end of the church was a thick shorttower, the room within which was known as the " Session " or"Session-house." Subscriptions were raised in the year 1740 for" the raising and exalting of the Old Kirk steeple to bear someresemblance to other spires," as it is expressed in a minute of theSeven Trades, but the walls proving to be insuflacient, the tower,instead of being raised, was taken down, when the existing spirewas erected on the same site, against the end of the old church.Passing to the consideration of the interior fittings of thechurch, of which we have some early glimpses in the Kirk-Sessionbooks, and a very full " Abbreviate of the Minutes of the Committeeof the Town Council,Heritors, and Kirk-Session of Dumfries,appointed by them to regulate the seats in the said church," inthe year 16'J5. On 12th April of that year it was appointed •' that

Transactions. 45the chairs and stools in the body of the kirk be removed, andtheir room filled up with convenient seats (but movable), whichare to be built by the Session and farmed out as they seeconvenient."This, however, was not the first time the church had beenfitted with seats. The committee appointed on this occasionrequired parties to produce their titles to such seats as they mightlay claim to ; and many of them claimed possession from muchearlier dates. Two claims were founded on titles reaching back to1624, several referred to the year 1636, a few to 1661, and alarge number founded on au allocation made in the year 1682.The Session claimed to have regulated the seats in the church" from the time of the fii'st Reformation."Such fixed seats as existed prior to the year 1637 appear tohave been built by the occupiers, the Session giving consent, inconsideration of payments to them for behoof of the poor. On 5thJuly of that year the Session instructed the partial seating of thechurch, as their minute bears ": It is enacted by the Session yobetwext ye two pillars over against the minister's pulpit " (thebody of the kirk) "Desks be erected, one chiefly for ye use of JohnGeorge Homes, and likewise for the honest men and best burdenbearers." The seating seems to have undergone from time to timemany changes, and the church was never more than partially occupiedwith pews.The pulpit, which had a sounding board, stood at the east endof the body of the church, and near it were the Reader's desk, theElders' pew, and the Baptism pew.In the year 1695 the arrangementof the pews was in five columns, and they were numbered 1to 79 ;but of their fomi. there is no special mention.In addition to the ordinary seats therestood round the wallsothers, the family pews of the larger Heritors, each built by itsowner, and displaying a variety of designmore or less quaint andornate. Some were of considerable size, sufficient for 12 or 16persons. They were raised somewhat above the level of thechurch floor, enclosed with railings, and roofed with canopies.Hoddam had permission to " adorn " his pew and heighten thecover of it ; and mention is made of a pew bearing the initials ofthe owner's name and the date of its erection.The minutes of 1695 relating to the regulation of the seatsbear also on the history of the galleries. The Magistrates' Loftand the Merchant's occupied the front part of the West Gallery,and behind these, separated from them by a railing, was the

;46 Transactions.Common Loft. The Trades Galleries began to l)c erected in theyear 1610.The Smiths, in support of their claim to their gallery,declared they once had an extract of an Act dated about theyear1612, allowing their trade to build their loft. The Wrightsfounded on an Act of Session, dated 4th August, 1636, which theyproduced, with others. The Weavers declared they had lately theextract of an Act granted by the Session in the year 16-55. TheShoemakers produced an Act of Session dated the year of God1613, likewise another of date 27th September, 1655. In regardto the Tailors' Loft, the following interesting old Act of Sessionwas produced. The minute proceeds— " Adam Wright, Deacon ofTaylors, produced aiie Act of Session, dated the 9th day ofFebj^, 1610, which (the register not being now extant quherin"it was) is here insert as follows :"The 9th day of Februarie, 1610, the Minister and Sessionbeing convenit in the Kirk of Drumfreis, the quhilk day GeorgeLorimer, Deacon of the Tailzoris, in name and behalf of theremnant of that Craft, desyrit libertie to build ane Loft, for theuse of the Tailzoris of Drumfreis in time of Divine Service, in thatpart of the Paroch Kirk of Drumfreis quhair lang befoir ye saidCraft had obteint libertie to build ane Alter of Saint Anna, as thewarrant granted by the Counselle of the saide Burgh the yeir ofGod ane Thousand fy ve hundred and fortie seven, therein producittbe the said George in parchment, at length purportes. To thequhilk desyre the Provost, Baillies, & Session fullie condescenditall in ane voyce without contradictioune, providing allwais thatthe sd Loft come uot furtlaer without the pillars within the bodieof the Kirk above the space of ane feet and ane half, or thairby,wn the quhilk boundis the tirst furme of the said Loft mightstand, and no more."For the Glovers it was alleged there were several Acts in theirfavour, and one extant in the Session Register dated 25th May,1654. And the Fleshers founded their right on an Act of Sessiondated 17th March, 1659.The lofts were not then arranged in the church continuouslyand symmetrically as now, but each stood by itself with its ownstair. One is described as being supported on " three stoops,"and that they were not regarded as integral parts of the buildingappears from the terms of a Minute of Session dated. February,1638. Absentee seatholders were not tolerated l)y the Sessiontheir seats were liable to be taken down or otherwise disposed of;

—ArkBloodLoftyon;,Transactions. 47and the galleries were not exemi^t from being similarly dealt with.The minute referred to runs :" The Session resenting and takinginto their earnest consideration the slender resorting to the houseof God by sundry tradesmen, but especially of Masons andWrights, and they for that effect being convened, are admonishedto repair to the kirk in tyme coming 1)etter than heretofore thej'have done, otherwise their Loft which is erected in the churchwill be taken down."The Trades, like the Heritors, were not without some ambitionto make a display in the church, inasmuch as they wereaccustomed to affix to the front of their lofts the emblematicdevices of their several Crafts, so much so that the Session foundit necessary to put some check on the practice, and on the 11thMarch, 1683, " enacted and ordained that no Trade put any broad(painting) or sign (emblematic) upon the forepairt of their Loft,but ilk ane to be sighted and showed to the Sessione."The only relic of the Old Church of 1744 preserved is one ofthese signs dated 1722, M'hich had no doubt been duly "sightedand showed " to the Session, It consists of three wooden panels,which were until recently attached to the south wall of the presentchurch behind the Sqnaremen's Gallery,and are now preserved inthe Session-house. On one of the panels is disjjlayed the numerousemblems of the Squaremen's Trade, arti.stically groupedtogether, and the following curious lines are inscribed on theother two:•The the Church ••From Final Ruin Savd•When C4od on Sinners' head• •The Deluge Lavd • • :•And The By Virtue • • ••Of this Art of ours"Proud Babell Lifted up• • ••Her Towers • :Against it • Solomon's 'Glorious • Temple • built,Where God • •the Vast Creation's"Framer dweltJesus our Cheif• •The fabrick once Renewed • ••When the cursed Tree • • • •His Blessed head He ' " •Bowed ••His the shattered• •\\'orks of God Together Glewd • • ' • •

;48 Transactions.Public exposure Ijeing a prevailing method of punishment, thechurch as a public place was fitted with the usual appliancesfor carrying into effect the sentences of the ecclesiastical courts,and also of the Civil Magistrate." The seat of repentance " stoodwithin, and the jougs and gorgets hung at the principal door,attached to the wall by chains. The first of these occupied at onetime a place on the Common Loft,body of the kirk opposite the pulpit.afterwards it was placed in theThat it was raised considerablyabove the church floor is evidenced by a minute of Sessionexcusing a culprit going up to it on account of bodily infirmity.It is designated in the Session Eecords " the place of repentance,"oftener perhaps " the pillar " —short for " pillory," which nameoccurs in full in a few instances.After the Reformation a north wing was built, and otherextensions and alterations followed from time to time, until onlythe nave and chancel remained of the pre-Reformation building,and the foregoing details exhibit the altered church and its accessoriesas an incongruous jumble, inartistic, uncomfortable, andinconvenient.Its original form and character were different. The pre-Reformation Churchcomprised a nave, with aisles separated fromit by arcades of three bays each and with the usual lean-to roofalso north and south transepts ; and a chancel. Mention ismade in the records of " the lean-to called the altar of St. John theBaptist." Other documents show that the windows were filled inwith stained glass to St. Mary, St. Andrew, St. Christopher, &c.Many altars and chapelries were founded within the church.Mention is made of altars of the B.V. Mary, St. John the Baptist,St. Ninian, St. Andrew, &c., and of an altar erected by the TailorTrade in the year 1547 and dedicated to St. Anna, the patron ofthat trade. The chapels were designated after their founders, andthe areas occupied by them continued to be so named after theReformation. Thus we have the M'Brair aisle, the Newall aisle,the Cunningham aisle, and the Maxwell aisle.In this connectionthe following extract from the Minute of Committee on the regulationof the Seats in the year 1695 is of interest. Referring to aclaim by Martin Newall to the second seat in the Newall aisle, theminute proceeds ": And because it is by several old charters andpapers evidenced that the Newalls had a special interest in thatpart of the church these hundreds of years, therefore they allowthis dask to Martin Newall and his posterity."

Transactions, 49One pre-Eeformation memento of the church remains, the bellgifted by the Lord of Torthorwald, preserved in the Observatory-Museum. It is of elegant form and tasteful workmanship. TheLatin inscription translated runs :" William de Carlell, Lord ofTorthorwald, caused me to be made in honour of St. Michael, inthe year of our Lord 1443."At the time when the old foundations were uncovered fivetombstones were also exposed within thechurch at the south-eastcorner, and the state of the soil under the floor showed that thepractice of burial within the walls prevailed extensively until acomparatively recent period. The tombstones are imperfect, buton two of them portions of border inscriptions remain. One reads :•"Heir Lyis James Couplan • [d] . . . [Dumf]ries 1665 • ; andthe other . . . ." J, S. Johnstoun • Sumtym Thesar" . . .Documentary evidence of the custom referred to also exists. Adraft agreement between the town of Dumfries and the heritors ofthe landward parish, drawn in the year 1709, states the objectaimed at to be ": To prevent mistakes and pleas betwixt the townand the landward parish anent the division of the seats of thechurch of Dumfries, and the burial jjlaces in the church and churchyard."In the year 1744 the Session consulted Mr William Grant,advocate, as to their position with those heritors to whom theyhad sold seats in the church ; and Mr Grant gave it as his opinionthat any heritor of the parish who has acquired by this title ofgrant from the Sessionof a heritable or perpetual right to a seator burial place in the church his title is good. On the 21st Jan.,1714, the treasurer received two guineas from Geo. Gordon ofGrange " for the liberty of his father's corps lying in the Session[house] " and in the year 1721, Mr Veitch was granted a burialplace within the church for himself and his wife. The two followinginstancesof this custom are of some interest.In the Memorials ofSt. Michaers Mr M'Dowall remarks on the absence in the churchyardof any monument in memory of the great family of M'Brair.The explanation of the omission is to be found in the fact that thefamily burial place was situated ^vithin the church. A minute ofSession, dated 8th Nov., 1705, after narrating that Robert M'Brairof Netherwood is allowed to erect a seat for twelve or sixteen personsin the M'Brair Aisle, proceeds, "and finally the Session consentsto the preserving of his right of burial place in the said isle as hasbeen in use and wont by his predecessors ;" and on 8tli June, 1747,after the present church was built, the Provost reported " that the

"50 Transactions.Council had been summoned befoi'e the Lords of Session at theinstance of the widow and children of Alexander M'Brair of Netherwoodanent a burial place in tSt. Michael's Church, and that itwould be proper an agent for the town shonld be appointed." Thesecond instance is that of James Muirhead, in reference to whomMr M'Dowall says, when speaking of his wife's tomb, " We cannottell whether or not ' James Muirhead, late baylie of this burgh,'lies beside his spouse, as the inscription only mentions him in hismarried relationship to her ; but if it could be found out by anymeans that the philanthropist was buried here or elsewhere inDumfries, a stone erected to mark the hallowed spot would be agraceful, even though a tardy tribute to his great worth." JamesMoorhead was also buried within the church, although at whatparticular spot I cannot say. The following interesting TownCouncil minute, dated 18th March, 1745, bears on the subject, andits terms are in unison with Mr M'Dowall's sentiments : Thesaid day the Magistrates and Council, considering that the deceasedJames Moorhead, in Castledykes, made a handsome mortificationfor a Poorhouse in this burgh, and that the old church is nowrebuilding, and that a part of the wall thereof is carried up near tothe grave where the said James was interred in the said church,the Magistrates and Council are of opinion that a monument shouldbe erected upon the said wall in memory of the said James Moorhead,and appoint a committee of the Magistrates, Provost Crosbie,Provost Ewart, Mr George Clerk Maxwell, the convener, and adeacon, whereof three a quorum, to consider of a proper monumentto be erected in memory of the said James Moorhead, andto make ane estimate thereof, and report the same to the Council."With a few remarks on the existing Church and the origin ofits design I will conclude the paper.The spire was built, as before stated, in the year 1740, whilethe old church was yet standing; and although the details arecrude its excellent proportions give artistic value, and make it afeature of the town to be held in regard.The interior of the church is still more worthy of admiration.Unique as a Presbyterian place of worship with its massive andstately stone pillars and arches and over walling, separating theside aisles from the central area, one is curious to know somethingof the origin of such a design.On the Old Church being condemned by the Presbytery, theTown Council obtained from Mr Adam, the celebrated architect,

Transactions. 51a plan for a new building, but, being too expensive, one preparedby the tradesmen, on whose reports thereverend court acted, waspreferred, and Mr M'Diarmid has suggested, in accounting for theelegance of the church, that the design must have been partlyborrowed from Mr Adam's plan. A careful perusal of the processbefore the Presbytery and of the proceedings of the Town Councilin the matter will, I think, lead to the conclusion that anotherand more likely explanation is to be found.Estimates submitted to the Presbytery along with the reportson the reparation of the Old Church had been approved, and onthe amount brought out, the proportion to be paid by the landwardheritors had been arranged. Being thus restricted, theCouncil, on Mr Adam's i^lan proving too expensive, arranged onewith the tradesmen on the lines of their reports and estimates,but with such modifications as the new conditions seemed to require.In this way the design originated and grew out of theform of the Old Church. The ground plan almost exactly followsthe old one : the central division corresponds in position andwidth with the old chancel and nave, as do the aisles with thosepreceding ; and the most prominent feature, viz., the arcades, apre-Eeformation characteristic, is also carried forward from the oldchurch. Even the number of the pillars and half pillars agree, andthe roof, although of pavilion form, was intended to be triple likethe old one, the arcades being built for its support ; but a change wasafterwards arranged, as, according to a minute of Council dated25th June, 1745, it was agreed on the suggestion of the tradesmento alter the plan, and, instead of three roofs, to adopt a designof one span, with a platform on the top, Avhich the tradesmenrepresented would be as sufficient and much more beautiful. Thepulpit now occupies exactly the place Avhere the ancient altarstood.III. A Bronze Eiver Found near Motiiaive. By Mr JohnCoRRiE of Moniaive.The brass ti'ipod ewer was found during May, 1885, by adrainer employed on the lands of Craigmuie, an estate on theboundary line between Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire.The soil in the vicinity is of the character of moss, and the ewerwas found embedded therein at a depth of about three feet fromthe surface. The broken foot was found lying close beside. MrThos. Conchie, mole-catcher, Moniaive, noticing the strange shaped

52 Transactions.vessel lying on the bank, asked and obtained possession of it, andthe relic was presented to me by Mr Conchie the same night.The vessel measures 8| inches in height, by 2|- inches acrossthe mouth, while the body expands to 5h inches diameter. Thelegs measure 2 inches in length, and they are turned outwards atthe end, forming small feet about three-quarters of an inch inlength. The spout appears to be hexagonal in form, and tapersslightly to the mouth, where it has been worked into what may beconsidered a rude representation of an animal's head. By thekindness of Mr Wilson a rough sketch of the vessel, which I madeat his request, was submitted to the experts in charge of theNational Collection at Edinburgh, and Mr Black, who replied toMr Wilson at some length, says :" The Moniaive vessel is a typicalone of a class in use between the twelfth and sixteenthcenturies. There is haidly any difference in their general shape.Their usual dimensions are about 9 inches in height by from 5 to6 inches iu diameter in the widest part, narrowing to about 3x3across the mouth. There are in all twenty-one vessels of thisclass in the National Collection in a more or less perfect state ofpreservation. Of these, two are from Dumfriesshire, one fromBirrens, Annandale, the other found in a moss near CloseburnHall, was presented to the National Collection in 1830 by Mr(afterwards Sir) C. G. S. Menteith.of an ordinary jug, theThis specimen is in the shapespout not being separated from the bodyof the vessel. It may be mentioned, he continues, that a brasstripod was found on the site of the Lake-dwelling in the Loch ofBanchory, Kirkcudbrightshire, and another on a Lake-dwellingsite in Loch Canmor, Aberdeenshire. This would lead one tosuppose that they must be of great age, but, he adds, it does notfollow, as we know that Lake-dwellings were used as places ofresidence and defence down to the sixteenth century."6f/iof April.Major BoWDEN, V.P., presided. Thirty-seven members present.Terrace.Neiv Members.—MissHannay and Miss J. Hannay, VictoriaDonations.—The Annual Eeport of the British Association ;the Essex Naturalist for FelDruary ; a Photograph of the Cup andKing Markings at Highbanks, Kirkcudbright, from Mr J. M'Kie ;

TlUNSACTIONS. 53a Photograph of the Shark exhibited by Mr Hastings at theNovember meeting ; Tokens of Kirkmahoe Parish from Mr W. G.Gibson ; a Wasp's Nest from Mr Hume of Cherrytrees. Mr J.W. Dods presented a Roman Coin found in Egypt by one of thesoldiers during the recent campaign.Communications.I. T/ie Kirkmadrine Crosses. By Mr James G. H. SxArvKE,M.A., F.S.A., of Troqueer Holm.The Kirkmadrine Crosses have never been the subject of apaper before this Society, and as I went to see them last summerit occurred to me that you might be glad to have an account oftheir history, characteristics, and present condition. They werefirst brought to public notice in 1872 by a paper read before theScottish Society of Antiquaries in Edinburgh by Dr Mitchell, whohad accidentally discovered and examined them with the skill of ascientist some years previously. They are the oldest and onlymonuments of their kind in Scotland with the exception of oneother, also situated in Wigtownshire, near to Whithorn. Butthey are fast going to destruction, and one of my objects thisevening is to awaken the interest which has too long slumberedregarding them, in order that something may be done for theirbetter preservation in future.There are hundreds of monoliths with crosses incised uponthem scattered throughout Great Britain, but only about half-adozensimilar to those at Kirkmadrine, in having the sacredmonogram of Christ upon them, and in ])eculiar characteristicswhich enable us to determine their date as being not later than the7th century. The Ehind Lectures, delivered by Dr Anderson in1879-80, and by Mr Romilly Allen in 1885 (since published)satisfy the mind of the most exacting student that these KirkmadrineCrosses, as they are called, belong to a very early dateafter the introduction of Christianity iiito Scotland, not later, theybelieve, than the 7th century. They are probably older than theEuthwell Cross, which, with its beautiful ornamentation and poeticlines from Caedmon, speak of an advanced art and literaturederived from the teaching of Paulinus in Northumberland A.B. 625,while theseKirkmadrine crosses display a simpler and earlier style,derived from Rome throughGaul by St. Ninian and his followers.I may here mention that Kirkmadrine was one of several smallparishes long ago merged in the modern parish of Stoneykirk, the

54 Transactions.churches of which were chapels of ease in ancient times to thefamous monastery at Whithorn.It is pronounced by the countryfolks Kirkmadr(?en, according to the Scotch pronunciation of theletter /.And now I proceed briefly to describe the characteristics ofpillar-stones, and in what respect these are distinguished fromothers. Pillar-stones are generally sepulchral, but sometimes theymark sacred boundaries, or are commemorative only of persons, or, asin the Ruthwell Cross, have been erected as a sign and memorialof the Crucifixion, and any name inscribed, e. g., " Caedmon mademe," being of secondary importance. These are probablysepulchral. Of the three stones, the two which serve as gateposts are about 5 ft. in height and between 1 ft. and 1-j ft. inbreadth. On the top of one are inscribed the first and lastletters of the Greek alphabet, and on both of them are inciseda simple Greek Cross, the limbs of which gradually exi)and inbreadth towards their extremities ; the perpendicular limb beingturned to the right at its top, so as to make the Greek capitalletter P, which, when thus united with the cross, constitutes thesacred monogram. On the third stone, which was seen and copiedby Mr Todd 7.5 years ago, there was a similar shaped cross andmonogram at the top, and at the foot, in Latin capital letters, thewords Init'mm et Finis, to correspond and explain the Greek letterson No. 1. It is the sacred monogram, called the Chi-Rho Monogram,which give these stones their peculiar significance. TheChi-Rho Monogram is composed of two Greek letters, the formerof which is similar to our St. Andrew's Cross ; and the Rho is likeour letter P. By swinging round one limb of the Greek letter Xso as to place it at right angles with the other limb, we have theLatin form of a cross, which has either the one limb put exactlyacross the other limb or a little upwards. This Latin form of theGreek Chi-Rho Monogram soon spread from Rome to othercountries, and is found upon monuments in Gaul A.D. 377. It isthe chief characteristic of these Kirkmadrine Crosses. It is onlyfound upon the very early pillar-stones. There are very fewexamples of it upon stone monuments throughout Great Britain,there being only 3 in the west of England, 1 in North Wales, 4 inScotland (Co. Wigtown), and none in Ireland.—Allen's E.C.Sy.pp. 86-113.The Kirkmadrine Crosses have these further special characteristics,viz., that they are rough undressed pillar-stones, without

——Teansactions. 55ornamentation, and that the sacred monogram is placed within acircle. And further, although of less considei'ation, the formulaemployed in the inscription and the style of lettering materiallydiffers from all those of a later date. These characteristics stampthe Kirkmadrine Crosses as contemporary with the earliest periodof Christianity in Scotland, i.e., between A.D. 400-700. MrEomilly Allen says :" The monograms on the pillars at ICirkmadrinebear a great resemblance to those sculptured over the doorwaysof houses in Syria of the 6th century, which are illustrated in Mon.de Voguel's magnificent work on this subject." In regard to theinscription and style of lettering we have further evidence of greatantiquity. In English the inscription is :I am Alpha and Omega.Here lie holy and chief priestsThat is Viventius and Mavorius :us and Florentius.I am the Beginning and the End.The words Hie facet and Hie Dormit are those used in the Catacombsof Rome, and at a later time throughout Gaul. They weresubsequently quite superseded by a request for prayer for the soulof the deceased, Ora pro 7ne. The style of the letters E. M. F. andthe occasional combination of two letters, resemble some stones inWales which are ascribed in the Archaelogia Cambrensis to theRomano-British period. Lastly, let me endeavour to give a probableanswer to the natural enquiry. To whom were these stoneserected %In the fact that their names have not come down to usin history, we have an additional adminicule of evidence in favourof their antiquity, because in early times monuments were notraised to obscure individuals.It should also be kept in mind thatuntil the life of Queen Margaret a.d. 1093, we possess only fragmentsof authentic Scottish history in Bede, Adamnau, the Irishand Welsh Annals, Northern Sagas, and Pictish Chronicles. Thefollowing is an interesting extract from the Ecclesiastical Historyof the Venerable Bede, who died in 735, regarding the district nowunder consideration. He writes :" The Southern Picts had longago forsaken the errors of idolatry, and received the true faith bythe preaching of Ninias, a most holy man, who had been regularlyinstructed at Rome, whose Episcopal See, remarkable for a Churchdedicated to St. Martin of Tours (wherein he and many otherSaints rest in the body) is still existent."The names inscribed in these Kirkmadiine Crosses resemblethose upon Christian graves in Gaul. We know that Ninian went

5GTransactions.to Rome through Gaul, which was the overland route to Rome,and that he got masons from Tours to build Candida Casa. Butit is reasonable to suppose that after St. Ninian's death CandidaCasa would be sacred to his memory alone, and that Kirkmadrinewould be named after St. Martin of Tours, to whose memory theholy men named upon these pillar-stones performed services.Thatdistrict is studded over with the prefix of " Kirk," which is Anglo-Saxon, and the same dialect would harden the name Martin toMadrine. There is no K in the Gaelic, but C spelled sometimesK, as in Kilbride, Innokill ; and later the Norman-French Eaglaisfor Eglisle occur in this district for the word Church instead ofKirk. It has been suggested that they may have been Irishecclesiastics, but all the facts are against this theory. There are710 pillar-stones like them in all Ireland ; and the Greek letters andMonogram, together with the Latin inscription, point to a Byzantine-Romaninfluence succeeding, if not contemporary with, the4th century, when Constantine Avas converted to Christianity.I have reasonably established this I shall have succeeded in themain object of this paper.II. The Oak and Other Trees. By Mr Frank Miller ofAnnan.Mr F. Miller, Annan, read an able paper, rendered more attractiveby copious poetical extracts, on the subject of the " Oakand other Trees." He dealt first with the extraordinary longevityof the oak, stating that oaks were still standing in this countrywhich were planted as acorns before the last of the Roman legionsleft these shores. He then vividly depicted the reverence withwhich the Druids regarded the tree, and the observances associatedwith it in Druidical times, and also treated of the many historicalassociations which had since centred round it. The oak had alsoproved its practical value, the strength and durability of its timberspecially fitting it for naval purposes in the days when " thewooden walls of old England " were renowned all over the world,and making it valuable for architectural uses in the present time.Among large oaks, Mr Miller mentioned several majestic trees inScotland, specifying particularly two at Drumlaurig, which hadescaped the mania for destruction of the late Duke of Queensberry,and two on the Eskdale estate of the Duke of Buccleuch. MrMiller then dealt at some length, and in an interesting fashion,Avith the characteristics of the beech, the ash, and the yew, andthe poetical associations connected with them.If

ON)OLD INSCRIPTIONS & CROSSES IN KIRKMADRINE CHURCHYARD(COPIED BY W, J .SRT MAY, 1887.THE STONE IS SANDSTONE & SPOTTED WITH LICHEN.STONE IIN WALL ADJACENT TO ONE OF THE GATE POSTSAPPARENTLY UPSIDE DOWN.IILEVIDENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN LETTERS IN THE4- BLANK SPACES OF THE CROSS.

II,MONUMENT SERVING NOW AS GATE-POSTFOR THE CHURCHYARDLEFT GATE-POST.HJC 7ACElNrDOTES fDEWl//l/£M^ll/ÊrM/l/0R/V5CIRCLE 14 INCHES IN DIAMETERINSCRIPTION TAKES UP 15/2 INCHES IN DEPTH12/2 INCHES BROADFULL BREADTH OF STONE IS 16^2 INCHESHEIGHT OF STONE FROM GROUND 4 FEET, 4 INCHESSIZE OF LETTERS 2 INCHES BUT A LITTLE VARYING

Ill,MONUMENT SERVING NOW AS GATE-POSTFOR THE CHURCHYARDRIGHT GATE-POSTSETflpR C NT/ VSCIRCLE 9/'2 INCHES IN DIAMETERINSCRIPTION TAKES UP ABOUT d'A INCHES IN DEPTH10 INCHES BROADFULL BREADTH OF STONE ABOUT I FOOTHEIGHT OF STONE FROM GROUND 5 FEETHEIGHT OF LETTERS 2/2 INCHES

IVSTONE IN MIDDLE OF WALL AT THES.W. ANGLE OF CHURCHYARD.LYING HORIZONTALLY, ABOUT 9 INCHES IN BREADTHLENGTH EXACTLY 3 FEET.

Transactions. 57III. BuiUle Old Church. By Mr James Matthewson,Dalbeattie.The brief notes here contributed are intended as a small aidto the solution of the question," Is Buittle Church of the time ofDevorgillaf In ground plan the church measures 80 ft. 10 in.in length by 25 ft. 4 in. in greatest width. The nave measures46 ft. in length by 21 ft. 8 in. wide ; the chancel, 34 ft. 10 in.long by 25 ft. 4 in. wide. The west door is circular-headed, 3 ft.2f in. wide, a plain 2 in. chamfer running round the outside,checked at 8f inches inwardly, and thereafter slightly splayed.Over this door is a small round-headed window measuring 3 ft.8 in. by 1 ft. 8 in. Two windows remain in the nave, one in thenorth, the other in the south wall. Between the nave and chancela pointed chancel arch still stands. The clear width of passagemeasures 9 ft. 6 inches. The plan of the pier below the caps andprofile of caps are here given full size ; but an evident filling upof the floor prevents a proper examination of the bases. In thechancel one window appears in the north wall and two in thesouth. The north window measures 3 ft. 11| in. high by 11^ iawide. It is round-headed, and the interior elevation, as shown inthe sketch, is worthy of notice. In the east gable is a door 3 ft.2^- in. wide, covered by a thin lintel, which forms the sill of a centrewindow. This window measures 8 ft. high by 14-]- in. wide. Ata distance of 3 ft. 1 1 in. on either side stand windows 6 ft. 8 in.high by 1 11 wide. The three east windows are all round-headed,and finished externally by a plain chamfer.In the north wall, atthe junction of the nave and chancel, and near the present floorlevel, I some time ago found, bedded in the old mortar, a portionof roofing slate. The slate had a pin hole, and had been welldressed. It had apparently been used by some of the builders asa levelling for the bed of the stone immediately above. Some ofthe stone dressings are a reddish freestone, others resemble millstonegrit. In some parts of the building both kinds appearindiscriminately mixed. The perfect condition of the presentpointed arch between nave and chancel, the jumble of materials insome places, the broken slate,and other features, seem to suggestthat a much older churcli may have existed on or near the site ofthe present one, and that the present building is much later thanDcvorgilla.

58 Transactions.IV. Tlie. Old Cornkilns at Bardosh, Kirkgnnzcon. By MrWm. J. Maxwell of Terregles Banks.On the Farm of Barciosh, near Southwick Station, there area number of circular pits which have recently attracted notice, andalthough two of them are marked on the Ordnance Survey map asOld Kilns, it was thought desirable that one should be cleared outso as to ascertain more exactly its construction and purpose. Theresult of this investigation is to shew that the structures in questionai'e old kilns, and that they have probably been used fordrying grain before grinding it in the hand-mills or querns formerlyin use. The one recently cleared out was found to be 6 ft. 6 in.in depth, 1.3 ft. in diameter at the top, and regularly contractingto a diameter of 4 ft. 6 in. at the bottom. Like the others on thesame farm it is circular, situated on the slope of a hill and firmlyIniilt with rough stone, without lime. It has a smooth compacttioor of clay. At the bottom is an aperture resembling a pen ordrain, 18 in. in width by 15 in. in height. Two stones projectfrom the circular wall towards the inside, apparently to serve assteps in climbing orit. At the side on which the ground is highestthere remain the foundations of a rectangular building 13| in. by10-|- in. inside measurement. This building is not sunk below thesurface of the ground, and may have been used for storing thegrain before or after the drying process. This kiln is about 90yards to the south-east of Barciosh farm-steading, and about 40yards from the road leading past it.286 yards further south, andij5 yards on the other side of the parish road, there is another kilnof similar construction and dimensions. About 190 yards to thesouth-west of that last mentioned and close to the parish road,there is a third, and in the copse or young jilantation adjoining, afourth kiln—the last two of somewhat smaller size and withoutthe rectangular building observed in connection with the first two.It seems remarkable that so many of these kilns should befound so near together, but the remains of other buildings showthat numerous dwellings have at one time existed at this place.Here and there throughout the copse and rough ground adjoiningmay be noticed curious mounds and cairns, which may perhaps benatural, or thrown up in clearing the ground for tillage, but whichmay, on the other hand, indicate ancient burial-places. In SirHerbert Maxwell's work, I believe he translates Barciosh as meaningthe Hill of the Trench, Pit, or Grave.

:Tkansactions. 59Voth April, 1888.At a meeting of the Council at which Mr Robert Murray,V.P., presided, the Secretary suhmitted the following letter fromthe Rev. R. H. Taylor, M,D., to the Rev. Robert W. WeirDear Sir,Liverpool, 1 Percy Street,April 14, 1888.Will you oblige me by being the medium of conveying tothe " Dumfries and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society"the gifts wliich I now send of the MS. History of the Parish and Town ofDumfries, written by my grandfather, the Rev. William Burnside, D.D.,formerly minister of St. Michael's Church.The conditions on which I bestow the volume are simply these :1. That I may have an exact copy of the same."2. That the volume may be ojên to the inspection of all who wishto see it, subject to the rules of the society.3. That in the event of the society being dissolved, the MS. maybe given to the Museum at present contained in the Observatoryon the Corberry Hill, in the Parish of Troqueer.It affords me much pleasure to hand over this interesting narrative tothose who I know will appreciate it, and doing so will be careful to preserveit.Be so good as apprise me of the safe arrival of the volume.Re\'. R. W. Weir.I am.Very sincerely yours,R. H. TAYLOR.The thanks of the Council were awarded to Dr Taylor for hispresent, and to the Rev. Robert W. Weir for being the means ofprocuring this valuable document.Field Meeting, bfh of May.The first excursion for the season took placeon the 5th May,Avheii a small party inspected several objects of interest on thefarm of Barclosh, Kirkgunzeon, under the guidance of Mr W. J.Maxwell, Terregles Banks, and Mr AVellwood Maxwell of Kirkennan.A portion of the walls of Barclosh Tower is still standing,although in a very decayed condition, adjacent to the farm-house.The Avails are over three feet in thickness, and it is evident thatthe place has been one of considcralilc strength. Scarcely anindication remains of the existence of the castle, of which it foimed

60 Transactions.a pait, and which was one of the principal seats of Lord Herriesat the time of Queen Mary.The party next inspected the oldcorn kilns, respecting whichan interesting discussion took place at the last meeting of theSociety, but despite much earnest investigation no fresh facts wereelicited regarding them. It may be noted, however, that theremains of buildings are always to be found near these kilns, andthe conclusion is therefore irresistible that a considerable populationwas at one time maintained on what now appears a stretch ofthe most unpromising pasture land in the Stewartry.The party next proceeded to Barclosh Outer Bill, where muchspeculation was indulged in regarding a large number of cairns ofstones which have been built, without much apparent design, atirregular intervals all over the hill. It was suggested by somemembers of the party that these cairns were erected by the Celtsto mark places of sepulchre ; but a more prosaic section contendedthat the ground had merely been cleared for purposes of pasturage,and no carts being available in those days to transport the stonesto a distance, they had been collected in this way.The usual monthly meeting was held in course of theafternoon, Mr W. J. Maxwell presiding. The Secretary intimatedthe following additions to the library since last meeting : TheProceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 1886-87 ; of theBerwickshire Naturalists' Club (two parts) ;the Belfast Naturalists'Field Club ; the New York Academy of Sciences ; and from theSmithsonian Institution, a Bibliography of the Eskimo Language ;Perforated Stones from California ; Work in Mound Exploration ;and a Bibliography of the Sionan Language. Also two monographs—oneon the salt mines of Hallein, and the other on anExcursion to the Hospice of Great St. Bernard by the author, DrK. H. Taylor.Field Meeting,ind of June.Owing to the heavy rain no excursion was made. Dr Taylor,of Liverpool was elected on honorary member on the recommendationof the Council.A meeting of Council was held on the 29th June, at whichMr Joseph Wilson resigned the honorary secretaryship, on his

Tkansagtiuns. 61removal to Fifeshire. On the motion of Major Bowden, Mr Wilsonwas heartily thanked for his services as secretary, Messrs Watsonand Murray making complimentary remarks upon the value of hisexertions on lêhalf of the Society. Mr Robert Barbour waselected secretary till the end of the current session. The Councilagreed to present a gold watch to Mr Wilson as a testimonial inrecognition of his labours as secretary. This i)resentation wasmade on the 5th of July at a meeting of the Society specially summonedfor the purjoose.A party of twenty-sixField Meeting. Ith of July.members from Dumfries, who wciejoined on the way by Dr Grierson, president of the Society, andseveral members from Sanquhar, making thirty-five in all, had acircular drive on Saturday, 7th July, from Thornhill, proceedingup the Valley of the Nith and Mennock Pass to Wanlockhead andLeadhills, and returning by wây of the Elvan and Dalveen Passes.On the way up Mennock, a halt was made at a sjiot called thePangrains, to inspect two little grass-grown grounds, intersectingeach other in form of a cross, supposed to mark the site of anancient place of worship. The shaft of the cross is twelve yardsin length ; the arms each measures seven yards. At Wanlockheadtheparty were conducted by Mr Peter Stewart, resident managerof the Lead Mines, through the crushing, washing, and smeltingworks, the various processes being exjjlained to them, and DrWilson, of Wanlockhead, pointing out the variousminerals foundalong with the galena. They had also explained to them themethods employed in desilverising the ore (according to Pattinson'spatent) and extracting litharge. At Leadhills the Presidentobtained from one of theminers a few grains of native gold, andseveral of the members procured samples of different minerals fromthe lead mines.Field Meeting. 8t/i of September.The last field meeting of the session Avas held on Saturday.8th September, wlien a party of thirteen left the Fountain by waggonette,at 9.30 A.M. They first visited Springfield Camp, nearDunscore, where they were joined by the Rev. Mr Simpson andDr Callander. The latter undertook to act as conductor, and

62 Transactions.pointed out the peculiarities of the Ccamp. The camp is an interestingone. It occupies the summit of a span of Springfield Hill,and near by is a spring of water, from which its name is probablyderived. The position is one of great strength, and it commandsa most extensive prospect. Burnswark is in view ;and thespectator overlooks the whole valley of the Nith downwards, andGrlenesslin valley and a considerable part of the valley of the Cairnupwards.Proceeding by way of Dunscore village, Dalgonar Bridge, andGlenesslin to Sundaywell, the fine single-span bridge over theCairn at Dalgonar Mill and the beautiful glen below were noted.Further on, CoUieston, the ancient lairdship of the Welshes, waspointed out, and Chapel, deriving its name from a small churchwhich stood there, and of which only one stone is now to be seen.Arriving at Sundaywell, the old tower was examined. The buildingis now so much modernised that little of its ancient characteris left. A panel over the door bears a shield, above which are theinitials I.K.S.W. [J. Kirk, S. Welsh ?], and below the date 1651.Sundaywell Camp, Avhich is little known, was the next object ofattention. It lies at the base of Bogrie Hill on a natural mound.It is somewhat larger than Springfield, measuring about 1 20 yardsby 70 ; but the two camps resemble each other to a remarkabledegree, and although more than five miles apart in a hilly country,they are visible one from the other.Proceeding to Bogrie Tower, the oak fern was found inabundance in the glen of the burn. The tower which stood herewas removed severalyears ago, but the remaining dwelling-houseis of considerable age, and possesses some points of interest. Inits walls and in those of the oflBcesare a large number of mouldedstones which belonged to the Old Tower, and they indicate thatthe building has been one of some importance and with characteristicfeatures. There is a panel inscribed with the initials IK-IMand the date 1660. A small circular camp at Bogrie Hill was alsovisited.The return journey was made by way of the Glen of Lag, andthe remains of Lag Tower were examined with interest. Of it thelate Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe says :" I think I never saw sorude a ruin as the tower of Lag, in the glen of that name. Thestones appear to have been taken out of the burn, and made wallsof, without the help of pickaxe or chisel—not a tree, or anythinglike one, to be seen—nothing but huge round stones, and stunted

Transactions.g3whin bushes, and a scanty rivulet flowing between the solitarybraes. Thnigs, however, may now be changed, for it is more than20 years since I visited the Glen of Lag." No change is visibleMr Richard Rimmer, F.L.S., of Dalawoodie, and Eev. RichardSimpson, of Dunscore, were elected members at a meeting pre.sided over by Mr R. Murray, V.P.

—SESsionsrxsss-sq.f)th 'October, 1888.ANNUAL MEETING.Mr JajviesG. H. Starke, MA., F.S.A., in the Chair.Neiv Members.—Mrs Wm. M'Dowall, Cresswell Terrace, andMr John Smith, St. Michael Street.Donations.—The Secretary (Mr Robert Barbour) laid on thetable the Smithsonian Report, 1885, Part I. ; Elisha MitchellScientific Society's Journal, 1888, Part I. ; and the July andAugust numbers of the Essex Naturalist.Secretary's Report.The Honorary Secretary submitted the following report :One change has occurred during the Session which deserve."?very special mention. The Society has lost the valuable servicesdischarged in a most efficientof Mr Wilson, who for several yearsmanner the duties of Honorary Secretary. Mr Wilson havingreceived promotion in the Civil Service, resigned the office inconsequence of leaving the town. The Society is much indebtedto Mr Wilson's activity during the time he held office, and thevalue of his services is fully recognised.At the last Annual Meeting the membership of the Societj'numbered 223, comprising 6 life, 197 ordinary, and 20 correspondingmembers, while the Roll-book at present showsa membershipof 209, 7 being life, 183 ordinary, and 19 corresponding members.During the Session 12 new members have been elected, while 26names have been taken off the roll, on account of death, change ofresidence, and a stricter scrutiny.Seven winter meetings were held as usual during the Session.The average attendance was 29.7, being a falling off .as comjxaredwith last year, when the average was 34. Nineteen communicationswere read, most of which were of considerable local interest.At the December meeting a new code of Rules was adopted, onthe recommendation of tlio Committee,

Transactions. 65On account of the very unfavourable weather during thesummer only three of the five Field Meetings arranged were held,and the attendance was small, except at the July excursion, whenthe party numbered 33. The districts visited were Southwick,Leadhills, and Dunscore.The Society's Transactions for Session 1886-87 have beenpublished. The volume contains the usual record of the workdone and the more important of the papers read during the Session.Two of the papers are accompanied by valuable illustrations. Aspecial feature of the work is an appendix containing a descriptivelist of articles exhibited at the Conversazione held on the 27th,28th, and 29th October, 1886. Many of the articles mentionedare of historical value, and have not before been exposed to publicview.Science Gossips Nature, The Scottish Naturalist, and TheJournal of Botany have been taken in during the Session and circulatedamong the members.The Museum and Library continue to increase, donationshaving been received at all the winter meetings during theSession.On the motion of Mr James Lennox, Mr Robert Barbour wasthanked for his services as secretary.Election of Office-Bearers.President, Mr Richard Rimmer of Dalawoodie ;Vice-Presiddents.Major Bowden, Messrs Francis Maxwell of Gribton, WellwoodMaxwell of Kirkennan, James G. H. Starke of TroqueerHolm ; Hon. Secretary, Mr Robert Barbour 3 Hon. Treasurer, MrJames S. Thomson ; Council—Rev. William Andson, MessrsJames Barbour, James Davidson, John W. Dods, James Lennox,William M'Dowall, Miles M'Innes, John Neilson, Thomas Watson,Rev. Robert W. Weir.Auditor, Mr Thomas Laing.The Chairman moved a vote of thanks tothe retiring president,Dr Grierson, which was heartily accorded.10//^ November, 1888.Mr Richard Rimmer, F.L.S. (the President), in the Chair.New Members.—Mr John Blacklock, solicitor ;of Scrcel ; Rev. J. H. Thomson of Hightae.Mr ]\Laxwell

66 Transactions.Donations.—A fine specimen of the Peregrine Falcon, presentedby Mr W. J. Maxwell of Terregles Banks ;the Proceedingsof the Glasgow Natnral History Society ; the first volume of theTransactions of the Highland Society (1799), presented by MrJames Barbour ; and a stake alleged to be from a lake dwelling inthe loch at Lochmaben, presented by Mr James Lennox.Mr J. G. H. Starke (advocate) having briefly referred to theloss which the Society had sustained in the death of Mr M-Dowall,proposed the following resolution, which was agreed to unanimously:— " That this Society records its deep regret at the suddendeath of its most distinguished member, Mr William M'Dowall,F.S.A., the historian of Dumfries, and desires that its sympathywith his domestic circle in its bereavement be communicated tohis widow."President's Address.The President read a short inaugural address to the followingeffect :—Ladiesand Gentlemen,—The first duty incumbent upon methis evening is to thank you very heartily for the honour you have doneme in electing me to your presidential chair. When your wish that Ishould become the President of this Society was first intimated tome, I confess that, for a moment, I was somewhat doubtful whetherI could conscientiously undertake the responsibilities pertaining tothat office, but the invitation was conveyed to me in terms socordial and so pressing that I felt myself bound in commoncourtesy to accept it, and this I did the more readily because itseemed to imply on your part a confidence in my ability to serveyou, which was by me as unlooked-for as it is, I fear, unmerited.It will, however, be my earnest endeavour, so long as I occupy thischair, to do my little best to promote the welfare of ourSociety.I will now make a few remarks respecting the progress whichhas been already made by the Society towards thethe ends for which it was originally instituted, as well asattainment ofsome ofthe means by which it may best achieve that which still remainsto be accomplished in the future.These remarks must, however,be very brief, because I rejoice to see that we are to be favouredwith two communications which will, I am sure, be more attracti\'eto you than anything I have to say tliis evening.1 have not yet had an opportunity of reading any of theTransactions of this Societj' except the last, which has recently

Transactions. 67been issued ; but I gather from its pages quite enough to enableme to congratulate you heartily upon the work Avhich has beendone in archajological research, as well as in many of the branchesof natural history. As to archeology, it would indeed be" passing strange " if we who have our home in this charmingdistrict, teeming as it is with monuments of the past, could go onour way all heedless of such relics, which, silent though they be,speak to us in " language more eloquent than words " of days anddeeds which but for them would have been for ever buried inoblivion; but, fortunately, there are among us those who havetaken care to see that treasures such as these are not ignored. Iread with much pleasure in the Transactions alluded to severalinteresting papers on this subject, especially those communicatedby Mr Wilson and Mr Coles.Passing on to natural history, botany would seem to hold afirst place in the estimation of our members. This is not surprising,and full advantage has evidently been taken of the lavish mannerin which Flora has bedecked this district. In geology andmineralogy I understand that good work has been done.Zoologists,too, have not been idle, and here I must not omit to notice a veryinteresting and able communication by Mr Armistead on" Atmospheric and other Influences on the Migration of Fishes,"a subject which has not hitherto received the attention itdeserves. The insecta have been well looked after, especially byMr Lennon, whose unwearying zeal and energy in his favouritepursuit called forth my admiration, if I mistake not, so long asthirty years ago, and if he has continued until now to be asunrelaxing in his efi'ort as he then was, it must be a very cunningspecies which has eluded his searching eye.And now a word about the mollusca. It is much to beregretted that the study of these creatures has, in this district, beenhitherto greatly neglected.If they are looked down upon with contemptby those who know but little about them, it ought to beremembered that nothing which the Almighty has seen fit tocreate can possibly be unworthy of our contemplation. To those,however, who would wish to make amends for neglected opportunitiesthere is the satisfaction of knowing that a new field forresearch lies open before them in this locality, and to me it hasalways been a source of intense pleasure, so far as natural historyis concerned, to find myself on hitherto untrodden ground.

68 Transactions.Some of you at least may not be aware that a few years agoconchological maps of every county in Great Britainand Ireland,showing the distribution and number of species of land and freshwatershells then known to occur in each county, were from time totime being published, and I was astonished to see that Dumfriesshirestood nearly, if not quite, at the bottom of the list, anddeserving to wear the dunce's cap ! Now, I want some of you tohelp me to blot out this stain upon our character as naturalists.Of course it is but little that I have been able as yet to effect inthis direction, but that little convinces me that a diligent andpersevering search will reap a rich reward.I trust, therefore, thatour knowledge of the moUusca of this district will in the comingyear be largely increased, and tlien I shall ])e glad, if permitted, tospeak to you at greater length about them than I have been able todo this evening.In conclusion, I would strongly urge upon you the necessityof striving to do original work. This will bring you face to facewith Nature. Listen to her teachings, which, if rightly learnt,will help you to shake off the fetters of self-pride which are toooften wont to stay our progress, and then she will lead you Step bystep onward and upward until you are enabled to form a better,though still feeble, conception of the stupendous majesty ofNature's beneficent Creator.Communications.I. Aji Ornithological List for the Parish of Glcncairii. By MrJohn Corrie of Moniaive.The first bird to be mentioned is the Peregrine Falcon {FalcoFeregrinus), now a rare bird in the district, although common, Ibelieve, at one time, and known to nestregularly on the Auchenstrowan,Lorg, and Craigenputtock crags.Single birds were seenthis year in the vicinity of Woodlea and Maxwelton, but it is unlikelythey would be allowed to nest. The Merlin {Falco CEsalon),like the Peregrine, is yearly becoming less common. During Mayof the present year a pair nested on the Bogrie moors, but thefemale was trapped and her mate is said to have been shot. TheKestral {Falco Tinnunculiis) is still a fairly common species, butits extermination, like thatof all the hawks, can only be a matterof time. The Sparrow Hawk {Accipiter Nisus) may be consideredrare. The Kite {Milvus vulgaris) is now almost, if not quite,extinct. When a boy, a tame Kite or " Gled " as we called it, was

Transactions. 69kept at the Craigdarroch lun, Moniaive. It was allowerl perfect freedom,but uever attempted to escape. One Lamb Fair day a shepherd'sdog, having stolen a piece of beef, retired to a quiet corner ofthe inn yard to eat it. The " Gled " happened to be perched onthe roof of an adjoining outhouse at the time, and the dog had nosooner squatted with his prize than the " Gled " swooped downupon him, seized the piece of beef, and bore it off to his perch,the startled collie meanwhile bolting up the nearest passage. TheCommon Buzzard {Buteo vulgaris) is said to have been commonthirty or forty years ago, but it is rarely met with now, and I havenever seen the bird personally. The gamekeeper on the Craigdarrochestate informs me that he has once or twice seen a pair ofBuzzards " sailing " down the glen as far as Craigdarroch, but theyalways turned there and made away back again. When seen ithas always been during the winter months, and there is not theleast likelihood of the bird being met with as a nesting species.Nocturnal birds of prey are represented by four species :TheLong-Eared Owl {Otus vulgaris), which is not common ;the Short-Eared Owl ((9/'?/j' Brachyotus), rarer still; the Barn Ow] (SlrixFlavimea), which, down to a few years ago, nested regularly atHastings Hall ; and last, the Tawny Owl {Syniium Slridula),our only really common species. The Spotted Flycatcher{Muscicapa Grisola) may be considered common. It is a birdunconventional alike inits choice of nest sites and its selection ofmaterials. Some years ago we found a nest in the vicinity of ajoiner's workshop, built entirely of shavings, and placed in thecrevice of a stone bridge.The Common Dipper {Cinclus Aquaticus), a bird often spokenof as scarce, is common in Glencairn.It is met \vith along all ourstreams, and there are few places suited to its habits where I couldnot undertake to find a nest. It is one of our earliest nestingspecies, and often has its young hatched before the majority of ourbirds have even thought about egg-laying. I knew a nest thisyear in which the brood was hatched during the third week ofApril. It is unaccountable to me how the Dipper is so oftenoverlooked as a songster. An attractive bird, with a good deal ofindividuality about it, and therefore often described, it is at thesome time but rarely we see it referred to as a singer.Thus, forinstance,in a series of well-written articles on bird life lately contributedto Good Words, the writer includes the Dipper in hislist of winter residents, but omits it in his list of winter songsters,

70 Transactions.— a most unmerited slight, as all who have listened to the birdwill be ready to testify.The Missel Thrush (Turdiis Viscivoriis) is common.Deservedlyfamous as a songster, he is no less gifted in the use of birdBillingsgate, and woe betide the luckless egg- collecting wight uponwhose head is poured the full venom of his wrath ! The FieldfareTnrdus Pilaris) is of frequent occurrence in the winter months.(The Song Thrush (Turdus Musiacs), I am pleased to say, abounds.The Blackbird {Tnrdus Meni/d) is plentiful, and its near ally,the Ring Ouzel {Tnrdus Torquatus), not uncommon. The Hedge-Sparrow {Accentor Modnlaris) is common, and sociable as well.Two years ago a remarkable instance of interrupted egg-layingcame under my notice. A nest had been built in the gardenhedge, and a single egg laid therein, when the birds to all appearanceforsook the nest. Six days later, however, the birds returned,and re-arranged the nest, when laying was continued.The Robin {Erythaca Rubecula), another lover of human abodes,is met with everywhere. The Redstart {Phoenicura Ruticilla),although occurring throughout the parish, can scarcely be consideredcommon anywhere. In Tynron district it seems to bsmuch more abundant. On one occasion I found no fewer thanthree nests in the immediate vicinity of Tynron Village. TheWhin Chat {Saxicola Rubetrd) a bird we call Stonechat inGlencairn, and the Wheatear (&a7V6'A!; (Enanthe) are both common.A year or two ago I would have described the Grasshopper Warbler{Salicaria Locnstellci) as rare, but I have satisfied myself that inGlencairn at least it occurs in considerable numbers. I had myattention first directed to the bird some five or six years ago whenrod-fishing on the Cairn, and I have frequently heard it duringsimilar excursions since. The nest is said to be very difficult tofind, and to this circumstance may perhaps be attributed my wantof success in the search.I have information of a bird shot in theAvater of Ken district which, from the description I received of itsnote and plumage, and, wliat is still more characteristic, itspeculiar habit of skulking, I have no doubt was the GrasshopperWarbler. That delightful nocturnal songster, the Sedge Warbler{Salicaria Phragmitis) is common. During mid-summer it singsthe greater part of the night as well as the day, and Avhile somepeople profess not to care for its hurrying manner inoften been entranced with its melody.song, I haveBoth the Blackcap {CurrncaAtricapilla) and Wood Warbler {Sylvia Sibilatrix) are rare. The

TRA.NSAf'TIONS. 71Whitethroat {Curruca Chierea) and Willow Wren {Sylvia Trochihis)are fairly numerous, while the Lesser Whitethroat {CarnicaSylviella) and Chiffchaff {Sylvia Hippolais) may perhaps be consideredrare.The Garden Warbler {Curruca Hortensis) I am disposedtothink must occur with us, but I have failed to recogniseit. The Gold-crested Regulus {Regulus Cristatus), the smallestnot only of British but of European birds, and one of the prettiest,is not imcommon. It is our only species that builds a hangingnest, and the structure, in compactness and beauty and architecture,is only rivalled by that of the Chaffinch. The Wren {TroglodytesVzilgaris) is plentiful, and a favourite with everybody. Strangesites are often selected for nesting, and great ingenuity shown inconcealment. We once saw a nest built in a tuft of waterdriftwhich a flooded stream had left suspended from the branch of anoverhanging tree.On another occasion we found a nest concealedin a clump of polopody fern on the rocky face of CraigenputtockMoor, a site which appeared much better suited to thehawk than to the tiny wren. The Creeper {Certhia Familiaris)can scarcely be considered rare, but it is retired and unobtrusivein habits, and, on that account, often overlooked. The Great Tit{Parus Major) is met with sparsely throughout the parish. It isa bird endowed with great strength of bill, and we have seen itbreak the shell of a hazel-nut with ease. In autumn the sharptap-tap of its bill in the nut woods may often be heard when thebird itself is unseen. The Blue Tit {Parus Cceruleus) is common.Tiie r!ole Tit {Parus Afer) and Long-Tailed Tit {Parus Candatus)are both somewhat scarce. When I have seen the latter at all ithas usually been in flocks of .six or more intent upon some winterfood foray. The Bohemian Waxwing {Bomhycilla Garrula) wasseen once many years ago in the vicinity of Hastings Hall—theonly instance of its occurrence. Among the Motacillidas, the PiedWagtail {Motacilla Alba) is the only really resident variety, and itis likewise the most common. The Grey Wagtail {MotacillaBoarula), the handsomest of its class, can scarcely be considereda plentiful bird. During the winter months it is entirely absent.Ray's Wagtail {Motacilla Flava), the smallest of the wagtails, isalso the least common. I have seen it in one locality for severalyears in succession, but I am doubtful if it occurs anythinglike generally. The Tree Pipit {Anthus Arhoreus) is notuncommon. The Meadow Pipit {Anthus Pratensis) is abundant.The Sky Lark {Alauda Arvensis), our " feathered Pan," as

72 Transactions.Anderson calls it, carols over all our meadows. The SnowBunting {Plectrophanes Niv Lis) has only been seen once. TheCommon Bunting {Emberiza Miliaria), although recorded for thelower portions of the parish, does not appear to be generally distributed.The Black-Headed Bunting {Emberiza Schoeniclus) isnot by any means an uncommon bird, but it is rarely seen at anygreat distance from its nesting haunts—the rushy margins ofstreams or marshes. The Yellow Hammer {Emberiza Citrinella)is still a common species, although sadly reduced in numbers byrecent severe winters. The Chaffinch [Fringi/ia Coelebs) is almostas common as the ubiquitous House Sparrow, and, despite hishandsome coat, almost as little prized. He sings a good song,nevertheless, and builds the prettiest nest of all our British birds.The Mountain Finch {Fringilla Montifringilla) is known to us asan occasional visitor only. The House Sparrow {Passer Domesticus)is met with everywhere. The larger number build their nestsunder the eaves of houses, but no inconsiderablepoi-tion build ontrees. When a tree is selected the structure is invariably largeand ugly. The Greenfinch {Coccofhrausfes Chloris) occurs plentifully.The Goldfinch {Carduelis Elegans), a common enoughbird, I believe, at one time, must now be considered rare. TheSiskin {Carduelis Spinas) is occasionally seen as a visitor, but it hasnever been known to nest. The Common Linnet {Linota Cannabina)is abundant. The Mountain Linnet {Linota Mo7itium) visits us fromtime to time ip flocks. One winter, four or five years ago, I caughttwo of these birds in the hand by simply following a flock of themand imitating their feeding note. The Lesser Redpoll {LinotaLinaria) is rare even as a visitor. The Bullfinch {PyrrhulaVulgaris), although seen here and there throughout the parish,occurs in no great numbers anywhere. The Starling {SturnusVulgaris) in Glencairn, as elsewhere, is becoming increasinglycommon. A generation ago starlings were almost unknown, andI am credibly informed that tlie first starling seen in Glencairnwas sold for half-a-sovereign, and the bird was a dead one. TheRaven {Corvus Corax) down to within recent years nested regularlyon the face of Auchenstrowan Crag, but the site has now beenabandoned, and we are not aware of any other in the parish orits vicinity. The birds, however, are still seen at intervals. TheCrow {Corvus Corone) is common, and, I need scarcely say, so isthe Rook {Corvus Frugilegus). It is a popular belief in tlie Southof Scotland that crow nest-building commences on the first Salibath

Transactions. 73of March ; but if this is so, the birds would appear to get confusedin their dates occasionally, as we have seen them re-habilitatingtheir old homes as early as the second week in February. InChambers's " Book of Days," the twelfth day after Candlemas(O. S.) is similarly associated with the nesting habits of the crow ;and wc are told the Rev. Dr Waugh used to relate that, on hisreturn from the first year's session at the University of Edinburgh,his father's gardener undertook to give him a few lessons innatural history. Among other things he told him that the" craws " (rooks) always began building twelve days after Candlemas.Wishing to show off his learning, young Waugh asked theold man if the craws counted by the old or by the new style, justthen introduced by Act of Parliament. Turning upon the youngstudent a look of contempt, the old gardener said ": Young man,craws care naething for Acts of Parliament." We are disposed tothink they care just as little for popular beliefs, and that in thematter of nest-building they observe no hard and fast rule whatsoever.The truth is that by the first Sunday in March, or even thetwelfth day after Candlemas, nest-building has become so generalthat even the unobservant can no longer shut their eyes to thefact. The Jackdaw {Connis Monedula) is plentiful. A few nestin ruined buildings and in chimneys, but the greater number makeuse of rabbit burrows. When White wrote his delightful" Natural History of Selborne," this habit of nesting in burrowswas considered something very remarkable, but we supposeinstances of its occurrence are now known to be frequent. TheMagpie {Pica Caudata) is now almost, if not quite, extirpated.Our welcome visitor, the Cuckoo {Cieculus Canorus) is common.This bird's peculiar habits of nidification are well known, but Ihave an incident which is probably unique. Robert Currie, shepherdat Castlehill, in the parish of Durrisdeer, while on his usualmorning round of inspection among the sheep stock under his care,noticed a young bird lying on the ground. Lifting it, and lookingabout him, he discovered a nest, which contained a similarbirdling, not far off, and in this nest he placed the birdling he hadpicked up. Next morning, on making a return visit to the spot,he was surprised to find the bird outside the nest again. Hereplaced it once more, but soon afterwards found it outside asbefore—this time dead from exposure. He then discovered thatboth of the birds were young cuckoos, and each being actuated bythe instinct to eject its fellow-occupant from the nest. The

74 Transactions.sanguinary struggle had proceeded until one of the combatantssuccumbed, a victim to the instinct of its kind. That richestplumaged of British birds, the Kingfisher {Alcedo Ispida) is rare.The only place I have ever seen it is on the Cairn, in the vicinityof Maxwelton. The Swallow {^Hi7-imdo Rustica), the Martin{Hirundo Urhica), and the Sand Martin {Hirundo Riparia) are allcommon. A few Swifts (Cypselus Apus) still nest with us, but itis a rare bird compared with what it was at one time. A twostoreythatched house which occupied a somewhat isolated site inour little town of Moniaive used to be a favourite nesting place,but the house was pulled down some years ago, and the birds havenever returned in anything like the same numbers since. TheNight Jar (Caprimulgus Europaus) is said to nest in some of themore remote nooks of the parish, but I never even saw the birdpersonally until this summer, when a singlebird was observed fortwo nights in succession hawking for moths in my own garden.The Ring Dove [Coluinha Palumbus) is abundant. This year Ifound a Ring Dove's nest, containing young, placed in a hawthorntree at an elevation of not more than four feet from the ground,and side by side Avith it a nest of the blackbird containing eggs.The low elevation for a Ring Dove's nest and the companionshipappeared to me alike remarkable. The Pheasant {FhasianusColchicus) is common, and the same may be said of the BlackGrouse {Tetrao Tetrix), the Red Grouse {Lagopus Scoticus), andthe Comnaon Partridge {Pedrix Cinerea). The GoldenPlover {Charadrius Pluvialis) is met with on all ourhills. The Lapwing (Vanellus Cristatns) is plentiful. This bird,as is well known, is a careful mother, and in the stirring days ofpersecution her watchfulness against intrusion is said to haveoften proved fatal to the lonely wanderers on the moors and fells.The Heron {Ardea Cinerea) is not uncommon in the district, probablyowing to the circumstance that we have an old-establishedheronry at Craigmuie. The most of the trees were unfortunatelyblown down during the gales of December, 1883, and January,1884, and I am disposed to think there has been a marked diminutionin the number of birds since. The Curlew {Niunenius Arquata)is very common.The Common Red-Shank {Totanus Calidris) wehave recorded for one locality. Loch Urr, on the boundary linebetween Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire, where a few pairsannually come to breed. The Common Sand-Piper {TotanusHypoleuca) is met with along all our streams. The Wood-

Transactions. 75cock {ScoloJ>ax Rusticola) is common as a winter visitor, and, Ihave reason to believe, not infrequent as a nesting species. Lastsummer, for instance, a pair took up their quarters in a smallplantation on the Glencairn side of the hill-ridge separating Glencairnfrom Tynron. The cry of the bu'ds was often heard on stillnights, and the locality being a suitable nesting one, I have nota doubt the birds remained to breed. Sportsmen speak of thewoodcock as " a hard- winged bird," and anyone who is familiarwith it can recognise it at once by the rattle of its wings on takingto flight. Another peculiarity is the eyes, which are remarkablylarge and fine, hence Butler in his " Hudibras " speaks of men" findiflg woodcocks by their eyes." In marshy tracts throughoutthe parish the Common Snipe {Sco/opax Gallhiago) occurs plentifully.The Jack Snipe {Scolopax Gallinula), a much smaller andscarcer bird than the preceding, is somewhat rare.I am disposedto think it remains to nestle, but cannot speak positively as tothis. It has been seen about the commencement of August, and,ifnot a nesting species, August seems a late month to leave andan early one to return. The Land-Rail {Crex Pratensis) may beconsidered common. The Moor Hen {Gallinula Chloropits) inhabitsall our streams. The Coot {Fidica Alra) is not uncommonon lochs outside the parish boundaries. Inside the parish it israther a rare bird.Both the Wild Duck {Anas Boschas) and Teal{Anas Crecca) are fairly common. The Widgeon {Anas Penelope)occurs as a winter visitor. I am told that some few birds remainthroughout the breeding season, but I have been unable toauthenticate this. Single specimens of the Golden Eye {FuligulaClangula) and the Goosander {Mergus Merganser) have been shotwithin recent years on the Cairn, and the stuffed specimens arepreserved in the gun-room at Crawfordton House. Anotherspecies of duck, said to be rare, was shot by Mr AVilliamDavidson, gamekeeper on Crawfordton, near to Snade Mill somethree years ago. The Little Grebe or Dabchick {Podiceps Minor)was seen by me on the Cairn during the winter of 1885, and Ihave since found it nesting on one of the smallest of the lochs inthe parish. It is by far the most interesting of the water birdswith which I am acquainted, and if proprietors would only instructtheir keepers to j^reserve, I am disposed to think it mightbecome much more common than it presently is. The CommonCormorant {Phalacrocorax Carbo) is a regular visitor to LochUrr, and has even been seen within a few hundi'ed yards of

76 Transactions.Moniaive—surely a remarkable record for an inland parish suchas Glencairn. The Black-Headed Gull {Lariis Redibundns)abounds during the summer months, and large numbers annuallybreed on the little rocky islet in Loch Urr. During winterthey leave the district, although a few may return duringseasons of exceptional mildness. The Common Gull{Lams Canus), though not nearly so numerous as Ridibundus,occurs in considerable numbers during summer, but is less commonin winter. The Great Black-Backed Gull {Larus Marinus) is notinfrequent as a visitor during the winter and spring months.When seen it is usually in the vicinity of the river, and, beinganything but dainty in its tastes, it doubtless helps to keep ourwaters pure and sweet. It is not a lovable bird, however, and, asit is the last on our list, we half regret having adopted an arrangementwhich compels us to close our references to the Birds ofGlencairn with one that is so ill-favoured.Note.—Glencairn and Tynron being conterminous parishes, acomparison of the two lists may not be without interest. TheTynron list comprises eighty-six birds ; the Glencairn list ninetynine birds, or one hundred inclusive of one doubtful. Threespecies included by Mr Brown in his Tynron list are absent frommy Glencairn list, while sixteen species recorded for Glencairn areabsent in Tynron. Of these fully one-half are water birds, clearlyshowing that the want of a loch of any considerable size is thereason why Tynron, a district otherwise admirably suited to birdlife, falls so far short of Glencairn.II. The Birds of Upper Nithsdale. By Anstruther Davidson,M.D., of Sanquhar.For the last three years I have been carefully observing andrecording the numbers and habits of the avifauna of this district.Some of these records I have transcribed for your benefit to-night,chiefly those dealing with the numbers and distribution of ournative birds. It would serve no good purpose to enumerate themigratory species, as these are almost similar to migrants in otherlocalities, only a very few notable captureshaving been recorded,so I will proceed to the account of the birds that breed in UpperNithsdale, including thereby the parishes of Sanquhar andKirkconnell.

Transactions. 77First in order comes the Fasseres, the most important in thisdistrict, numl)ering- 41 out of a total of 67. Of these the MisselThrush and Blackbird are both common, the former more wary andcunning, electing the less frequented woods, while the " blackie "shows a decided attachment to the haunts of man. The SongThrush is comparatively a rare bird. Of the Ring Ousel this ispar excellence the home. In every rocky glen or rugged mountainscar his impudent chatter may be heard. With his nestfirmly planted on the ledge of a steep rock or buried in the heatherbush on an overhanging crag in some lonely glen, he rears hisvoracious brood in complete security. The same, or presumablythe same, pair I'eturn year after year to the same place to breed,and the nests of many seasons can be found within a few yards ofeach other. Some g-lens are, for no apparent reason, more affectedthan others.In one of these, not more than a mile long, I in oneseason saw five nests, and from the number of birds concludedthat still others existed. In such circumstances suitable sites arenot always available, and he contentsedge of a sheep drain or sloping' knoll.himself with building on theSolitary and wary in theirbreeding habits, they avoid the more frequented country. Onceonly have I found them forgetful, but the place (the Holm woods)being too public they forsook it when half the eggs had been laid.They begin to build very shortly after their arrival, in the end ofApril, and, in the event of the nest being destroyed,rapidly build anew.In one instance, when the nest was robbed of 4 eggs on April 24,the birds built again near the same site, and by March 9 had again4 eggs. These havingbeen removed by some wanton boys, theyagain renewed their toil, and had built and replenished a newabode by the 19th. Being again robbed they refused to buildagain, no doubt thinking that 3 nests and 12 eggs in 30 days weresufficient to command greater success.For the remainder of theseason they frequented their unfortunate haunt and returned nextseason, when, I am pleased to say, they were successful in rearinga vigorous brood. The Wheatear, Whinchat, Redbreast, Wren,Willow Wren, and Hedge Sparrow are all common. The Redstartand Sedge Warbler are somewhat rare, the latter particularlyso, on account of the lack of suitable breeding ground here,though common enough on the lower reaches of the Nith fromThornliill downwards. The Dipper comes next, and, like theubiquitous sparrow, is rapidly acquiring the habit of utilising thecrevices and holes in bridges and tree roots, instead of building a

78 Transactions.proper nest. In this utilitarian age we can sympathise with liisevolutionary progress, as his original nest is almost the size of asmall bee hive, and must entail a vast amount of labour. I showyou here one such nest, built behind a waterfall, lined outside witha sufScient covering of moss to prevent the entrance of water,which is also precluded by the entrance being formed below.Though the nest is so large, let not the uninitiated think they areeasily discovered. The Dipper chooses the site with considerablecare, the secrecy of which is enhanced by the mossy covering ofits nest so closely harmonising- with the surroundings. Unlikemost of our birds he prefers to stay throug-hout the winter, andyear after year selects the same, or almost the same, site Avhereonto build, and with a sublime indifference to climatic influence hashis nest regularly built and four or five eg-gs deposited by the 14thof April. Mr Brown, in speaking of this bird, says :" The samenest is used year after year unless carried away by floods." Myobservations show entirely the reverse. I have never foundthem re-occupying the old nest, but if by design or otherwise thenest has been removed, they re-build in the same place, and toensure their doing so it has of late been my habit to remove thenest when the brood has departed. Only once have I observedthem re-occupying a nest which had been robbed and partiallydestroyed. The Whitethroat and Crested Wren are fairly common.The Garden AVarbler is rare, only one instance of itsnesting- ha^^ng- come under my observation. Of the Tits familythe Blue and Great Tit only are found. The Pied or Grey Wagtailsare the only representatives of that family. The latter, inspite of considerable persecution, is able by its retiring habits andcunning choice of nest to exist, though in decreasing numbers.The Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Chafiinch, and Skylark are verycommon, as also are the Martin, Sand Martin, and Swallow. TheHouse Sparrow is everywhere except at Wanlockhead. TheSpotted Fly-catcher, Greenfinch, and Yellow Hammer are comparativelyrare, though the latter are familiar enough as wintervisitors to the farmers' grain yards. The Fly-catcher being a latebuilder is not easily discovered. By the nest shown you you willobserve this bird has chosen an unusual site, having built its nestinside that of a blackbird's.In the Euchan Woods, the Tree Creeper is not uncommon, butso far I have failed to find its nest. The Reed Bunting andBullfinch are frequently met with in the wooded glens and rushy

Transactions. 79moors. The Goldfinch is very rare. Only twice have I known itto nest in the last four years—once in Kirkconnell and once inSanquhar. The Common Linnet probably breeds in the district, butI have so far failed to locate it. The Twite and Stonechat havebeen reported—the former, I think, correctly, but the latter, Ithink, must have been a mistake, as I have never seen the bird atany time.Starlings and Swifts occupy all the favourable sites inthe walls of the old castle and other buildings.The Swifts, beinglatearrivals find the democratic sparrows in possession of everyavailable hole, and the first week or so is occupied with theiruncompensated eviction, and the subsequent occupation of the disputedpremises, after which their shrill screaming is little heardtill their brood is hatched and they congregate again for theautumn migration. The Mag-pie and Carrion Crow still continueto flourish in spite of guns and traps. Jackdaws nest in many ofthe cliimney stalks in the town, but their chief strongholds are therocky steeps in Kello, Spango, and Polveoch burns. Thoughthere is but one rookery in the district, yet it is large enough tosupply rooks for the whole shire. Much has been written for andagainst this bird, and my own observations lead me to regard Mmas being quite as black as he is painted. His principles are purelySocialistic—minus the dynamite. See him as he alights on thefarmer's field, and paces with slow and dignified stride, with headerect and swelling- breast—why he seems to be lord of the soil, orat least gives you the impression that he believes every rood ofground should maintain its rook. In this country they are far toonumerous. To a certain extent they are useful, more especially inthe autumn, when, retiring to the hills, they consume the larvae sodestructive to the pasture. For the g-reater part of the season heis a thief and a robber, living- by reaping on what he bestowed nolal)our. It was not always so, however. The rook, like the genushomo^ was created with perfectly innocent tastes, but he, too, fell,became civilised, and from being chiefly an insect feeder, he developeda taste for grain, potatoes, and other useful cereals.Thisis where he is at present. To what depths he may attain, timeonly can tell. In the nesting season their depredations amongeggs are simply enormous. They make no distinction, but quarterthe fields systematically, take every q^^ or young bird, eithereating- them near the spot or carrying them home to their nests.When the rook has removed the last q^^ he very carefully turnsover the lining- of the nest as if to ensure liis having secured

80 Transactions.the whole. I have often wondered at this habit, and tliink it hasbeen acquired in the robbing of nests of those birds like grouseand duck, whose eggs are so carefully covered when the parentbird is absent. The lapwing alone of all birds nesting in the opencan by his " right arm " hold his own against the crow ; but he issometimes outwitted by the superior cunning of the enemy. Anillustration of this was given me by an eye-witness, who observeda crow fly away after a series of futile attempts on the lapwing'snest. In a short time after he returned with two companions, whosuccessfully enticed the lapwing from the neighbourhood of itsnest, and left the other to the quiet enjoyment of the plunder.another instance, where two crows discovered and failed to dislodgea wild duck, different tactics were enforced.InApparently consciousthat all comes to them who can but wait, they laid siege to thenest, and for two days one of them remained on the ground, andeventually seized the opportunity when the duck had gone for hisdiurnal constitutional, and plundered the whole. Of all thefeathered tribes, the sparrow alone seems to understand the crow.He builds his nest among the very twigs the crow has gatheredas the foundation of his nest, and there rears his brood unmolestedby the abstract-minded thief who sits above him. For many yearsa pair of Ravens have nested in the parish. Two seasons ago theyattempted to build on the steepest part of the rock which theyfrequent, but the wind carried it away, and they had to renewtheir work on more suitable foundation. Next year the same thingwas attempted, and again it failed. I shall watch with interestwhether next season they have profited by their failures. TheCuckoo is common ; in Euchan g-len even abundant. I once sawten in a flock there. The dates of their arrival for the last threeyears have been April 28, Ajsril 7, and May 4. The Night Jar isvery rare. One pair, however, have for years nested in the Holmwoods. The Tawny Owl and Long-eared Owl are both natives.The former is common ; the latter rare, and limited to onelocality. The hilly nature of this district favours the continuanceof birds of prey, and we can still find the Peregrine, Merlin,Kestrel, and Sparrow Hawk. The Peregrine has of late only appearedas a visitor in the spring, but for many years it nestedregularly in Kirkconnel parish. The game little Merlin, nesting inthe heather far among the hills, defies extermination. The SparrowHawk, more accessible, is gradually becoming scarcer, and maysoon be extinct. The Kestrel, being more harmless than the

Transactions. 81others, is quite common, there being scarcely an outlying glen inwhich liis rude-shajDed nest may not be found. That the RingDove exists you have but to ask the farmers. Of game birds wehave the usual gi'oup—Red and Black Grouse, Partridge, andPheasant—and all in abundance. The Corncrake or Landrail iscommon, arriving usually on the 13th May. A few pairs of Moorhenand at least one pair of Coots breed among the sedges near theNith. Curlews and Lapwings are very abundant. Last season,on account of the cold spring, they were almost absent from thehills, and in consequence more than usually numerous on theplains. The Curlew is one of our most reg-ular migrants, almostalways arriving in the first week of March. Golden Plover andSnipe are present in fair abundance. The Sandpiper, or Sandwhaup,as it is locally called, is somewhat common on the Nith and tributaries,and so long as it continues to build so cunningly its numberswill continue to increase.This season a pair of Redshanks nestedon Sa.nquhar Moor, but the possibility of their return was renderedimprobable by the boy who observed it bowling over the bird witha stone and securing the eggs. So far this is the only instance Iknow of its having- attempted to breed in the district, thoughcommon enough at Cumnock, where, however, the ground ismore suitable. A few pairs of Herons have for many years occupiedsome large fir trees in the woods around, and have so secludedthemselves as to escape general observation. Four years ago afew Black-headed Gulls bred on the small island in the Black Lochon the Town Moor. In the seasons following the numbers wereso increased that the eggs literally covered the island, and some,unable to find accommodation there, build themselves nests likelittle boats on the floating leaves of the water-lilies and bog'bean.Of the duck tribe, only the Teal and Mallard remain throughout thesummer. The former is very rare and not a regular breeder ; butthe latter is common, and I think increasing in numbers. Contraryto its usual habit, it here g-enerally builds in the hollows of somerocky steep or overhanging ledge from 5 to 20 feet above theriver bed, and with true maternal forethought nests always abovea pool. When the young are hatched the duck must carry heryoung to the water, or di'op them over into the water beneath, anexpedient certain to prove disastrous had she not chosen her nestover the deepest part. Year aftei' year they return to the sameground. A gentleman in Kirkconnel, who interests himself in the

82 Transactions.ypecies, sliowed me a liollow where for the last eight or nineyears a duck had regularly hatched her brood. At the time wevisited it ten eggs had been laid, and through all these years therenever had been less. A short distance from this another hasnested successfully for the last four years, and so secluded is theirretreat that I have every hope they will occupy it undisturbed formany years to come. These then are the 67 birds breeding in thedistrict at the present time.Probably a few more will yet fall tobe added, such as the Linnet, Twite (before mentioned), and theAVoodcock, which thisseason was observed by one of the keepersin June. The absence of some of the more familiar songsters canbe accounted for by the absence of shrub and sheltering bush, yet,withal, the record for an inland district is a large one.Itk of Dece/ziber, 1S88.Rev. William Andson in the Chair.Ne7V Member.—Mr Bernard Drummond.Donations.—A List of the Mosses and Hepatiese of Dumfriesand Kirkcudbright Shires, by Mr James M'Andrew ;a Collectionof Birds' Nests, by Dr Davidson ;" The Gardener's Dictionary,"in 3 volumes, published in London 1748, by Mr Croal ; and theTransactions of several Societies.Treasurer's Report.The hon. Treasurer submitted his annual report, which wasunanimously adopted on the motion of Mr James Lennox.Balance from last Session158 Subscriptions at 2s 6dGHABGE.6 do. , New Members, 5s ...Sale of Transactions ... ...Do. Glass CaseDonation from Mr Wilson (Plate)Do. Mr ColesInterest on Bank AccountTwo Life Members at Two Guineas ..£7 9

—Purchase of Books and JournalsBinding BooksStationery ...Printing and AdvertisingGasSecretary's outlays (Mr Wilson)Do. do. (Mr Barbour)Treasurer's do. (Mr Thomson)Transactions. 83DISCHARGE.Hall Keeper's SalaryCommission on Arrears to Mr Brown ...Transactions—Printing and BindingAkerman, London, for PlatesHerald, Printing and BindingBalance at close of Session—Cash in hand£39 IS 10Dumfries, 3rd Dec, 18SS.—I have examined the Treasurer's Accountsand relative Vouchers, and find them correctly stated.MILES M'INNES, Auditor.

84 Transactions.fourteen in number, ten of which are still upright. On none ofthese stones is there anything like a carved cup or ling-niark. Somuch for tumulus and stone circle. If you turn your back to thetumulus on its N.W. side and walk away in a line with its diameter,you will, at one hundred and eighty feet off, trip against a halfsunkmonolith ; thirty feet further in the same direction and asecond such stone arrests you ; and again another thirty feet andyou stand on the ring of a third circle, whose diameter also isthirty feet, and the peculiarity of which is that the kist-vaen withinlies, not in the centre, but fully two feet off it, towards the arcnearest the tumulus. This cii'cle and kist-vaen, not so many yearsago, were as completely buried in a heap of granite boulders asthe above described tumulus ; but the stones were carried away tobuild part of the neighbouring dyke. The covering slab of thiskist-vaen measures five feet three inches by three feet three inches,and is about eight inches thick ; and is supported on two thinslabs at the E. and W. ends of the grave. Numbers ofboulders fill up the space below it, so that it has most probablybeen at one time opened and its contents, if any, disturbed.There is no vestige of cup or ring mark on any of these stones.On my return to Cauldside, 1 passed several small irregular heapsof granite boulders. There being nothing to indicate any connectionwith the relics just explored, or any pre-arranged plan amongthemselves, I took scant notice of these heaps ] but in thelast of them (eastwards), on a stone somewhat conical and abouttwo feet and a half high, two distinct marks arrested me, both,I am inclined to think, ancient and artificial—one certainly artificial.The one, which may be water-formed (or the lower half ofthe cavity of a pebble) is a purely circular depression about twoinches in diameter, and | of an inch deep. The other, nearlythree inches in diameter and two and a half inches deep, is funnelshaped,its sides narrowing with perfect smoothness to the small,flat, button-like hole at the extremity. The same funnel-shapedhollow occurs on a similarly-grained block of sandstone in Ohio,near Ironton, Lawrence Co., and at Redhills, near Penrith. Thereis only one other fact to notice in connection with this district, andthat is the frequent occurrence of small circular ridges now overgrownwith grass and heather, which, I have little doubt, wouldprove to be of the same nature as that which forms the northernkist-vaen circle in this series of three at Cauldside,

Traxsactions. 85II.Theories of the Ice Age atid Notes on the Glacial Geology of theimmediate Neighbourhood. By Mr Jamks Watt.(Epitomised by the author.)The primary cause of great variations of climate is tlieposition of the earth in relation to the Sun.Glacial conditions ensued in consecjuence of {a) a gradualincrease of ellipticity of the earth's orbit until it reached a periodof maximum eccentricity, or extreme elliptical form; {b) theprecession of the equinoxes.The combined effect of these two causes must, toa very largeextent, influence the climate of the earth, because from precessionalmovement when the winter solstice in the northern hemisphereoccurs when the earth is furthest from the sun in June, not asnow in December, when it is nearest, and also, when from greaterellipticity of the orbit, the distance of the earth from the run is,in the winter solstice, several millions of miles greater than now,then, in such circumstances, glacial conditions of excessive severitywould prevail.Sir Charles Lyall, in his great work on the " Principles ofGeology," showed conclusively that changes in the geography ofthe globe, combined with precession, would account for greatchanges of climate. But it was not till the appearance in 1864 ofDr James Croll's remarkable paper, "On the physical cause ofchange of climate during Geological Epochs," that it became clearthat the primary cause of great variations of climate was astronomical.Dr Croll made calculations for the form of the earth'sorbit from the year 1800 for three millions of years back, and onemillion of years forward, calculated at intervals of 50,000 years,and his calculations have been verified by eminent mathematiciansin Europe and America. According to these calculations, theperiod of the last great increase in the ellipticity of the earth'sorbit was reached 240,000 years back, and terminated about80,000 years ago, embracing a period of 160,000 years. Thatperiod we call the " Great Ice Age," or " Glacial Epoch." Thecold was most intense about 200,000 or 210,000 years ago,and itis maintained by Croll and other eminent men that glacial conditionsduring the period of high eccentricity would not be continuousin northern and southern hemispheres, but that each hemisphere" must have," in Professor James Geikie's own words, " experiencedseveral great vicissitudes of climate. Glacial conditions

86 Transactions.lasting for thousands of yearsmust have alternated with equallyprolonged periods of genial conditions, for the latter no less thanthe former are a necessary consequence of extreme ellipticity combinedwith the precession of the equinoxes."That the position of the earth in relationto the sun has beenthe great originating cause of the extraordinary climatal conditionswhich prevailed during the glacial epoch is now universallyadmitted, but considerable difference of ojjinion prevails as to theright interpretation of the testimony of the rocks ; what the vastrelics of the " Ice Age " really tell us as to the physical conditionswhich then prevailed over the surface of our planet. It iscertainly known that the ice attained to a very great thickness,for marks of its presence are to be found on the tops of mountainsin Canada from 3000 to 5000 feet high. It is certain that ourown country and part of England was in the same condition asGreenland is now, and also that a large part of Northern Europeand America, at a comparatively recent period, geologicallyspeaking, lay deep buried under a vast sheet of " thick ribbedice," so thick that only the peaks of the highest mountains stoodup unburied.It is held by Croll and other eminent geologists andphysicists that a great ice cap would gather during long thousandsof years, reaching far down into what is now the temperate zone,and that such conditions would prevail for thousands of yearsalternately in northern and southern hemispheres.But there areother eminent physicists who maintain that glacial conditionsduring the period of high eccentricity were simultaneous in bothhemispheres. Able men differ on the matter, and for the presentwe can but regard their various and conflicting opinions as only" the guesses of the wise." While there are differences of opinionas to the nature and extent of glacial conditions, there is generalagreement that the primary cause of such conditions was the jiositionof the earth in relation to the sun.Local Notes.—A remarkable example of the work of the greatice sheet came under my notice when the railway bridge belowDalbeattie was built a few years ago. The foundation for thepiers of the bridge were laid at a depth of twenty or twenty-fivefeet below the surface, or bed of the stream. The material gonethrough was entirely boulder clay, and at the bottom, strange tosay, indications of an earlier earth surface and soil were found,with frai^ments of wood and hazel-nuts.

Transactions. 87The underlying strata ovei- a wide area round Dumfries isPermian Breccia, covered over with boulder clay of a somewhatfriable nature. The Breccia stands out at Cluden Mills, the Craigs,and other places. All are familiar with the Permian sandstone ofLocharbriggs and other quarries in the county, but from the softcharacter of the stone, it does not retain marks of glaciation atexjjosed places so well as harder rocks.A striking featuz'e of the locality, as of nearly the whole ofthe Scottish Lowlands, is the rolling character of the country ;green knolls, and rampart-looking ridges usually called " kames,"composed of stones of all sizes, gravel, and sand. It is admittedthat these mounds cannot be clearly accounted for, but ProfessorJames Geikie is of opinion that they point to abundant streams ofrunning water discharged across the country from the rapid meltingof snow and ice, to a " pluvial period," or after the Ice Age" Great Thaw " spoken of by Sir Charles Lyall.N.B.—It may be noticed here, that Dv OroU and others, whohave made calculations for the eccentricities of the orbit of theearth and other planets, used Leverrier's Formula in making theircalculations.theIn conversation with Dr Young, Professor of Geologyin the University of Glasgow, he hinted to me that the formulawas not reliable. If this were true, it is obvious that the conclusionsas to the last period of high eccentricity might be erroneous.In these circumstances I thought it would be well to make enquiryat the highest authority whether the formula was reliable or not.Dr Chinnock very kindly, in the interests of the Society, and onmy own account, wrote to the Astronomer Royal making theenquiry. The courteous reply received from Greenwich Observatoryis herewith given in full. It will be seen that Leverrier'sFormula cannot be considered unreliable for the lasi Glacial Epoch,which is all that we have under consideration. When everyallowance is made it does not appear that the period covered bythe epoch, as calculated by Dr Croll and others, can be very farout.J. W.Royal Observatory, Gkeenwich,London, S.E., 1S90, Sept. 19.Dr E. J. Chinnock,Deau Sir,Leverrier's Formula for the eccentricitiesof the orbit of the eartli and other planets have been computed withgrout care, but the calculations are ratlier complicated, and iiidepend-

88 Transactions.ently of a possible error in computing, the formula would lie more orless alfected by any errors whicli there might bo in the assumed valuesof the masses of the planets, and, as Leverrier has pointed out, theresulting error in the calculated eccentricity of the earth's orbit wouldincrease with the time, so that after several periods the formula couldnot be trusted. It is also to be noted that his memoir was written in1839, before the discovery of Neptune, and that no account has beentaken of the influence of the mass of that planet on the eccentricity ofthe earth's orbit. Leverrier states that his formula differs completelyfrom those given by Lagrange in 1782, chiefly through the latter havingassumed a mass for Venus, which is nearly half as large again as thevalue now accepted, and consequently, after a few years, Lagrange'sformula became inaccurate. Though the uncertainty in the masses ofthe planets is now much less, caution is necessary in basing conclusionson the values deduced from Leverrier's formula for very remote periods.He has himself limited his computations from his formula to a period of200,OCO years, viz., 110,000 years before the epoch 1800 and 100,000years after that date, though in a diagram he has given a curveshowing the eccentricity of the earth's orbit for 200,000 years after1800.Iam, Dear Sir,Yours faithfully,W. H. M. CHRISTIE.III. Botanical Notes. By Mr James M'Andkew, ofNew-Galloway.Prefatory Note.—The following- lists of Mosses andHepaticfe—forming- a contribution to the Cryptogamic Flora ofDumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire—have been compiled fromspecimens gathered chiefly by myself. They are an expansion ofa paper already read on 4th February, 1881, before the Societycalled " The Bryolog-y of the Glenkens," and recorded in theTransactions of that year. It is more difficult to know theCryptogamic than the Phanerogamic Flora of a district, andworkers in this department of Botany are rare. The Glenkensdistrict is rich in Cryptogams, but the neighbourhood of Moffatand Upper Nithsdale should be equally good and productive ifsystematically worked. As a general rule that district is therichest which is best searched. The list of lowland, alpine, subalpine,limestone and sandstone mosses could be largely increased.My sources of information for the following lists are from plantsgathered by myself ; from specimens sent to me by Mr CharlesScott ; Dr W. Nichol's lists of Cryptogams from the Moffat dis-

—Transactions. 89trict ; lists compiled by the late Mr James Cruickshank ; andfrom Crj-ptogams given in the Moffat Guide liook. Some of thespecies in these lists require re-confirmation. Doubtful specieshave been referred for determination to the Rev. John Fergusson,Manse of Fern, and to Henry Boswell, Esq., Oxford. I shallwelcome any help given to enlarge the present lists. Mr JosephWilson, Windygates, Fife, thelate secretary of our Society, alsocollected a number of mosses, &c., around Dumfries, but I regretthat I have not kept any record of names and localities.Oct., i8go.I have botanized very little in Kirkcudbrightshire during the pastsummer (1888), but two days' work has enabled me to add thefollowing new records for the County :1. Eqiiisetum maximum—in great abundance in damp placesalong the shore from Carsluith to Ravenshall.2. The three forms or varieties (A Arctium lappa, L. (Burdock)—along the same shore. The forms are Arctium intermedium,Arctium minus, and Arctium majus, and a peculiar form Arctiumminus, which may almost be named var. subtomentosus.3. Atriplex littoralis, var. marina—âlong the same shore.4. Hordeum pratense—In abundance along the R. Urr, southof Dalbeattie harbour.5. Schlerochloa distans— by side of R. Urr, opposite the farmof Little Richorn, south of Dalbeattie.LIST OF MOSSESGathered in Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire, and numberedaccording to the London Catalogue of Mosses and Hepaticse, 2ndEdition, 188LN.G. is New-Galloway,(m) refers to Moffat Guide Book.(s)refers to Mr Charles Scott, late of Terregles Gardens,(c) refers to the late Mr James Cruickshank, Crichton Institution,Dumft-ies.(n) refers to a list of Cryptogams of the Moffat District, by DrW. NiCHOL.The others were gathered by myself.

..;90 Transactiuns.No.Xame.c ,, var. pui-pureum, Schpr.d „ var. rubellum, Wilse ,, var. tenue, Braithw. ...f ,, var. quinquefarium,Lindb.h ,, var. elegans, Braithw.i ,, var. fuscum, Schpr. ...j ,, var. arctum, Braithw.k ,, var. luridum, Hiibnform pallidum1 ,, var. laite-virensBraithw.m ,, var. patulum, Schpr.2 ,,fimbriatum, Wils.3 ,, strictum, Liiidb.4 ,,squarrosum, Pers.5 ,, teres, Angst7 ,,intermedium, Hofiiu.b ,, var. riparium, Angst.8 ,,cuspidatum, Ehrh. ...8b ,, var. plumosum, Nees.Locality.Very commonN. of Black Craig, N.G.—frequent1 Sphagnum acutifolium, Ehrh .b ,, var. defiexuni, Schprform lilacinum, Spr. Occasionally with the variety(laxum, Russow).CommonCommonBarend Moss, Castle-DouglasBennan Hill and Moss Raploch,N.G.Barend Moss, Castle-Douglas—rareMoss Raploch, N. G. , &c.—frecûentMoss Raploch, N.G. ; BarendMoss, Castle-DouglasN. of Black Craig, X.G. — rareCairnsmuirof Carsphairn, &c.—notcommonNear Craigenbay, N.G.Barend Moss, Castle-Douglas—rareDuUarg Hill, BahnacleUan.Barend Moss, Castle-Douglas, &c.Bennan Hill, Gairloch, &c., N.G.Colvend, Newabbey ; W. side ofL. Ken, N.G. , &c.Side of N.G. Station Road; S. ofDykefoot, N.G.Side of Newton-Stewart Road,&c., N.G.N. of Black Craig, &c., N.G.Common ; Auchencau'n Moss (s) ;Lochar Moss.N. of Black Craig, N.G.c ,, var. falcatum, Russ. ..d ,, var. brevifoUum,Lindb.9b ,,moUe, var. iliilleri,Schpr.c ,, var. tenerum, Sull. ...10 ,,rigidum, Schpr.b ,, var. compactum,Brid.c ,, var. squarrosulum,Russ.11 ,,subsecundum, Nees. ...b ,, var. contortum,Schultz.Frequent, Burnfoot Hill, N.G. ;Barend Moss.Foot of Craignilder, Darnaw, Kells—rare.E. side of Cairn Edward, N.G., &c.Do.Cairn Edward, &c. ,N.G.—frequentDo. ;Moffat Hills (m)Between Cairn Edward andBennauHill, N.G.—rareCommon.Do. ; Knockindock (s)

7..;No.Name.c Sphagnum var. obesum, Wils. ...d,, var. auriculatum,Schpr.12 „ laricinum, Spr.13 ,, tenellum, Ehrh.14 „ Austini, SuUb,, var. imbricatum,Horns,lo,, papillosum, Lindb. ...b,, var. confertum, Lindb.c ,, var. stenophyllum,Lindb.16 ,, cjTnbifolium, Ehrh. ...b ,, var. congestum, Schpr.1c ,, var. Kjuarrosulum,Nees.Andrea petrophila , E hrh .e ,, var. flaccida19 ,, alpina, Turn.20 „ Rothii, W. &M30 Gymnostomum rupestre,Schwjeg.31 ,, curvirostrum ...36 Anaectangium compactum37 Weissia \-iridula (controversa) ..,39 ,, crispula, Hed.40 ,, cirrhata, Hedw. ...41 Rhabdoweissia fugax, Hedw.42 „ denticulata, Brid.43 Cynodontium Bruntoni44 ,, polycarpum, Ehrh.Transactions, 91Lorcdity.Burnfoot Hili, X.G.Do. ;—rare.N. of Barlae Plantation, Dairyrare.Black Craig, X.G., &c.—frequent.Moss Raploch, N.G. ; BarendMoss ; Auchencaim Mos.'.Do., but not .?o common as thespecies.X. of Black Craig, &c., K.G.—fretjuent.Between Cairn Edward and BennanHill, N.G.N. of Black Craig, X.G.Very commonMoss Raploch, &c., X.G.Do.Black Craig, &c. , N.G. ; Criffel (s)X^.Mofiat (n).of Black Craig, N.G.Common on the hills ;Do.(s).Holm Glen, Balmaclelkn,

—.—92 Transactions.No.Xame.h Dichodontium, var. serratnm(flavescens)c ,, var. fagimontanmnLocality.In similar places, but not so common; Beld Craig Glen (n).Dalveen Pass ; on the hills nearTerregles ; side of Carron Water(s).51 Dicranella squarrosa, Schrad. ...52 ,, cerviculata Hedw.53 ,, varia, Hedw57 ,,heteromala Hedw.58 Dicranum fulvellwm, Sm61 „ Blytii, B. & S.65 ,,Scottianum, Turn.69 ,,fuscescens, Turn.70 ,, scoparium, Lb ,, var. orthophyllumSchpr.c ,, var. paludcsum, Schpr.71 ,, majus, Turn72 ,, palustre, Bry. , Britt. . .75 Dicranodontium longirostre78 Campylopus atrovirens, De Not.79 ,,brevipilus, B. & S82 ,, flexuosus, Brid83 „ paradoxus, Wils. ...85 ,, Schwarzii, Schpr, ...86 ,, fragilis, B. & S. ..88 ,,pyriformis, Brid. ..90 Leucobryum glaucuna92 Pleuridium nitidum93 ,,subulatum, L.94 ,,alternifolium, L.96 Seligeria pusilla, Hedw. ...100 ,, recurvata, Hedw.105 Blindia acuta, Hedw.Wet hilly places ; Durrisdeer (s)Auchencairn Moss ; DalbeattieMoss, &c.Burnfoot, Kenmure Holms, N.G. ;R. Liddel (s) ; Brownhall (c).Common in hilly places and inwoods ; (s).Hartfell (n).N. of Black Craig and Milyea,N.G.—very rai'e.Dukieston, N.G. ; Colvend.N. of Black Craig, &o., N.G.frequent.Very common ;(m) (s).Dry rocks and boulders—frequent.Boggy places—frequent.Very common on trees and ondykes ; (s).N.G. hills ; Colvend.Near Moorbrock, Carsphairn.On the hills ; (s) (e) (n).Cairn Edward, &c., N.G.Common ;Cluden ; CrifFel ; Burnhills(s)(c).N. of Black Craig, N.G.N. of Black Craig, N.G. ; side ofR. Ken.Sides of drains, &c. ; Burnhillsand Criffel (s).Bennan Hill, N.G., &c. ; Terregles(s)—frequent.Very common on hills and moors ;Criffel, in fruit (c).Kenmure Holms, N.G.Frequent on the ground ; Terregles(s)Do.(c).Penton Linns (s).Powder Magazine (c).E. of Crummy Park and AllangibbonBridge, N.G.Frequent on the hills ; DalveenPass and CrifFel (s).

No.Xame.108 Sphserangium muticum110 Phascum cuspidatum116 Pottia tnincata, L.Transactions. 93123 ,, Heimii, Hedw.128 Didymodon rubellusb ,, var. serratulus, Ferg.130 ,, flexifolius, Dicks. ...131 ,, cylindricus, Wils. ...136 Ditrichum homomallum ...141 Trichostomum tophaceum142 ,,miitabile, Br.143

.;94 Transactions.No.193b194198199Name.Grimmia apocarpa, L.var. ri\'Tilare, Brid.maritima, Turn.pulvinata, Dill. ...Schultzii, Brid. ...Locality.Common on dykes and stones (c) (s).On stones in streams, as R. Ken ;Garpel Burn, N.G. ; The Glen.Common on rocks all along theshore.Common on walls ; Brownhall (c).Cairn Edward and Bennan Hills,201202203205206207209b212213218220221222224225b226227228b230231232contorta, Wahl. ...torquata, Grev. ...unalis (spiralis) ...subsquarrosa, Wils.trichophylla, Grev.Hartmanni, Schpr.Doniana, Sm.var. Sudeticacoramutata, Hiibn.montana, B. & S.Stirtoni, Schpr. ...Rhacomitrium i)atens,, ellipticiim, Turn.,, aciculare, L.„ Sudeticum,Funck,,heterostichum ...,, var. alopecurum,, fasciculare,Schrad.,,lanuginosum,Hedw„ canescens, Hedw.,, var. ericoidesrtychomitrium polyphyllumAmphoridium lapponicum,,Mougeotii, B. & S.N.G. ; Criffel (s).W. of Millyea, N.G.—very rare.Millyea,&c.,N.G. ; Whitcomb (n)Milyea, &c., N.G. ; Screel (s)Whitcomb (n).Colvend ; on Bennan Farm, N.G.Common on dykes, wall tops,rocks, &c. (s) (c).Frequent by side of R. Ken and R.Dee, N.G.On whinstone on the hills ;Durrisdeer(s) ; Moffat (m).Along with the species.L. Stroan, on R. Dee, N.G.—veryrare.Garrorie, N.G.—very rare.On dykes by roadsides, N.G.Dairy.andS.-W. side of Milyea, N.G. ;Blackhope Burn (n).Frequent on the hills, as on BlackCraig, N.G.Common on wet rocks, &c. ;Routen Bridge and Criffel (s).Common on rocks on the hills ;Burnhills (s).Very common on dykes, &c.W. of Cairn Edward, N.G.Common on rocks and dykesCriflel (c).very common on the hills, &c.(s)(c).Common on sandy jjlacesby roadsides,&c.Side of Newton-Stewart Road,&c., N.G.Dykes and dry rocks (s) (c).Milyea, N.G. ; Blackhope Burn(n)—rare.Wet rocks and sub-alpine glens ;in fruit at Dob's Linn, Moffat, byMr W. Bell ; Inglestone (s).

—;Transactions. 952^0. Name.233 Zygodon viridissimum, Uicks. ..b ,, var. rupestris (Stirtoni)234 ,, conoideus, Dicks.Locality.Trees and on sheltered dykesfrequent.Holme, Balmaclellan ; Troquhain—i-are.Ballingear Wood, N.G. ; Creetown237 Ulota Drummondii, Grev.239 „ Bruchii, Horn241 ,, crispa, Hedw.242 ,, intermedia, Schpr243 ,, crispula, Bruch.244 „ phyllantha, Brid245 ,, HutchinsiK, Sm.247 Orthotrichum saxatile248251253254257261262cupulatum, Hofiin.rujjestre, Schleich.affine. Schrad.fastigiatum, Br. ...stramineum, Horn,diaphanum, Schrad.pulchellum, Sm. ...(ilen ; Friars' Carse (c).Hannahstown Wood, N.G. ; BeldCraig (n)—very rare.Common on young oaks andhazels, &c.Do. ; Moffat (m) ; Brownhall(c).Do.Not so common.Common on trees ; Terregles (s).W. of Bennan and Cairn Edwardhills, N.G. ; Criflfel (c).Ken Bridge, N.G. ; Rerrick ; TerreglesVillage (s) ; Brownhall (c)Fi-iars' Carse (c).On a dyke between CarlingwarkLoch and R. Dee, C astle-Douglas;Knocklae, Balmaclellan, &c.Common on trees and on dykes.Garroch Wood, N.G.—very rare.Common on trees.At the foot of damp trees and walls;Terregles (s) ; Brownhall (c).Overton and Burnfoot, &c., N.G.263Lyellii, H. & T. ...The Glen (s) ; Brownhall (c).Common on trees, in woods, &c. ;264266274leiocarpum, B. & S.rivulare, Turn.267 QSdipodium Griffithianum271 Tetraplodon mnioides272 Splachnum spliericuinampullaceum, L.282 Physcoinitrium pyriforme, L.283 Entosthodon ericetonim, Bals.Terregles (s).Frequent on trees ; Terregles (s)Brownhall (c).Kenmure Holms, N.G. ; Burnhills(s).S. of L. Dungeon, and on Milyea,N.G. ; CairnsmuirofCarsphairn;Blackhope Burn (n).On dung on the hillsôccasionallyS. of L. Dungeon, N.G. ; LocharMoss (c)—very rare.Frequent on dung, as at LittleBarskeoch, &c., N.G. ; Knockindock(s).Kenmure Holms,N.G. ; Terregles(s)Sides of drains, &c., on the hillsfrequent ; Grey Mare's Tail (n).

..-;,96 Transactions.N'o.Name.184 Entosthodon Templetoni, Hook285 Funaria fascicularis, Dicks.287 ,, hygroraetrica, L.294 Bartiamia ithyphylla, Brid.295314pomiformis, L.b „ var. crispa, Swartz296,, Halleriana, Hedw.302 Philonotis fontana, L305 Breutelia arcuata, Dicks. .308 Leptobyrum pyriforme, L.310 Webera polymoipha, Hoppe.311 „ elongata, Dicks.312 ,, nutans, Schreb.313 „ cruda, Schreb.annotina, Hedw.316 „ carnea, L.317 „ albicans, Wahl. ...318 Zieria jnlacea, Schpr.330 Biyum bimum, Schreb. ...336 ,, atropurpureum, W. & M337 ,, alpinum, L.338 ,, ctespiticium, L.339 ,, argenteum, L.341 ,, capillars, L.345 ,, pallen.s, Swartz. ...348 Duvalii, Voit.Locality.Side of rocks by R. Ken, &c.N.G.Fields about N.G. ; Kirkcudbright; Terregles (s) ; Brownhall(c).Common.Sides of R. Ken ; Milyea, N.G. ;The Grove and Terregles (s).Frequent ; Cairn Water (s) ;Moffat (m).N. of Black Craig, N.G.Side of R. Ken at DundeughCrummypark Burn, N.G.—rare.Frequent in wet places and insprings ; Moffat (m) (s).On the hills ; Moffat (m) (s)commonKenmure Castle, on limestoneroad walls ; Cluden, Terregles(s) ; often in flower pots.Milyea, N.G. ; Whitcomb andBeld Craig (n)—very rare.S. of L. Dungeon and Milyea, N.G.Common on moors ; Durrisdeer (s)Holme Glen, N. of Black Craig,N.G.Common in damp fields and byroadsides— barren.Brownhall (c) ; R. Esk (s).HoImeGlen,N.G.—veryrare; BeldCraig (n).S. of L. Dungeon, N.G. ; MofHxt(c) ; Whitcomb and BeldCraig (n).Marshy places ; Whitehills, Terregles; Dalveen, Durrisdeer (s).On the hills on wet rocks—occasionally.Frequent on the hills, but rare infruit ; Bengairn (s) ; Criffel (s).On limestone dykes, &c.—common.On roofs of houses and on theground—common (s) (c).On walls, trees, &c.—very common.Kells Hills, N.G. ; Cairn Waterand Burnhills (s) ; common onMoffat Hills (n).Head of stream forming tlie mineralwell, Moffat.

.Transactions. 97No.Name.349 Bryum pseudo-triquetrum, Hedw.383 ,, roseum, Schreb. ...354 ,, filiforme (julaceum)3o7Mnium cuspidatiim, Hedw.358 ,, affine, Bland.359 ,, undulatum, Hedw.360 ,, lostratum, Schrad.361 ,, hornum, L.362 ,, serratum, Schrad..366 ,, stellare, Hedw. ....368 ,, punctatum, Hedw.369 ,, svibglobo.?um, B. & S. ...370 Aulacomnium androgynimi371 „ palustre, L.375 Tetraphis pellucida, L. ...376 ,, Brownianum, Dicks. ...377 Oligotrichum hercynicum378 Atrichum undulatum, L. .382 Pogonatum nanum, Neck.383b3843S5aloides, Hedw.var. minus (Dieksoni).urnifferum, Lalpinum, L..387 I'olytiichum gracile, Menz.388 ,, formosum, Hedw.Locality.Wet rocks, &c. , on the hills, butDalveen (s).not common ;Woods about N.G.Sides of hill streams, &c. ; Critteland Burnhills (s).Holm, Balmaclellan ; N. of KenmureCastle ; Parton, &o.Common at foot of walls, &c. ;Terregles (s).Frequent in woods and on lawns,&c. ; Terregles (s).sub-alpine glens, as Holm Glen,N.G., &c.Common (s).S. of L. Dungeon and N. of BlackCraig, N.G.S. of L. Dungeon and Holme Glen,N.G. ; Hartfell (n).Common in sub-Alpine glens, &c.N. of Black Craig, &c., N.G. ;Hartfell (n)—not common.Bankend rocks, N.G.—very rare.Marshy places—common (s).Bennan Hill, Ballingear Wood,&c., N.G. ;Crichope (s).Raehills Woods (Greville's ScottishCryptogamic Flora, 1823) ;PentonLinns on R. Liddel (s) ; BeldCraig (n).On bare soil on the hills ; L.Dungeon, N.G. ; Hartfell (n).Common ; Terregles (s).In fields and on banks ; The Grove(s) ; Moffat (m) ; Dumfries (c).Very common in fields and on banks,and sides of ditches.Waulkmill Farm, N.G.—rare.Common on clayey and loamybanks ; Moffat (m) ; Terreglesand Routen Bridge (s) ; Dumfries(c).N. of Black Craig, N.G. ; Cairnsmuirof Carsphairn ; Moffat hills(n) and (m).N. of Black Craig, N.G. ; Terregles(s).Common on the hills by sides ofdrains, &c.

98 Transactions.Mo.Name.289 Polyti-ichum piliferum, Schreb.390 „ juniperum, Willd.391 ,,strictum, Banks. ...392 „ commune, L.d ,, var. fastigiatum,Lyle.393 Diphyscium foliosum, L394 Buxbaumia aphylla, Hall.396 Fissidens bryoides, Hedw.405 ,, osmundoides, Hedw. ...407 ,, decipiens, De Not.408 ., adiantoides, Hedw. ...409 ,, taxifolius, L.412 Cinclidotus fontinaloides, Hedw.413 Fontinalis antipyretica, L.414 ,, squamosa, L. ...415 Hedwigia ciliata, Dicks. ...c ,, var. viridis, Schpr. ...417 Cryphea heteromalla, Hedw.419 Leucodoii sciuroides, L. ..b ,, var. morensis, Brid. ...421 Antitrichia curtipendula423 Neckera pumila, Hedwb ,, var. Philippeana, Schpr.424 ,, crispa, L. ...4'25 ,,complanata, L. ...426 Houialia trichomanoidesLocality.Frequent on dry banks ; woodsnear Dumfries (c) ; Terregles (s).Top of Milyea, N.G. ; TerreglesWoods (s).Frequent in bogs, as N. of BlackCraig, N.G. ; Dalveen (s).Common on hills and woods andbogs.Opposite Darsallocli, N. G.Frequent on banks in hilly parts ;Dalveen Pass, and Burnhills (s).On rocks in a field N. of Ballingear,N.G.—very rare.Common ; Terregles (s) ; Brownhall(c).Frequent on Kells hills.Do.Do. The Glen (s) ;Craigs (c).Frequent ; Whitehills and Terregles(s) ; Banks of R. Nitli (c).R. Ken, &c., N.G. ; RontenBridge ; The Glen (s) ; Friars'Carse (c).Frequent, Carron Water and DalveenPass (s).Garpel Burn and R. Ken, «S:c.,N.G.Dykes, rocks, &c. ; Irongray (c) (s).S. of Laggan of Dee and near N.G.Back of Kenmure Castle, &c.,N.G. ; Ton gland ; Rosebank (c).Kirkgunzeon Alanse ; DouglasHall ; Terregles (s) ; Friars'Carse (c).The Holme, Balmaclellan.In woods on trees and dykes, &c. ;The Grove (s) ; Dalveen (s)Common on trees ; Terregles andBurnhills (s).Not common ; Kenmure Castle,N.G.Frequent ; Moffat (m) ; The GlenandBurnhills (s) ; Dalscairth (c).Frequent on trees, »S.'C.Foot of trees, &c. ; The Glen andTerregles (s).

.,;Transactions. 99jVb.Xame.429 Pterygophyllum lucensLocality.Glenlee, Ballingear Woods, &c.N.G. ; Grey Mare's Tail (n) ;431 Myrinia pvilvinata,' Wahl.434 Leskea polycarpa, Ehrh. .Dalscairth (c).Kenmure Holms, N.G.—very rare.Very common on trees overflowed,as in Kenmure Holms, N.G. ;437 Anomodon viticnlosti?, L.Terregles Meadows (s).Kenmure Castle, N.G. ; Ravenshall,Creetown ; R. Dee, Tongland; Maidenbower, Dumfries(s) ; The Glen (s) (c).440 Pseudoleskea catenulata, Brid. ...442 Heterocladium heteropterum443 Thuidium tamariscinum ...448 Pterigyandrum filiforme, Timm.449 Pterogonium gracille, Dill.451 Thannium aloiiecurnm, L.452 Climacium dendroides, L.453 Pylaisia polyantha, Schreb.454 Isothecium myurum, Poll.457 Homalothecium sericeum..,460 Scleropodium caespitosum, Wils.464 Bracythecium glareosum ...466,,albicans, Neck. ..467471473velutinum .rutabulum, L.rivulare, B. & S.474 ,, populeum, Hedw.475 ,, plumosum, Swartz.476 Euihyncbium myosuioide.s480,, striatum, SchrebBlackhope^Burn (n).Frequent in sub-alpine glensRouten Bridge and The Glen (s)Blackhope Burn and Whitcombin fruit.Very common in woods and onbanks (m) (s).N. of Allangibbon Bridge, Dairy ;on R. Ken, N.G.On rocks and trees, generally nearwater ; The Glen (s).Very plentiful in sub-alpine glens(s)(c) (m).Damp grassy places ; Terregles ; infruit(s); in Mayfield marshes (c);Kenmure Holms in fruit.The Holme, Balmaclellan—veryrare.Very common on tree roots and onrocks ; (s).Very common on trees and ondykes; (s).Kenmure Holms, N.G.Penton Linns on R. Liddel (s).Whiteport Bay, Almorness ; Durrisdeer,and near Newabbey, &c.(s)—frequent.Rerrick ; Balmaclellan ; Terregles(s)—frequent.Very common ;(m) (s).Common ; The Glen and by R.Cairn (s).Very common ; (s).Common by sides of streams.Common on rocks and trees ;Common in woods ;(s)Terregles (s).

100 Transactions.iVb.Name.481 Eui-hynchium crassinervium,Tayl.482 pilifei'um, Schreb.485

2^0. Name.535 Hypnum cupressiforme, Lb ,, var. tectorum, Schpr.535c ,, var. filiforme, Bry. Eur.d ,, var. ericetorum, Bry.Eur.536 ,, resupinatum, Wils, ...Transactions. 101537

102 Transactions.LIST OF HEPATIC^.N.G. refers to New-Galloway.(n) refers to Notes on a List of Cryi)togamic Plants collectedby Dr W. Nichol in the Moffat district.(c)to a List of Jungermannise observed in the neighbourhoodof Dumfries by the late Mr James Cruickshank, Crichton Listitution,and published in the Phytologist, No. XIV., July, 1842.(s) to a List of Hepaticse gathered in the neighbourhood ofDumfries by Mr Charles Scott, late of Terregles Gardens.The rest, without letters, were gathered by myself.No.

Transactions. 103Xo.49Naine.Lej)ido/,ia setacea, MittenLocality.Frequent in bogs and on dampbanks on the hills (n) ; moorsoO51535456576162b64656667Bazzania trilobata, Budd,near L. Skene, Moffat (s) ;Crichope Linn (c) ; LocharMoss ; Criflel.Frequent, as in Ballingear Wood,Cephalozia Francisci,, obtusiloba, Lindb.«&€., N.G. ; Penton Linns ; R.Esk ; Dumfries (s).,, tricrenata, Wahl.N. of Black Craig, N.G.Odontoschisma Sphagni, Dicks. Frequent in bogs on sphagnum (s) ;Auchencairn Moss ; marshesabout Terregles (c) ; Criifel, &c.denudatum, Nees. Occasionally on damp places onmoors, as at Barmurray, Balmaclellan.(c) Roadside between Rosehall andBrownhall.Barend Moss, near Castle-Douglas—rare,,,,,byssaceadivaricata (Starkii)(c) Marsh above Routen Bridge.Frequent on shady dykes in woodsabout N.G.var. Pearsoni, Lindb. N. of Black Craig, N.G.—verybicuspidata, Dum.Lammersiana, Hiibn.curvifolia, Dicks,connivens, Dicks.rare.Common ; (c) Lochar Moss ; (s)The Glen ; (n) the Beld Craig.N. of Black Craig, N. G. ; BarendMoss.Dunveoch Glen and near Garroch,N.G.—not common.Glenlee Glen, N.G. ; Barend Moss ;above Routen Bridge and78 Saccogyna viticulosa, ^lich.79 Kantia trichomanis, L.S2Trichocolea touientella, Ehr.Crichope Linn (c).69,, oatenulata, Hiibu N. of Black Craig, N.G. ; Colvend.71 Lophocolea bidentata, L. ... Common ; (s) (c).72heterophylla, Schrad. Frequent ; Powder Magazine,Dumfries (c) ; Grey Mare's Tail(n) ; N.G.75 Chiloscyphus polyanthos, L. West Risk, &c., N.G. ; HolmeGlen ; Durrisdeer (s) ; Terregles(c).Wet rocks ; Lochar Moss (c) ; BennanHill, &c.Crichope Linn (s) ; Dalscairth (c) ;N.G.Wet places ; Glenlee Wood, &c.,N.G. ; Dalscairth (c).

104 Transactions.N'o.Name.83 Blephai'ozia ciliaris, Nees.86 Anthelia julacea, (L. ), Lightf.88 Blepharostoma trichophyllum89 Scapania compacta, Dum.92 ,, undulata, Dill. ..93 uliginosa, Nees.94 ,, irrigua, Nees95 ,, nemorosa, L.9697resupinata, Dum.purpurea (Dill.), Carr.99 ,, ivquiloba, Schwag.102c ,, curta, var. rosea, Nees.103 Diplophyllum albicans, L.104 ,,Dicksoni, Hook.106 Plagiochila asplenioides, L.107 ,,spinulosa, Dicks.b108var. inicrophylla, Carr.punctata, Tayl.109 ,,tridenticulata, Tayl.112 Mylia Taylori, Hook113 ,, anomala, Hook114 Eucalyx obovata, Nees. ...115 ,, hyalina, Lyell ...117 Aplozia Schraderi, Mart. ..Locality.Knockgray Moor, Carsphairn ;Barlae Wood, Dairy ; Dalscairth(c) ; Dalveen (s).Wet places and rocks on the hills.Holme Glen ; Ballingear Glen ;Eouten Bridge ; Dalscairth ;and Moffat Hills (c) ; GreyMare's Tail (n).Frequent.On the hills ; Inglestone (c) ; Bengairn(s).Carline's Cairn, Carsphairn ; Whitcomb(n).Barend Moss, Castle-Douglas.Frequent ; Beld Craig (n) ; Friars'Carse (c).Frequent on rocks on the hills andon dykes in woods ; side of road,Lochar Moss (c).Occasionally on the hills ;Criffel(c) ; Hartfell and Grey Mare'sTail (n).N. of Black Craig, N.G., &c.Ballingear Glen ; Black Craig ;Viewfield Fai'm, on rocks, N.G.—very rare.Very common ; Crichope Linn (s),&c.Blackbank dykes, Glenlee, and N.of Black Craig, &c., N.G.Very common in woods on banks,&c. (c)(s).Frequent on rocks and banks inhills and woods (c) (s).N. of Black Craig, N.G.Glenlaggan Hill, Parton ; BurnfootHill, N.G. —rare.Grey Mare's Tail (n).N. of Black Craig, N.G. ; BarendMoss, Castle-Douglas ; moors atL. Skene (n).N. of Black Craig, &c., N.G. ;Lochar Moss (c).Opposite Waulk Mill, N.G.—rare.Routen Bridge ; Closeburn ; nearMoffat Spa Well (c).Troquhain Wood, Balmaclellan ;Blackbank dyke, Glenlee, N.G.— very rare.

),Transactions. 105No.Name.118 Aplozia crenulata, Sm.118b „ var. gracillima, Sm.(Genthiana, Hiibn.120 ,, pumila, With122 ,, cordifolia, Hook.123 „ riparia, Tayl124 Lophozia Bantriensis, Hook.129 „ barbata,Sclu-.(Schreberi)130

;106 Transactions.No.Name.163 Gymnomitrium concinnatum167 ,, crenulatum, Gott.170 Fossombromia pusilla, Nees.177 Diki'na Lyellii, Hook178 Blasia pusilla, L179 ,, epiphylla, L.180 „ calycina, TaylDamp roadsides, N.G. ; WhitehillDalveen hills (s) ; Beld Craig (n).181 Aneura pinguis, L.Frequent in wet places ; Whitcomb(n) ; Powder Magazine (c)Knockindock (s).182,,palmata, HedwGarroch Wood, N.G.—very rare.184 ,, sinuata, Dicks, (pinnati-Bennan Hill, &c., N.G.fida)185 ,, multifida, (Dicks.) Gray.186 Metzgeria furcata (L. ), Dum.186b „ var. aeruginosa, Hook187 ,,pubescens, Schrank. ...189 ,, conjugata(Dill.) Lindb.191 Autliocerus punctatus, L.Locality.Rocks on Kells hills ; Hartfell andBlackhope (n)—rare.Frequent on rocks on the hills.Fields near N.G. ; moist places ;common (c).In one spot in Lochar Moss, nearthe side of the English road (c).Damp roadsides, N.G. ; near Carronbi'idge(s) ; Cluden Mill (c).Sides of ditches, &c., common (n)(s)(c).Bennan Hill, N.G. ; Colvend inbogs ; Whiteomb (n) ;pretty commonin marshes (c).Common on trees and rocks (n)(c)(s).N.G.—rare.Penton Linns (s).In sub-alpine glens.Embankment at back of NewQuay (c).*if/i of January, 1889.Mr J. G. H. Starke, M.A., in the Chair.Netv Member.—Mr James D. M'Veigh.Donations.—Two numbers of the Transactions of the NewYork Academy of Sciences and two numbers of the Annals of thesame Academy, presented by the Smithsonian Institute ; an olddocument consisting of an " Inventory of household furniturepertaining to the town of Drumfreis left in the manse, to be madefurthcomeing by Mr Robert Patoun, minister of the gospellsaid Ijiu-gh, 1723," presented by Mrs M'Dowall.in the

—Transactions. 107Communications.I.Meteorological Observatmis, taken during the year 1888.By the Rev. WiLLlAM Andson.'001 = uoi^'B.in}-BsXîptmnji" 9A!;i!iayf:>W

108 Transactions.to the 28th, with the exception of one day, the 11th. From the12th onward to the 24th the Nith was in high flood. He hadmarked the 16th November as the day on which the severest stormof the year occurred. The months of lowest mean pressure wereMarch, July, and November, when the mean ranged from 29-601in. in March to 29-722 in. in July.Hygrometer.—The mean reading of the dry bulb thermometerfor the year was 46°;the mean reading of the wet, 43"6°; and thetemperature of the dew point, 40-8° ; relative humidity, 82 (saturationbeing equal to a hundred).Temperature.—The highest temperature of the year was recordedon 26th June, when the maximum reading of the thermometer was83-6°, as compared with 87° on 25th June, 1887 ; the lowest, on12th February, when the minimum reading was 13-3, giving anannual range of 70-3. The month of lowest temperature wasFebruary, with a mean of 36-4°; and March stood next, with amean of 37*4°; while January, which is generally and justlyaccounted the coldest month of the year, had a mean of 39°. Thetemperature of January was 1° above average; thatof Februaiyand March nearly 4° below it. There was frost on 83 nightsduring the year, with an aggregate of 293°.In 1887 frost occurredon 96 days, with an aggregate of 360 degs. The mean temperaturefor the year Avas 46"5°, as compared with 47'2° in 1887 and46"2° in 1886. The estimated mean annual temperature of thesouth-west of Scotland is 48°, so that the last three years have beenunder average. In 1888 there were only fourteen days on whicha maximum of 70° and abo\'e was reached ; and the months inwhich the sun is strongest, and the greatest heat is usually experienced,were remarkably deficient both in sunshine and warmth.The mean temperature of June was more than two degrees belowaverage, and that of July 4-|- degrees. In both months, but particularlyin the latter, there was a prevalence of northerly and easterlywinds, with cloudy skiesand frequent and heavy rainfalls, whichgreatly retarded the progress of vegetation, and contributed tomake the harvest very late. August was scarcely more favourable,the mean temperature having been 2^° below average, and thenumber of days on which rain fell, 22. But these months werefollowed by an exceptionally dry, though cold, September andOctober, which permitted the harvest, though very late, to begathered in for the most part in good condition. The temperatureof November was about 3° above average, and that of December

;Transactions. 109nearly 2°, so thcat on the whole we have had during the past yearmild and ojien weather during the winter months, the greater partof February being excepted, with a cold and backward spring inMarch and April (deficiency of temperature for the two months,TV) ; but as there was almost no frost in May, with a more thanaverage sujiply of moisture, vegetation made considerable progressin that month, and though the exceptionally cold and wet weatherof the succeeding mouths greatly retarded the ripening process,things were kept green and growing, and with a favourableSeptember and October an abundant harvest was at last gatheredin.Rainfall.—The heaviest fall of rain within 24 hours wasrecorded on the 2 2d July, when 1 '20 in. was registered. The wettestmonth of the year was November, with a fall of 6 •52 in., more than2 in. above the average ; and July came next with a fall of 6*22 in.,more than double the average for the month. In November therewere 22 days on which rain fell, 20 of them consecutive ; and inJuly 24 days, the greatest number of any month in the year.Though these were the rainiest months of 1888, there was a greatdifference in their character. The cause of the excessive rainfallin November was a series of cyclones coming from the Atlantic,with strong southerly, south-westerly, and westerly winds, after thefirst week, and a temperature much above the average for the seasonwhereas in July the prevailing winds were more from the east andnorth, and the temjierature greatly below what is usual in thatmonth. The total number of days in which rain or snow fell was195 (rain, 186, suow, 9—mostly slight falls) as compared with 181last year. The total rainfall for the year was 35'91 in., as comparedwith 30-99 in. in 1887 and 4M3 in. in 1886. The averagerainfall at Cargen for the last 28 years, as reported by Mr Dudgeon,is 44'67 in. I have observed, however, from Mr Dudgeon'smonthly reports that the rainfall at Cargen almost invariablyexceeds that at Dumfries, probably from its greater proximity toCriftel, so that the mean annual rainfall here may with probabilitybe estimated at 40 or 41 in. rather than 44 in. This would stillleave a deficiency in the iâst year of 4 to 5 in., though we mightnaturally have the impression that it has been a peculiarly rainyyear. But it is to be observed that, although the rainfall of Julyand November and in some degree also of December, was muchabove the average, that of most of the other mouths was below it,January, February, April, [September, and October having been

1 1 Transactions.exceiitioually dry—February and September in particular showinga register of less than 1 in. each for the month, February, 0-60 in.,September, 0'97 in., or r50 in. for the two months, in place of anaverage of 4 in. for each month, and October a deficiency of Hinches.Thimderstonns.—There were six occasions on which thunderand lightning were observed, the 18th and 19th of ]\Iay, the 9thand 14th of June, the 26th of July, and the 10th of August.There might have been more, but these were the only instanceswhich attracted my attention.The most severe were those of the19th May and 14tli June, which occasioned considerable loss oflife, especially in the south and west of Scotland. The formertravelledfrom the south northwards, and affected more or less thewhole country from Cumberland to Aberdeen.Floods.—I have also noted the occasions on which the riverNith was in flood, viz., from the 4th to the 7th January, the 30thMay, the 23d to the 27th July, the 'iSth October, during a considerablepart of the latter half of November, and on the 3d December,the river reaching its highest point on the last-mentioneddate.II. Some Notes on the Abbey of Holyivood and on the Welshes ofColliestonn and Craigenpiittock. By Mr JOHN CarlyleAlTKEN.Although there are excellent " Lives " of the famous JohnWelshes, of the family of CoUistoun, who figured in the daj^s ofJohn Knox, as well as in the tragic time of the great WhigPersecution at the close of the seventeenth century, and in thereigns of King Charles the Second, and of James, his brother,nevertheless, we may here endeavour to do something in the wayof further illustration of some of the more local features, the trulyclassic vale of Nith seeming to afford a fair field in its still greatlyunwritten history.Therefore, should we be fortunate enough, inthe course of our notes, to develop any new or characteristicfeatures in the process, our labour may nol- be altogether in vain.In the first place, as a featural peculiarity of those mountainand hill regions, amid which lay the ancient homelands of theWelshes, of Dunscore and Nithsdale generally, there is a pronouncedand somewhat unusually Celtic association in the surnames of theclans, or communities of folk, who for so many ages lived and

Transactions.Illdied .amid tliis country of "glens and dargles"—such surnamesappearing as if they, in their origin, had helonged to the obscureeras in the unwritten history of that locality, as the ancienthereditary domain of the Earls of Mar prior to the 14thcentury. Here, accordingly, Ave may discern, through the mediumof the ancient writings, which have survived until our own time,the clear presence of certain individuals, or .families of clan-folk,bearing the surnames of the Macraiths, Padzanes, Makfadzanes,Rorysouns, Maccawils, Macmonhaths, otherwise Macmaths (originallya small clan of the island of Cantyre), Makgauchens,Macadams, Jamiesouns, and many others. This country of theWelshes, lying as it did within the ancient " Deanery ofDunfres," alias of Nyth, in former ages was, to a very considerableextent, a region of churchlands, monklands, and ecclesiasticalbaronies, which for unknown centuries had remained in the consecutivehereditary possession of the churchmen and abbots ofMelros and of Sacrobosco, or The Haliwod.For example, almostthe whole area of the parish of Dunscore consisted almostexclusively of lands belonging to the Abbey of Sacrobosco, or TheHaliwod, which were comprehended under the name of the" Barony of Sacrobosco," so-called ; the " Monklands of the Monksof Melros," which occupied a whole valley of this parish, towardsthe Nith and the ancient church of Dunscoir, which was situatedon the Nithward confines of the parish, not a great way from thePremonstratensian Priory of Friarscarse, and the Ailisland, orEUisland, residence of the Bailie of those monklands of Melros,and in our o'.vn time of Burns memories and home associations.Both those once great religious houses seem to have owed theiroriginal possession of this region of wide-spreading natural forestand orchard country to the liberality of the ancient native thanes,lords, or barons of the vale and " Deanery of the Nyth," as it was.The Premonstratensian Abbey of Holy wood, of which novestige now remains, as its name seems to imply, was situated amida plain country of the woodlands, natural oak forests, and sacredgroves of the Pagan worship of their predecessors in the land. TheChristian Church of Holywood appears to have been a house ofreligion of a very remotely antique origin, as it figures in variouschurch records in one form or other at a very early date. Theoldest name we have seen applied as descriptive of Holywood iscontained in the " Scottish Rolls," under anno 1.376, as the GaelicDarowghoquill, the meaning of whicli we leave to the discretion of

21 1Transactions.those acquainted with that ancient language.Other more commonforms, all conveying in their own fashion one and the same originaldescriptive meaning, were : Dercongal, Sacrinemoris, Sacrobosco.The Abbey of Holywood and the Priory of Saulseat, in Galloway,as affiliated religious houses of the Premonstratensian order, hadclaimed as their hereditary commendators the family of theJohnstone of that ilk in Annandale. According to " Hutchison'sCumberland," " John dominus de Kirkconnel founded the Abbey ofHolywood in the twelfth century, and William Fitzmichael deKirkconnel, about the year 1200, made a grant of Kirkconnel infavor of the Abbey of Holmcultran, in Cumberland" (II., 331), andwhich Abbey, otherwise called of Holme, for several succeedingcenturies had held chartered possession of extensive lands inGalloway. In the " Register Book of Holmcultran," besidesnumerous charters touching those their Galloway possessions,there is item " Conveniio inter Domum de Holme et Dmidraynau."In the same record we have " Carta Will, filius Mich, de Kyrkconnell,"with the period of granting indicated by the mentiontherein of Lord Gilbert, who was elected Bishop of Galloway inanno 1235, and died in 1253 A.D. " Carta Huttredi fil Fergusconsensu Rollandi ville de Kyrkgunin" with indication of the periodthrough mention therein of Walter, Bishop of Galloway, circa1209-35 A.D. These excerpts we owe to the care of the learnedJohn Goldie, " of Craigmuie," in Galloway, " Commissary of Dumfries,"in and towards the close of the last century, the transcriptfrom his notes having been made by Dr Clapperton of Lochmaben.Early in the thirteenth century King Alexander theSecond of Scotland had granted " locum de Diinscor in valle deNyth " to the monastery of Melros. There are many other earlygrants of lands, &c., of a similar nature to the Abbots of those twoonce great religious houses, whose baronial lands had originallycomprehended nearly the whole of Upper Nithsdale, as we find bythe record. Although the Abbey of Holywood, in common withnearly all its kindred houses of the south-west of Scotland,possesses not any history of its own, consecutively written by thefraternity, yet there are still some scattered notices not withoutinterest to be found recorded in the general chronicle of Scottishhistory. The memory of the Abbey in the " De Sphera " of itsonce all famous mathematician, " Johannes de Sacrobosco—Johnof Holywood," still survives in the literature of the land, while,owing to the foresight and pious care of the Lord Maxwell, of the

Transactions. 113Reformation era, we may yet discern tlie effigy and cultured faceof this once famous John, as drawn from the sculptured stone, andwhich, as Antiquary Riddell, of Glenriddell, notes as a sketch, was" A drawing of the head of John de Sacro-Bosco, which MrCardonel took for me when he discovered it in the parish church ofTerregles in 1788, and which effigy, as having formerly stood inthe church of Holywood, the Lord Maxwell had caused to beremoved to Terregles Church at the Reformation."We may thuspresume that this famous Abbot was buried at his own Abbey ofHolywood. Concerning the early history of the Abbey of Holywood,we have such knowledge as is to be gleaned from occasionalm itices as fragmentary as they are inconsecutive in point of date.The Lord Maxwell, the Warden -hereditary of the West Marshesof Scotland, we find by early chartered evidences, had been thegreat chief natural Protector and Guardian Bailie of nearly thewhole of the splendid Revival structures and great religious housesof the Lords of Galloway and of the south-west of Scotland ingeneral. Not one of the least worthy of note was this Abbey ofHolywood, as lying within the territory of the Lord Maxwell.Also figuring as of the ancient Abbots and Commendators ofHolywood, we meet with certain Campbells, called " of Lowdenand Mauchline ;" Crichtons of Librie, of the Lord Crichton ofSanquhar's family ; the Lords Maxwell and Nithsdaill ; Johnstonesof that ilk, barons of Annandale, who would appear to have beenamong the last possessors of the wider domain lands and churchbarony of Sacrinemoris, or otherwise the " Barony of Holywood."Among the few ascertained Abbots of this house we discern acertain fifteenth century "Nicolas Welsh, Lord Abbot of Holywood,"who is mentioned, under the year 1480, incidentally in the courseof some suit before the Lords at Edinburgh. In the " Taxt Rollof Nithsdale " we find the Baronies of Holywood, of Sanquhar,Glencairne, and of Drumlanrig, each severally taxed at £120 Scotsin the year 1554 : the " Monklands of Melrose, in Nithsdale," inthe same roll, being taxed at £40 Scots. We also incidentallyascertain that the tenants of the Abbey of Holywood, in the agesof the old Border raids and wars, had been accustomed to do agood deal of tough fighting, following their own Lord Abbot andtheir Guardian, Lord Maxwell, to the field. The baronial landshad been leased out in long tacks, granted by the Lord Abbot, inname of his abbacy, to certain tacksmen, largely of the Maxwellsurname, and who you find had oftenest been previously for long

114 Transactions.generations in the consecutive hereditary occupation of the sameparcels of land, &c., as tenants of the abbey and barony. As thedocument containing the recital of some of those facts and featuresis here given for the first time, and is not without its owncharacteristics, as mayhap even formulated at the dictation of KingJames the Sixth himself, as it bears traces of his own peculiarenunciation, we may make here some larger extracts.We may also explain that the Grierson barons called " of Lag "were from, of oldest known time, the hereditary occupants of anold Border castle, and its contiguous barony lands called " of Lag"both, and which even in the fifteenth century are described as"lying in the broken barony amid the Monklands of Nithsdale."The Griers, or Griersons, of Lag, usually styled in the language ofthe district " The Lairds of Lag," had fought and fallen atSauchieburn and in " the battle in Northumberland," afterwardsknown as " Flodden Field," as their charters bear witness. Theyheld their lands direct from the Crown. We accordingly findcertain " Koyal Lettres granted in favor of Koger Griersoun ofLag, dated at Halirudhouse, the 12th of May, 1585," and in thename and under the authority and subscription of King James theSixth of Scotland. To all and sundry our lieges of quhatsumeverestate, degree, or quality thai be of, and in special to the Baillie ofthe Abay of Haliwod, &c. Forasmuch as we and the Lordis of OurSecreit Counsaill perfytlie understandin that Eoger Griersoun, ofthe Lag, lies divers friends and kinsmen, tenentis and induellarisupon the threttie sax pound land, callit the Keir, of auld extent,lyand within the barony of Haliwod and Sheriffdom of Drumfries,quhilk ill all tymes byegane half bene onlie subject and haldand toserve and attend upone the saide Roger and his predesessaurisLairdis of Lag, their Chief, alsweil in our weiris and raidis as intheir awin particularis affairs, naither were changit, alterit, norhichit, payand thankfullie the auld accustomit maill and dewtiequhilk thair half aye dune. Upone the quhilk consideration, andthat the quhilkis duellis neare our Bordoures quhair by at alloccasions thai behuiffit to ryis and ryid with thair said chief andhis predecessouris in thaire and oure predecessouris service. Itpleasit our deareste grantschire. King James the Feird [Fourth]of worthie memorie, to direct his lettres and charges to theAbbots and Baillies of the said Abay for the tyme, commandingthaim to desist and ceis fra all vexatione and disobedience of thesaid Koger and his predecessouris and kinsmen fra making ony

Transactions. 115novation or impositionon thaime, nor to haif ony fiirder iiitromissiounwith thaim than, &;c. . . . Quhair we being movit andremembering that there is divers actis and ordinances made be ourdearest Moder and maist noble predecessoures in favors of theteneutis of Kirklandis, namelie, sic landis as lies neare ourebordouris, that thai sal nocht be remouabill, hichtit, nor raisit bythair anld dewtie, quhairby thai may be the mair readdie to obeyoure service as occasion occurred. Therefore commands andcharges—accordingly be thir oure Lettres given under our signet,and subscrivit with our hand. At Halirudhous, the 12th day ofMay, of oure raigne the augteine year, 1585."But we must now take up the subject of the history of theWelshes, as inhabitants of those monklands. Of course themost prominent feature of all his kindred was the " MaisterJohn Welsh of Air," surnamed " The Incomparable," and who,before and after his marriage with the heroic daughter of " MaisterJohn Knox," had such a distinguished career. This John wasof the Collistouu kindred of Welshes, and was the secondson of the family ; David, his eldest brother, succeeding theirfather, also a John Welsh, in the hereditary lands of Collistouu.Collistoun and Craigenputtock lands, which are associated withthe history of the Welshes, lay amid the barony of Sacrinemoris,otherwise the barony of Holy wood.Collistoun is known under themore ancient name of MakcoUistoun, evidently derived from theclan of those parts known as the MaccawilR or the M'Calls, whowere also identified as the ancient owners of the lands of Vod,Grennan or Messenger-lands, of Kaidgelaucht or Caitloch, of thesame mountain and hill country. Although in the 15th centurythe family of Welsh had been residents of the county town andancient royal burgh of Dumfries, certain indications afford someground of probability that in their own quarter and sectionof thewide barony of Holywood they must have acted as the hereditaryresident deputy-bailies of the Abbots of Holywood long before aswell as immediately after the Protestant Reformation, at whichtime they are clearly identified as holding that trust and office.Not many years after the Reformation of 1560—which on theBorders of Scotland generally, in the nature of things, had at firstmade slow progress, amid a population the ardent supporters ofthe waning fortunes of the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, apopulation so long the tenants of the wide ecclesiastical landsattached to the Church under the Romish Faith in Scotland, with

—116 TUANSACTIONS.their then still surviving liferentallers and tacksmen under unexpiredleases, &c.—we find the family of Welsh, within the Deanery ofNith, had many important cures and charges. Shortly afterthe Protestant Reformation we accordingly find, as kinsmen andcontempoi'ary churchmen, a "John Velshe, vicar of Drumfries," a" Schir Herbert Velshe, chaplain there," both about the presumptiveera of the birth of the Reformer, which is given as in the year1568 ; a " John Velshe, vicar of Dunscoir ;" a Dean Robert Velsch,Vicar of Tyuron," with " Sir Galbert Welch," his brother, as wellas others, all in possession of charges in Dumfriesshire. In thecourse of the seisin, dated the 21st of May, 1558,which was thengranted to John Macbrair, Provost of Dumfries, as son and heir ofhis deceased father, Roger M'Brair, also quondam Provost of Dumfries,among numerous enough other items we find that of anannual rent of 13s 4d Scots money, as exigible by the said Provostfrom the tenant of the deceased " Thomas Velshe, now in thehands of Schir Herbert Velsche, chaplain, and John Velsch ofCollistoun," and having on the south part thereof the lands ofDavid Cunynghame and on the north those of Ninian Logan, vicarof Cowen. Mention is also made of the bounding lands ofArchibald Velsche. By the records it appears that a house called" The Weighouse," and situated hard upon the " LochmabengaitPort," or Gate of the Lochmabengait, now the modern EnglishStreet of Dumfries, even long before the Reformation had been inthe hereditary possession of many John Welshes of Collistoun,who had owned other burgh property. On the 23d of May, 1575,one of those " John Velshes of Colingstoune," belike the father ofthe Reformer, had sold this familiar mansion called " TheWeighouse " to Thomas Maxwell, son and heir of the deceasedGilbert Maxwell, laird of Stroquhan. The house was at this timetenanted by a certain known " David Heri$ of Dumfries." ThisJohn Welsh we identify as the gentleman who figures in thefollowing entry, as taken from the original document itself, viz. :22nd of December, 1573." Johannes Velsche de Colustoun," acting as Baillie for the Superior ofthe lands, the venerable Father in God, Thomas, Commendator of Sacrinemoris,grants seisin of the 10/ land of old extent of Skynfurd, in thebarony of Sacrinemoris, to Andrew Makkynnay, following upon thePrecept granted by the said Commendator to him. There were present,when the above seisin was granted, Cuthbert Velsche, brother of the saidJohn Velsche (that is of Colustoun, as given above), John Grierson inSkynfurd, George Young, Robert Grierson, Herbert Stett, James Young,

Tkansacteons. 117and divers others ;Public, Dumfries."certified and signed by Herbert Cunynghame, NotaryWe ascertain for certain that the above John Welsh ofCokistoun and Ciithbert Welsh of Stepfurd were respectivelythe father and the uncle, or father's brother, of the Reformer.In other sections of the extensive churchlands and barony ofHolyvvood there had been various holders or pi-oprietors ofmore or less extensive portions of land, such as of Bargregane,Redskarris, or Skarr, Cornilie, Stepfurd, all occupied by personsof the surname of Welsh, who may most probably have beenoriginally of the Collistoun family, which, as we may presentlyfind, had in its direct line ended in an heiress about the beginningof the reign of King Charles the Second. A John Welsh of Scarr,who at this time was an elder of the Parish Church of Kirkpatrick-Irongray, was the eldest son of a William Welsh '•'of Redskarris,"or " Skarris," and had been present at Pentland's Battle a fewyears later.This John Welsh of Scarr must have been among thenearest of kin of the John Welsh, the reputed " last laird ofCollistoun," as his daughter, thevery young " Hellen Welsh," hisheiress, has for her tutors-nominate, under her father'stestament," John Welsh of Skarr and John Welsh of Cornilie." Craigenputtuck,as a possession of the family of Welsh, seems to us tobelong to their more recent rather than to the earlier eras of thefamily history. By the testament of John Welsh of Collustoun,11th November, 1661, it appears that he died withoutmale heirs,leaving, as we have said, the daughter and heiress, Hellen Welsh.This testament mentions also John Kirks, otherwise Kirkhaughtof Bogrie ; the famous Rev. John Welsh, of Irongray, the originatorof the open-air convocation familiar as the " Scottish Conventicle;"and James Welsh, writer in Edinburgh, who are of the attestingwitnesses It is also otherwise mentioned that the Rev. JohnWelsh, of Irongray, had attended the deathbed of the testator.The following note, taken also from its original, carries on thehistorical narrative of the Collustoun line :" Anno 1678." John Welsh, in Glenburn, Bailie in that part, for Mary Welsh, spouseof John Gordon, of Kirkconnell, and sister and heiress of her deceasedbrother-german, John Welsh, Junior of Collistoun, the hereditary proprietorof the lands, under a Charter of Alienation, by the said Mary Welsli,and her said husband, dated the 21st of December, 16(39, grants to JolinMaxwell, of Steelston (her kinsman) seisin of the twenty fchilling land of

"118 Transactions.old extent, of Gibbinstone aUa>i Macolvistoun, within the barony of Holywood,dated the 6th of May, 1678."In the year 1685 there is the service of a Mary Welsh asheir to her father in the 20s land of Collistoun, the merk land ofLarg, the 20s land of old extent of Nether AVhiteside, and the 40sland of old extent of Craigenputtock. In the local records of thetown and county of Dumfries towards the middle and close of thesixteenth century there are numerous fragmentary incidentalnotices of the actual existence of the family of Collistoun and otherWelshes, which owe any interest they possess rather to theirhistoric associations than to any intrinsic merits of their own.the era of the Reformation the very antique royal burgh of Dumfries,then still the one great "piovisioned town " of the marches,its Provost M'Brair, when called to Edinburgh by the authorities,in his evidence characterised the burgh, in its then past history ofat least three centuries, as " a town aft brunt and harriet." Thisstatement history fully corroborates, even in such details as havesurvived. At this period the native inhabitants of Dumfries, asyou may discern, had been a vehemently daring race of men,actuated by the old chivalric spirit of the Borderer, with tempersand swords almost equally sharp and shrill, on supposed justoccasion, and seemingly altogether without fear in some of theirundertakings. The periodical meetings of the " Justices of thePeace of the Shire " seem to have been the known " gala daysfor the settlement of old grudges and feuds, wherein they prickedateach other in the true old Border fashion, this popular institutionand usage lasting in one form or other until after the periodof the Union of 1707. Under such conditions it is the lesssurprising to iind war-gear of all kinds still figuring so largely inthe necessary requirements and furniture of existence as it washere as elsewhere in the Marchlands. In the interior of theburgher household you may discern bows and arrows, steilbonnets.lant-staves, guns, " pistolets," swords, long and small, inAtconsiderablevariety ; coats of mail, big and little, known generically as" Jacks ;" grey-gowns, " riding-tippats," or hoods, for warmth andprotection, while the staigs, or " Galloway Nags," are covered overwith certain trappings and war-gear, the rider blowing his own'•slogan " upon his " blowing-horn " in tones that if not sweet wereterrific and loud enough.Froissart gives an amusing account of theinfernal echoes of the hollow and middle of the night as raised inthe Scottish camp in repose by such " blowing of horns " as was in

Transactions. 119use and wont in the field. In the records there are some peculiarenactments regarding certain horses and nags, which have somehowstrayed from the English Border, nobody seems to know exactlyhow, only their owners seem to have wished to re-acquire possessionof them. Here is a curious official item, which seems topoint in that direction, the temporary custodian of " KinmontLiddell, Englishman's twa horse," having been without doubt thefather of " Maister John Welsh of Air and CoUistoun," the son-inlawof John Knox :" Aptul Drumfries, the 35th of October, 15S0." Thomas Brattane, John Wrycht, co-burgesses of Drumfries, appointitordainit, &c. Alexander Cairlell, Protonatar for them in their behalf todefend and pursew in the action and cause, wherein and whereby a fencewas laid by John Newall upon twa horse of Kinmont Liddel, Englishmanin the hands of Johne Welsche, of Burnfit, and accordingly require an Actto that purpose to be recorded, &c."The next entry as to " John Welsche " establishes his identityunder either of his two landed designations as " of Burn fit," or elseas " of Collistoun." He was, of course, the Reformer's father, asJohn Welsh of Collistoun, the grandfather, would appear to havedied not many years after the Reformer's birth." Apud Dnimfries, 30th Nov., 1.5S0." Welche in Colliaton."John Welche, in Burnfit, Andro Edgar, in Drumfries, and JohnJackson, in Killalong, bind and oblige themselves to pay to Edward Irving,callit Lang Ritchie's Edward,' the sum 'of 88 merks Scots monie, &c."'Aptid Drumfries, 15th Sepr., 1578.' Robert Newal, Drumfries, enacts himself and becomes security forJohne Velsche, son of John Velsche, sumtyme of Collistoun, for twentieshillings fenced in the hands of Robert Velsche, burgess of Drumfries, atthe instance of Thomas Hayning."As we said, there are numerous other similar entries in thelocal records which represent " John Velshe, sumtyme of Collistoun" as an inhabitant of the town, if not during the whole yetfor no inconsiderable proportion of the whole year. " Sir JohnJamesoun, chaplain at Dumfries," the Reformer's ascertained firsttutor or preceptor, we find had probably been the son of a Dunscoreproprietor of land, who, about the year 1568, is designed in a localinstrument as " Laird John Jamesoun." As this " Schir JohnJamesoun " was a chaplain at Dumfries iinder Johne Velsche,vicar of Dumfries, and was afterwards parish minister of Dunscore,

120 Transactions.Wodrow was probably quite correct in stating that the youngReformer had received the rudiments of his education within thetown of Dumfries itself, although he has omitted to quote theneedful authority, which he probably well knew.According to the " Fasti," the parish Idrk of Dumfries wasdedicated to St. Michael, and previous to the Eeformation belongedto the Abbey of Kelso. Among the Protestant vicars of Dumfriesshortly after the Eeformation we find " Maister John Velsche,1568;" "Maister Ninian Dalzell," who was also head-master ofthe Grammar School of Dumfries, and " was deposed by theGeneral Assembly in 1579 for having read to his scholars theRoman Catechism." Maister Peter Watson, vicar of Dumfries,originally of Markinch, had also under his charge Terregles,Troqueer, and Newabbey, and was by the General Assemblyrepeatedly nominated as Commissioner for visiting Annandale andNithsdale.In 1575 he complained that "the town on Yule last,seeing that neither he nor the reader would read or use doctrine,brought a reader of their own, with tabron and whistle, andcaused him read the j^rayei's, which exercise they used all the daysof Yule." He was called to account for the informal celebration ofthe marriage of the " Laird of Garlics," and at the Kirk of Durisdeer,as required, owned his transgression. Maister ThomasMaxwell, vicar perpetual of Dumfries, held previous chargesthroughout the county of Dumfries. At Morton, in Nithsdale,one of his charges, it is said of him ": He cannot serve at sundryplaces, maks no residence, but is a Jakman with Drumlanrig."(Reg. Assig.) He died previous to the 23d of May, 1601. Fromthe original in the " Hoddom Collection," prompted by curiosity,we seem to have been the first who had attempted or thought it possibleto still decipher the following letter of this " Maister ThomasMaxwell, vicar of Dumfries," and his kinsmen, to Homer Maxwellof Speddoch, an otherwisewell-known Commissary of Dumfries.In one part of the letter the reference seems to be to " My Lord,"thereby possibly meaning to their chief, John, eighth LordMaxwell, Earl of Morton, &c., who, as we know, perished atDryfesands Battle in 1593, or some nine years after the date ofthis letter. On the 31.st of July, 1611, Homer Maxwell, ofSpeddoche, was declared and served heir to the deceased Mr HomerMaxwell, Commissary of Dumfries, his father (Records). Thelairds " of Conhaith " and " of Kelton " were at this period brothersgerman,one of whom, Robert Maxwell, was a Notary Public of

Transactions. 121Dumfries. The authorship and penmanship of this very rareletter naturally fall to either the vicar of Dumfries or to thisMaxwell of Kelton notary. The handwriting is neat, small, andwell-formed, although now very indistinct, and looks like thework of some one quite familiar with such undertakings. Thewhole is contained upon one single quarto gheet of rough letterpaper,and is artistically ornamental in its arrangement andgeneral execution. On the reverse of the quarto sheet is :" To our maiit assurit and traist Friend the Commissar of Drumfries." Ryclit assiireit and traist freind, eftir our varye hertlie commendatiounye Maxwell with your wayif with the haill reste of your freinds varaj'emekle consydering the greit travell and labor that we haif maid baith atmy Lordi's handis and my Lady's fir your relief and fauor to be procureit atthaim, quhilk bie my Lady travell and uthir friends, is grantit to you andmy Lord Warrand for you, that comes not to his Lordship. It is thochtbie your haill friends that lykis your weill, that ye owther esteme yourewysdome oure greit and bettir nor thairis can be, or ells that ye estemenot my Lordis favor, quhilk will turn to youre rewine, seing that all friendsis content to tak thair part of his lordships burding and nane refuissesquhat is thair pairtis. Thay think it meit ye cum to my Lord, with allpossibil deligence, or ells ye will caus uss bie hardlie repressit with myLord, and he will think that former taillis spocken of you is trew. Thusnot doutting, bot witht all possable deligence yee bee at my Lord thisnicht without onie forder delay, or ells say yee not ane uther tyme bot year done for be freinds and advertisit of youre danger gif it cums heii-eftir.Sua Committis you to God Almichty. Off Drumfreis this Mondaye thexviii. of Maii 1584." Your is assurit Friends to command, Robert Maxwell in Keltoun,Thomas Maxwell, Vicar of Drumfres, and Robert Maxwell in Kirkmaho,with the advise of the haill of your freinds and your Wayif."We have given these larger notes in order to make clearerthe following examples of "Discipline," which are ratherpicturesque in their form. Under the Church of the Keformationbegan the written chronicle of such transactions. The reverencepaid to the person of the priest of the Reformation seems to havediffered little in degree from the usual custom under all maimer ofbelief throughout the world," Apud Drumfries, 10th Jany., 1573." The Wrights of Drumfries." The directioun of the Wrights of Drumfries by their Conventionn,halding in the Tolbuitht of Drumfries in presence of ane nobil and potentLorde, Johne Lord Maxwell, 'Patrick's sone,' and Andrew Maxwell,Da\ad's sone.

"122 Transactions."Compearit in presence of Maister Niniane Dalzell, Minister andSkuilmaister of Drurafries, in the pulpit, the haill of the congregationethere present in the paroch kirk for the tyme, and there obedientlie passeddoun on thair knees and in presence of the haill congregatione confessitthai had faltit to God, Our Fadir and Lorde the Kingis Majestie, hisMajesties Regente, the Provost and Baillies throw thair disobediencedevisit againis the forsaidis Conventioun in the moneth of November lastbypast, and thair for askit God's Majesty and the saidis Judges forgivenesse,promised never to do siklyke for ever ;and thairupon obleissitthaim and ilk ane of thaim undir the hiest pane and chairge thairof michtfollow, i-equiring the same to be set in Act &c. Ita est Herb. Cunynghame,Notary, &c."" Apiid Dnmifries, 6th of Aur/., 1578." Troxihlance of the Toune." The quhilk day upon complaint be Maister Peter Watsone, ministerof Drumfries, given in be hym againis Robert Welsche : It is fund be theTryall tane be the Provest, Baillies, and Counsell, that the saide RobertWelsch has dyvers tymes injurit and spokin evill of the said MaisterPeter Watsone ; and in special on Tyesday last was, at eftir None, spakinjurious wordis to the said Maister Peter, in his face and sicklyke, to hiswyfe, Dame Courtell, when the said Robert Welsche said : ' He had leifersee the mekill devill of (Hades, let us say) nor the said minister.'Thairfore the saidis Judges and Counsell Ordainis the said Robert to findcaution, undir the pane of £40 Scots that he sail not molest, nor traublethe saide Maister Peter, his wyfe and servandis, be injurious wordes or onnieuthir unlauchfulle deidis, in tyme to cum. And to cum on Sundaynextocum to the paroch kirk of Drumfries, in tyme of Preaching beforeNone, and thair maiste Reverentlie upon his knees, befair the pulpit, askAlmichtie God mercie and the saide Maister Peter and his wyfe, theProvest, Baillies, and Counsell and haill congregatione thair Forgivnes,and to promyse nevir to do the lyke openlie nor privalie againis the saidMaister Peter and his ^vyfe in tyme tecum, undir the pane of £40 Scots." On the other hand the same day, Robert Welsche protestit that theProvost and Baillies wald cause dischairge (i. e. ,prohibit) the said MaisterPeter Watsone, his wyfe, and servandis that they come not in his house intyme to cum. And hereupon requyrit Act, &c.From the following entiy, taken along with many otliersimilar contemporary notices in authentically vouched and writtenform, as still surviving-, it would appear that the ancestors andcertainly the grandparents of the Reformer had residedat Collistoun,and had owned lands in another section of the great baronyof Holy wood, as on the"32d of May, 1545," John Welsh, in Makcollistoun, and Marion Fergusson, his spouse,have seisin of the merkland of old extent of Stronschillat, called the merklandof " The Burnsyde," lying in the parish of Glencairn, Sheriffdom ofDumfries, &c."

Transactions. 123The charter upon winch this seisin follows was granted intheir favour by the superior of the lands, Alexander Glencorss,and was dated the 14th of May, 1545.Among many other localwitnesses mention is made of a certain "Schir John Dunbar,chaplain " —at Glencairn, as we think—who seems, according tothe date and surrounding circumstances, to have been identicalwith the known and ascertained " Schir John Dunbar, rector ofCastlemilk," in Annandale, who is mentioned in the " Latter Willand Testament "of Maister Gavin Dunbar of Mochrum, in Galloway,Clerk Eegister, Preceptor of King James the Fifth,Chancellor of Scotland, and one of the most notable Bishops ofGlasgow, where he was entombed in 1547. They two had mostprobably been of one and the same kindred in common, althoughthe positive degree of relationship appears not here or elsewhere.Another curious entry, belonging to this early period, recordsthat on the " 5th of August, 1536, Thomas Welsh, son and aire ofDavid Welsh, called ' David of the IVIill,' was made a Freemanburgess of Drumfries." As probably among the first of theRefonnation " vicars of Dunscoyr " was a Schir John Welsche,or Velsche, who figures in certain transactions touching thevicarage lands "of his charge of Dunscoyr, in concert with JohnWelsh of Collustoim, on one occasion recording a protest againstthe alieniation of the lands, as they were his for the term of hisUfetime. He is also mentioned in the testament of Dean EobertWelsh, vicar of Tynron, in 1568, wherein he figures as one of theexecutors as well as a legatee to the extent of some £20. Of thedegree of positive relationship, if any there were, no mention ismade in the testament itself. The testament of John Welshof Collistoun, the Reformer's father, as reproduced in Young'sexcellent " Life of Rev. John Welsh," and from the Commissariotrecords of Edinburg-h, is dated " At Collieston, the first day ofAugust, 1600," or, that is to say, some days prior to his deceaseon the 5th day of the same month of August. By it we learnthat Marion Grier, his wife, survived him, that he had a brothergerman,Cuthbert Welsh, and sisters, Kait and Isabell Welshes.The said John Welsh and Marion Grier, his spouse, had at the timeof his decease issue as followsj:l.st.David Welsh of Collistoun, his eldest son and successor.•2d. John Welsh of Air, the Reformer, his second son, and who marriedElizabeth Knox, third daughter of John Knox's second marriage withDame Margaret Stewart, daughter of Andrew Lord Stewart ofUchiltrie (a very famous marriage in its own day).

:124 Transactions.3d. Cuthbert Welsh, who succeeded his uncle Cuthbert as heir to certainlands, and had two sons, John, his successor, and Thomas Welsh.The daughters also surviving' were :—Margaret Welsh, who,previous to this year of 1600, had married Hector Maxwell, ofFourmerkland, alias Rue Tower, and who appears to have been ofthe Maxwell family, designed of Steilston and Kilness, in thebarony of Holywood ; Marion Welsh, unmarried, and residing atCollistoun at the time of her father's decease.It would otherwiseappear that the eldest son, David Welsh of Collistoun, had had adaughter, Jean Welsche, who forms the subject of the followingunregistered and hitherto unknown contract of marriage. TheWilliam Griersou of Kirkbride, the would-be husband, was the sonof Robert, the son of Grilbert Grierson ofKirkbride, who again issupposed to have been a son of the Laird of Lag, killed at Floddenin 1513. All had been the hereditary owners of those lands ofKirkbride, which they had held from their chief and superior, theLaird of Lag.Tliis William Grierson, of the contract of marriage,had from Sir AVilliam Grierson of Lag a charter of the 40s land ofKirkbride, in the barony of Holywood, dated the 28th of June,1614. Herbert Cunnynghame of Craigend and Swyre, Notary,Town Clerk, and afterwards Provost of Dumfries, and who hadmarried the daughter of a " John Grier of Swyre," and who drawsout the contract of marriage itself all in his own neat small handwriting,may thus very probably have been not unremotelyrelated to the contracting parties of both surnames.This contractnot having been recorded in the public register for some reasonunknown, by association on the part of the lady, as the niece ofthe Reformer, the contract may be said to possess a borrowedlustre and interest''Copy Contract of Marriage." 1st November, 1613." At Drumfries, the fyrst day of November, the yeir of God MDC. andtherteene yeiris (1613), it is contractit and agreeit betuix William Griersounof Kirkbryid, on that one part, and David Welsche of Collistoun, takkandthe burden on him for Jeane Welsche, his laufull dochter, on the uther part,in maner following : That is the said William sail, Godwilling, compleitand solemnizat the halie band of matrimonie with [each] utheris publiclie asefferis, betuix the dait hereof and the fyrst day of December nextocum, andthairefter indew utheris with bodies and guidis, as becumis mareit personisof Christiane dewtie. For the quhilkis cause of marriage, the said DavidWelsch of Collistoun, takkand the burden on him for his said dochter,bindis and oblaisses him, his aires, executoris, and assignais to content andpay to the said William Griersoun, in name of tocher with his said dochter,

Tkansactiuns. 125the sowme of ane thousand merkis monie of Scotland at the Terniis following,to wit sex hundredth merkis thereof betuix and the solemnizatioun ofthe. said mariage, and four hundredth merkis in corapleit payment of thesaid tocher, within twa yeiris nexte hereftir. At the payment of thequhilk four hundredth merkis, it is appointit that the said four hundredthmerkis sal be laid wairit and besto\\it upon sufficient landis annualrentisand other securities to the weill and utilitie of the saidis William and Jeanespouses futur, and the langest leivar of thaime twa in conjunct fie and theaires lauchfuUie to be gotten betuix thaime and theii- bodeis quhilkisfailzeand to the narrest and lauchfull aires and assignais of the said Williamquhatsumevir. And because the said soume of sex hundredth merkisquhilkis are to be payit betuix and the solemnization of the said mariageare to be warit and bestowit upon the purchasing of ane heretabill tytil ofthe fortie schilling land of Kirkbryid lyand within the baronie of Haliwod,Sheriffdom of Drumfries : it is appointit that how sone the said Williamobteinis the heretabill tytill thairof he sail infeft and seise dewlie andsufficientlie by sufficient securities and infeftment agreabil to the lawis ofthis realme the said Jeane, his futur spouse, in lyferent during her lyfetymeeither in fortie poundis monie afoiresaide of annualrent yeirlie to beupliftit furth of the said lands of Kirkbryid at Yitsunday and IMartymesin winter be equal portionis. Or ellis in the equal half of the said landis ofKirkbryid with the pertinentis. And heirto the pairties obleissit thaimethair airis, executoris, and assignais severallie to [each] uthers. And for themair securitie the parties consents that thir presentis be registrat in thebuikis of Counsell or the Commissarie Court buikis of Drumfries, and haifthe strenth of ane decreit with letteris and executionis to be direct hereuponon ane simjile chaii-ge of ten dayis and for that effect statutis. Thirpresentis conjunctlie and severallie firm and stabill. In witness quhairofthe pairties hes subscrivit thir presentis as followis, writin be HerbertCunynghame, notar, tyme and plaice above wryttin, befoir thir witness,John Lyndsay of Laggane ; George Maxwell, merchand ; Herbert Cunynghame,younger ; and David Nelsoun."I, the said William Griersoun, with my hand at the pen, led by theNotar, underwrittin at my command, because I can not wryte." Ita est Herbertus Cunynghame, notarius mandas dicti, WillielmiGreirsoun, &c. , &c."

:126 Transactions.24M of January, 1889.At a meeting of the Council held on this date, the Secretarysubmitted the following letter from the Town Clerk of Dumfries :Robert Barbour, Esq.,Secretary, Dumfries and Galloway NaturalHistory and Antiquarian Society.Dear Sir,Town Clerk's Office, Dumfries,22d January, 18S9.I enclose excerpt from tlie will of the lateMr William Baxter, from which you will observe that he has bequeathedcertain specimens illustrative of Natural History to the Town Council ofDumfries, with power to the Council to allow said specimens to remainfor such time as they see fit in the hands of any Geological or NaturalHistory Society locally connected with the burgh. The matter has beenconsidered by the Provost's Committee, and they are disposed to recommendthe Council to place the specimens in the custody of the Dumfriesand Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, if the Societywill undertake such custody, but, first of all, it is desirable that thearticles be inspected, and I am instructed to enquire whether the Councilof your Society will depute one of its members to accompany ProvostScott to Glasgow to make the inspection. From a letter from the agentsof Mr Baxter's Trustees, I find that it is desirable that the inspectionshould be made on an early day.Yours truly,John Grierson, Town Clerk.The following is the extract from Mr Baxter's WillThirdly, My geological and other specimens illustrative of NaturalHistory shall be made over to the Magistrates and Town Council of theBurgh of Dumfries in trust for the community thereof, and shall beplaced or exhibited by the said Magistrates and Town Council in aPublic Museum or other suitable premises in the town, convenientlysituated and readily accessible to the community, but expressly exceptingand excluding the establishment known as the " Old Windmill " in ornear Dumfries, with power to the Town Council to allow the saidspecimens to remain for such time as they see fit (subj ect to the aftermentionedstipulation in case of a free library being founded) in thehands of any Geological or Natural History Society locally connectedwith the said burgh, for the purpose of assisting the Societyin illustrating Geology or Natural History or promoting the knowledgethereof. To the said Magistrates and Town Council the sum of FiftyPounds sterling towards founding a Free Library for the said Burgh ofDumfries, in the event of the same not being founded prior to my death,providing also that the specimens and others before referred to and this

Transactions. 127pecuniary legacy shall be made over or paid to the Town Council conditionallyon their undertaking in such manner as my trustees may considersatisfactory ; that the said specimens and others shall be prominentlyexhibited in said Library, if and when founded ; and that such Libraryshall be conveniently situated in the town of Dumfries, without prejudiceto the Town Council allowing said specimens and others to be removedthei-efrom for short periods from time to time for the before-mentionedpurposes of a Geological and Natural History Society, and in the eventof said undertaking not being granted as aforesaid, the said specimensand others shall be made over by my trustees to such society, museum,or public institution in the town of Dumfries, as they may deem proper,and the said Fifty Pounds sterling Legacy shall fall into and form partof the residue of my means and estate, to be dealt with accordingly.The Council requested Mr James Davidson to go to Glasgowand make the necessary inspection.1^/ February, 1889.Major BowDEN, V.-P., in the Chair.Donatiotis.—Ten numbers of the Journal of the LinneanSociety, presented by Mr Robinson Douglas ; the Journal of theElisha Mitchell Scientific Society, 1888, Part II.; and theZoological Record for 1887, presented by Mr David Sharp, F.R.S.Communications.I. Ornithohigical Notes for i888. By Mr Wm. HASTINGS.The most noteworthy of the birds sent to me is Paleas SandGrouse, which is of very rare occurrence in this country.It is describedas being met vsîth in large flocks in some parts of AsiaMinor, feeding upon the seeds of a species of an asti'ag-ulus, a smallpea-bearing plant, the seeds of which it seems to be fond of. Thebirds are well adapted for long and very rapid flight, the wingsbeing long and very sharp-pointed, the first feather in the wingan inch longer than the second, and the feet very small and somuch covered with short hairy feathers that the toes are almosthidden from view. There was a variety of different kinds of seedsfound in the body of those that were sent to me, the most commonbeing- clover seeds and the common wild mustards. Some of themhad their crops full of a very small black seed, but I could not saywhat it was. The birds have sometimes very long flights to takebefore they reach their feeding ground, and have equally long dis-

128 Transactions.tances to travel before they can have a drink of water. Aboutsome twenty -five or betwixt that and thirty years ago I had twospecimens of the same kind of birds sent me for preservation. IfI mistake not, they came from the Moffat district, but they weretoo far g-one and did not make good specimens.I have seen noneof them since until this last season, when I received seven nicespecimens. They have been met with in various parts of the country,always in flocks of a larger or smaller number. There areseveral different species of the Sand Grouse, some found in Russia,others in the deserts of Arabia, others in the north of Africa, andalso in Spain. The plumage is of a warm, sandy colour, resemblingthe colour of the desert places that they frequent. I couldhear nothing of them having nested and reared their young whilehere. Another very rare bird in this country is the Ruddy Shieldrake.I had one sent me last summer, shot in the Solway. It ismuch of the same size as the common Shieldrake, but very differentlymarked, being of a bright bay colour allover, and describedas being met with to the north of the Baltic breeding in rabbitholes,in the sand hills, much the same as the common Shieldrake.I can find no account of it ever having been met with in this country.Another little bird, the Spotted Crake, and also the Water Rail,which is equally scarce, I have had specimens of this last season.But althoug'h they are scarce they can hardly be called rare. TheGreat Spotted Woodpecker is another scarce species. I had one,shot last season in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, butit is seldom that it is seen here. I once had a specimen of theLesser Spotted, shot at Amisfield thirty years ago, and have seennone since. The Great Grey Shrike, or Butcher Bird, was sent methis season from New-Galloway. It was shot feeding upon a hedgesparrow that it had killed. As it cannot hold on with its clawslike a hawk, it transfixes its victim on a spike in the hedge, or elsein a cleft in the hedge, where it tears it to pieces and makes a mealof it. About the month of August 1 received a specimen of theRed-eyed or Dusky Grebe, a bird which is not often met vdthhere. It is a very beautiful species, a third larger than the LittleGrebe. Some years ago I had one sent me, shot on the LochmabenLoch. It is by no means common. I have had somecurious Hybrid Pheasants sent me this last season, one (a large bird),betwixt the pheasant cock and barndoor fowl. It had quite apheasant tail, although not quite so long as in the pure breed, andits general appearance shewed at once that it was a pheasant of

Transactions. 129large size. I had also a bird bred between the Golden PheasantCock and the Common Pheasant Hen, tlie i^roduct lieing- a bird afull third heavier than the pure breed. I have also had this weeksent me a very curious Hybrid which I believe to be between theGolden Pheasant Cock and Silver Pheasant Hen. It is somewhatlarger than the Golden Pheasant, and is a rich shining black withbright green reflections. It has spurs of a considerable size oneach leg, and altogether it is a very curious specimen. In themonth of December I had five specimens of the Cross Bill sent me.They appeared to me to be young birds, as they had not the brightcolours of the adult bird. They have been known to breed herein various parts of the country. There is nothing that I have seenunusual to note among our native birds generally, but I may mentionthat the Hooded Crow was more plentiful last season than Iever saw it before. The same remark applies to the Short-earedOwl.ir. Ho7V I Found my Stone Implements. (Abridged). By MrJames E. Wilson, of Sanquhar.The antiquity of the parishes of Sanquhar and Kirkconnel isno matter of conjecture, but on the contrary is strikingly revealedin the history of the northern part of this country. The town ofSanquhar glories in an origin dating back, according to authentichistory, to a thousand years ago, and the Camps of South Mainsand Saen Caer near the town, the Lacustrine Dwelling on theTown's Common, and the great Territorial Division Dyke whichtraverses the two parishes, tell of a more remote period still.Besides, the ancient Coal Workings in the parish of Kirkconnel,the Grave of St. Connal on Glenwharrie Farm, after whom theparish is named, the base of a large Runic Cross near the manse,now doing duty as the side of a sheep limbie, the Eunic Stone inthe Old Churchyard wall, and the Ornamental Stone in a wall onKirkland Farm—each and all have their own tale of antiquity totell.Dr Underwood, who was temporarily resident in Sanquhar,shewed me a small piece of gold and asked what it had formed.Having previously seen in the Liverpool Museum a large numberof Gold Lunettes found in Ireland, I at once unearthed themystery, and by procuring the other piece of the article, found thatthe whole formed a magnificent Gold Lunette. It is described inthe Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland by the

130 Transactions.late Mr Gilchrist Clark.It was found at Auchentaggart, parish ofSanquhar, by Mr John Wilson, a ploughman there, in 1872-3.Aftermaking certain of the genuineness of the metal, I purchased thearticle at the price of £2r> for the late Duke of Buccleuch, and youmay now see it in the Antiquarian Museum in Edinburgh, where itis deposited on loan.Visiting Mauchline on business, I saw in therockery at St. David's this magnificent Ring. During drainageoperations on Mossgiel Farm, near Mauchline, in 1883, it was gotat a depth of 21 feet from the surface, and the g-entleman fromwhom I received it procured it from the labourer who unearthed it.Dr Anderson, of Edinburgh, considers it a very fine Charm Ring,and anxiously wished to procure it. He shewed me one as large,but of ruder construction, from the north of Scotland. Those ofyou acquainted with the history of the poet Burns will rememberthat Mossgiel was for a number of years his residence. Strange,indeed, that this Charm Ring should have been associated with theland he tilled.It may have been embedded in the soil beneath the" wee, modest, crimson-tipped flower ;" and the ploughshare of thesimple bard may have frequently disturbed its rest. When MrLewis went to pick up the antiquities he had promised me, he hadto employ one of his ploughmen to search for them about the farmbuildings. On delivering them to his master he remarked, " I kenwhaur there's a far bigger stone axe than these." " Where then ?"was the query. " On the wa'-head of Ulzieside Barn." I lost notime in visiting Mr M'Call at Ulzieside. and had a fruitless searchin the barn. In the granary, however, I found the object I wasin search of supporting a slate against a broken window, the stoneaxe I found measuring 11 inches in length and weighing 7 lbs.Another had at one time been lying about the Farm Offices, butafter repeated searches I have been unable to pick it up. On closeinspection you will observe this handsome Axe is ornamented withan incised line on the front, and with five such lines on the side.Dr Anderson and other antiquarians who have inspected it considerit one of the finest Stone Axes found in Scotland. The town ofSanquhar was formerly a place of great activity in the weavingtrade, but the advent of steam, together with modern machinery,has nearly driven every loom from the place. One remnant of theextensive trade done in weaving in Sanquhar is the prevalence ofloom-weights in and about the town. They are generally waterwornstones of a round formation, about two stones in weight,with a perforation in one side for insertion of the steeple or ring

Transactions. 131by wliicli they were suspended. Many fine specimens could atpresent l)e picked up, but in a short time they Avill disappear andfind their way to the stone magazines and be converted into roadmetal.Of Pot Querns I possess a larg-e number. They are to befound on almost every farm in the two parishes. Some are verysmall and neat, while others are very capacious, and indicate thatthey may have been used for brewing- or even dyeing- purposes.recently saw one in a wood atLangholm, parish of Auchinleck, inuse as a dye-pot, and covered with a fiat stone above of the samediameter as the pot below. Often you will find them used as pigtroughs, and the late Mr Stitt of Ryehill, an experienced valuator,on seeing my collection in my garden, remarked that he had on oneoccasion valued over six as good as mine to the new tenant ofOrchard. He knew their original use well, and informed me of onemade of granite, which he had seen when a boy lying at Townheadof Auchenbainzie. I told Mr Hewetson of his remark, and hefound the Quern referred to, and removed it for safe keeping toAuchenbainzie. I may mention that I have one which was removedfrom Queensberry Scjuare, and I heard long after " thatWilson stole old M'Cririck's grandfather's sow trough." Thisproves the late use of such articles, but there can be no doubt theywere originally used for removing- the husks from grain or forconverting it into meal by aid of a wooden or stone pestle.IIII.A Relic of Burns— Original Mifiiafure Portrait of Clarinda.By Mr James Barbour, Architect.Another Burns anniversary having just been celebrated, itmaybe appropriate, while his name is uppermost, to bring under noticea small but most interesting memento closely touching the celebratedcorrespondence between the poet, as Sylvander, and MrsM'Lehose of Edinburgh as Clarinda. It is a miniature silhouetteportrait of that lady. The hi?tory of it is thoroughly authentic.It was one of the articles given by the poet's widow to MaryM'Lachlan, her servant, on the occasion of leaving her situationto be married to Andrew Nicholson. Mr Nicholson, his son,inherited the relic, and his widow is now the possessor of it. Theportrait is a black profile bust, delicately executed on ivory. Theoutline of the ivory plate is a pointed ellipse, one inch and aquarter high, and three-quarter inch in breadth.The picture itselfis less than three-quarters of an inch high. It shows a prominent

—"132 TllANSACTIONS.and characteristic headdress. In Paterson's beautiful edition ofBurns two silhouette portraits of Clarinda are given. One of them,which also appears in Gilfillan's edition, represents her at anadvanced stage of life. It shows a headdress even more full andof a different texture than our miniature does, but the fecial linesof the one resemble those of the other in a marked degree. Theother portrait is a fine engraving bj'^ Banks, from the originalpicture in the collection of the late J. T. Gibson Craig. It islarger than the one just described, being two inches and a halfhigh. The face shown differs somewhat as compared witli thelater portrait, and there are other points of diversity betweenthem. The profile of the miniature partakes of both these portraits,while in other respects, such as the headdress, the form anddressing of the shoulder and breast, and the terminating lines ofthe bust, there is such close correspondence between it and theGibson Craig portrait as to suggest that, not only do they representthe same person, but that in respect of date and origin they areclosely allied. That they are by the same artist may be assumed—Miers, whom Burns calls a " profile painter," and who, at hisrequest, executed portraits of several other friends. A very interestingquestion arises as to which of these pictures possesses thehighest claim to be consideredthe portrait of the Clarinda correspondence.Their relative dimensions seem to bear on the point,and in favour of our miniature. Clarinda, before going to theartist, enquired of Burns what size the portrait should be, whoreplied that it was for a breast pin— a purpose this miniatureseems to fit in with exactly, and its history is confirmatory of itshaving been so applied. In this view it is one of the most expressiverelics of Scotland's great bard extant ; he wore it next hisheart. In Paterson's volume, opposite the Gibson Craig portrait,appear the following sentences from the Clarinda letters—theminiature seems to echo the words:Thursday, noon, Feby. 7, 1788.Clarinda— " I .shall go to-morrow forenoon to Miers alone.What .sizedo you want it about ? O, Sylvander, if you wish my peace let friendshipbe the word between us. I tremble at more.Thursday night, Feb. 7, 1788.Sylvander— " I thank you for going to Miers. Urge him, for necessitycalls, to have it done by the middle of next week—Wednesday the latestday. I want it for a breast pin to wear next my heart. I propose to keepsacred set times to wander in the woods and wilds for meditation on you.

"Transactions. 133Then, and only then, your lovely image shall be producccla reverence akin to devotion.to the day, withIV. Dumfries in the Past. By Mr Peter Gray of Camberwell.(Abridged.)Whilst engaged in some researches among the books andMSS. in the British Museum I came upon several references toDumfries, not perhaps very widely known, and I thought thatthese, with some others occurring in books in my own possession,although in themselves not of very much intrinsic importance, mightprove interesting to the members of the Society. They are not ofvery great antiquity either, the earliest direct notice of the townoccurring in one of the Itineraries of John Raj''. Ray was perhapsthe greatest naturalist between the times of Aristotle and Linnfeus,and his Itineraries are records of what were termed in his day" simpling voyages," what are now known as botanical excursionsor rambles. Three of these journals were published after hisdeath, and it is from the second of them I am now going to quote.He entered Scotland by way of Berwick in the middle of August,1661, passed on to Edinburgh, thence to Glasgow, and fromGlasgow, through Lanarkshire, to Carlisle. " August, the 24th,"he writes, " we rode to Dumfreis, or, as they spelled it, Drumfrese.. At Dumfreis they have two ministers—one a youngman named Campbell, related, as we are told, to the M. ofArgyle ; the other an elder man, by name Henderson, who hasmarried his daughter to the younger. Campbell prayed for thepreservation of their Church government and discipline, and spokeopenly against prelacy and its adjuncts and consequences. Here,as also at Dunbar and other places, we observed the manner oftheir burials, which is this : When any one dies, the sexton, orbellman, goeth about the streets with a small bell in his hand,which he tinkleth all along as he goeth, and now and then hemakes a stand and proclaims who is dead, and invites the peopleto come to the funeral at such an hour. The people and ministermany times accompanj'^ the corpse to the grave at the timeappointed, with the bell before them, where there isnothing said,but only the corpse laid in. The minister there, in the publicworship, does not shift places out of the desk into the pulpit, asin England, but at his first coming in ascends the pulpit. Theycommonly begin their worship with a psalm before the ministercomes in, who, after the psalm is finished, prayeth, and then reads

1 34 Transactions.and expounds in some places, in some not ;then another psalm issung, and after that their minister prays again, and preacheth asin England. Before sermon, commonly, the officers of the townstand at the churchyard gate, with a join'd stool and a dish, togather the alms of all who come to church. The people herefrequent their churches much better than in England, and havetheir ministers in more esteem and veneration. They seem toperform their devotions with much alacrity. There are few or nosectaries or opinionists among them ; they are much addicted totheir Church government, excej)ting the gentry, who love libertyand do not care to be so strictly tied down."The present practiceof inviting to funerals by advertisement is thus practically areversion to an old custom, which Ray found also at Nautwich, inCheshire, and which was probably common throughout the North.There are no plant localities given, but a catalogue is referred toin a note, and I have observed Dumfriesshire habitats in the" Synopsis." Perhaps it might be well to keep this in mindagainst the next edition of the Flora.The author of a " Tour through the Whole Island of GreatBritain," written in the first half of the last century, says of theburgh :" Dumfries was always a good town, with large streets,and full of reputable and wealthy merchants, who trade intoforeign parts and employ a considerable number of ships, especiallysince they have embarked in trade to England and the Englishplantations. This town is also advantageously situated for anincrease of commerce on the river Nid, or Nith, for, though itstands near two leagues from the sea, yet the tide flows up to thetown, and ships of burden come close up to the quay ; and aboutfour miles below it the largest merchant ships in Britain may ridein safely. . . . They had formerly a woollen manufacture here,but the Union has in a great measure suppressed these things inScotland, the English supplying them better and cheaper ;yet, atthe same time, the Scots have more than an equivalent by an opentrade to England and all the English plantations. The castle inthis town is very old, yet is still pretty good and strong."In Chamberlayne's " Magnte BritanniseNotitia" for 1718 thestate of agriculture and horticulture in Scotland at the time isspoken highly of, and the country is described as abounding withthe best timber trees. Regarding Dumfries it is said :" Thestreets are large, and the church and castle very stately."

Transactions. 135My next author is Dr Richard Pococke, Bishop of Ossory, aman of some note in his day. There are two manuscript journalsof his travels in Scotland in the library of the British Museum.They have, I understand, been lately printed, in whole or in part,by an Edinburgh Society ; but the work is not in the Museum—atleast I was unable to find it—and have taken my excerpts fromthe MSS. These journals are in the form of letters to his mother,addressed " Honoured Madam." The first of the journeys recordedin them was taken from Dublin to England, and the Bisliop onthat occasion arrived about the middle of July, 1750, in Dumfiies,which he describes as " pleasantly situated on the river Nith,which winds so as to make a peninsula of the town and the fieldsto the north of it." I possess a copy of an etching by Scott, ofEldin, the view being taken from a spot on the Maxwelltown sidea little above the old Foundry.It shows a scroggy down from theriver to the New Church ; and a couple of men with guns and adog are beating the meadow on the Galloway side for game, whilea pack-horse and its driver are proceeding along the Lincludenroad, indicating the state of the Galloway thoroughfares at thetime. On the Dumfries side there is a steep brae to the river justas I remember it before the wall was built there. "The principalstreet," Dr Pococke proceeds, " is broad and well built of the redfreestone in which the country abounds.There are two churchesin the town, one of which, if I do not mistake, is for an Episcopalcongregation. They have a large building here called the Nework,which, as well as I could be informed, served formerly as a warehouse.There are some little remains of an old friary m the town,famous in history for being the place where Cummins (who Avassuspected by Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, to have beentreacherous towards him in his conduct with the English) tookrefuge, and was murdered by the King's command, on which theKing was excommunicated by the Pope and the chapel for everinterdicted in which the murder was committed ; on which St.Michael's, at the east end of the town, was built for the friary,which has a handsome steeple to it. There is a fine bridge hereover the Nith into Galloway. This bridge and a waterfall, madeby art to keep up the river for some uses, make a very beautifulprospect from the side of the river. Boats come up to the town,and ships of forty tons within two miles of it, and they have agreat trade in tobacco. This town maintained its loyalty in thelast rebellion, and severe contributions being raised on them 'twas

136 Transactions.made up to them by the Government. .. . Over the rivernear the town is a small mount, which would not hold at the topabove thirtj^ people. It is called The Moat, and it is supposedthat the heads of the place held their meetings here and promulgedtheir laws to the people. There is a very fine prospect from it ofthe country round. I saw from it Lincluden, an old nunnery, andnear it is a monastery called Holy Rhood (qy., Holywood), and atsome distance from Dumfries what is called New Abby, and in therecords Abbatia dulci cordis. (Johannes de Sacrobosco, an eminent'mathematician of the thirteenth century, whose treatise, DeSphsera Mundi,' continued to be used in the schools for nearly fourhundred years, is believed to have been originally a professedbrother of the Convent of Holywood.) Not far from Dumfries isa chapel called Christo, where St. Christopher Setin is buried, whowas beheaded (though a Scotchman and no subject) by Edward theFirst." It will be observed that the Bishop's history is not of themost accurate character, but the notices in his next journey arenearer to what is generally received.Dr Pococke's next recorded journey ten years afterwards wasa more extended one, and included the Orkneys and WesternIslands. It is described in three large folio volumes in MS. Inthe beginning of May, 1760, he arrived in Dumfries from Portpatrick." I came from Newabbey," he writes, " six miles nearthe Nith, the old Noiras or Nidius, having a bog to the right andpleasant hills to \k e left, to Dumfries, in Nithesdale, where I wasin 1747 C?).This town carried on a great tobacco trade until theTobacco Act passed, which destroyed that commerce, and thepeople being grown rich, and their money not employed in trade,they have lately adorned the town with beautiful buildings of thered hewn freestone, and the streets are most exceedingly wellpaved (!). They have a handsome town-house, and all is kept veryclean ; so that it is one of the handsomest towns in Great Britain(and Pococke had travelled over the most of it), and verypleasantly situated on the Nith, over which there is a large bridge ;and as the Assizes are held here for all the south part of Scotland,the town is much frequented by lawyers. The shipping lie underScrefel (sic), eight miles below Dumfries, and come up three mileshigher to unload at Glenteyrel (Glencaple V) Here was a friaryof Conventuals, founded by the same Devorgilla (referring to aprevious account of Sweetheart Abbey), in which John DunsScotus took upon him the habit, who died in 1308 at Cologn.In

Transactions. 137the Church Eobert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, killed Red Robert[John] Cuming before the high altar in 1 305 ;and James Lindseyand Roger Kilpatrick murdered Sir Robert Cuming in thesacristy,and were excommunicated by John XX. in Avignon."Thomas Pennant, the distinguished naturalist, made hissecond tour in Scotland in the summer of 1772.Entering Dumfriesfrom the south " beyond Port Kepel," by which I suppose hemeans Glencaple, he says :" The country on both sides of theriver is very beautiful, the banks decorated with numerous grovesand villas, richly cultivated and enclosed." Dumfries itself hedescribes as " a very well built town, containing about 5000 souls.. . . It was once possessed of a large share of the tobaccotrade, but at present has scarcely any commerce. The greatweekly markets for black cattle are of much advantage to theplace, and vast droves from Galloway and the shire of Ayr passthrough on the way to the fairs in Norfolk and Suffolk." Thetwo churches are described as " remarkably neat." The authorthen proceeds :" Had a beautiful view of an artificial waterfalljust in front of a bridge originally built by Devorgilla. It consistsof nine arches."Pennant's brief notice of the town concludeswith the mention of " a fine circumambient prospect of thecharming windings of the Nith towards the sea, the town of Dumfries,Terregles, a house of the Maxwells, and a rich vale towardsthe north " (j^robably from the Corbelly Hill).Robert Heron, described as a miscellaneous writer—I supposewhat used to be known as a bookseller's hack—made a journeythrough the western counties of Scotland in the autumn of 1792,the second year of Burns's residence in Dumfries. He describesthe environs of the town as being in a high state of cultivation,with gentlemen's seats scattered around it as around Edinburghand Glasgow. Since the beginning of that century, he says, ithad risen from a state of considerable depression to considerablewealth and population, corresponding to the improvement of thesurrounding country. The greater part of the High Street and ofthe older parts of the town would then be much as they are now,barring the ornate shop-fronts and the plate glass ; but the greattowns not having yet risen to opulence, the streets would lookhandsome, as he describes them, by comparison. He praises thebeautiful and advantageous situation of the town, says the streetsare well lighted, but, unlike Dr Pococke thirty years before, thinks

138 Transactions.that the pavements " might be improved " —a suggestion seasonablefor many years afterwards. The schools of Dumfries, he tells us,had been long eminent, and that many very able scholars hadreceived their initiatory classical education there, there having beena succession of three of the ablest teachers of the Latin languageknown for some time in Scotland, namely, Mr Trotter, DrChapman, and Mr Waite, the then rector. Heron's estimate ofthe townsmen, and his description of the Saturnalia going on onthe occasion of his visit, are so fully quoted in Mr M'Dowall'sexcellent History that it is unnecessary to repeat them here. Hisdescription of the race-week is doubtless exaggerated ; at the sametime, making every allowance for that, one cannot but perceivehow dangerous a place Dumfries must have been for a man ofBurns's temperament. The author of the curious and interesting" Autobiography of a Beggar Boy " (James Burn) beginshis memoir vvîth the remark that where or how he cameinto the world he had no very distinct idea (not, by theway, a very uncommon experience), but that the first place hefound himself in was a garret in the High Street of Dumfries aboutthe year 1806. Burn did not remain long in Dumfries ; butforty years later in his chequered career he travelled from Newton-Stewart to the town. He found great changes everywhere, mostlyfor the better. " I found," he says, " villages where formerly therewas not the vestige of a house, and in other places ruins where Ihad formerly seen cheerful dwellings. I could see no greaterchange in that part of the country than what was observable in thecondition of the soil ; everywhere the hand of industry wasabundantly visible in the improved state of the land.In one placehundreds of acres of moorlands were reclaimed, and in anotherwhat had been a deep bog was drained and bearing a rich harvestof grain.""G. W., Haddington," is the notn de plume of a Eev. D.Laing, probably a Dissenting minister of some sort, who travelledthrough the southern and western counties of Scotland in 1817,and published a journal of his tour in a thin duodecimo. Mr Laingarrived in Dumfries on the last day of May in the year abovementioned, and, like Heron, found the town en fete on this occasionowing to the shooting for the Silver Gun. He was wakened thenext morning in a fright by the banging of the Midsteeple bells,summoning the Trades to their muster on the Sands. On the

";Transactions. 139origin of this Wappinshaw he enters into a lengthened disquisitionupon tlic authority of a " public and respected character in thetown of Dumfries," who informed him that " in the reign of KingJames the Sixth, and on some of his excursions in that part ofthe country, being in danger, the news reached the town ofDumfries. Accordingly the Seven Incorporated Trades of thattown went to the assistance of his Majesty. This fresh supply oftroops arriving in time was the means of rescuing him from thedanger he was exposed to ;timely interference of his Dumfries subjects, toand so sensible was the King of thisshow his gratitudethe more, and wishing to improve [them] in the use of arms, hecomplimented them with a silver tube something like a pistolbarrel, now called a silver gun, with a charge to set apart a dayannually to shoot for the said gun." The writer then describesthe march off to the Kingholm of the Trades, drums beating,colours flying, and a merry peal resounding from the famousSteeple. About six in the evening news arrived from what MrLaing calls " the field of blood," to the effect that two young menhad been accidentally wounded, one of them mortally, whichpromjjted the following effusion of the author's muse :" Ah !Your folly and your shame ;thoughtless mortals think on this,0, turn your eyes and view the case,And sorrow for the same.Your precious time thus spent in vain,How can the thought you shun,That something's lost—now, where's the gainGot by your silver gun ?Is something lost ? Yea, sure there is,More precious than the sun,Your brother's blood is shed, and cries,Discharge the silver gun.On the following (Sunday) morning he heard a sermon by MrD. (probably Mr John Dunn, the Independent minister of thattime), and in the afternoon a " closeand practical discourse " fromthe Eev. Walter Dunlop, who seemed to him to be " a seriousman." Mr Laing describes the religious state of the town as notso favourable, " according to his information," as could be wishedbut adds that a few years previously " a worthy character," he (MrL.) trusts " with the same feeling spirit as the Aj)ostle when he

—"—140 Transactions.beheld the city of Ephesus wholly given up to idolatry, in likemanner seemed to feel for the inhabitants of this town." Whatthe worthy character did was to open schools for poor childrenand illiterate adidts, which was the best and the only thing to do,for besides the two Established Churches, as Mr L. tells us, therewere seven other places of worshijiin the town, which had then apopulation of about 7000. Dumfries is described by the author as" delightfully situated on the river Xith, exceedingly well built,although possessing very few remarkable oi magnificent publicbuildings, and not only the county town, but also the most flourishingplace in the south of Scotland." The houses he considers " ingeneral handsome," and possessing "a light and an agreeableappearance." At the time of his visit " things were very dear, thequartern loaf one shilling and fivepence, the meal four shillingsand sixpence a stone, and, what was still worse, oatmeal andpotatoes could not be got."Several of the novelists notice Dumfries.The complimentaryreferences to the town and its inhabitants in Scott's pages arefamiliar to us all. In " Humphrey Clinker " Matthew Bramble ismade by Smollett to ex];)ress himself in high terms regarding thebeauty and prosperity of the town ; and his nephew, youngMelford, describes it as " a very elegant trading town, withplenty of good provision and excellent wine at very reasonableprices, and the accommodation as good in all respects as in anj'part of South Britain." He adds :" If I was confined to Scotlandfor life, I would choose Dumfries as the place of my residence."" Humjihrey Clinker " was written in 1770.As for the poets, Burns is not the only one by many who hassung the praises of Nithsdale. In a poem of Keats' there is aremarkably comprehensive picture of the town and its site in a fewwords, communicating even an impression of the soft, " sleepyhollow " character of its summer climate." The town, the churchyard, and the setting sun,The clouds, the trees, the rounded hills all seemThough beautiful—cold, strange as in a dreamI dreamed long ago, now new begun."I conclude this rambling paper with a couplet of John Home'sin the sentiment of which you will all concur :" Flourish Dumfries, maj" heaven increase thy storeTill Criffel sink and Nith shall flow no more.

—TllANSACTIONS. 141Baxter Bequest.The following letter was sent by the Honoi-nry Secretary tothe Town Clerk in answer to his letter, dated 22nd Jan., 1889 :John Gribrson, Esq., Town Clerk.Dear Sir,DuMFKiEs, Cth February, 1889.Referring to your letter of date 22nd Januarylast, a meeting of Council of this Society was held last night,when Mr Davidson submitted a report on the cases of specimens bequeathedto the town of Dumfries by the late Mr William Baxter, whichI herewith enclose. After hearing the report the meeting unanimouslyadopted the following resolution :— " That the Society agree to acceptcustody of the Baxter specimens on the conditions following : That theTown Council provide suitable cases in which to place and exhibit thespecimens, and otherwise do what is necessary to relieve the Society ofany expense connected with their reception and custody. That theSociety shall have power to weed the collection of worthless material.That the Society, while exercising the same care as they do with theirown property, shall not be further responsible for the specimens. Thatthe arrangement shall be terminable by either party on three months'notice."I am.Yours faithfully,Robert Bakbour, Hon. Secy.Ij-/ of March, 1889.]\Ir James Bareour, Architect, in the Chair.Communication.The Practical Outcome of Fish Culture. By ls\x J. J. Armisteadof the Solway Fishery.j\Ir Armistead mentioned that fish culture was known to theancients, but it seemed to have been entirely forgotten, and wasre-discovered about a century ago in France by two peasants, andabout the same time in Germany. The discoveries at first wereregarded as of purely scientific interest, and no practical value wasattached to them until within quite recent years. Although abeginning was made in France and Germany, really little wasdone until the Americans took up the matter Lu real good earnest,as they usually did with anything they took in hand. They werenow competing with us in ova, as they did in almost everything

142 Transactions.else. Only the other day he received a consignment of veryhealthy salmon ova from America. In Canada the salmon rivershad been taken in hand, and in some of them reception houseshad been built Avhich the salmon entered, being prevented by anartificial obstruction from going further up the river, and havingattendants to wait upon them. In some instances they wereactually kept for some time in the fresh water and then sent backto the sea. This alone, he need not say, would tend to keep themout of the hands of the poachers. In the management of oursalmon rivers, he was sorry to say, we were much behind theAmericans. What with pollutions of various sorts and absoluteneglect in many cases, they seemed to be going to destruction.Fish culture had at first to encounter a good deal of opposition,partly arising from our ignorance of the subject.This was the causeof its being often carried on in a rather blind manner, not sufficientcare being taken with the development of the embryos, &c.Whilepeople were successful in producing fish, in many cases these wouldnot live to grow up. However, within the last ten years they hadmade great strides in their practical knowledge, and this difficultyhad been entirely overcome. Having referred to the hatchery onthe Tay, first at Stormontfield, now at Duplin Castle, and to thegreat encouragement given to fish culture by the American Government—whichhas provided an aquarium car for transference of fishfrom one part of the country to another, and allows trains bywhich it travels to be stopped at streams for watering and otherpurposes—the lecturer quoted from a letter by the late ProfessorBaird, inspector of fisheries in that country, to this effect : "Inthe Sacramento River we are absolutely certain of our ground,having brought up the supply of salmon to more than its pristinecondition of abundance by planting about two millions of youngfish every year. The catch has increased in five years from fivemillion pounds to fifteen millions ; and in 1881 there was morefish than could be utilised in all the canning establishments on theriver." With reference to the quantity mentioned, Mr Armisteadobserved that it was no use attempting to deal with a salmon riverunless the thing was done on a large scale. Similar results hadbeen attained on many other rivers both in the United Statesand Canada. As an example of the practical value of fish culturein our own country, he exhibited a diagram showing the resultsobtained from stocking Loch Leven with trout fry.9000 fry wereturned into the loch in 1875—a very small number for such a

—Transactions. 143sheet of water. Next year 22,000 were turned in; in 187770,000; in 1878—45,000. Then a disagreement arose, and thehatching was given up for three years. In 1882, 50,000 fry wereturned in. Next year, again, nothing was done. What were theresults ? Before 1875 the yields were gradually getting less. LochLeven was a favourite resort of anglers, and heavily fished ; andthe fishing had been getting worse and worse year by year until1875, when the catch fell to 5093 in number, and in weight to5668 lbs. ; so that the fish averaged a little over a pound. In1876 only 3086 were reported to be taken, and the weight was3370 lbs. In 1877 the catch jumped up to 6092, but the weightwas only 5385 lbs., being an average of less than a pound. Ofcourse allowance must be made for atmospheric influences ; and itmight be that 1876 was an unfavourable year ; but the catch of1877 was a good deal larger even than that of 1875. The fry of1875 had not had time to grow to any size. They would notaverage, probably, more than a quarter of a pound ; and it wasprobably a number of these which swelled the take, but reducedthe average weight. In 1878 the catch was doubled, being 13,319 ;and again the weight was less in proportion, being only 8919 lbs.In 1879, 21,045 fish were taken, and the weight was 16,192 lbs.Four times as many fish were taken from the loch than was thecase before the stocking began. In 1880 the number taken was19,405 ; weight, 18,552 lbs. In 1881 there was a marked fallingoff"—from 19,000 to 16,000 ; and the next year only 9000 weretaken. That was the result of giving up fish culture. In 1882 aspurt was made, and 50,000 fry were turned in. This additioncould not tell on the year 1883 ; but they had that year a greatjump, from 9000 to 14,000. This was accounted for by the factthat the conservators of the loch, finding they had neglected theirbusiness, tried to atone for the error by turning in 3000 two-yearoldfish. The average weight that year again approached a pound—12,742 lbs. for 16,062 fish. This table shewed clearly the benefitaccruing from fish culture when properly carried on, and how afishery suffered from neglect of it. In our salmon rivers, wherefishing was carried on year by year, by methods which were beingcontinually improved and rendered more destructive, the stock offish must be constantly diminished, unless ash culture were resortedto or we had a very much longer close time. Another benefitwhich arose from the cultivation of trout was that we could growor produce very much larger fish than were produced naturally.

144 Transactions.The fish in Loch Leven, they saw from that table, seemed toaverage about a pound, and he was assured by anglers that from apound to a pound and a half was considered good weight. InLoch Kindar— to take a local example—we had fish weighingfrom three-quarters to one pound pretty freely taken. They sometimesreached 1^ lbs. or 2 lbs. ; but if a 2 lb. fish were taken fromthat lake, he thought it would be pretty well talked about inNewabbey. He had heard of one five pounds weight being taken.But we could take fish and by artificial cultivation grow them upto 4 lbs. or 5 lbs. quite easily. Fish taken from Loch Leven hadbeen grown up to 9 lbs. without any difficulty. Several years agohe turned into a Lancashire reservoir some Loch Leven troutfry,which attained a weight of from 3 lbs. to 4 lbs. in three years'time, or really in two and a half. As to the identity of the fishthere could be no doubt. He made inquiry as to the food whichthey had been getting, and he found the reservoir was completelychoked with little shell fish. Some of the trout, on being dissected,were found to be gorged with them. Again, he had anothercase in the Dalbeattie reservoir. Some fish which were turned inthere were taken two years after If lb. and up to 2 lbs. weight,which was a rate of growth far beyond the natural growth oftrout. He had for years maintained that fish, like cattle andpoultry, could be materially improved by careful selection andjudicious breeding ; and he was convinced that in course of timewe should see remarkable results in this direction. In the case ofanimals and birds we had certain races of monstrosities developed.The fantail pigeon, for example, was really a monstrosity ordeformity. So it was with the other fancy pigeons, all of whichhad been produced from the wild rock dove which frequents ourrocks and caverns. With fish similar results were being produced.A particular kind of fish was just now being sold in London, hebelieved, at a guinea each. They were really little gold carps.You bought them in little glass globes at these enormous prices,simply because they were deformed, and had curiousdouble tails,which were arched over. They might call them fan-tail fish. Thename of telescope fish had been given to them—he did not knowwhy. It was found that these fish had formed a race of their own,their young inheriting the double tail, hunchback, and deformitiesof the various fins. In the case of the char of Windermere (theSalmo Alpinus) we had a very striking result. The lecturerexhibited a very fine cast of one, coloured after nature, which had

Transactions. 145been reared by himself, and whicli weighed 2 lbs. He had seensome thousands or tens of thousands of char taken from that lake,and never yet saw one which would turn the scale at half-a-pound.The common size, he thought, was five to the pound. Althoughhe had heard of much larger fish being taken, they were very rare.These fish could be taken from Windermere, and in a few generationsgrown to the size of the one exhibited. He had grown themup even to 3 lbs.Mr Armistead next alluded to the despatch of salmon ova to theAntipodes from this country by Mr Frank Buckland and Mr Youl,and also from America, and to the large proportion of loss causedby the hatching of the eggs during the voyage. It had since beendiscovered that by subjecting them to a low temperature hatchingcould be so retarded that they could be kept for a long time. Hehad himself adopted this process successfully in the case of ovataken from the Nith and exhibited at the Fisheries Exhibition inLondon. He next spoke of the improved results obtained byhatching the ova on glass grilles, which prevented contact with anydeleterious substance, and expressed his preference foror slate over metal, even when varnished.either glassPassing on to speak of the American trout, Mr Armisteadsaid this fish was really a char. They had been introduced intothis country for about twenty years. He got a considerable supplyof ova, and the fish had passed through a great many generations,and been considerably improved in that time. He exhibited a fewrecently hatched fry, some of the ova, and a bottle containing twolittle double-headed fry and several others deformed in variousways. Peculiar forms, he explained, could be produced bypressure applied to the ova. The two-headed ones were theproduce of what might be called double-yoked eggs. The Americantrout had been a good deal run down by some people ; and onereason for that, he believed, was that wherever he had been putinto rivers or lochs from which he could escape, he had done soand gone away to sea. There they attained to a considerableweight. Instances were recorded of them being taken of eight,ten, and even twelve pounds. The very fact that the fish wouldleave fresh water and go to sea was one strong proof of its value.One reason why we had been unsuccessful in stocking the largerivers with it was that we had not put in sufficient.In Americait was quite a common thing to turn ten or twelve millions intoa river in a season. Here, he believed, the largest known stock

146 Transactions.ever put into a river had been about five thousand, which wouldbe really nothing, put into the Nith or the Tweed. So we hadnever really tried the fish in rivers. But in ponds and lakeswhere he could be confined he had done remarkably well, and wasreally a great acquisition to our waters. He was lately at a placewhere a number of these fish had been turned in, and found themspawning in the race waters at the head of the pond. They hadgrown to a weight of 2 lbs. or 3 lbs., and were providing not onlyexcellent .sport but occasionally pleasant change of diet to theproprietor. He had also Loch Leven trout, which he could takeat any time. To have fish thus at command was a very desirablething, and he knew none which would thrive better in small spacethan the American trout. He had reared them in small tanks upto a weight of 4 lbs. or 5 lbs. He found that they bore a highertemperature than our trout ; and they had also been acclimatisedto greater extremities of temperature.He believed the time would come, before very long, when everycountry house almost would have its fish pond, and theproprietoiwouldbe able to send out and have a few fish taken from it, justas he sent now to his poultry-yard and had fowls or ducks killedfor dinner. For years all the energies of fish culturis ts had beendevoted to the culture of trout and char, with an occasionalattempt at the culture of salmon and sea trout, which had beengreatly retarded by the withholding of proper facilities. But nowthe cultivation of coarse fish was being gone into a good deal.One advantage of this would be that this class of fish lived upon avegetable diet much more than the salmonidce.These warm waterfish, or fish like the carp, tench, and others, did very well indeed,under cultivation. Some objections had been taken to theirflavour, and objections which, he believed, had a good deal ofweight; but these were entirely got over by simply transfei ringthe fish before they were eaten to stews or tanks supplied withpure water. Keeping the fish there and feeding them for sometime, they entirely lost the flavour of weeds and mud, and cameout perfectly eatable.This was very much more widely known onthe continent than here. If it were more widely known in thiscountry, we might utilise many fish which at present peopleabsolutely refused to eat. Mr Armistead next explained a methodwhich he followed of rearing little shell fish, crustaceans, and tadpoles,to supply food for the fish in the ponds, which was done ina semi-natural way over sluices from ponds at a higher level.Fish

Transactions.147 •culturists had also their maggot factories ; and the ordinary earthworms could be gathered by the bushel by sending little boys tofollow the plough. He further pointed out the necessity, in constructinga pond, of providing for the food supply of the fish byintroducing aquatic vegetation. There were thousands of acresof barren water in this country—lochs and moorland pieces ofvtâfcer,which contained only fish so small that they wei'e not worthtaking out. Many streams likewise contained no fish worthcatching.These waters could be cultivated to a veiy considerableextent. A good many reasons had been adduced for the smallsize of the fish. One was that they were far too numerous. Hehad heard peojjle recommend the putting of pike into the water tokeep them down. That was the very worst thing that could bedone. The presence of pike was one of the great diflSiculties in theway of successfully stocking some of the lochs in Kirkcudbright,of which there were so many. He did not believe that the troutwere too numerous in any of these mountain sheets of water.had seen fish do better when crowded in tanks than when dispersedmore thinly. He had reared two hundred or more large fish in apond 60 feet long and only 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep. It wasnot that the fish were too numerous ; but it was probably a wantof food in tliese lakes. That want could easily be supplied.Aquatic vegetation could be introduced if it was deficient, as itoften was in mountain streams, and shell fish or crustaceans couldbe put in—the fresh water shrimp, for example. The snails wereperfectly harmless to trout in all stages. The shrimps, unfortunately,preyed on the ova when they could get to it ;Hebut he did notthink they could do a serious amount of damage when the ova wasnaturally deposited by the fish, for the eggs Avere then buried deepin the gravel. Another reason which probably accounted to agreat extent for the small size of the fish in many waters was thewant of change of blood. He believed greatly in transferring fishfrom one water to another—introducing, of course, as far as possible,really good fish. Many of our streams which are not largeenough to contain good fish could be best utilised by making asuccession of dams, which could be stocked really to any amount.A stream which did not contain any trout worth mentioning couldin this way be made to produce simjily tons of fish.

usTllAN.SACTIONS.Wi of April, 1889.At a meeting of the Council, at lyhicli Major Bowden, V.-P.,presided, the Secretary intimated that he ]>ad received a communicationthrough Mr James M'Gill, from Mr fi.late Mr Baxter's Trustees, proposing on the pd^B. Clark, one of theof the Trusteesthat a collection of coins, which belonged to Mr fi^^xter, should beplaced in the custody of the Society (for the Townwith the other specimens. The Council agreed to,Couucil) alongi>ccept thesecoins together with crayon portraits of Mr Baxter anJ, 'îs sister,and instructed the Secretary to convey the thanks of tht\ Societyto Mr Clark.5M of April, 1889. '^Major Bowden, V.-P., in the Chair.Neiv Alember.—Mr Joseph Wilson, late lion. Secretary, onthe recommendation of the Council, was elected an honorary mem- \ber of the Society.\Donations.—Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries ofScotland for 1887-88, and Eeports on Local Museums in Scotland,presented by Mr G. F. Black ; the 22nd Eeport of the PeabodyMuseum and an Index to their Eeports ; the Essex Naturalist forjSTovember and December, 1888 ; and two squirrels (local), presentedby Mr Joseph Wilson ;presented by Dr A. Davidson.and also two tokens of Sanquhar,Communications.I. Words in the Dialect of Dunfriessliire, found in Chancer,Spenser, and Shakespeare.(Abridged.)By Mr James Shaw of Tynron.To Beat, Bete, or Beet, Beit. To help ; supply ; mend by makingaddition ; to add fuel to a fire ; to make or feed a fire.— -Jamieson." Two fires on the aiiter she 'gan bete."— Ch., Canterhiiry Taltx." They chant their artless notes in simple guise,Perhaps Dundee's wild warbling measures rise,Or noble Elgin beets the heavenward flame."— Burns n " Cottar's Saturday Xi(jht."\In Tynron beeting a dyke means mending it.

— ——— ————TUANSACTIUNS. 149Blae, livid. f.Ble, livid.—O." Oh ! the boniij' brackit lassie,She's blae beneath the e'en."Bug and Bugaboo, a bugbear.Scotch Son

—————— ——1 50 Transactions.Collie, shepherd's dog.Words, 1825.-J.In Brockett's Glossary of N. EnglishDaft. In Langland's " Piers the Plowman," it means a stupid, adolt." Thou dobert, daffe, quo she, dull are thy wits."Deck. In Moniaive old people talked of a deck of cards, meaninga pack.Divined, wasted.Dool, grief.-J.This meaning is not noticed by Jamieson.J. Chaucer's " Romaunt of the Rose."And I alone left all sole.Full of complaint and of dole.— Ghaucer's " Romaunt of the liose."To Drie or Bre, to suffer ; to endure. Chaucer, ibid.— J.Dicht.—J., and in Dumfriesshire to clean, to wipe.Dight, to order, prepare, dress, adorn.—Spenser.Eild, Eld, advanced age, old people. J." And doth beg the alms of palsied eld."Sh. Measure for Measure.Eye?i. Thif! plural, and also slioon for shoes, are found in all threeauthors.Foisonless. \Ye have this adjective meaning dry, sapless, withoutpith. J. The word Foysons, for abundance, is found inSpenser and Shakespeare.Feat. In the ballad of Aiken Drum, by a Galloway man, we aretold of a wife " fond of a' things feat." Shakespeare usesfeat in the sense of nice, exact. In " The Tempest " we havethe comparative degree." Look how my garments sit upon me, much feater than before."Fern, Feme, before. Ch. In J. Fern year, the preceding year.Mr Baird of Sanquhar has heard the word so used in SouthAyjshire,Frush, Fnisch, brittle ; dry ; crumbling.—y. Shakespeare uses itas a verb, meaning to break." I'll frush it, and unlock the rivets all."Troilus and Cressida.Gab, to talk idly. In Chaucer it means to lie." Gab I of this ?" i.e., " Do I lie concerning this ?"Gipe, Gipon, Jupe, upper frock or cassock ; a word known tocountry lasses of the old school. In Chaucer's " Romaunt ofthe Rose " and 75th line Canterbury Tales." Of fustian he wered a gipon. J.Glcde, a burning coal.Ch. In Captain Dennistoun's Battle ofCraigneddin, published in Galloway about the beginning ofthe century.I don't recollect hearing the word./.

———————————"——Transactions. 151Geek, to befool.J.Geek, to deride, to toss the head in scorn." And made the most notorious geek and gullThat our invention played on.Twelfth Night.Gre, prize. To bear the gree, to carry off the prize. -J.word is in the Knight's Tale, Canterbury Tales. Ch.Gate, a way. The Avord is used in this sense in Spenser. J.Gaukie, a foolish person.TheThe word is old English, and, like-J.the word Gowk, its original sense is "Cuckoo." Vide Skeat.Ged, a pike. J. A N. English word from the Icelandic Goad,named from its sharp, thin head, as is also the name Pike.Gled, a kite.—y. In Tynron we have the Gled Brae. " We havethe Avord in English, 1690."Skea/.Grab, to seize with violence. Noun. A snatch ; a grasp. J.Although the standard English word is Gripe, Grab is foundas a " low word " in some English dictionaries.Hyne or Hind, a farm servant. The d is excrescent. The-J.word is in Spenser's " Faerie Queen " with the same meaning.Hutch, a kind of basket in which coals are brought from the mine.— J. Shakespeare has bolted hutch, a chest for boltedflour. Chaucer uses the word in its sense of box or basket.It is of French origin.Keek, to look." Auld Nichulas sat ever gaping upright, as he had kyked at the newmoon.The. Miller's Tale.Oh.Kers, a water cress. This old pronunciation of cress, -J.givenby Chaucer, explains the meaning of our common expression,"1 don't care a curse," i.e., I don't care a cress, equal to Idon't care a button.Kith, Kythe, to show, to make known. This old Scotch wordoccurs in our metrical version of the Psalms, " Froward thanIn Chaucer's "Man of Lawes Tale" we haveKytht."" For but if Christ on thee miracle Kithe,Withoute gilt thou shalt be slain as swithe.Loon, a worthless person, male or female, although in the eastcountry I understand it always means a boy. J. The wordis spelled loon in " Macbeth " and lown in " Othello."Maund, a basket. In Ayrshire a potato basket." A thousand favours from a maund she drew."— Sh. Locer's Complaint.Mirk, dark, obscure.—Spenser's " Faerie Queen."Ma//, Me/l, a hammer. Spensej-.Its diminutive is mallet.

152 Transactions.Ncif, the list.In " Midsummer Night's Dream,"" Give me your neif."Puttock, a worthless species of hawk. The word, I believe, is twicein Shakespeare." I chose an eagle and did avoid a puttock."—Cyniheline.The interest that attaches to it is that it occurs iu our wellknown,world-known I might say, Galloway place name,Craigenputtock. A sparrow hawk is named from its habit ofpreying upon small birds. A puttock preyed on pouts, younggame birds. Pout, sometimes spelled poult, is akin to ourpoultry or pullet. Ock is probably a corruption of hawk.Quick. We have this word in the Creed meaning " alive." Inthe sense of " alive " it occurs in Chaucer and Spenser. InDumfriesshire Quickens is the name for couch-grass, a grasspossessed of wonderful vitality.——Ramps. The Tynron word for wild garlick {AlUiiin ursiimm).— J.Eamsons is the old English word.Reechy, begrimed. Rogge or Rug, to shake. Are in the Chaucer,Spenser, and Shakespeare Glossaries.Skarre, Scarre, Scaur, Skair.^J. Bare place on a hill. Eockthrough which there is an opening. Rock in the sea."Bank, bush, and scaui-." W. Scott.Rock, precipitous cliff." Men make ropes in such a Scarre."AlVs Well that Ends Well.The word is in WyclifF's bible. In Orkney, Skerry a rock inthe sea. I recommend study of the word as possibly throwinglight on the name of the river Skarr, the principaltributary of the Nith, the most remarkable part of whosecourse is the precipitous rocks of Glenmai'lin, near Penpont.Skafhe, harm, mischief—Spenser's " Faerie Queen."Stou7-, fight, stir, trouble, misfortune.-J.Dust in motion, trouble,vexation. With the first four meanings it is found inSpenser's " Faerie Queen."" How gladly would I bide the stour,A weary slave frae sun to sun."— Bumx'.s "Mary Morison."II. " T//e Grave" ai Conchieton, Borgue. By Mr FrederickR. Coles.In this paper, which was fully illustrated with diagrams andplans, Mr Coles descrilied an ancient burial place on the farm ofConchieton, in Borgue Parish, its main features being a hinmlus of

Traxsactions. 15.3small rounded boulders now much reduced in size, the diameter ofit being- twenty-three feet, and its height about five feet. Withinthis heap of stones stands a roughly-circular ring of whinstoneslabs set on edge, eight innumber, and varying in size from fourteeninches to three feet and over ; and at about sixteen inchesdistance within them, the Kist-Vaen proper, an oblong cavityformed by four thin stones set on edge, and measuring threefeetN. and S., one foot eight inches E. and W., and twenty-twoinches deep. The slab covering the grave was broken in two, andon these two stones were noticed tool-marks, such as Mr Coles isled to believe may be genuine cup-marks.At a distance of five feet from the south end of the gravestands the head-stone of roughish sand stone, abundantly weathermarked,the dimensions of which are :—Height above ground, threefeet five inches ; width, 1 foot nine ; thickness, nine and a halfinches.That there might be no doubt as to the genuine characterof this burial-place, and especially of the position of the headstone,Mr Coles produced evidence in a letter from (the late) MrsGordon, whose husband was proprietor of Conchieton, in whichthese points were certified, and the additional information gainedthat after a careful search Mr Gordon could find nothing ineitherbronze or stone, but a handful of brown decayed bones, this explorationof his having been conducted in 1844, and soon after thespot was built round, by Mr Gordon's orders, with astrong dykeplanted with trees and ivy and ever since properly preserved.Footnote.—It is noteworthy that on one of the slabs unearthedfrom the Cairn on Woodfield, High Banks, Kirkcudbright, duringMarch this year, cup-marks of the same form and size were foundas those mentioned above.HI. Notes 071 the Difference between the Dumfries of Dr Burtiside'sMS. History and the Dumfries oj To-Day . By the Rev.Robert W. Weir, M.A.In 1790 Sir John Sinclair addressed a letter to the ministersof all the parishes in Scotland asking their assistance in the productionof a statistical account of the country. He enclosed ineach letter a list of 166 questions, under the four heads of"geography, and natural historj'," "population," " i^roduction,"and " miscellaneous questions." The answer to the letter addressedto the minister of Dumfries was given by the Rev. William

154 Transactions.Burnside, then minister of the New Church, afterwards minister ofthe Old Church. It is given in full in the MSS. book lately committedto the custody of this Society, and in an abbreviated formin the " Statistical Account of Scotland," edited by Sir JohnSinclair. I have lately had an opportunity of again reading theMSS. book prepared by Dr Burnside, and have been much struckwith the very able manner in which it is written.I am convincedthat if printed and properly edited, it would form one of the bestcontributions to the history of Dumfries that has yet been madepublic. As a foretaste of what may be in store for those interestedin this subject when some one with sufficient leisure, knowledge,and enthusiasm canundertake the work I have indicated, T give afew notes shewing some differences between the Dumfries describedin Dr Burnside's Statistical Account and the Dumfries of 1889.Regarding the first head of inquiry, that of geography andnatural history, there is not much to notice. Physical conditionsdo not alter greatly in the course of a century. Under this headinghe observes that the distempers, as he calls them, are fever,rheumatism, and consumjition. In this respect there is muchchange for the better. Dumfries, thanks to improved sanitaryarrangements, is now more free from fever than almost any othertown in Scotland. As regards rheumatism, the statistics shewthat Dumfries occupies about an average position, and in regard toconsumption that the death-rate is, as it was a hundred years ago,very high. Dr Burnside refers to the well-known characteristics ofour climate—the moisture of the air, the dryness of the soil, theshort time snow lies on the ground, and the high winds which oftenprevail. There is mention of floods which are now unknown tothe extent to which they existed a hundred years ago. " Theparish is subject to considerable swellings of the river which oftenlay the lower part of the town under water. In the houses nearthe bridge it will sometimes rise two or three feet. These floodsare most frequent towards the end of harvest and the beginning ofwinter. The two most remarkable of late were in October, 1778,and in November, 1772. It was in the last-mentioned flood thatthe Solway Moss was carried off"."There are more changes to note in regard to the second headof enquiry, " Respecting the poimlation of the parish." Theestimate of the population is given from information derived fromparochial visitations made by himself and his colleague in St.

Transactions. 155Michael's. The figures are not so absolutely reliable as those iiithe Government censuses of subsequent years. He estimates thewhole population of the town as 5600 or nearly 6000 ; in the landwardpart of the parish, 1200 or 1400 more. In the calculationsI have made for the sake of comparison I have taken the meanbetween these, 7000. The population of the parish in 188],according to the census, was 16,841, or an increase of 9841.In anappendix to his book, Dr Burnside gives a detailed account of thepopulation of the New Church parish in 1795. According to thisstatement in that year there were in the New Church parish 1014families and 3800 individuals. In 1881 there were in Grejrfriars'parish (which has the same boundaries asthe New Church parishhad in 1795) 949 families and 4259 persons, or a decrease of 65families and an increase of 429 persons. It thus appears that thelarge increase in the population has arisen from new houses havingbeen built and inhabited in the districts now known as the parishesof St. Mary's and St. Michael's. The increase in the populationhas been gradual. The census returns at the decennial periods ofthis century have been as follows: 1801, 7427; 1811, 9262;1821, 11,052; 1831-, 11,606; 1841, 11,409; 1851, 12,289; 1861,13,323 ; 1871, 14,841 ; 1881, 16,841. In 1795 Dr Burnside andDr Scott considered that there were in the town 1488 families of5860 individuals. In 1881 there were in the three parishes 3568families of 16,841 individuals.If we may venture to compare thesefigures we have in 1881 4-7 individuals to each family to 3"5 to eachfamily in 1 795.This would indicate an increase in the amount of employmentfor young people. Another point of comparison leads tothe same conclusion. Dr Burnside states that of examinable persons—meaning by that persons above seven or eight— " we have threefemales to two males," a phenomenon which he accounts for by thescarcity of employment for men, and by the demand for femaleservants. The census returns for 1881 do not distinguish in anyway the ages of the males and females, but they do not indicatethat the disproportion referred to exists now to the extent whichDr Burnside pointed out. In 1881 there were 9037 women and7812 men, or an excess of females over males of 1225. Thenumber of births, marriages, and deaths, as computed by DrBurnside, when compared with the recent returns of the Registrar-General, furnish no indication of any remarkable change in theproportionate number of these events.

156 Transactions.An interesting field of comparison is opened up by a tablegiven by Dr Burnside regarding the number of persons engaged indifferent trades in the town. The statistics are derived, as regardsthe trades, from the books of the incorporations, and as regardsthe others, it is supposed, from personal information. Unfortunately,the statistics regarding the occupations of the community inthe census returns are given not for the parish, as Dr Burnsidegives them, but for the parliamentary burgh. An exact comparisonis therefore unattainable. The respective numbers, however,may be of some value as indicating any marked changes, andtherefore I give them :Hammermen (blacksmiths, whitesmiths,tinsmiths, coppersmiths, and saddlers)Squaremen (joiners, cabinetmakers,masons, glaziers, coopers, and slaters)TailorsShoemakers ... ...Skinners and gloversFleshersTanners, nailers, plumbers, brassfounders,silversmiths, watchmakers, dyers, andnot incorporatedBakersStocking-weaversWritersPhysicians and surgeons ...Ministers ..Apothecaries... ... ..These figures are very much what might be expected. There is inproportion to the population employment for fewer artisans nowthan there was a hundred years ago. The much larger productionis more than counter-balanced by the amount of work done bymachinery. Notably, the trade of shoemaker has undergone a verygreat diminution. On the other hand, bakers are twice as numerousas formerly, a fact no doubt to be accounted for by the muchsmaller amount of oat cakes and other kinds of bread now made athome. It is very remarkable that the additional 10,000 of thepopulation requires no more writers. It is also noteworthy thatwhile the population has more than doubled, doctors have beenmultiplied sevenfold, ministers threefold, and apothecaries sevenfold.The decrease in the number of men employed in the oldertrades is more than made up fur by the number of new employ-

TllANSACriON s. 157ments which have been called into existence, such as railway,telegraph, and post-office officials. Printers have also largelyincreased in number, and those employed in the manufacture ofwoollen goods very much more so.It could not be said now as itwas said by Dr Burnside, " The spirit of industry is by no meansso great among us as could be Avished, and we have but fewmanufactures, owing in great measure, as it is generally thought,to the scarcity and dearness of fuel." In 1791 there were 78persons licensed to seU spirits, or 1 to 89 people. This year wehave 84, or 1 to every 150 people. In addition to the 78 personswho, on an average, were licensed annually, there were on anaverage about 20 persons fined for selling without a license. DrBurnside makes the reflection on this point, which has so oftensince been made ": The use of spirituous liquors, and especially ofwhisky since its price was reduced, certainly does produce very badeflects upon the good order, industry, and health of the lowerclasses of the people. Unhappily, individuals themselves are notthe only sufferers, for their wives and children are often in greatdistress and misery.Hence, too, many of the petty crimes, debts,&c., which swell the list of those sent to prison and the correctionhouse."In 1791 there were, according to Dr Burnside, only 38Roman Catholics in the parish. This, it would appear, was anunderstatement, as in 1795 he discovered in the New Church parishalone 64. The great difference between the number of EomanCatholics a hundred years ago and the number at the present dayreminds us of the fact that a large proportion of the new populationhas come from the sister island. In 1791 it was supposedthat there were in the parish 200 belonging to the Relief communion,150 Episcopalians, 270 Antiburghers and Seceders of allages. The remainder were supposed to belong to the Church ofScotland.In those days there was one church for every thousandof the population. The proportion at this present day is aboutthe same.The productions of the parish were said to be wheat, barley,oats, potatoes, lint, and, in the neighbourhood of the town, gardenstuff". A farmer gave Dr Burnside the computation that there arein the parish about 720 acres of oats, 240 of barley, 180 of wheat,and at least 100 of potatoes, 20 to 30 acres of peas, and as manyof turnips.Rev. John Gillespie, Mouswald, has supplied me withthe following notes regarding the present produce, for the purposes

;158 Transactions.of comparison. Almost all the grain crops in Dumfries now areoats—very little barley. In 1888 there were 559 acres of barleyin the whole county of Dumfries. There were only 51 acres ofwheat in Dumfriesshire in 1888, and only 27 acres of it in 1887, sothat Dumfries parish in 1790 far exceeded in its growth of thatcereal the whole county now. There is now a very large acreageof turnips. They were just beginning to be cultivated in smallpatches in Dr Burnside's day.The yearly rent of the landward part of the parish in 1791 was£4017 6s 8d. The same last year was £20,998 6s 8d. This largeincrease has arisen largely from the great increase in the numberof houses in the outskirts of the town. The only illustrationI have procuredproportion with the total.of the value of a farm shows no increase at all inDr Burnside mentions that in 1737 noone would take a lease of Tinwald Downs when it was oflFered at arent of £35 per annum. The same lands, he adds, after a considerablenumber of acres be taken off for planting, do not yield £300a J'ear, and at the end of the lease may yield £100 more. Therental in the roll for 1880-81 is £412. " Netherwood," he says," was sold fifty years before for £4000, and now is estimated at£30,000." The rental of Netherwood in the roll is given at £241.The valuation of the lands within the burgh in 1791 was £22439s, and of the houses £12,293, or in all £14,536 3s 9d. Thevaluation last year was £68,132 lis 6d, or nearly six times asgreat. The rise in rents, to judge from the only example we have,has not been great, and the increase must arise largely from thelarger number of houses and from persons living in better houses.In 1791 a house of three rooms and a kitchen let for £10 or £12.It now lets for £12 to £15.Fortunately, Dr Burnside chronicled carefully the prices ofprovisions and the average rate of wages. We have thus themeans of ascertaining the great increase which hastaken place inthe value of commodities. The prices then paid were : Salmon,2|-d to 6d per lb. ; flounders. Id to 4d ; cod, id to Id ; beef, 3dto 5d ; mutton, 3d to 4|d ; lamb, 3d ;pork, 3d to 4d ;geese. Is6d to 2s 6d each ; ducks, 6d to 8d ; chickens, 7d to 8d per pairbutter, 7d to 9d per lb. ; Scotch cheese, 3d ; meal. Is 6d to Is lOdper stone ; coals, 7d to 8d per cwt. " All kinds of butcher meatand poultry," Dr Burnside remarks, " are now double the pricesthey were twenty years ago. The natural progress of luxury, thefears occasioned by the American war, the increased circulation of

Transactions. 159paper money, and, of course, the raising of rents upon thetenantshave each contributed to this rise in almost all kinds of provisions."The rise in the wages is as remarkable as the rise in the priceof provisions. Labourers' wages were Is per day ;carpenters andmasons. Is 8d to 2s; tailor, his victuals and 6d ; labourer inharvest, without food. Is and Is Id; ploughmen's wages, 7 to Sguineas ; dairymaids, £S to £i per annum ;maid servants intowns, £2 10s to £4 ; men servants, £7 to £d.The schools receive warm praise. There were three establishedschools for English. The masters of these received £20amongst them, 2s 6d a quarter from each scholar, and a Candlemasoffering. There was one established Grammar School, the masterof which had £47 a year. He got no fees from the children ofburgesses, but 8s a quarter from others. The Candlemas offeringamounted to about 10s 6d a head. The average number ofscholars was 100. There was an established school for arithmetic,book-keeping, and mathematics. The master had £20 a year, 5sa quarter from the children of burgesses, and 7 s 6d from others,and no Candlemas offering. The number of scholars was aboutsixty. There was also an established school for writing, wherethe master had a salary of £22, and the same fees as the master ofthe arithmetic school. The pupils were said to number aboutseventy. Besides these there were a free unendowed school forreading and writing, and two or three boarding schools for youngladies.very well taught.It is also recorded that French, drawing, and dancing areUnfortunately the details given do not warrantany comparison with the amount of the school accommodation orthe number of children attending school at the present day. Ifwe might hazard a conjecture, they were much behind what wenow have, but in some respects considerably more adequate thanthe schools were immediately prior to the passing of the lateEducation Act.The number of poor in 1790 occasionally receiving alms wasat least 150. The Poor-house (Moorheads' Hospital) supported 45to 50 persons. The whole sum expended on the poor, includingmortification revenue of the hospital, amounted to £400. Thepoor rate last year was £2930. When we add to this the revenueof Moorheads' Hospital, of the Carruthers' Cottages, of theMenzies and Crocket Funds, and of other Trusts, we have a totalof at least £3999.It would thus appear that the people a hundred

—160 .Transactions.years ago spent on the poor £5 per hundred of the population, or£4 per £100 of the rental. We spend at least £25 per hundred ofthe population. The proportion as regards the rental is about £49s per £100.It thus appears that a hundred years have brought greatchanges to the Queen of the South. The population has been considerablymore than doubled, the yearly rental has been quadrupled,wages have increased about three-fold, and the price of mostarticles of food is more than doubled.In Dr Burnside's time the town consisted, he informs us, ofeight or nine streets and six or eight lanes. The streets would bethe High Street, Fiiars' Vennel, the East Barnraw (now LoreburnStreet), the West Barnraw (now Irish Street), the Kirkgate (nowSt. Michael Street), Townhead Street (now Academy Street), LochmabenGate (now English Street), and probably Queensberry Streetand King Street. The new bridge was then unbuilt, and all CastleStreet, George Street, and Buccleuch Street were fields or gardens.The Town Hall and Court-House were in the Mid steeple, andunderneath that were the Weigh-House and the Town Guard House.In the block of buildings where Mr Adams has his bookbindingshop were the Council Chambers and adjoining that was the Prison.On the site of the Militia Barracks was a House of Correction.Moorheads' Hospital was scarcely fifty years old, the old Infirmarywas recently erected, and the Theatre was just opened. Thechurches were St. Michael's—the only one which remains inexternal appearance as it was—the old New Church, the EpiscopalMeeting-House in English Street, the Anti-Burgher Church on thesite of Loreburn Street U.P. Church, and the Eelief Church inwhat is now the wool store in Queensberry Street.Dr Burn side, in various parts of his MSS., speaks with satisfactionon the improved condition of the people. He had met menwho remembered when there were only four carts in Dumfriestwo for hire and two the property of gentlemen who had purchasedwood, and when all the ordinary transport was done by creels andsledges. He was proud of there being a stage coach daily toEdinburgh and an English and an Irish mail coach daily, andlooked forward to there being before long a Glasgow coach. Hementions with satisfaction that a waggon from Carlisle, with sixhorses, comes to town and goes out again weekly, that there areeight or ten post chaises kept at the inns, that six families in theparish each keep a four-wheeled chaise, and that four have whiskeys.

Transactions. 161He coulci tell of an imi^rovement in the roads of the parish within thetwenty years preceding the date of his book so great that one horsecould now do the work formerly done by two. He could also saythat " within these twenty years the poor people are both better fedand clothed. At that period they had no butcher meat, and fewor no hogs at all." At the period of writing, he says that there wasscarcely a day labourer but kept a hog, and laid in some quantity ofmeal at Martinmas. He remembered when there was seldom anygood fresh meat to be had from about Christmas till the new grasscame in the spring, but in his day it was to be had throughout thewhole year in great plenty and of good quality. Very probablythe generation a hundred years hence will look back on us, as wenow look back on the generation in which Dr Burnside lived andas he looked on those further back still,and wonder how we faredwith fewer comforts and fewer means of communication with otherplaces. It may be well to remember that while we cannot wishback the good old times, we may yet believe that then as now therewere men and women with good heads and good hearts, and thatwisdom neither begins nor ends with the people of our own times.It is pleasant also to know that it is not true that the poor arepoorer. What were rare luxuries to the poor are now easilyobtained by the many.Field Meeting. Wth of May. .A visit was paid to Comlongan Castle and Euthwell Church.The famous Eunic Cross and the old tombs were inspected.Explanations were made by the Eev. J. M'Farlan and Mr CampbellDouglas, the architect of the part of the Church in which thecross stands. ^Mr Eobert Barbour, Solicitor, Maxwelltown ; MrDavidson, Teacher, Euthwell ; and the Eev. Mr Milroy, Penpont,were elected members.U//2of May.At a meeting of the Council the honorary secretary, Mr EobertBarbour, resigned his office, and received the thanks of the Society,on the motion of Mr John Xeilson. On the motion of Mr EobertBarbour, seconded by Mr Neilson, Dr Edward James Chinnockwas elected honorary secretary.

162 Transactions.Field Aleeting. \st of June.A visit was paid to Crocketford and Springholm. AuclienreochLoch was circumambulated, manj'- botanicalspecimens beingcollected. At a meeting, presided over by Mr George H. Robb,Dr Clarke and Miss Tennant were elected members. Mr JamesBarbour exhibited a copy of Innes's History of the Buchanites,several leaves being in Innes's own handwriting, and also a copy ofthe proceedings taken against the Buchanites by the Sheriff Court.The party then drove along the old military road, round part ofMilton Loch, and arrived at the Hills Tower, Lochrutton, whichwas inspected.Field Meeting. Qth of July. (Described by Mr Wm. Dickie.)A visit was paid to Whithorn, where Dr John Douglas and MrWilliam Galloway acted as guides. The ruins of the Priory werecarefully examined, and then visits were paid to the Eoman Camp,St. Ninian's Cave, and the ruins of St. Ninian's Kirk in the Isle ofWhithorn. Finally the ruins of the old Norman church ofCruggleton were explored. At a meeting presided over by MajorBowdeu, Dr Douglas and Mr Galloway of Whithorn, Mr GeorgeHamilton and Mr R. M'Conchie of Kirkcudbright, and Mr Alex.Ferguson, solicitor, were elected members.It is the ruined Priory which invests Whithorn with suchstrong attractions for the antiquary, and to it the visitors proceeded,admiring by the way the ample thoroughfare and the tidyappearance of the long main street of the town. The existingcharter conferring on Whithorn burghal rank and privileges wasgranted by King James IV., the most assiduous of the Scottishkino's in his devotion to the shrine of St. Ninian, but it is understoodthat this was only a renewal of an earlier charter emanatingfrom Robert the Bruce. The change of the commercial highwayfrom the sea to the railway has injuriously affected it, like manyother outlying towns, and has diminished its municipal revenue, ofwhich the mainstay used to be the dues charged at the port of Isleof Whithorn, three miles from the town. But it bears its adversityplacidly, and its appearance indicates a fair measure of prosperityamon"' the burgesses. The old Town Hall and Tolbooth is a plainbuilding, with square tower and extinguisher-shaped spire, surmountedby a ship in full rig by way of vane. It is not of greatantiquity, having been built only about 1820 ; but it has already

Transactions. 163been superseded for municipal purposes by a less obtrusivestructure, but one more convenient and better suited to modernideas. The present population of the burgh is about 1700.St. Ninian, with whose fame the Priory is so closely linked,was the Columba of southern Scotland, and pursued his Christianisingmission a century earlier than the apostle of Zona. The year360 is assigned as the date of his birth, and his death is reportedto have occurred in 432. The place of his nativity is a subject ofdispute. One account represents him as belonging to a nobleScotch family, whose residence was in the vicinity of Whithorn.On the other hand, some of his biographers favour the idea that hewas of Welsh nationality. Ireland, also, has put in a claim to bethe country of his birth ; but M'ith less apparent probability. It iscertain, however, that during the periodof the Roman occupationhe established a religious house at Whithorn, and with the aid ofa body of disciples set himself to proclaim from this centre themessage of the Cross among the pagan inhabitants of the country.Much success crowned his missionary labours, and posthumousfame enhanced the virtues of the saint and invested even his boneswith miraculous power. Before devoting himself to the apostoliccareer, Ninian had visited Rome, where he receivedconsecrationat the hands of the Pope, and spent some time at the Frenchmonastery of St Martin of Tours. This noted soldier saint—fromwhom we derive our term Martinmas, and whose monastic habitshave not been considered inconsistent with his selection as patronsaint of the tavern-keepers—is in some accounts styled the uncle ofSt. Ninian ; and to him the Priory in Whithorn is said to havebeen dedicated. A circumstance confirmatory of this is mentionedby Symson in his " Description of Galloway," who states that in1684, when his work was written, there was "a little hand-bell inthis church, which, in Saxon letters, tells it belongs to St. Martin'schurch." There is some doubt whether it was at Whithorn or atIsle of Whithorn that St. Ninian built the modest chapel—the" Candida Casa " or Whitehouse of early chronicles—that was thearst stone and lime edifice built for Christian worship in Scotland.The balance of evidence seems to favour the Isle. But the modernburgh had apparently been the seat of his later ministry ; and theundisputed historical record represents the Priory as the place ofhis sepulture.The Priory of which the ruins now remain is of much morerecent date, and would be of more extensive proportions than the

164 Transactions.buildings of St. Niuian's day. It was founded in the twelfthcentury —in the reign of David I., the " sair sauct for the Crown "— by Fergus, Lord of Galloway, the reputed founder also ofDundrennan Abbey, and father of the founder of Lincluden Abbey.Almost the only fragment of it still standing above ground is aportion of the nave and of the lower walls of the steeple and porchat the west end ; but recent excavations have opened up a doublerow of crypts beneath the chaucel and transepts, and have revealedthe foundations of other walls and a piece of causeway near to themodern Parish Church, about two feet below the present level ofthe ground. The church and monastic buildings must haveoccupied the whole of the present churchyard, the modern intermentsbeing made among their foundations, and tosome extent inthe debris which has accumulated around the old walls. This hasmade the work of excavation one of difficulty and delicacy, and hasvery properly prevented it from being pursued to the full extentwhich in other circumstances would have been desirable. ThePriory enclosure had extended to the main street of the burgh,from which a long lane now leads to the churchyard gate. At thestreet end of that lane there remains in position an old arch or" pend " with a lion rampant and unicorn supporters sculptured inbold relief over the key-stone. This may either be the royal armsor the arms of the province of Galloway. The excavations havebeen conducted at the cost of the Marquis of Bute, with consent ofthe heritors of the parish, and under the direction of Mr Galloway.The general result is to show that the church had been in shapelike a Latin cross, with north and south transepts, and that themonastic buildings had been to the north side, a positionnaturallydetermined by the position of the Kett, a stream which flows atthe foot of a gentle declivity to the north, and would supply waterfor domestic purposes and also for the mill, which it is understoodwas attached to the Priory. The present church stands on thesite of part of these structures. The date of its erection was 1822.Before that time the remnant of the Priory had been used forpublic worship. The modern edifice is apparently a commodiousone ;but its design is by no means artistic—a tower dressed withred stone projecting like an excrescence from a plain squarebuilding, whitened with a rough casting of lime. It so offendedthe susceptibilities of John Kuskin when paying a visit to thedistrict that he declared he would gladly give £10 to help toremove the tower. The most notable feature in the Priory ruins

Transactions. 165is a Norman doorway, of beautiful proportions and with richlycarvedarch, at the south-Avestern corner of the nave. Mr Gallowayis of opinion that this interesting fragment does not occupy itsoriginal position ; and the presence of interpolated stones in thearch courses is apparent on a careful survey. It had probablybeen " restored "when additions were made to tlie buildings in thefourteenth or fifteenth century. But in any case we have preservedwhat is undoubtedly twelfth century workmanship. Severalquaintly sculjitured stones are built into the wall at the same place.In one of these a small animal is seen to be entering themouth ofa larger ; and it has been conjectui'ed that it may have beenintended to symbolise the Christian's hope that death shall be" swallowed up in victory." On the outer side of the north wallare still to be seen some of the corbels which had carried the beamsof the cloister arcade. The crypts to the east form a long doublerow, with barrel-vaulted roof ;but the remains of two short pillarsindicate that originally the more ornamental form of the groinedarch had been used.In the northern-most crypt have been foundremains of the red deer, the boar, and other animalsof the chase,indicating that it had served the purpose of a larder. In one ofthe walls there is constructed a beehive-shaped apartment of whichthe purpose can only be conjectured.It may have served either asa punishment cell or as a place of solitary retreat for some of themore spiritually-minded brethren. Within the nave are two lowtombs built into the southern wall, and enriched with dog-toothornament. They have no doubt been the resting-place of personsof distinction ; but there is now nothing to indicate their name orcondition, whether lay or clerical. In the course of recent excavations,the skeletons were found, in cists partly cut out of therock and partly- built, but there were indications that the graveshad been previously opened. The nave is now a perfect antiquarianmuseum. There has lately been deposited within it, for betterpreservation, a curious monolith that long stood, like a mile-stone,by the road-side about a quarter of a mile from the burgh. On itare traced a peculiar combination of the circle and cross and thisinscription, in irregular letters :"Lociti Petri Apustoli." (?) It issupposed to be as old as the fourth century, contemporary thereforewith St. Ninian, and to have marked probably a place of worshipdedicated to St. Peter. It is now taken under the protection ofthe board charged with the administration of the Ancient MonumentsAct. Ancient crosses have been collected in large number

166 Transactions.from the jjrecincts of the cb urch and from the surrounding district.The prevailing shape is the square cross, variously known as theGreek and Maltese, and the limbs are often indicated by fiveembossed circles. The larger shafts are generally ornamented withwicker-work or Runic pattern. On one small stone there aretraced three Latin crosses close together, the one in the centremuch larger than the others, a design obviously intended to representthe scene on Calvary. A large baptismal font, believed to bethe one originally in use in the Priory, and elaborately sculpturedcorbel stones more or less entire, are also here preserved ;andamong heraldic devices the arms of the province of Galloway andthe double chevron of the M'Lellan family are to be noted. Asmall bell, still intact, bears the date 1610, and appears froman inscription to have been cast in the city of Bruges.Somewhat incongruously neighbouring the solemn mementoesof a devotional age is a stone which has upon it several words inlarge raised letters, some of which are now altogether effaced orso worn as to be illegible. Some ingenuity has been expendedin the effort to give an English rendering to what was supposedto be obscure Latin. If we supply the missing letters in amanner suggested by their context, as Mr Galloway pointed out,we have, as will be seen below, an epigrammatic advice in homelyScotch phrase, viz.,TENT T[0]DEI[G]HTWE[EL][A/igNce—Be carefiU to clean well.]The stone had occupied a place in the wall of an old fai ni building,where it would daily but silently admonish the household to habitsof cleanliness.In one of the apartments of the oldTown Hall Mr Gallowayhas stored an extensive collection of fragmentary pieces of carvingturned up in the course of the excavations. Some of these—notal)lya small but strikingly expressive face—convey a very highidea of the attainments of the early artists whose handiwork theywere.Having explored the Priory and its adjuncts as fully astime permitted, the company set out for St. Ninian's Cave,making by the way a short detour to see the large Eomancamp on the farm of Eispain. A drive through a j^leasantlywooded tract of country, and past the policies of Glasserton House

Transactions. 167and Physgill, brought them to Kidsdale House. There they leftthe vehicles ; and, following first a shady footpath through a windingglen, and then a more open road-way, a mile's walk broughtthem to the shore of Luce Bay, at the little inlet known as PortCastle, from the scanty relics of an old fortalice that crowned oneof the headlands. From this point the cave, which faces to themouth of the bay, and is just above the tidal line, is plainly visible ;and only a short further walk over shingle and small boulders isnecessary to reach it. The entrance is now closed by a stoutmetal screen, placed over it by Mr Stewart of Physgill, proprietorof the adjacent estate. The key is kept at Kidsdale House, and isreadily given to responsible persons, as it was on Saturday. Butthe cave is so small that it can be fully surveyed from the outside.It might more appropriately indeed be termed a grotto. Therocks, which at this point are bold and precipitous, convergeslightly in front of it, and probably a greater space was at one timeunder the natural arch. When the work of excavation was inprogress a large piece of rock was lifted, which had obviously beendetached from the cliff above ; and beneath it was discovered ahuman skeleton — possibly the victim of rome forgotten tragedy,most likely one whom the falling rock had buried. The roughnatural walls of the cell are coated with oxide of iron, and presenta damp appearance, suggesting anything but a luxurious or wholesomeretreat. It was known by immemorial tradition in thedistrict as St. Ninian's or St. Eingan's Cave ; but it was only acomparatively few years ago that positive evidence of its monasticassociations was discovered. The late Dean Stanley and Dr JohnStuart of Edinburgh (author of " The Sculptured Stones of Scotland") were on a visit to the district, and one of their partytraced upon the rock near to the cave the faint outline of a smallcross. Further search has revealed the existence of four of thesesacred emblems, both the Greek and Latin form being used.Excavations were thereafter undertaken, at the instance of MrStewart of Physgill, and carried out with great care under the personalsuperintendence of Dr Douglas, of Whithorn. A low wallin front of the cave was taken down (but afterwards re-built), andseveral small stones with crosses incised on them were found in it.Debris was removed, which had accumulated atsome points to adepth of six feet, and a rough flag pavement exposed in part of thecave, the rest of it being paved with hard beaten earth. In the

;168 Transactions.pavement was a stone with a rudely Ccarved inscription, of whichonly this fragment remained :SANCTNIThis stone was lifted, and affixed to the wall of the cave for betterpreservation, but some mischievous youths broke it. The protectinggrating was put up to prevent further malicious acts, and thefragments of the stone were taken for greater securityPto KidsdaleHouse. Numerous incised crosses were exposed—in all seven onthe living rock and twelve on separate stones. Some of these areof the rudest and most primitive workmanship, and are approximatelyassigned to the fourth century.Others are more elaborate,and shew Euuic ornamentation. At the entrance to the cave wasalso found a stone with a large cup hollowed out in its centre, soplaced as to receive the drip from the rock, and with a drain laidfrom it to carry the overflow into the centre of a mound at a littledistance. Probably this was a semi-natural baptismal font, or itmay have been simply used as a receptacle for the collection ofpure water. The cave has shared in the veneration attaching toNinian, and was also a common resort of pilgrims.the shrine of St.The smooth surface of one of the rock faces bears a great manyinitials of visitors. Most of these are quite modern ; but theantique form of the characters as well as the dates attached shewthat in several instances we have here preserved the rude chisellingof men who lived two centuries or more ago. Such are these :"I [or J] P, 1634. I L, 1664. I C, 1678. A M, 1684." Nodoubt James IV. and other royal pilgrims would also visit thecave, but the stone bears no record of this.In withdrawing to this remote and sea-girt retreat for purposesof meditation or penance, St. Ninian would be following theexample of his teacher, St. Martin, and of other early Churchmenand there is every reason to believe that it would be used by himas an occasional residence. The scene is one fitted by its solitudeand grandeur deeply to impress a reverent mind. The seawardprospect from the beach or the cliffs alcove is also in clear weathera charming one, embracing the Mull of Galloway,the peaks of theIsle of Man, and a part of the Irish coast. The visitors on Saturdaysaw it under thedisadvantage of a haze, which obscured thedistant land points ; but a flowing tide, under a brilliant sun, andthe water flecked by an occasional sail, made up a picture of nosmall beauty.

aTransactions. 169They drove next across to the shore of Wigtown Bay, to theIsle of Whithorn.This is a tidy village of considerable size, builtalong the landward edge of what has at one time been an island,but by artificial banking has been converted into an isthmus, witha good pier and harbour, and having in it a turreted mansion, ofwhich Symson in the seventeenth century speaks as "the Isle, a goodstone house,which belongs to Patrick Huston of Drummaston." Thereare two rounded isthmuses— the inner and outer Isle. At the seawardside of the former are still standing the walls of a small chapel,roughly built of whinstone and shell lime.Its outer measurementis only twelve paces by seven. This building is believed to belongto the fourteenth century, and would be served by monks fromWhithorn Priory. Beside it are traces of older foundations, supposedto be those of the original Candida Casa of St. Ninian, whichis referred to by old writers as having been a land-mark for sailorsand being surrounded on three sides by the sea. A life-boat houseis now built on the same neck of land, and so situated that theboat can be launched into a bay either on the north or south, asthe direction of the storm may render necessary.Traces of a trii^leline of ancient fortifications may be discerned on the two Isles.Instead of returning direct to Whithorn, the party drovealong the coast line of Wigtown Bay to Cruggleton Chapel—small pre-Eeformation building, and the church of an ancientparish, now united with Sorbie—which is in process of beingrestored by Mr Galloway, at the instance of the Marquis of Bute.Field Meeting. 1th of September.A visit Avas paid to Dornock Churchyard, where Mr JohnNicholson pointed out some ancient sepulchral monuments. TheLochmaben Stane at Old Graitney was next inspected, and thenGraitney Churchyard was visited. The antiquities of the place wereexplained by the Eev. William Bell of Graitney. Stapleton Towerwas next explored, and, on the return to Annan, Mr Frank Milleracted as guide to Edward Irving's birthplace and his father'stannery. The Eev. William Bell, Mr John Dunlop, teacher, ofDornock ; Mr John Nicholson of Stapleton Grange ; Mr andMrs Gunning, and Miss Hamilton, of Castlebank, were electedmembers.

170 Transactions.Meeti?2g of Cotcnctl. liith of September.It was agreed, on the motion of Mr James Barbour, to hold anexhibition in November of the Baxter Bequest of mineralogicalspecimens, and of other interesting articles, together with theportraits of celebrated natives of the district.The Kirkmadrine Crosses.Note.—See }->. 53.I gladly add this note to my paper at the request of the Hon.Secretary in order further to emphasise the two points forwhichit was chiefly written, viz., to draw public attention to theneglected condition of these primitive grave-stones ; and tostrengthen my theory now for the first time, so far as I know,put forward that the Church of Kirkmadrine was originally dedicatedto St. Martin of Tours.The opinion of all learned antiquarians was summed up byDean Stanley in 1872 when he wrote that, " Nowhere in GreatBritain is there so ancient a Christian record." These stoneswere scheduled in Lubbock's Act, and yet no practical stepshave been taken for their preservation, but they still serve asgate-posts and parts of the churchyard wall of Kirkmadrine.They had been carefully preserved until the Reformation, probablywithin the church (like the Ruthwell cross, which was not turnedoutside of its sacred edifice until after 1772) ; but now the sacredsymbols and inscriptions upon them are almost illegible. It wasanciently the custom to bury the dead and set up their tombstoneswithin the church, but this was limited to priests in the 10th century(Bloxam's Gothic Archit. III., 11 Ed., p. 371). They shouldbe removed to the Antiquarian Museum in Edinburgh, wherethere is a large collection of incised stones and also what isbelieved to be the first church bell, of Candida Casa.In regard to the second point, it is well known that when St.Ninian was building Candida Casa—the first church of stoneinstead of wattles in Scotland—he heard of the death of St.Martin of Tours, A.D. 397, who had been his revered teacher,intimate friend, and generous helper towards its completion, andthat he forthwith dedicated the church to his memory. But whenNinian died, A.D. 432, this church became the shrine of his grave,to which countless pilgrims resorted down to the time of theReformation ; and there is every probability, I think, that after that

;Transactions. 171event the people of Galloway would wish a church speciallysacred to the memory of St. Martin. Apart from the personalrelationship between these two, the Galilean Church had then andfor long afterwards supreme influence in tliis country. There wasa church erected to his memory at Canterbury so early as the 5thcentury, and out of 160 churches subsequently built, those atHexham, Ripon, Jarrow, and Monkswearmouth were erected bymasons and glaziers from Tours in the 7th century. The ancientliturgy of the British Church was derived from the Gallican Church,and the name of St. Martin of Tours occurs not only in pre-Keformation kalendars but in one of A.D. 1587 affixed to " Thecl. Psalmes of David in Meter, for the use of the Kirk of Scotland."(Bp. Forbes's Kal., p. xlii).There was no one whom the Church more delighted to honourand in answer to the question, What mean these stones ? I tliinkI may with reason say that they commemorate Romano-Gallicanpriests who in the 7th century ministered in Kirkmadrine Church,then erected to the memory of Sanctus Martimis.J. G. H. Staeke.

SESSIOlSrX88Q-90.ith of October, 1889.ANNUAL MEETING.Major BowTDEX, Vice-President, in tlie Chair.New Member.—Mr E. M'Glashan, of the Inland Eevenue.Robert Barbour (late secretary), was elected an honorary memberin consideration of his services to the Society.MrDeath of Dr Grierson.—The following resolution was passed :"This Society records its deep regret at the death of its ex-President, Dr Thomas Boyle Grierson, of Thornhill, and desiresto express its sympathy with the surviving relatives on the greatloss they have sustained, and its admiration of Dr Grierson'spersonal character, scientific attainments, and wide philanthropy."Secretary's Eeport.The Secretary (Dr Edward J. Chinnock) then read theannual report.The membership of the Society now numbers 198 ordinarymembers, of whom 20 have been admitted during the session nowclosing.There are also 7 life members and 19 honorary members,makino- 224 in all on the roll. The Society has sustained a lossin the resignation of its Secretary, Mr Eobert Barbour, in May.The vote of thanks passed by the Council for his indefatigableservices doubtless expressed the unanimous feeling of all themembers.Seven Winter Meetings and fourField Meetings have beenheld during the session. At the former 16 valuable papers wereread, all showing laudable research, and some of very great interest.The papers read by Messrs Aitken, James Barbour, and

Transactions. 173Weir, may be mentioned as particularly interesting without detractingfrom the merits of the other contributors.The thanks of the Society are due to the painstaking scientificinvestigations of Messrs Andson, Hastings, M'Andrew, and Corrie.The President is desirous of obtaining help from members in collectingspecimens of the shells of the district. It should be theaim of all the members to obtain the support and assistance oftheir scientific friends in carrying out the objects for which theSociety exists.Of the Field Meetings those to Whithorn and Gretna wereparticularly interesting and successful.It is a pity, however, thatin these excursions, while archaeology has been well represented,the natural history subjects have been somewhat neglected.The museum has been enriched by our undertaking thecustody of the geological and other specimens, as well as a collectionof coins, bequeathed by the late Mr William Baxter to the TownCouncil. The resolution of our Council to hold an exhibition ofthese in November will give the public an opportunity ofinspectingthis valuable collection.In connection with the British Association the Rev. MrAndson has undertaken to keep a register of the temperature, &c.,of the River Nith, and under his direction, and Avith the consentof the Town Council, a gauge has been fixed on one of the piersof the New Bridge for taking the depth of the water.During the session we have lost our two most distinguishedmembers, the one an antiquarian, the other a scientist. Theywere both natives of the burgh and men of whom Dumfries doeswell to be proud, and whose memory we should delight to honour.Mr William M'Dowall, in his books relating to his native townand Lincluden, could have said with the jjoet '' Exegi monumentumacre perennius." In regard to our venerable friend and ex-President,Dr Thomas Boyle Grierson, it is difficult to say whether hisattainments as a scientist and a philosopher or his unaffected simplicityof character as a man was more to be admired.His mindwas stored with knowledge of the most varied kind, and yet hewas as free as a child from assumption of superiority over thoseless richly gifted. He spent the best part of his life in impartingto others what he had acquired, and he seemed to carry out theview of Epictetus, whose works he greatly admired :" God hasintroduced man into the world to be a spectator of Himself and ofHis works ;and not only to be a spectator but an intrepreter."

174 Transactions.report.Treasurer's Report.The Treasurer (Mr James S. Thomson) read his annualCHARGE.Balance from Session 1887-88 £0 16124 Ordinary Members' Subscriptions (2s 6d) 15 106 New do. (entrance money, 2s 6d) ... .. 1539 Transactions sold at Is 1 19Interest on Sums lodged in Bank 067DISCHARGE.£19 6Postage and Bank Charges ...Salary to Hall-KeeperSecretary's Expenses (Mr Barbour)Do. do. (Rector Chinnock)Copy Dr Burnside's History of DumfriesPeriodical and Stationery AccountBridges, slater ... ...Commission of CollectorFlood Gauge on New BridgeGas Account ...Lodged in Savings Bank to Credit of SocietyIn hands of Treasurer£19 6 7October Jfth.—Examined the year's accounts, compared with vouchers,and found the above abstract leaving a balance of Ms S^d in hands ofTreasurer correct.Election of Office-Bearers.Thomas Laij^c;.The following were elected office-bearers and members of thecommittee for the ensuing session :—President, Richard Rimmer,F.L.S. ; Vice-Presidents, Major Herbert G. Bowdeu, WellwoodMaxwell, William J. Maxwell, and James G. H. Starke, M.A.(advocate) ; Treasurer, John A. Moodie ; Secretary, Edward J.Chinnock, LL.D. ; Members of Council, Rev. Wm. Andson, JamesBarbour, James Davidson, William Dickie, Thomas Laing, JamesLennox, Robert Murray, John Neilson, M.A., George H. Robb,M.A., and James S. Thomson.

Transactions. 175portraits of Dumfriesshire and Galloway worthies and otherobjects of local interest, on Tuesday, the 12th of November, tillSaturday, the 16th. Messrs Barbour, Chinnock, Davidson. Dickie,Lennox, and Moodie were appointed a sub-committee to managethe Exhibition.I)om/w»s.—Smithsomm Report for 1886, from Washington•Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences ; Proceedings'of the Canadian Institute, Toronto ; Proceedings of the Academyof Sciences, Davenport, Iowa ; Essex Naturalist from January toJune, 1889. Mr J. S. Thomson presented a fine specimen of bluefrom Kimberley Diamond Mine.Communications.I. Nbfes o;! the Minerals of Dumjries and Galloway. By MrPatrick Dudgeon of Cargen.Until comparatively recent years the greater part of thisdistrict has been almost a lerra incog>tita as regards Mineralo^^ywith the exception of the district of Wanlockhead and LeadhiUs,'which has fur long attracted the attention of Mineralogists, fromthe variety of beautiful specimens found there. One seldomfinds in any mineralogical work any notice of minerals to befound in this south-west corner of Scotland ; of course a few havebeen noticed, and the late Mr Copeland of Blackwood calledattention to several mineral localities in the district, but he doesnot appear to have extended liis researches to any great extentin Galloway. Of course, Mineralogists are attracted in theirsearch for minerals to places where mining operations are goin- onor where they have been carried on, as it is from lead, copper'iron mines, quarries, &c., that mineralogical specimens are mostlikely to be procured, for reasons which will be obvious toevery one.Few metallic mines have been worked in the Stewartry andnone that I am aware of in Wigtownshire, and none with anygreat success. Many trials for lead, copper, and iron have beenmade m different parts of the country, which have been abandoned,but they have given mineralogists opportunities they might nototherwise have had of making many additions to the very mea-rehst of our local minerals, which, until very lately, were to be foundin mineralogical works.Since more attention in this direction hasbeen turned to this part of the country, a veiy large number of

176 Transactions.minerals, never before recorded as belonging to the district, haveto be added to the list, and one new to science.* I leave out forthe present the mining districts of Wanlockhead and Leadhills,which have been long well known— they are the only importantmetaliferous mines in the district. The Blackcraig mine, nearPaluure, which was worked for lead for a good many years, butlately abandoned, produced very finespecimens of Dolomite, someof the crystals being of a fine purple tint, probably derived fromthe presence of manganese. I found there some very remarkableforms of Iron Pyrites—forms I had never before seen. The Pibblemine, about five miles north-east of Creetown, was long workedfor lead, and large sums have been expended in opening it up ; ithas resulted in a heavy loss to the promoters ; the usual lead andother minerals are to be found amongst the old heaps, but no verystriking specimens. At Lackentyre, up the valley of the Fleet,Gatehouse, there are the remains of lead and copper workings,long since abandoned. Wulfenite (molybdate of lead) is foundthere—the only locality in Britain for this mineral.There are alsothe other usual lead and copper minerals. Hematite mines existnear Auchencairn (not now worked), and trials have been made inthe neighbourhood for copper, which exists, but not in anythinglike paying quantities. The usual copper ores are found in the oldheaps.Copper has been tried for about half-way up the west sideof Cairnsmore ; the working there appears to have been verysuperficial ;good specimens of Chalcoperite were found in theheaps. Several trials for lead were made some years since alongthe side of the Monypool Burn, near Creetown. The lead wasnot found in paying quantities, and they were soon abandoned.I was" fortunate to find there a thin veil of Kupfernickel andArsenic. The only other places wldch I know of in Scotlandwhere Kupfernickel has been found are Wanlockhead and Hiiderstone,in Linlithgowshire ; it was in the vein on the MonypoolBurn I found the new mineral above referred to. Up the KinharvyBurn, above Kinharvy House, one or two manganese minerals are tobe found, and very good specimens of brown quartz ;Antimonitewas said to be found near that locality ;I have looked for it verycarefully, but never found a trace of it. Zircon also was said to befound in the Crifi'el granite ; Mr Copelaud mentions he could neverfind it ; I have looked very carefully for it, and broken up many*Mineralogical Mag., Vol. VIII., p. 200.

Transactions. 177hundred pieces of granite in the search, but have been equallyunsuccessful. There can be little doubt, I think, that crystals ofSphene, which are found in this granite, have been mistaken for itby careless observers, assome of the Sphene crystals, superficiallylooked at, somewhat resemble Zircon in colour and form ;too, that broken piecesI think,of Psilomelane must have been mistakenfor Antimonite, at Kinharvy, although there is little resemblancebetween these two minerals.Although I never found Zircon in theCriflel granite, my friend. Professor Heddle, and I were fortunateenough to find Allenite in it ; this mineral is sparingly found insome of the granites in the north of Scotland. We also found inthis granite, for the first time in Britain, the rare mineralGadolonite ;it exists very sparingly ; since then we again foundthis mineral in the granite from Ben Loyal, Sutherlandshire. Imay just allude to an instance showing the importance of beingableto recognise granites from their enclosed minerals. A gentlemanwho was engaged in the investigation of the drift beds andboulder clays in the north-west of England and North Waleswrote to me that he and Professor Bonney had a strong impressionthat many of the boulders in these drift beds had come from thesouth of Scotland, and asked me if I thought I could identify anyof the granites and rocks from this neighbourhood. I wrote to himI should be glad to assist him. He sent me a large number ofrock specimens from the drift and boulder clays in the neighbourhoodof Liverpool and North Wales. I found I could say with agreat degree of confidence that many of the granites and rocks sentAvere from this district, as I found crystals of Sphene in them,and I was quite certain that this was the case when I found, bygreat good fortune, a crystal of Allenite in one of the pieces ofgranite. It was more than a thousand chances to one finding thiscrystal of Allenite, as it is rather a rare mineral to find in ourgranite, even when carefully looked for.* I have never foundSphene in the granite of Cairnsmore, but fair specimens of Epidoteare to be got in the granite quarry near Creetown, and in someother localities— generally poor. Amethyst and Smoky Quartz(Cairngorm) are found on CriflFel and a few other localities. Theformer is very abundant on the west side of Criffel, above SouthwickHouse ; more sparingly near Dalbeattie. Clear crystals ofAmethyst, suitable for jewellers' purposes, are rarely found ; I have* " Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society " for May, 1883, p. 119.

—178 Transactions.never been fortunate enough to find any ;I have been shown cutstones of very good colour and transparency, said to have beenfound in the district, and have no reason to believe they were notso. The crystals from the west side of Crififel are often large,showy specimens, very suitable for rockeries, &c., for which theyare used. Smoky Quartz is not so abundant ; I have found sometolejably clear crystals up the burn behind Kinharvy House, which,no doubt, came from the Psilomelane vein. Ordinary quartzcrystals are found in many parts of the district ; no very good ones,so far as I know, are to be had except at Wanlockhead, wheregood specimens can be obtained. Calcite is, of course, found inmany localities ; I have found very good specimens at Black Craigmine, and fair ones have been got at Arbigland. Very fine Calcitesare found at Wanlockhead. A vein of Molybnite was at one timeworked to a small extent at Almorness Head, Buittle ; I havelittle doubt it was worked under the idea that it was graphite,which it somewhat resembles. Many mistakes of this kind aremade from ignorance, and much money consequently thrown away.I have on several occasions seen bright yellow scales of Mica andpieces of Iron Pyrites sent from •abroad under the idea they weregold ; and one of those so-called " mining experts " told me hewas sure I " had a mine of wealth on Cargen," and advised me tobore for coal !Some years ago a firm of iron and coal proprietors,under the advice of one of these quacks, spent several thousandpounds in the vain hope of finding lodes of Hematite on a propertyin this immediate neighbourhood. It has been said, and evenstated in some publications, that Platinum was foundin the waterof Urr, near Dalbeattie ; from all I can ascertain, this statement isutterly unfounded. Pyrrhotine, it is also stated, has been foundon Crifi"el ; I have never come across it, but Magnetite isoccasionally found there, and in other places in the district. AtGlendinning, in Eskdalemuir, an Antimony mine was at one timeworked, and I hear it is, or about to be, re-opened ; if so, someinteresting minerals are likely to be again obtained ; besidesAntimonite and Cervantite, in the old heaps I found Valentinitethe first time, I think, this mineral has been found in Britain ; atleast, there is no mention of it as being a British mineral in anymiueralogical work ; I also obtained some interesting Pseudomorphsthere—Cervantite after Valentinite, aud Cervantite after Antimonite.An Antimony mine on the south spur of Hare Hill,between Kirkconnel aud New Cumnock, was at one time worked ;

Transactions. 179when woi-king there I was not quite sure wliether the workingswere in Aj'rshire or Dumfriesshire—they are close on the march ofthe two counties—so I will just mention I found Kermes (redAntimony) there, with the other usual Antimony minerals ; I donot include this locality in the lists of minerals annexed to thispaper. The rich field for minerals at Wanlockhead and LeadhillsIneed not further allude to, beyond saying that exceedingly finespecimens of Calcite, Barytes, Galena, Smithsonite, and Vanadiniteare to be obtained there. Dr Wilson of Wanlockhead has donemuch of late in developing the minerals of that district, and hasmade a very fine collection ; he has most kindly contributed somevery fine specimens to the Observatory Museum. Leadhills isactually in Lanarkshire ; the places are so near together, and theminerals of both localities are so nearly identical, that they may beclassed in one list. Gold was at one time worked for over a largearea in that district, and was all obtained from the alluvial depositsin the various valleys. That the gold originally came from quartz" reefs " containing the metal there can be no doubt, but none ofthese reefs, if they still exist, have been discovered ; many piecesof quartz containing gold have from time to time been found bythe miners and others, and one tolerably large piece of quartzshowing a good deal of gold is now placed in the Museum ofScience and Art, Edinburgh, and is well worthy of attention. Thelate Duke of Buccleuch ordered a lithographic plate to be made ofthis interesting specimen, a copy of which will be found in theObservatory Museum. Atkinson, in his " Discouverie and Historicof the Gold Mynes in Scotland," 1619, mentions that a Mr GeorgeBowes obtained from James VL a permit to work the gold minesin Scotland, that at Winlocke Head he discovered " a small vaineof gold which had much small gold upon it." He swore his workmento secrecy, and after working the vein for some time, carriedoff to England a considerable quantity of gold ; before leaving, hecaused the shaft to be closed up and concealed ; this vein appears•to have been looked for, and is alluded to by several other partiesabout this time ;it has never been re-found. In the prefece to aFrench account of the reign of James V., a translation of whichwas published in London in 1710, it is said that "in the King'sreign (James V.) gold mines were found in Crawford Moor by theGermans, which afforded the King great sums. The Scots didseparate the gold from sand by washing." And again— "InJames V.'s time 300 men were employed for several summers in

—180 Transactions.washing gold, of which they got above £100,000 English money."In a memorandum by Robert Seton, temp. James V., it is statedgold has been found at fNewtoun, in Angers C?) ;Cartburn, inAnnandale ; Solway Sands, near the new toun of Annand ;Glennaip,betwixt Carrick and Galloway ;Galloway, in the Barony ofTerregles ; and in a hill called Colochere Hill ; in the Hill of Skrill(Screel of Bengairn X) " niiicho oro y grandes pedacosT As to theselocalities mentioned by Seton, I have never met with any notice ofgold being obtained from any of them other than in the abovequotedmemorandum. Gold can always be found in the Wanlockheaddistrict ; it is rather wet and dirty work obtaining it ; andwhat with employing men to dig in the alluvium and assist inwashing, any I have got myself has cost about a shilling a grain,the intrinsic value being about twopence. Wanlockhead lead containsabout five to seven ounces of silver to the ton ; the two metalsare separated by Pattinson's beautiful process.I attach lists of minerals to be found in the different localitiesin the district, so far as I know. I have not a doubt, however,but that the lists can be extended. For instance, I have neverfound such a common and widely distributed mineral as Garnet,which, 1 cannot help thinking, must exist somewhere in thedistrict. T must, however, now leave further research in thisdirection to younger hands, feelingassured that perseverance, particularlyin the remoter parts of the district, will be attended withsuccess.I think it should be one of the .irst objects of this Society tomake as complete lists as possible of all the natural productions ofthe district.If all societies similar to ours did so, a mass of informationwould be obtained of the greatest use to all interested inthe different branches of Natural Science, and at the same timesave specialists an immense amount of unnecessary labour.DUMFRIESSHIRE.Wanlockhead (including Leadhills). — Anglesite—Arragoiîte—Asholane—Aurichalicite—Barytes—Calamine— CalciteCaledonite— Cerussite— Chalcedony—Chalcopyrite — ChalybiteChessylite—Chlorite—ChrysocoUa—Dolomite—Erythrine (Cobaltbloom)— Galena— Gold—Greenockite— Hematite— JamesoniteJasper —Kupfernickel — Lauarkite—Leadhillite— Limnite—Linarite—Lydian-stone—Malachite—Melaconite—Mimelite—MiniumMountain - wood — Mountain -leather — Plumbo-calcite — Plumbo-

——Transactions. 181nacrite—Psilomelane—Pyrites, iron—Pyromorphite— Quartz (rockcrystal)— Smith soiiite — Strontiaiiite— Susannite— Vanadiuite ——Vauquelinite "Wad—Zinc-blende.Westerkirk, Glendinning.— Antimonite—Calcite—Cervantite—Pyrites,iron—Valentiuite— Zinc-blende. PseudomorpJis —Cervantite, after Valentinite—Cervantite, after Antimonite.Canobie.—Selenite (Fibrous Gypsum).Sanquhar.—Calcite —Coal—Pyrites, iron.LIOFFAT, Hart Fell.—Alum-shale— Selenite.GALLOWAY.Coal.Anwoth, Lackejityre.—Anglesite—Calamine—Calcite—Cerussite— Chalcopyrite — Chrysocolla— Galena — Malachite— PitchyCopper Ore—Pj'romorphite—Vanadinite (?)—Wulfenite.BuiTTLE, Craigiiair.— Amethyst—Sphene., , Almorness-head.—Molybdinite.GiRTHON, Pibble Mine.—Anglesite—Cerusite—ChessyliteChrysocolla—Galena—Malachite—Pitchy Cop2:)er Ore—Pyromorphite—Smithsonite—Towanite—Tungstateof Lead (1)KiRKMABRECK, Alonypool Burn.—Annabergite—AsbolaneCerussite — Dudgeonite *^ Erythrine— Galena—KupfernickelPyromorphite.KiRKJLABRECK, Caimsnwre.—Chalcopyrite.„ Creetorvn, Granite Quarry.—Epidote.MiNNlGAPF, Black Craig Aline.—Calcite—Dolomite, whiteand purple—Erythrine—Galena—Pyrites, iron—Zinc-blende.Newabbey, CriffeL — Allanite — Amethyst — GadoloniteMagnetite—Pyrrhotine (?)—Sphene.Newabbey, Kitiharvey.— Psilomelane—Smoky Quartz (Cairngorm)—Wad.Newabbey, Kirkbean.— Calcite.Kerwick, Auche?icairn.—Chalcopyrite— -Chessylite—Chryso-^'olla—Hematite— Malachite—Pyromorphite.TroqUEER, A'/>^(r

—182 Transactions.Iron Pyrites is a very widely distributed mineral, and may befound almost anywhere ; in the above lists, only localities aregiven where really good specimens can be got.II. On the Anatomy of Arion hortensis. By Mr JoHN EUTHERFORD(late Secretary).It was through some remarks and suggestions of our President,that I was induced to take up the study of the structure ofthis slug. The whole of the work, including the diagrams, isoriginal.Arion hortensis belongs to the family, LimacidseGenusArion. This slug is very common ; may be found almost everywhereincouipany with Limax agrestis and other representativesof the slug family, and, after a little eye-training, its special characteristicsbecome quite familiar. It has many varieties of colour,its fixed and marked distinctive features being its lateral longitudinalbands, running from the caudal gland along each side ofthe body, crossing the mantle on the upper margin of the respiratoryorifice, and terminating at its anterior edge. It has sometimes anarrow border of grey, rufous, or orange colour. The foot is oftentinged with yellow, the dorsal part a darkish grey. Length isfrom 1J to 2 inches.It has four anterior processes, two superior,and two inferior. The latter pair I believe to be feelers, in whichis located the sense of smell. The superior pair, which are slightlyknobed, are the eyes, the eye proper occupying the knob or apexof the process. It has cornea, crystalline lens, choroid, and opticrierve ;is very short-sighted, not having any distinct vision beyonda quarter of an inch. The advantage of these pediculated eyesto the animal must be great, as it can turn in any dix'ection (voluntarily)one eye, or both. The eyes, with their columella, can bedrawn into the body by the retractor muscle, which is attached insuch a way that tlie eyeball is first turned round, then the columellais drawn in, exactly as the finger of a glove would be if astring was fastened to its inside point and drawn into the palm.To extract the crystalline lens, snip off the eye with a pair ofscissors, put under pressure under the microscope, when the lenswill be forced out of its place and will float in the surroundingfluid.The appendage known as the mantle is a fold or overlappingof the integument, in the right border of which is the respiratoryorifice.Under the fold, on the same side, is the vent and common

;Transactions. 183generative orifice. There is a caudal slime gland, with a veryshort duct. The gland is in the substance of the skin.After killing the slug, with the scissors cut down the centreof the foot, commencing behind the buccal mass, then pin down tothe dissecting table by the edges of skin ; remove the visceral mass,and lay aside in water for future examination. There will remainattached to the skin the retracted eye, with its retractor muscle ;the cut attachment of the generative organ ; the vent ; the heartpericardium ; aorta ; vena cava ; lung, with pleural membrane :and the retractor muscles of the head and inferior antennae.Respiratory System.—Breathing is carried on through thepulmonary aperture which leads into the lung cavity. In inspiration,the muscle which lines the floor of the mantle contracts andbulges it up, and air is drawn in when the muscle relaxes ;themantle flattens and the air is expelled. The pleural membraneenvelops the heart, pericardium, and lung, and is attached to theskin by its border.Shell.—Molluscs without any external shell are called slugs ;those with external shells are called snails.In slugs, between themuscular floor of the mantle and the outer skin, there is a shellmore or less developed. In the black slug, Arion ater, it consistsof a few granules. The shell of Arion hortensis is a little moreperfect, the granules being adherent, and measures from 1-5 0th to1-3 2nd of an inch in its longest diameter. The shell is over theheart and forms a protective covering to that organ.Circulation.—T^^ heart occupies a position in the posteriorpart of the lung substance, immediately under the rudimentaryshell ; it is about 1 -1 2th of an inch in its longest diameter ; isenclosed in the pericardium ; the whole, as well as the lung, iscovered by the pleura. The heart is a muscular sac divided intotwo cavities—an auricle and ventricle.It has a rythmical action,beating about 40 times in a minute, and may sometimes be seenpulsating externally a little to the left of the centre of the mantle.The heart of a frog or fish if removed at once after death from thebody will continue to beat for some time. This power of rythmiccontraction is sustained by small nerve centres in the substance ofthe heart, which are called ganglia.If those ganglia be destroyed,rythmic movements cease. I do not know whether the heart of aslug will continue to beat for any time after removal from itsnatural surroundings ; but I have seen the heart of a slug beatfor an hour after the animal had been cut up and all the viscera

184 Transactions.removed, the skin being pinned to the table, the heart, withpericardium, hing, and pleura remaining hi situ. The bloodenters the auricle by the pulmonary vein, passes from the auricleto the ventricle, is pumped into the aorta (which arises from the baseof the ventricle), and divides into an anterior and posterior aorta.The anterior branch passes the generative organs under the intestineand on to the brain or large nerve centre, as the carotidartery, on its way giving off a branch to the generative organs, andother branches to the foot crop, buccal mass, head, &c. Theposterior branch supplies the liver, stomach, intestine, and theposterior part of the generative organs. The blood is returned tothe lung by venous sinuses, when after passing through the lungis returned to the heart by the pulmonary vein.Liver.—The liver, or digestive gland, is large in proportion tothe other viscera. It is a brownish yellow colour, and dividedinto two principal lobes.I believe the secretion from each lobe isconveyed to the intestine by separate ducts. It fills the cavitiesbetween the lobes of the ovo-sac and the stomach. The hermaphroditegland, or ovo-testis, is embedded in its substance.Digestive System.—The mouth, when closed, has a puckeredor drawn-in appearance. It is furnished with a ribbed, horny,crescent-shaped superior maxilla, with a posterior projecting plate,which forms the hard palate, and to which the muscles are attachedwhich move it. The mouth opens into the buccal mass or pharynx,which is a rounded muscular lump. From the lower and posteriorsurface of its cavity a pale diverticulum depends. This is the sacof the lingua] ribbon or tongue.Although sometimes called by thelatter name, it has no likeness to that on which our ordinary ideasof such an organ are founded, for instead of being a projectingbody lying in the cavity of the mouth, it isto some extent a sac,which passes backwards and downwards, the open end openingobliquely upon the floor of the mouth. When this sac is dissected,laid open, and examined, it is found to be covered with small teeth,which have a superior and inferior process on those near the centreline of the ribbon. The inferior jjrocess gradually lessens from thecentre to the side, and in the side teeth it is wanting. There are112 rows, each row having 26 teeth on each side of the middleline, and is expressed :26 + 26 x 112 = 5824 teeth, each measuring1 -500th of an inch in length. Below, and overlapijed by the ojjenend of the ribbon, is a tooth-like cartilage, hinged, and resemblingto some extent the epiglottis. I have had some difficulty in

Transacttons. 185understanding the physiology of this curious mouth.I think thatthe jaw is used to snip off portions from the edge of the leaf, and bythe action of muscles on the cartilage under the ribbon it isdrawn to the front of the mouth, turning the teethy sac inside outto rasp portions from the flat side of the leaf,or it may be used torasp the leaf Avhen held by the jaw. Behind the buccal massthere is a short oesophagus, through which the food passes to thecrop, which is used as a store. It then enters the stomach, whenafter digestion and mixing with the secretion from the liver, itpasses on to the bowel and the vent, which opens externally bythe side of the respiratory orifice. When examining the contentsof the bowel I found a great number of small intestinalworms, or entozoa.Nervous System.—Surrounding the oesophagus is a collar ofnerve tissue, which may be called the large nerve centre or brainof the animal. It is divided into two divisions—the supraccsophagealganglia ; and the sub-cesophageal gatiglia. Both areunited by bands of nerve fibres. The supra-oesophageal ganglia(which in some measure corresponds to the cerebrum of the higheranimals) give off the principal nerves to the head segment, eyes,&c., the first pair going to the inferior antennae. We know thatin the higher animals the first pair are the special nerves of the.sense of smell, and if we reason here by analogy we will call thesmaller antennae the organs of smell. The second pair are theoptic nerves. The third supplies the retractor muscles of the eye,a branch going to the retractor of the head. The sub-oesophagealganglia are divided into two portions—an anterior and posteriorportion, the anterior giving nerves to the muscular substanceof the foot, &c. The posterior gives branches to the body wall,viscera, &c. The beautiful silvery appearance of the nerves radiatingfrom the large nerve centre is very striking, and when onceseen is never forgotten.Generative Organs.~T\ih slug, like many members of thisorder, is hermaphrodite, i.e. it is both male and female, but notself impregnating. The common orifice is under the fold of themantle in front of the vent. The organs consist of vagina ; vaginalprostate; receptaculum seniinis ; albiiminiparous glatid ; penis sac; vasdeferenes ; her7naphrodite gland, with its duct.The principal oro-anis the gland, which is situated in the left lobe of the liver. Itconsists of numerous follicles of a darkishcolour, held together byconnective tissue. The ova and spermatosoa are both formed in

186 Transactions.this gland, a common duct leaves this gland and entei's thealbuminiparous gland near its base, when after receiving the ductof that gland leaves it to form the common generative canal. Thiscanal is composed of the vas deferens and oviduct united together.The vas deferens branches off at the neck of the oviduct, andgradually wîdens as it enters the penis sac. The seminal receptacleis a pear shaped body connected to the vestibule by a short neck.It is to be regretted that the diagrams with which I illustratedthis paper cannot be reproduced here, as by their aid the variousparts described can be much more easily understood.\1th to \Q>th of November, 1889.Exhibition.(Description from Standard).The immediate occasion of this effort on the part of theSociety was the reception of the minerals bequeathed to the townby the late Mr W. Baxter, of Glasgow, which have been placedunder its care. The minerals have been arranged in cases in theupper room, under the charge of Mr Davidson, Summerhill.There has been brought together also an interesting loan collectionof local antiquities, and of Burns and Stuart relicsand autographletters ;and the room downstairs has been converted into a localportrait gallery, in which the works—chiefly engravings, with anadmixture of crayons, pencil sketches, photographs, and silhouettes—number about two hundred.A portrait of Mr Baxter, executed in crayon by his relative,Mr J. R. Ferguson, Dumfries, overlooks his mineral collection.The silver gun of the incorporated trades adorns the gable ; andbelow it is a wooden panel, with a figure of the donor, King JamesVI., carved upon it, and a Latin inscription, in which the divineright of kings is asserted, this being the property of Mr Davidson.Mr Wilson, solicitor, Sanquhar, sends a choice collection of stoneand bronze celts ; and contributions to the illustration of the sameages are made by Mr James Lennox ; Mr J. H. Eutherford, AshBank, Parkgate (who sends a very fine bronze celt found in Tinwald); and Mr J. Corrie, Moniaive (bronze pot). The Burns relicsinclude the miniature of " Clarinda," for which she sat at thepoet's request, and which was discovered less than a year ago byMr Barbour, architect ; various books annotated in Burns's hand-

:;Transactions.1H7writing, the original MS. of the .song, " Gae fetch to me," hismasonic apron, &c., the property of Mr James Lennox ; a drinkinghorn and early edition of his works presented by Mrs Burns to thegrandmother of the present owner, Mr J. J. Glover, Hazelwoodthe books being autograph lines and inscription by Burns, whichare in possession of the Mechanics' Institute ; a gold brooch, withminiature of Robert Burns, eldest son of the poet, and hair of thethree sons, lent by his grand -daughter, Mrs Brown, Dumfriesletters of " Lovely Polly Stewart," her father's will, &c., belongingto Mr Barbour. Captain Cutlar Fergusson of Craigdarroch hasnot only sent " the whistle" which his ancestor carried off in thecontest immortalised by Burns, but has also allowed the will ofAnnie Laurie, the beautiful heroine of " Maxwelltown Braes," tobe exhibited, we believe for the first time. We give below thetext of this quaint and interesting documentI, Anna Laurie, spouse to Alexr. Fergussone off Craigdarroch, ForasmuchasI considering it a dewtie upon everie persone, whyle they ai'ein health and sound judgment so to settle yr. worldly affairs that yrbyall animosities betwixt friend and relatives maj^ obviat, and also for thesingular love and respect I have for the said Alex. Fergussone, in caisehe survive me I do heirby make my letter will as follows : First, Irecommend my soule to God, hoping by the meritorious righteousnessof Jesus Christ to be saved ; secondly, I recommend my body to bedecently and orderly interred ; and in the tlurd place nominate andappoynt the sd. Alexr. I'ergussone to be my sole and only executor.Legator, and universall intromettor with my haill goods, gear, debts,and soums of money that shall pertain and belong to me the tyme offmy decease or shall be dew to me by bill, bond, or oyrway ; with powrto him to obtain himself confirmed and decreed exr. to me and to doeverie thing for fixing and establishing the right off my spouse in hisperson as law requires ; in witness whereoff thir putts, ([written ?] beJohn Wilsone off Chapell, wryter in Drumfrise) are subd. by me atCraigdarroch the twenty eight day of Apryle, Jajvij and eleven [1711Jyears, befor the witnesses the sd. John Wilsone and John Nicholsonehis servitor.Ann Laurie.Jo. Wilsone, witnes.John hoax, witnes.Mr ]Maxwell Witliam of Kirkconnel enriches the collectionwith the valuable memorials of the Stuart period from Kirkconnel,and there are a number of deeds and documents connected withanother important local family, the Griersons of Lag, referringparticularly to Sir Robert of the persecution era. The parapher-

188 Transactions.nalia of the Incorporated Trades is well represented ; an AndreaFerrara sword, with beautifully fluted blade (the property of Mr J.J. Glover), arrests attention in a small collection of weapons ;MrsGilchrist lends, among other things, an exact copy of the Lomebrooch ; Miss Richardson, Shakespeare Street, an impression ofthe original burgh seal. But want of space forbids that we shoulddwell at present on these or other exhibits. The autograph letters,however, call for mention. There are two of Cai'lyle's. One, theproperty of Mr Watson, Castlebank, was written to a friend inDumfries during the cholera visitation. The other is in thepossession of Mr J. C. M'Naught, Queen's Place, and is in theseterms :Craigenputtock, 11th March, 1834.Dear Sir,—Here are two boxes of old books, which still do notexhaust my stock : if you can change them for me into money, they willbe much more easily carried in tliat latter shape.Most of them are of very small value, and I have left you to disposeof these according to your own judgment and opportumty : a few I havemarked as more notable, or hypotlietically worth a Price, which is ingeneral some thirty per cent, less than I bought them at in the samesecond-hand condition. You must do the best you can : I shall see youagain in a week or two.An Invoice is inclosed, which (tho' wrong ordered in the copying)will, if you attend to my marginal directions, give you the books somewhatin their actual order and position from top to bottom of the boxes.I keep the original of it here.The little Box is not my own : as there are but a small number ofbooks in it, perhaps you could get it emj)tied, and returned to-morrowby the same cart. But at anyrate there will be other opportunities.Only do not use that Box, for it suits a special purpose here.I remain (in great haste) yours truly,Mr M'Kie, Bookseller,, Dumfries,with two Boxes of Books.T. Carlyle.Mr M'Naught also shews two brief letters of Sir Walter Scott.Two of Allan Cunningham's are contributed by Mrs Gilchrist,Linwood.Belgrave Place, 15th April, 1835.Dear Miss Gordon,—I enclose two letters, one to ArchdeaconStrachan, and another to the Hon. R. Jamesone, his Majesty's Attorney-General. I have written a third to Mr Dunlop, secretary to the CanadaCompany ; but it would make more than Lord Dudley Stuai-t's frankcan carry ; it will therefore go to-day with some letters from my brother

'Transactions. 189by the route you direct. You iviU see that I have thus introduced youto a good divine, a sound hiwyer, and thirdly, toone who has much inhis power in the disposal of land. My wife joins me in love to yourmamma and yourself. I wish you all success, and bid God bless youand yours.—I remain, very sincerely.Allan Cunningham.Miss Gordon.27 Belgrave Place, London,16th April, 1835.My Dear Friend,— I am about to tax the kindness of your nature.A young- lady, Miss Gordon, my wife's dear friend and mine, goes withher brother to your land of Promise, with the hope of finding a shelterednook and a comfortable home. She is amiable and highly respectable,and if you will be so good as befriend her it will be her safeguard amon

190 Transactions.history of this picture is as amusing as the sketch itself. In 1849a gentleman named Frith was in the habit of caricaturing anyDumfriesian of note whom he might observe on the street, theseporti'aits being usually hung on his shop window. Among otherscaricatured was Provost Fraser, who, being very indignant at beingdealt with in such a manner, threatened summary vengeance withfire-arms, the result being that on the following morning thesketch now on exhibition in the Society's rooms appeared onFrith's window.The local portrait gallery has been a source of much attractionto visitors. Mr Barbour, with whom this idea originated, and onwhom the chief work of forming the collection devolved, hasreason to be gratified with the success which has attended hiseflPort. In the place of honour over the mantlepiece, the Earl ofMansfield, the eminent forensic lawyer and Lord Chief Justice,fittingly symbolises the majesty of the law ;and grouped in thesame neighbourhood are representatives of some leading localhouses, among them thelate Duke of Buccleuch—of whom thereis also a charming engraving as a child in a family group—the lateMarquis of Queensberry, " the Union Duke," a caricature sketch of" Old Q"; William, fifth Earl of Nithsdale, and his Countess, theLady Winifred Herbert, who socleverly managed his escape fromthe Tower of London. " The Admirable Crichton " typifies in hisown person all learning and accomplishments ; and in CharlesKirkpatrick Sharpe we have a modern representative of versatilegenius. The most striking symbols of the county's connectionwith art are Thorburn's early sketches and miniature portraits ofthe late Mark Johnstone of Stonehousecroft, Maxwelltown (thefather of Mrs Symons) ; of the late Mr James Bogie, nurseryman(one of the party who undertook the duty of removing themortalremains of Burns to the Mausoleum) ;and of the late Mr Eae,farmer in Gateslack. There is also a portrait of the late MrDunbar, the sculptor of the sleeping child inSt. Michael's Church.The walls bear eloquent testimony to the skill of a Dumfries artist,Mr J. R. Fergusson, with the crayon, a department in which hehas acquired a just celebrity. Besides his portrait of the late DrGrierson there are hung large crayons by him of Carlyle and ofthe late Mr M 'Do wall, both excellent likenesses. And of hisfacility in the use of oils a small painting of the late Mr JohnJackson, solicitor, affords a very favourable example. Nearto that of Dr Grierson are hung portraits of the late Sir William

"Transactions. 191Jardine of Applegarth, first president of tlie Dumfries and GallowayNatural History and Antiquarian Society, and of the late DrGilchrist, a more recent occupant of the office. There is also aportrait of the late Mr Starke of Troqueer Holm, the immediatesuccessor of Sir William. The commanding figure in the localworld of letters as here represented is of course that of Burns. Ofthe poet himself there are nearly a dozen engi'avings. Two ofthese (the property of Mr Maxwell, bookseller, and of Mr GibsonStarke of Troqueer Holm) bear inscriptions in the handwriting ofthe poet's sons. Grouped around the central figure are portraits ofmembers of his family and literary friends ; among the latter beingDr Currie, his first biographer ; the Rev. Dr Blacklock, a native ofAnnan, and the blind poet-minister of Kirkcudbright ; Mr Symeof Ryedale; the Earl of Glencairn; and an engraving of MrMartin Hardie's striking portrait group, " Burns in Edinburgh."A photograph is also shewn of Miss M'Murdo, " "Phillis the Fairof his song. In " the poet's corner " we find further three portraitsof Allan Cunningham, one of them being a sketch which wasin the collection of the late Sir James Gibson Craig ; Henry ScottEiddell, a native of Ewesdale, and author of " Scotland Yet ;Thomas Aird, the friend of Ayton ; and James Hogg, who wassuccessively a shepherd and a farmer in Dumfriesshire beforesettling at Altrive. General Sir Robert Laurie, who representedDumfriesshire in Parliament from 1774 until his death in 1804,and one of the three who took part in " the Whistle " contest atFriars' Carse, is also entitled to be ranked among the friends ofBurns.Near his portrait is that of a descendant of his successfulrival on that occasion, Mr Cutlar Fergusson of Craigdarroch, ]\I.P.for the Stewartrj', and a member of Earl Grey's Reform Ministry.The Senate has other representatives in the persons of the late MrJ. J. Hope -Johnstone, M.P. for Dumfriesshire ; Mr Ewart, M.P.for the Dumfries Burghs ; and Mr R. Milligan, brother of the lateMr Milligan of Westpark, who sat for Bradford in the Parliamentsof 1847 and 1852. In Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn,Sheriff of Dumfriesshire, and Mr Andrew Cro.sbie, advocate, son ofa Provost of Dumfries, and the " Pleydell " of Scott's " GuyMannering," we have additional pillars of the law. Divinity isstrongly represented. Perhaps the most attractive portrait in thisseries is a remarkably fine engraving of Edward Irving.There isa complete set of the ministers of the New Church of Dumfries,several of them gentlemen of distinction ; and among others we

now;192 Transactions.note the late Dr Wood, Dumfries ; Dr Dunbar, Applegarth ; DrEobert Gordon, " the sweet preacher," a native of Glencairn ; DrWightman, of Kirkmahoe ; Dr M'Vicar, of Moffat ; Mr Gatt, ofGraitney ; and a medallion of Dr Scott, of St. Michael's. BesidesMr Fergusson's crayon of Carlyle, there are a beautiful interior viewof Chelsea house, with Mr and Mrs Carlyle at home, and anengraving of the Maclise portrait. Of Hugh Clapperton, theAfrican traveller, a portrait is lent by his cousin.Miss Clapperton,Annan. Sir John Koss, the Arctic explorer, is also representedand there are portraits of Paterson, the founder of the Bank ofEngland, and Telford, the engineer. Many faces of leadingcitizens of a past generation are figured on the walls. Thesilhouettes by Firth of prominent Dumfriesians of forty years agowe have already noticed. Besides the caricature of Provost Fraserthere are characteristic portraits of Dean Hamilton, Mr Irving ofGribton, and Mr Sinclair, bookseller. A few portraits are alsointroduced of notables who were more slightly connected with thedistrict ; among them being Queen Mary, Prince Charlie, " thegreat Marquis " of Montrose, who captured Dumfries for theKoyalists in 1644, a transaction of which a contemporary printedaccount is exhibited upstairs ; Claverhouse, " the gallant Graham "of the Cavaliers, the heartless persecutor of the Scottish peasantry.A collection of Wedgwood cameos, from Flaxman's designs,illustrate another form of art.Among the exhibits in the antiquarian section, in addition tothose already noticed, we may mention the immense punch bowlof the Incorporated Trades, lent by Mrs D. Dunbar, Langlandsthe ram's horn snuff mull presented to them by the lateCaptain M'Dowall, . the property of Mrs Sloan of Elmbankthe minute book of the seven incorporations, extending back to1612, lent by Mr Primrose of Primrosehill ; that of the Glovers,belonging to Mr James Lennox ; a burgess ticket of 1773, infavour of an ancestor of his own, lent by Mr J. J. Glover, Hazlewood; a book by the late Henry D. Thoreau, bearing the author'sautograph, and also that of Carlyle, who presented it to Aird, theproperty of Mr Cumming, Albany. In the same case with thisbook and the Carlyle and Cunningham letters are a (silhouette ofLieutenant Allan, of the Canadian Queen's Rangers, and an editionof " The Gentle Shepherd " edited by him, lent by Mr Allan,chemist, Dumfries. Mr Henry Gordon exhibits the MS. of Train'shistory of the Huchanites, with annotations and criticisms in the

Transactions. 193hand of Andrew Innes, the last survivor of the sect ; and Mr J. J.Glover, one of the spinning wheels made by them during their stayinGalloway. A cutlass which belonged to Paul Jones is exhibitedby Mr W. A. Dinwiddie ; Mr Lennox has two pistols that werealso his property ;and Mr J. Corrie, Mouiaive, an imperfect pistolbelieved on good evidence to have belonged to James Eenwick,the martyr. The " jougs " from INIoniaive Cross are also on view,and beside them is hung the iron belt, with handcuffs attached,which was made for the security of Haggart, the murderer andprison breaker.Among the few natural history objects which have been addedfor the occasion to the Society's collection may be mentioned awhite hare, of unusual size and very pure in colour, which wasshot on South Cowshaw, Tinwald, more than a dozen years ago.Interesting explanations of the use of electric and galvanicapparatus were given by Messrs John Rutherford (late secretary)and John Neilson, M.A.Wi of December, ] 889.Mr James G. H. Starke, M.A., in the Chair.New Members.—Mr John Primrose, solicitor, and ]\Irs JohnCraig, of Rotchell Park.Donations.—Mr David Sharp, F.R.S., presentedhis work onInsecta ; the Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society ofNorth Carolina ;Transactions of the Stirling Natural History andArchaeological Society ; Report of the British Association meetingat Newcastle.The Chairman congratulated the Society on the success of therecent Exhibition, and intimated that the Council had requestedMr James Barbour to endeavour to make a beginning of a collectionof portraits of local celebrities to be permanently placed inthe Society's rooms.Communications.I. Additional Notes on the Flora of Wigtoivnshire, with Notes onMoffat, Dumfriesshire, and Kirkcudbrightshire Plants.By Mr James M'Andrew.As our Natural Histoiy and Antiquarian Society should beinterested in the Flora of Wigtownshire with a view of eventually

194 Transactions.making as complete a list of the plants of West Galloway aspossible, I need no apology for again laying before you some additionalinformation on the Flora of our neighbouring county.Though much yet requires to be done towards the compilation of afull list of Wigtownshire plants, yet I am happy to say thatmaterial for this purpose is yearly accumulating ;and if the informationat present available for this purpose were utilised andcatalogued, it would present a very respectable Flora of Wigtownshire.During last July and August (1889) I spent a few weeks atthe Isle of Whithorn and Garliestown — places inWigtownshire Ihad not formerly visited. I botanised almost the whole seaboardfrom Burrowhead to Orchardton Bay, besides extending my walksseveral miles inland. The Isle of Whithorn affords to visitorsquietness and bracing sea air ; while Garliestown, from its situationat the head of its bay, and from the wooded nature of itsvicinity, does not possess such bracing air, though it has numerouscompensating advantages. Many of the fields in the south of theMachars have " scraggy knowes " where the common wild plantsluxuriate undisturbed. In the hollows between these ridges aremany small lochs containing aqi;atic plants, almost each loch havingits own distinctive vegetation. The Flora of the south of theMachars is entirely lowland.The following plants are new records for Wigtownshire :1. Thlaspi Arvense—In abundance in some fields between the Isleof Whithorn and the Gamekeeper's Cottage.2. Allium Vineale—In plenty all along the heughs betsveen CruggletonCastle and Port Allan.3. Ranunculus Sceleratus and 4, Valerianella Olitoria—Both rare,at Port Yerrick.5. Medicago Lupulina—In abundance on the roadsides, in fields,and in waste places all along the shore from Orchardton Bay southwards.6. Astragalus Hypoglottis—About Burrowhead, and in greaterplenty and in fruit on the grassy heughs east of the Isle.7. Convolvulus Arvensis—On the roadsides south of Whithorn andat Garliestown.8. ^tliusa Cynapium—Among corn on Drummorral Farm ;rare.9. Euphorbia Exigua—On the Isle Farm ; rare.10. Sanguisorba Oflicinahs—North of Eggerness Point; not common.11. Calamintha Clinopodiura—In several large patches north side ofGarliestown Bay.12. Thalictrum Flavum ; 13. Arenaria Serpyllifolia, var. heptoclados;14. Atriplex Littoralis, var. maruia— all in the same locality—Garlies-

TUANSACTIONS. 19515. Lopidium rudorale —Among corn on Penkill farm.16. Cares intermedia— In several marshy places round the Isle.17. Carex paniculata—Very luxuriant in High Arrow Loch, and ina loch north of Cutreoch farm, &c.Pond.18. Carex teretiuscula—Prestrie Loch, &c.19. Carex flava, var. cyperoides (Maisson)—Garliestown Curling20. Chara polyacantha—This is an interesting find. i\Ir Coles foundit in 1883 on Culdoch Moor, Kelton, Kirkcudbrightshire. It has beenfound elsewhere in Scotland only in Fife and Roxburgh. I found it intwo lochs near the Isle of Whithorn— in the loch north of Cutreochfarm, and in a loch unmediately north of Burrowhead. Where thewater is comparatively shallow, this chara almost entirely covers thebottom, and a characteristic of the plant is the way in which it spreadsout its branches into the deeper water, " seeking rest and finding none."lu addition to theabove twenty new records, I may name afew of the rarer and more characteristic plants of the district.Garliestown Bay proved the most fruitful in the variety andluxuriance of its vegetation. Here such sea shore plants as Samolusvalerandi, Carex vulpiua,CEnanthe Lachenalii, &c., attain a greatsize. Port Yerrick Bay stands second in productiveness. At thesouth end of it I found a large patch of Artemisia maritima.Carduus crispus is common, and Sium angustifoliam grows in lochsand ditches to the west of the Isle. South of Garliestown, alongwith Atriplex littoralis, var. marina, grows Suseda maritima ingreat profusion. About the Isle I gathered Scrophularia aquaticain abundance in Drummullin Burn, running into the milldam, intown Bay. This Atriplex occurs in great profusion soutli of Garliestown.Avhich Chara vulgaris and Potamogeton crispus were found. Crithmummaritimum grows on the rocks about Burrowhead and eastof the Isle. Ononsis spinosa, Heliantliemum vulgai'e, Genistatinctoria, Ulex gallii are frequent.Juncus obtusiflorus and Juncusmaritimus are found in several places along the shore ;Spergulariarupestris near the Isle Cairn ; Statice limonium, var. bahusiensis,from Orchardton Bay to Garliestown ; and Epilobium hirsutumfrequent about Garliestown.In Eggerness Wood are found Circoealutetiana, Solidago virga-aiirea, Mercurialis perennis, Hippophserhamnoides, Scirpus lacustris, in Palmallet Pond; and Typhalatifolia in Prestrie Loch.Scolopendrium vulgare grows in plentyby the sides of two ditches—one from Penkill Farm to GarliestownBay, another from Palmallet Pond to the shore. Aspleniuniadiantum nigrum grows on dykes between Garliestown and

;196 Transactions.Millisle and about Eggerness Point. There is nothing new to beremarked about the cryptogamic flora of Wigtownshire.The Rev. James Gorrie, F.C. Manse, Sorbie, who is wellacquainted with the botany of his own and neighbouring parishes,sends me a list of a few plants, among which are other two newrecords for the county— 1, Adoxa moschatellina, near Sorbie village; and 2, Viburnum opulus, at "Waulkmill.Also, in September last Mr Charles Bailey, of Manchester,botanised in Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire, chiefly amongthe RosEe and the Rubi, but the result of his work has not yet beenpublished.Mr John T. Johnstone, secretary to the Moffat Field Club,has sent me a list of Mofl'at plants gathered by himself, as newrecords for Dumfriesshire. These are : Sagina procumbens, var.spinosa—near the Beef Tub ; Hieracium auratum—Mofl'at WaterH. Sparsifolium— Craigmichen Scaurs ; Ajuga pyramidalis—Black'sHope ;Saxifraga nivalis—Black's Hope. The Rev. E. F. Linton,of Bournemouth, visited the Grey Mare's Tail during the pastsummer, principally in search of Hieracia, but he has not yetpublished a list of his gatherings in that locality.The following plants have been recently confirmed from theMofl'at district, chiefly by Mr Johnstone himself: Thalictrumminus, Silene maritima, Cerastium alpinum, Saxifraga oppositifolia,Sedum rhodiola, Calamintha clinopodium, Saussurea alpina, Hieraciumsaxifragum, Hieracium pallidum, Hieracium prenanthoides,Crepis succisajfolia, Oxyria reniformis, Salix herbacea, Habenariaviridis, Veronica montana, Festuca ovina, var. rubra, Woodsiailvensis (from Corrieferran), Cystopteris fragilis, Aspidium lonchitis,Nephrodium dilatatum, with its vars. dumetorum, collina, tanacetifolia,robusta, grandidens, micromera, and valida.These last weregathered by Mr James Anderson, Mofl'at.The following plants recorded from the Mofl'at district about30 years ago, chiefly by the late Mr John Sadler and the Rev. W.Bennet, have not been recently confirmed, and await re-confirmation:Lychnis viscaria, Alchmilla alpina, Saxifraga aizoides,CircEea alpina, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Pyrola secunda (this hasbeen found at Beld Craig since Mr Sadler's time by the late ProfessorBalfour's class), Trientalis europajus, Tofieldia palustris,Juncus triglumis, Juncus castaneus, Juncus bifidus, Carex rupestris,carex rigida, carex capillaris, and Lycopodium annotinum. I amafraid that the names of the majority of the above mentioned

Tkansactions. 197plants ought now to be erased from the Flora of Dumfriesshire.However, after finding Saxifraga nivalis in the Moffat district it isto be hoped that ]\Ir Johnstone's diligence may yet be rewardedby a re-confirmation of several of the above plants.Mr Charles Scott, late of Terregles Gardens, and now atNetherby Gardens, Longtown, has sent me lists of mosses andHepatica3 gathered at Penton Linns, on the borders of Dumfriesshire; as also a list of some flowering plants, but with theexception of Neottia nidus-avis, and Epipactis latifolia, they areall common.The only plants I have to record as new from Kirkcudbrightshireare (1) Hieracium sparsifolium, gathered by Mr Coles atHalfmark, Carsphairn, in July, 1884 ; and (2) Hieracium holosericeum,gathered bj^ myself several years ago on Milldown, KellsRange. Mr Coles also records this year a new station for Osmundaregalis near Gatehouse.II.Notes on the Diamond Mines and Gold Fields of South Africa.By Mr George F. Scott Elliot, M.A.The Central Mine at Kimberley is one of the most astonisliingmonuments of human industry in the world. It is an enormousexcavation, large enough to contain the whole of Trafalgar Squareand deeper than the Nelson Column. Moreover, this gigantic pitis not by any means the whole of the mine. The workings arenow carried on wholly underground and extend to a depth of 800feet. They consist of narrow tunnels, up and down whichKaffirs, in very simple clothing, are perpetually shoving trucks.The diamondiferous blue earth is first exposed to the rain andsun for some months. This exposure disintegrates it, and beingsubsequently washed, the diamonds are easily picked out.The De Beer's Mine is almost as large as the Central. Itlies to the south-east of the Central, and is an irregular ellipsesome 1020 feet Ion 5 by 480 feet broad.Du Toit's Pan Mine lies to the south-west of De Beer's andis also elliptical in shape, with a strong projection inwards at onepoint. Its long axis lies E.N.E. and W.S.W., and it is about 2000feet long and 1000 feet across.Bultfontein is much smaller and circular in shape and lies alittle to the south-west of Du Toit's Pan. Diamonds are alsofound in smaU quantities at other points near Kimberley, viz. :Oltu's & Taylor's Kopje, Yager's fonteiii, &c. Diamonds are also

:196 Transactions.found in considerable quantities in a coarse conglomerate on thebanks of the Vaal River. The stones in this conglomerate are allwater-worn and about the size of a hen's egg. They appear tobegin suddenly at Warrenton and Sixteen streams, and are foundalong its course for a considerable distance. Probably the riverhas cut into some mine similar to those at Kimberley, and thediamonds have been washed out of it. It is worth noting that atWaiTenton this conglomerate is 60 or even 100 feet above the presentbed of the river.A very remarkable point about theoccurrence of these minesconsists in their being distributed along a narrow belt of country.This runs X.X.E. by S.S.AY., and is about 80 miles long and 2 or3 miles broad. Such a distribution maj^ perhaps point to a lineof weakness, along which volcanic craters were formed.It is nowgenerally admitted that the diamond mines are simply volcanicnecks or pipes, and they appear to occur, so far as I could judge,about the epoch of the Kimberley shales.The following sections shew the rocks encountered in theshafts where records were kept

Transactions. 199the small mine, St. Augustine's, near the Central. Though thismay be the result of a lateral thrust, it seems more simply explainedas the result of volcanic action. Hence if we suppose theabove reasoning correct, the period of formation of the craters isfixed as the ei)och of the deposition of the Kimberley shales bythe occurrence of this dolerite contemporaneously with the shales.The next point of interest is to know wliether the diamondiferousblue earth occurs really in situ or has been washed in fromabove. I am strongly inclined to the latter view, and for thefollowing reasons :whatever.1. The blue earth has no distinctively igneous appearance2. Though in the case of St. Augustine's Mine the part of theblue near the edge of the pit is hardened, there is generally nosign of the blue having been ejected from below, and it certainlydoes not alter the rocks with which it is in contact. Usuallyspeaking, those parts of the blue earth which are in contact withthe surrounding strata are marked by a soft jumbled or " soapy "condition.3. Mr G. R. Lee, of Kimberley, shewed me a piece of lignitefound in the blue earth, and he also told me that he had foundlimestone shells apparently unaltered in the blue earth.It appears therefore very probable that the blue earth hassimply been brought in from above.There are even many reasonswhich tend to shew that the whole of the craters were subaqueous.The Kimberley shales have all the ajipeaiance of a deposit formedin deep and cjuiet water. One must also remember that they formthe starting point of the fresh water beds of the Caroo formationand the Stormberg Beds (sandstones and coalmeasures), all ofwhich are distinguished by a remai'kable horizontality of the strata,and which attain a thickness of 2000 feet on an average. A glanceat the map of South Africa shews a gigantic mountain chainwithin 80-120 miles of the coast and rising to an average heightof 7000 feet above the sea.This range (the Drakensberg) includessuch mountains as the Font aux Sources, 10,000 feet; the Giant'sCastle, 9657 feet ; and Cathkin Peak, 10,357 feet. Now Kimberleyis only 4200 feet above the sea. The basin of the VaalRiver in fact is bounded by the Drakensberg, then by a continuousseries of mountain ranges, under different names (Stormbergen,Bamboesbergen, Kikvorschbergen, Nieuwveld, Roggeveld, Guaa]!,&c.), which run all round the southern corner of the continent at

200 Transactions.from 80 to 170 miles from the sea. We have no reason to supposethat the deep and narrow gorges through which the Orange Rivernow makes its way out of these mountains to the west alwaysexisted ; but we have every reason to think that these mountainswere at one time much higher than they now are. If, in fact, onetries to realise this semicircular rim of mountains with the wholedrainage of the Orange River enclosed as a gigantic lake within it,one will, I think, be able to explain the deposition of the Kimberleyshales, Caroo and Stormberg Beds, Avhich have a so remarkablyregular and uniform appearance. The strata are perfectlyhorizontal now through most of their course, and the Caroo Beds,as well as at anyrate the coal beds of the Stormberg, are freshwaterdeposits.It follows from this that Kimberley must have been duringpart of this period at the bottom of a vast inland lake, and if Iam right in placing the formation of the craters as closely succeeding,if not during the deposition of, the Kimberley shales, thevolcanoes must have been subaqueous. The craters would therefore,after the lava had been ejected, become gradually filled up bymud (possibly tufaceous) containing organic remains. There isno reason, however, to suppose that volcanic action ceased altogether.It is possible that volcanic gases or steam continued topass up through this porous mass of finely divided sediment.Perhaps the peculiar veins found in the diamondiferous blueearth show that this really was the case.as already stated, there is a band of hardened blueIn St. Augustine's mines,running roundthe edge of the mine. In De Beer's there is what is called " theSnake," which runs right acrossthe mine from S.E.-N.W., and ofa peculiar structure. In Du Toit's Pan there is an isolated laminatedmass of rock of a peculiar kind (called Mount Ararat) incentre of the blue earth, with three veins of hardened blue earthrunning across the mine from it to the sides.theIn the central minethere is a vertical narrow fissure, filled apparently by very hardblue earth, which appears to traverse the surrounding rocks in thedirection of De Beer's mine.I have not yet received a description of the petrologicalcharacterof these veins, and therefore cannot say more than that itseems to be probable that they are due to the action of volcanicgases at a great heat and pressure penetrating the porous blueearth along certain lines or crevices. Moreover, such an action ofvolcanic gases would perhaps explain the formation of diamonds

ATransactions. 201from the orgcanic remains in the sediment quite ns well as anythingthat our present ignorance of the subject could suggest.Goldfields.—It is almost impossible toexaggerate the richnessof the Transvaal so far as precious metals ai'e concerned. Goldoccurs almost throughout its whole extent.Coal is found also overa very large area, while ironstone is common. Silver and copper,lead and cobalt also exist at diflferent places in payable quantities.Gold occurs in three distinct forms.1. As quartz or reefgold in veins amongst quartz rocks and veryoften in granitic rocks.— j\Iost of the Barberton mines consist of thiskind of gold-bearing quartz rock, and the gold from the WaterbergMountains, Swaziland, part of that from Bechuanaland andMatabeleland appears to be of this nature.This must of course bethe original form in which it is found, and it is not surprising thatapparently the whole district occupied by the oldest rocks in SouthAfrica (viz., the North of the Transvaal, Matabeleland, and probablythe whole country to the north as far as the Zambesi) containsgold.It appears to be invariable with primary rocks in thispart of the world that they contain gold. Thus gold has beenfound in the Table Mountain granite, and also the granites andgneisses of Madagascar (probably of the same formation as thoseon the opposite African coast) contain gold.2. As alluvial or " flacer " gold that is in large or small quantitiesin satid or gravel washed by water out of its original state.—noteworthy feature of the alluvial gold in South Africa is itsoccurrence at the Devil's Kantoor {i.e., place of business), where itis found in sand almost on the summit of the highest mountain inthe neighbourhood, showing that there has been an enormousamount of denudation in the surrounding district. It is also foundat the Kuysna between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, apparentlyin connection with the granite of Table Mountain or some of therocks which accompany it. I was, however, unable to visit eitherof these localities.3. In the "banket" of IVitivater's Rand and Klerksdorp.— This form appears to be peculiar to South Africa. The nameis derived from a peculiarly horrible kind of sweetmeat somethinglike almond rock which is much appreciated by the Dutch. It isin reality a coarse conglomerate consisting chiefly of quartz fragments,and containing gold in the matrix.I was only able to paya very hurried visit, but the following notes may be of interest.At Kk'rk.sdorp the banket is found on both sides of a marked

202 Transactions.anticline. Near the town it is found dipping west at an anglewhich appeared to be about 45° in the mine seen by me ; on theNooitgedacht property on the other hand, about 3 miles off, it isfound dipping east at from 12° to 60°.At Johannesburg I was, after much difficulty, able to visit theWeinmer and Ferreira proiêrties. Here the accompanying rocks,chiefly schists, a very hard limestone, and sandstones, dip south ata very high angle, usually about 80° (though in places only 45°).In the properties I saw there were about 7 of these belts of conglomerateinterbedded with sandstones and usually 2 or 3 feetthick ; a thin belt of sandstone is interleaved with one of thesebelts of conglomerate. The few inches of sandstones in contactwith the conglomerate are hardened slightly, and also contain gold.It is said that this conglomerate has been traced to Klerksdorpfrom Johannesburg, and it is also said that banket exists atAmsterdam considerably to the west, but I could not verify thesestatements.From the manner in which it occurredwith sandstones it canscarcely be doubtful that it is an ordinary water-formed conglomerate.(Mr Ballot of Rolfontein showed me a small shellembedded in banket which would of course prove this.) Ithas in all probability been formed along the shore of some greatinland sea, and its position both in time and space are in favour ofthe existence of such an inland sea as that mentioned above. Ifound the strata to the North of Pretoria at the MacaliesbergMountains again dipping north, which if I was right in recognisingsome of the Johannesburg rocks would prove that banket shouldexist somewhere near.A series of sandstones and coalmeasures overlie theprimitiveauriferous rocks over a large area. Instead of being inclined at ahigh angle, they are horizontal or slightly folded. The coal isfound and worked at Boksburg, twelve miles from Johannesburg.I again saw it worked at Middelburg, and further south at EiTuelo.The whole country from Middelburg to Lake Chrissie and thencesome distance to the south of Errnelo consisted of these sandstonesand coalmeasures. The coal lies close to the surface, and thedistrict being conveniently cut up into small valleys, one oftenfinds the coal cropping out in the bed of the streams.

Transactions.2039M oj Jatncary, 1890.Mr Robert Murray in the Chairwick'Tri Hick, Mr/r-V^',?'^^^"?^ M'Kerrov., Borelandand of South-John Proudfoot, Ivy House, MoffatCommunications.l.~Mefeorologkal Notes in Dumfries for i88g. By RevWilliam Andson."3^hjau fe Sw^ «2 ^•o>>WJuo

204 Transactions.Barometer.—The highest reading of the barometer occurredon the 5th December, on the evening of which day it stood at30'725 inches—the highest reading for the last four years. Thelowest reading was on the 7th October, when the mercury fell to28.445 in. On that occasion a very deep depression moved fromsouth-west to north-east, the centre of wliich passed over the northof Ireland and the extreme south of Scotland, and about 9 A.M.was very near Dumfries. A large amount of cirrus cloud in theafternoonof the previous day, with a backing wind and a fallingbarometer, gave premonition of the approach of a cyclonic disturbance; and the fact that at the hour mentioned, the wind, when thebarometer was at the lowest, was comparatively modei'ate, thoughit had been very strong and squally during the night, was anevidence that the centre of the cyclone was then passing over thisdistrict. Between 9 P.M. on the 6th and 9 A.M. on the 7th, twelvehours, the fall in the barometer was 1072 in. The range for theyear was 2 '280 in., and the mean pressure (reduced to 32 deg. andsea level) was 29-925 in.—very nearly the average of the threeprevious years. Low barometer readings, ranging from 28"9 in. to29 '2 in., occurred in January, February, March, April, August,November, and December, and were for the most part accompaniedby storms of wind and rain, but the year has not been exceptionalin this respect, and in no case has the mean pressure of any monthfallen below 29 '661 in., which happened in October, the month inwhich most rain fell. In January, June, September, November,and December the mean pressure exceeded 30 in., and in all thesemonths the weather was of a favourable character.Temperature.—The highest temperature of the year wasrecorded on the 22d June, when the maximum reading of the thermometerwas 82-4 deg., as compared with 83'6 deg. on 26th June,1888, and 87 deg. on 25th June, 1887. It is worthy of remarkthat the highest single day readings during the past three years haveoccurred in June, about or shortly after the summer solstice. Themean temperature of June last was also the highest of the year,viz., 59'8 deg., as compared with 57'8 deg. in July, and 57*7 deg.in August, though as a rule the highest mean temperatures usuallyoccur in Jnly. From the 14th June to the 6th July, there wasvery bright sunny weather, during which the maximum readings ofthe thermometer ranged from 64 deg. to 82 '4 degs., and theminimum from 46 deg. to 54 deg., and no rain fell, and in allduring the summer there were 46 days on which the maximum

Transactions. 205readings exceeded 70 deg., in contrast with 14 days in 1888, and40 days in 1887. The lowest temjjerature of the year was recordedon 10th February and 4th March, on both of which the minimumreading was 20'5 degs., as compared with 13'3 deg. in February,1888, and 21 deg. in December, 1887. Annual range of temperature,61 "9 deg. The month of lowest mean temperature wasFebruary, with a record of 37 '8 deg., and December came nextwith 38-7 deg., and Januaiy tliird with 39"9 deg. In 1888 thelowest mean temperature was also in February, and the next lowestin March.There were 55 nights on which the thermometer fell to32 deg. and under, with an aggregate of 193 degrees of frost. Thiscompares favourably with the two previous years, there havingbeen in 1888, 83 nights of frost, with an aggregate of 293 degrees ;and in 1887, 96 nights, with an aggregate of 360 degrees. Anunusual circumstance was the absence of frost in April and May,in the former of which there was only one night on which theprotected thermometer fell slightly below the freezing point,while in May the lowest recorded temperature was 40 deg., themean temperature of that month being fullj' 5 deg. above average.The mean temperature of the year was 48-1 deg., as compared with46-5 deg. in 1888, and 47-2 deg. in 1887, and 46-2 deg. in 1886.This is the first year since I began to take observations that themean annual temperature of Dumfries has reached, or ratherslightly exceeded, the value assigned to it in temperature charts,viz., 48 deg. With a fully average temperature, and a sufficientbut not excessive supply of moisture, the year has on the wholebeen very favourable to vegetation.Rai?ifall.—The heaviest falls of rain within 24 hours occurredon the 6th March and the 6th June, on both of which days 1*22 in.were recorded. On the former of these days there was a continuousand heavy fall of rain during the day, followed by sleet andsnow during the night. The excessive fall in June was connectedwith a severe thunderstorm, Avhich began about 6 p.im., and continuedwith more or less severity till near midnight. The rainiestmonth of the year was October, with a total of 5-16 in., which fellin 21 days. But August was the month in which the greatestnumber of rainy daj's occurred, viz., 25 out of the 31, to the sadinterruption of harvest work in most parts of the country. But asif to compensate for this the driest month was September, with arecord of only 1*69 in. spread over 11 days:—and November,February, and June came next, all of which shewed less than 2 in.

206 Transactions.It is worthy of note that last year also Fel)ruary and Septemberwere the driest months. There was a period of drought extendingfrom 15th of June to the 6th of July, in which no rain fell, andwhich was characterised throughout by warm and sunny days andmild nights. The mean of the day temperature during this periodwas 73-9 deg., and of the night temperature fully 49 deg. Thetotal number of days on which rain or snow fell during the yearwas 202, as compared with 195 in 1888, and 181 in 18S7. Thetotal rainfall for the year was .35-17 in., as compared with 35'91 in1888, 30-99 in 1887, and 41 -13 in 188G. This gives a mean forthe four years in which observations have been taken at Dumfriesof 35-80 in.Hygrometer.—^The mean reading of the dry bullj thermometerfor the year was 47-5 deg., and of the wet bulb 45-1 deg. The difference(2-4 deg.) is exactly the same as last year, but the temperaturesof this year are higher by 1 -5deg., a difference very nearlycorresponding with the increase in the mean temperature of theyear—from 46-5 deg. to 48-1 deg.Temperature of the dew point,42-4 deg. Relative humidity (saturation being equal to 100) 82.Thunderstorms.— There were eight days on which thunderand lightning were observed, viz., the 5th and 7th of May, the 2dand 6th of June, the 15th, 16th, and 23d of July, and the 8th ofOctober. Of these the stoi-ms of 7th May, 2d and 6th June, 16thJuly, and 8th October were most severe. The others were eithersomewhat distant or of short continuance, but they were almostinvariably accompanied by hail showers. Once, on 16th May, at9 A.M., I observed a very large solar halo ; and on several occasionslunar halos were observed, which, though not invariably,were for the most part precursors of the approach of a cyclone,especially if accompanied by a backing wind and a falling barometer.Wmd.—It may be interesting to note the prevailing directionsof the wind during the year. From an easterly direction,including E., N.E., and S.E., it blew 228 times (observations beingtaken twice every day, morning and evening) ;and from a westerlydirection, including W., N.W., and S.W., 408 times ;from due N.,23 times; due S., 42 times ; the remainder, numbering 29, beingeither calm or variable. The most prevalent wind is S.W., whichduring the past year blew on 108 days out of the 365. It is tothe prevalence of this wind in November, December, and Januarythat the mildness of our winters is chiefly due.

Transactions. 207We are indebted to Mr Bruce of Dalshangan for the followingnote of observations taken during 1889 at Dalshangan, in theparish of Carsphairn, which is about 500 feet above sea level.Temperature— highest, iu June 79-5 deg; lowest, in March, 14deg; range, 65-5 deg. ; mean temperature of the year, 45-9. Eainfall—rainiestmonth, December, 6-07 in. ; driest, June, 0-73 in.Total for year, 44-50 in.II.Notice of Antiquities found in Dumfriesshire, and twtv hreservedin the National Museum in Editiburgh. By Geokge F.Black,Ph.D.In describing the objects and implements from Dumfriesshirein the National Museum it will be convenient to take them in theorder of their antiquity. According to this arrangement theimplements of flint and stone are the first to be described.The implements of flint, stone, and bronze found in Dumfriesshireand now in the National Museum are few compared with thenumber from one or two of the neighbouring counties, as, forexample, Wigtownshire.* Nevertheless, the specimens, such asthey are, are interesting and valuable for the purposes of comparativearchaeology.STONE IMPLEMENTS.1. v4.v^j.—Axehead, or celt of felstone, 61 inches in length,by three inches across the widest part at the cutting edge, whichis of oblique form. The sides are flat, and the cutting edge isslightly fractured on each face. The obliquity of the cutting edgeis supposed by some archseologists to be due to resharpening.Thisaxehead was found at Dinwoodie Green, and was added to theMuseum by purchase. An axe of the rare type, with sharp sides,was discovered in blowing up some large stones, possibly those ofa dolmen, at Mains, near Dumfries, in 1779, and is described inthe ArchKologia {no\ vii., p. 414) as of " fine granite stone, highlypolished, 9 inches long, 4^ broad at one end, tapering to the other,its thickness in the middle % of an inch, and quite sharp at theedges all round." tII. Wedge-shaped Hammers.—About the year 1840, MrGraham, of the farm of Westhills, near the Solway, took down an* The great abundance of the specimens from Wigtownshire is due tothe fact that the sandhills of Glenluce, like those at Oulbin, Elginshire,occupy the site of a prehistoric flint implement manufactory.t Quoted by Evans, Ancient Stone Implements, p. 97.

208 Transactions.old wall, which was said to have stood upwards ot two hundredyears, and the hammer here described was found embedded in it.The hammer is of whinstone, and measures llf inches in length,by 4i inches across the Avidest part at the butt end, tapering to apoint at the other, and is 2^ inches in thickness. A haft-hole hasbeen perforated through the flat face at about 3 inches from thebutt end.A hammer of greenstone, 1inches in length, by 4^ inches inbreadth and 3 inches in thickness, was found at Kirk of Dunscore,and presented to the National Museum in 1827. It is a finelymadespecimen, with a broad rounded butt gradually tapering to asharp cutting edge at the other extremity. It weighs 6i lbs. Thehaft-hole is 2 inches in diameter on the outside, narrowing to Ifinch in the middle of the thickness.The third and last specimen is of whinstone, 7h inches inlength, by 3 inches in breadth and 2f inches in thickness, and isunsymmetrical in form. The haft-hole is 2 inches in diameter onthe outside, narrowing to one inch in the middle of the thickness.Several fine specimens of these implements are in the collectionof the late Dr Grierson at Thornhill, and have been brieflydescribed by me in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries ofScotland, Vol. X. (New Series), pp. 374, 375.A large and characteristic specimen of this type of implementwas found on the site of a lake dwelling in the Loch of Friars'Carse, and is now in the possession of the proprietor of the place.It is of hard whinstone, 10 inches in length, by 5 inches in greatestbreadth and nearly 3 inches in thickness, and has been severaltimes figured.*It is an interesting fact in archfeology that this type ofimplement is much more common in the south than in the northof Scotland.Ayr, Wigtown, Kirkcudbright, and Dumfries are thefour shires in which they are found in greatest number.In the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art there is a finespecimen of a hammer of a type peculiar to Shetland and theextreme north of Scotland. It is said to have been found in awall at Dumfries, and is the largest specimen of the type known tome to have been found in Scotland. It measures 5 inches in* Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Vol. IV., NewSeries, p. 76 ; Munro, Scottish Lake Dwellings, p. 1.56, and Lake Dwellings ofEurope, p. 440 ; Anderson, Scotland in Pagan Times, Second Series, p. 317.

Transactions. 209length, by 2| inches in breadth and IJ- inch in thickness, presentingiu the cross section a flattened oval. The shaft-hole ispartially perforated from each face, and is at a right angle to theedges, which are rounded instead of sharp. The implement hastherefore in all probability been intended for a weapon instead ofa tool.III. Quern.— -A Quern, consisting of an upper stone 20inches in diameter and a lower stone 21 inches in diameter, bothof quartz, found in a peat bog at Canobie, and presented to theNational Museum in 1863. The upper stone has three smallsocket-holes for the handle on its upper face.IV. Carved Stone Ball.—A ball of felspathic greenstone, 2finches in diameter, ornamented with six projecting circular discs,is stated by Dr (now (Sir) Daniel Wilson to have been " foundnear the line of the old Eoman way whichruns through Dumfriesshire on its northernfrom Carlisle."While the large perforatedhammers already described arecommon in the south of Scotland andrare in the northern counties, exactly thereverse is the case Avith these stone balls.The only other south country specimensknown to me is an imperfect one foundFif,. l.-Carced Stone Balljj^ jggg qq the farm of Stelloch, Glasserfound,ton,^-rj. , , . ,j. j ^Wigtownshire, and presented tojîthein Dumfriesshire.•' "^National Museum by Sir Herbert Maxwell, and a fine one of whitequartz, 3 inches in diameter, with six projecting discs, found inCree Moss, Wigtownshire, and now in the Thornhill Museum. Inthe north-eastern counties, especially in Aberdeenshire, they arefound in considerable numbers. Only one specimen is knoAvn tome to have been found outside Scotland, namely, the one in theBritish Museum, which is said to have been found near Ballymena,County Antrim, in 1850. In all probability this specimen mayreally be a Scotch one carried over, lost and afterwards found inthe place mentioned. The Dumfriesshire specimen is shown infig. 1, and has also been figured elsewhere.** Catalogue of the Museum, 1876, p. 39 ; Wilson's Prehistoric Annals ofScotland, Vol. I., p. 195 ; Evans' Ancient Stone Implements, p. 376 ; Proceedinijsof the Society of Antiquariam of Scotland, Vol. XI., p. .36; Anderson,Scotland in Pa

210 Transactions./V. Whorls.—Until recently there was only one whorl fromDumfriesshire in the national collection, which was found at Mosspeeble.It is formed of claystone, one inch in diameter, anddiffers somewhat from the usual form of whorl in being sphericalshaped. In February last (1889) other six specimens, all found atMouswald, were added to the national collection by donation.Five are of sandstone, and the sixth is of claystone. The largest is1^ inches in diameter, and the smallest 1^*^ inch. One is ornamentedon each face with incised lines radiating from the spindlehole. The others are unornamented.VI. Arrow and Spear Heads.—An arrow-head of greyishflint, found at Gretna, and presented to the National Museum in1877, is one of the finest in the collection. Itis of the variety with barbs and stem, andmeasures ly% inch in length. The stem is broadand is convex at the end. The apertures betweenthe barbs and stem are most carefullymade, and the ends of the barbs slant from theinner side outward and forward. Through anoversight on Dr Anderson's part, this arrowheadis described as from Glenluce, Wigtown-Fir/.s.—FUntAnouhead, shire. It is showu fuU size in figure 2, and^vith harb and utem, j^jag also been figured elsewhere, ffoimd at Gretna. a:.)iii ij. ^ i i jyAnother barbed and stemmed arrow-head oigrey flint, also found at Gretna, is imperfect, one of the barbsbeing broken off".A third arrow-head, also of the barbed and stemmed type,found at Riggmoor, has apparently accompanied an interment, asit has been subjected to the action of fire. There is littlesecondary working on either face, and one of the barbs has beenbroken off.A fine spear-head of the barbed and stemmed type is also inthe Museum. It measures 2| inches in length, and shows someminute secondary working on the faces. The stem is broad,square-ended, and the barbs are worked to fine points, one being alittle longer than the other. It was found at Grainhead, GretnaGreen.A large lozenge-shaped spear-head of light grey flint, whichwas said to have also been found at Gretna Green, is in the+ Scotland in Pagan Times, Second Series, p. ,358, fig. 358 ; andProceedimjs of the Society of Antiquariawi of Scotland, Vol. XII., page 270.

collection.Transactions. 211In form and material this specimen so closely resemblesa common Irish type that I have doubts about its being Scotch.It measures 3i inches in length, and has been formed from a largeflake of almost even thickness, with a smooth fracture on each face,thus rendering surface chipping unnecessary. The edges, however,are finely worked.This specimen stands alone among the Scottishspecimens in the Museum both as regards form, size, and material,but is matched by many from Ireland which are in the collection.BRONZE IMPLEMENTS.The commonest and best known implements of the BronzeAge in Scotland are (1) the axes, which are divided according toform, into {a) flat, (l?) flanged, (c) winged, (d) socketed ; (2) daggersand rapier-shaped blades ; (3) javelin, lance, and spear heads ; and(4) leaf-shaped swords.The flat axes are looked upon by all archaeologists as theearliest, and are considered to have been modelled on the form ofthe earlier stone axe. The flanged axe holds a position midwaybetween the flat and the winged varieties, in many instancesresembling the latter so much that it is often difficult to distinguishbetween them. Many of the flanged and most of the wingedaxes are further distinguished by the presence of a transverse stopridge,apparently for the purpose of preventing the implementsentering too far into its handle when in use.The winged axes, which are often called palstaves, diff"er fromthose of the second variety only in having " shorter flanges, combinedwith a greater amount of lateral expansion." Many of thesewinged axes are further provided with a loop on one side in thesame plane with the blade.The socketed axes, or those which are cored to receive thehandle, are with good reason considered to be the latest form ofall. This variety is rarely found without a loop at one side forgreater security in attachment to the handle. Dr John Evans, ourhighest authority on bronze implements, speaking of the evolutionof the forms of axes, says :" A gradual development can be tracedfrom the flat celt, through those with flanges and wings, to thepalstave form, with the wings hammered over so as to constitutetwo semi-circular sockets, one on each side of the blade ; while oncertain of the socketed celts flanges precisely similar to those of thepalstaves have been cast by way of ornament on the sides, and what

212 Transactions.was thus originally a necessity in construction has survived as asuperfluous decoration." *I. Bronze Axes.—Dumfriesshire is unrepresented in thenational collection by either the flat or the socketed varieties, therebeing only one flanged specimen and three of the winged type.The flanged example is a very fine specimen, and measures 5Jinches in length. The lower part of each face below the stopridgeis ornamented with narrow vertical grooves, and the outersides of the flanges are ornamented with a cable pattern, similar toanother flanged axe found near Perth and figured on page 60 ofFii.i.-^/S.— Flanged Axe of Eronze, oiimmented,Fuxind at Aj'pleaarth.Fig. U.— Winged Axe ofDroiize, found atCanobic.Dr Evans' work already quoted. The Dumfriesshire specimen,which was found at Applegarth, is shown in figure 3, and has alsobeen figured elsewhere, tA winged axe found at Birrenswark measures 5 inches inlength by 2 inches across the broadest part of the cutting edge,which is semi-circular in form. The wings are of lozenge form,and the stop-ridge on each face is imperfect through a flaw in thecasting. The bronze is of a bright yellow colour.* Ancient Bronze Implements, p. 107.t Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Vol. XII., p. 602 ;Evans, op. cil., p. CO ; Andenson, Scotland in Pagan Times, Second Series,p. 1%.

Transactions. 213The second winged axe was found at Canobie, and measures4^ inches in length by 2 inches across the cutting edge, which issemi-circular like the Birreuswark specimen. The wings aretriangular in form and are slightly bent over the faces towardeach other. There is no stop-ridge, and the butt is imperfecton one side. This axe is figured in the Proceedings of the Societyof Antiquaries of Scotland, Vol. VII., New Series, p. 163, and theillustration is here reproduced as figure 4.The third and last specimen was found at Mouswald, andmeasures 4i inches in length by 1| inch across the cutting edge.The wings are of lozenge form with rounded angles, the butt isslightly imperfect, and there is no stop-ridge.II. Dagger.—Of the type of weapon known as dagger, theNational Museum possesses a very fine example which was foundnear Gretna.It measures 7 inches inlength by 2 inches across the widestpart of the handle plate. The bladeis fluted at the edge, and is strengthenedby a slightly raised ridge alongthe centre on each side.This bladehas been attached to a handle of wood,bone, horn, or ivory, by two rivets,also of bronze, each ^-^ inch in length,both of which are still in place.Thisdagger is shown on a scale of one halfin figure 5, and has also been figuredelsewhere. *III. Rapier Blade.—A rapierblade of bright yellow bronze is alsoin the national collection.It measures1 Of inches in length, but a piece aboutF!ij. B.— Dagijer of Bronze, tvithRivets, found near Gretna.f inch in length has been broken off"the jjoiut. The breadth of the widestpart of the butt is 2\ inches, and thebase is pierced for two rivets, whichhave been lost. These rapier bladeshold an immediate position between thedagger-blade already described and the* Proccediiigii of the Society of AiUiquaries of Scotland, Vol. II., NewSeries, p. 97 ; and in Ur Anderson's Scotland in Far/an Timen, Second Series,p. 176.

214 Transactions.leaf-shaped swords, though some archceologists have suggested theiruse as spear-heads. This specimen was found at Fairholm, Lockererbie,and is very similar to one found at Coveney, near DownhamHithe, Cambridgeshire, figured on p. 249 of Dr Evans' work.Three fine specimens of rapier blades, all found at Kirkgunzeon,8f, 14i, and 15^ inches in length, are in the ThornhillMuseum.IV. Sword.—The only other weapon of the Bronze Age in thenational collection is a portion of a bronze leaf-shaped sword, nowonly 10^ inches in length. It is imperfect at both ends, but thehandle end shows two rivet holes in each wing and the side ofanother in the handle plate at the point of fracture. When perfectthis sword would have been about 21 or 22 inches in length. Noprecise locality is attached to it.V. Caldron.—A caldron, formed of thin sheet bronze, foundin Whitehills Moss, Lochmaben, has recently been added to thenational collection by purchase. It measures 13| inches indiameter across the mouth, and 15 inches across the widest part atthe middle, and is 8^ inches in height. The rim is gone, but itspresence is attested by several rivet holes round the mouth of thecaldron.A caldron of similar form to the one just described, but slightlylarger, was found not long since atKyleokin, Skye, and is figuredin the Proceedings of the Society ofAntiquaries of Scotland, Vol. VII.,New Series, page 311.Another one of somewhat similar form, 25 inches in diameter,and 18 inches in height, which was found in Carlingwark Loch,Kelton, Kirkcudbright, contained a large number of tools, such ashammers, chisels, saws, &c., of iron. It is now in the NationalMuseum, along with its contents.These caldrons are assigned to the close of the Bronze orbeginning of the early Iron Age.As regards the date of the Bronze Age in Britain, archceologistsare agreed in assigning its origin to between 1500 and 1200 yearsB.C., from which date it continued till about the third or fourthcentury B.C., when iron appears to have become known.

Transactions. 215

216 Transactions.been conspicuously absent. The Raven has been seen once. Birdsof prey have been even scarcer than usual. Speaking of birds ofprey, I am disposed to claim for Glencairn the honour of havingcontained the last Dumfriesshire " Gled " or Kite [Milvus Regalis).The year of its death would be 1869 or 1870.TI. The Balance of Nature in Regard to Our Fisheries.By Mr J. J. Armistead.In the course of this paper, Mr Armistead said that interferencewith the balance of nature was a matter which required aconsiderable amount of consideration. After an allusion to therabbit pest in the antipodes, Mr Armistead pointed out that thekilling of birds and beasts of prey, and so disturbing the balanceof nature, cleared away many enemies of rats, &c., and thus leftthese in abundance. Undoubtedly, where man thoughtlesslyinterfered with nature's balance the result probably meant loss tohimself, but where thoughtfully done the result was profitable.He alluded with satisfaction to the introduction of trout from thiscountry and America into the rivers and lakes of New Zealand,and then went on to say that in many cases man had inadvertentlyor of necessity interfered with the balance of nature as far asregarded our fishei'ies. Instances of this would be found in thealtei'ation of the flow of water, and its pollution, as well as thedraining of hills, the latter j^ractice cutting off nature's supplies fordry weather. The drainage of the hills had undoubtedly affectedour rivers very materially, and every practical fish-culturist hadbecome assured of that fact. Many large streams flowed into theSolway, for instance, carrying into itrain and snow water from adistrict ten times as big as the Solway itself, which, on account ofthe shallowness of the Solway, had a very material effect upon itswaters. The North Sea contained a great number of fish, becauseit also contained immense quantities of other marine creatures, suchas Crustacea, worms, mollusca, echinoderms, &c. For the youngfish which had been recently hatched, the presence of small microscopicorganisms in very large numbers was of vital importance.At the very time when fish left their eggs the sea was full of youngCrustacea, mussels, and echinoderms, so that the little fishes inhaledas it were with the water they breathed large numbers of theseexceedingly minute creatures.After a desci-iption of the effect ofpartially-drained lakes, Mr Armistead alluded to the work thatcould be done towards training fish to rise to the different flies. He

Transactions. 217himself had at his place introduced a sort of training school, andtried experiments with food which would float on the surface ofthe water, or, at all events, not sink very deep. Mr Armistead,speaking of shad hatching iu America, quoted a IVIr Worth on thesubject, who said that the great successachieved in the propagationof this fish demonstrated what could be done with many othervaluable fish. The success of the shad-hatching work can-ied onby the United States Fishery Commission had been proved beyondthe shadow of a doubt. At first the fishermen were rather inclinedto oppose the work, but now they were willing helpers, and theshad fisheries, which showed a great falling-off prior to the commencementof the work, had since wonderfully improved, andshowed an increase in the " take " each year. The evidence, too,which was very voluminous, was conclusive as to the successfuloperations of the Commission.There were rivers where shad hadnever befoi-e been seen, and now, as the result of the work of artificialprojiagation, they were teeming with shad. Going on tospeak of disease among fish, Mr Armistead said where fungusexisted it was impossible to exterminate it, but it might be preventedfrom attacking fish by antiseptic treatment. The problemof fungus epidemics was a difficult one. The fungus wasalways present, but only occasionally in an epidemic form, andfish could live happily in affected rivers. He was much indebtedto Mr Allan P. Swan, of Bushmills, County Antrim, for the resultsof his interesting investigations in this matter. Mr Swan said, andhe agreed with him, that the condition of health in fishes has muchto do with the fungus disease. The first consequences of a lowvitality might lie a slow or imperfect excretion and epidermicformation.Sickly fish were attacked, and many of the fish whichdied in our rivers were no doubt the legitimate food of the fungus,and one of its chief means of propagation during the cold winterweather when development was not so rapid. The purest waterwas as favourable to the growth of fungus as any othei', and pollutionswere unfavourable to fungus, as the chemicals in these pollutionswere apt to destroy the fungus. The life historyof thefungus had been well worked out, and they now knew probably asmuch about it as was at all necessary, and any points left unravelledcould easily be worked out to the smallest detail with timeand patience. He thought this could not, however, be said of thesalmon, and it was the missing link in the life histoiy of the fishthat required all the energies of both scientists and practical men

;218 Transactions.to elucidate the matter as was deserving- of it.Until this could bedone we might and would go on Iloundenng in the mire. Thiswas one of the cases in which l)y judiciously intei'fering' with thebalance of nature a vast amount of profit might accrue to the possessorsof our fisheries. It was like a valuable mine of wealthun worked.1th of March, 1890.Major BOWDEN in the Chair.New Member.—Mr Robert Maxwell Witham of Kirkconnel.Donations.—Transactions of the Edinburgh Botanical SocietyAnnual Eeport of the Belfast Field Club ;Report of the BerwickshireNaturalists' Club ; Bulletin on the English Sparrow in NorthAmerica and North American Fauna, from the United StatesBoard of Agriculture. The Transcription of Edgar's History ofDumfries from the Riddell MS. was also handed in.Communications.I. The Succession oj Plant Life upon the Earth. By MrPeter Gray.After a brief exposition of the nature and mode of depositionof the sedimentary rock strata in which the remains of previouslyexisting plants and animals are found, the author enumeratedtheir principal sub-divisions and defined the four life periods inwhich they have been further arranged, namely, the Azoic (withoutlife), the Palaeozoic (ancient life), the Mesozoic (middle life),and the Kainozoic (new life). There were no dates in thegeological record, and, as to the length of time occupied in thelaying down of the sedimentary rocks, there was the widestdiversity of opinion. Physicists, judging from the rate of coolingof the globe, and other data, were unwilling to place the timewhen it was possible for plants to exist upon it much farther backthan from ten to fifteen millions of years. On the other hand,some geologists asked for at least six hundred millions. Of theshortest of these periods, however, we could no more form acompetent conception than we could of eternity.Proceeding thento a detailed examination of the sedimentary deposits, from theearliest upwards, the author stated that though no fossils hadbeen discovered in those of the Azoic period, yet the immensecpiantity of carbon, in the form of graphite or plumbago, occurring

TUANSACTIONS. 219in them, might reasonably be taken to indicatethe previous existenceof plant life, as we knew of no other source of unoxidisedcarbon than what is furnished by plants.Passing onwards to thePaleozoic peiiod, it was shown that, to its close, the only vegetableremains that had been discovered were those of plants allied tothe humble club-mosses of the present day, then, however, assumingthedimensions of lofty trees, other gigantic plants related tothe equiseta or horsetails, ferns in innumerable species, and thelowest class of flowering plants (gymnosperms) of the same natureas the pine and yew. The characteristic vegetation of thePalaeozoic period died out in the Permian formation, and theflora of the early Mesozoic was at first transitional, althoughthere was no great advance.However, about the end of the latterperiod, whether from a gap in the record, or from whatever cause,there appeared a sudden and wonderful incoming of the higherclasses of the vegetable kingdom, including the existing genera,so that the aspect of the flora was the same as thatof the presentday, though it was much more varied, and cryptogams andgymnospermous phanerogams sank into the subordinate positionthey now occupy. This has been justly described as the trueEdenic period of the earth's history, when the dry land wasclad, perhaps from the very Pole, at least from the latitudes ofGreenland and Spitzbergen, with an exuberant growth of foliage,flower, and fruit, accompanied by a remarkable uniformity oftemperature throughout the globe. It was a noteworthy flxct thatthe successive vegetable forms which have from time to time overspreadthe earth's surface appear to have originated within thepolar circle, and this might now be regarded as established.Throughout the greater part of the Tertiary period, the land, in thenorthern hemisphere at least, continued to increase, and wastenanted by the " noblest vegetation and the grandest forms ofmammalian life the earth ever witnessed." But towards its closea gradual refrigeration set in—the " great ice age " was approaching.Slowly, but surely, the ice and snow which formed in the nowfrozen zone spread downwards, until even within the tropicsglaciers filled the mountain valleys, and the rich and multiformTertiary flora was either destroyed or driven towards theequatorial region. This wintry period having at length come toan end, the exiled plants straggled back to their native soil, a sadlydiminished band. The thick-ribbed ice that burdened so large aportion of the polar and temperate zones did not, they might be

—220 Transactions.sure, pass away without great disturbance, probably, in melting,raising the level of the ocean at least 1000 feet, perhaps causing ashifting of the earth's centre of gravity, certainly overwhelmingmuch of the previously existing solid land. From the glacial periodto the present time there had been no change in thespecies eitherof plants or animals, except that some of both have becomeextinct. In conclusion, the author said that he had not referredto the genesis of the various forms of plant life, extinct or existing.There was, however, it must be admitted, little in plant history,as at present elucidated, to sujjport the evolutionary hypothesis.Still, in the main, there had been an advance in plants, as inanimals, from the simpler to the more elaborate structure.^reat plan of Providence that was an abiding featureIn the" From lower to higher, from simple to complete,This is the pathway of the eternal feet. . .This is the solemn lesson of all time,This is the teaching of the voice sublime."II. Notes from Original Sources on the Erection of the BurnsMausoleum and the Origin of the Dumfries Burns Club.By Mr James R Wilson.The paper was compiled from the minute book of the MausoleumCommittee, of which Dr Grierson's father (Mr Wm. Griersonof Baitford) and the Rev. Henry Duncan of Ruthwell were secretaries,and from numerous letters from the celebrities of that timefound among the effects of Dr Grierson, Thornhill, which lettersMr Wilson produced for the inspection of the meeting. A jireliminarymeeting of the " friends and admirers of the late Scottishbard, Robert Burns," Mr Wilson said, was held in the George Inn,Dumfries, on 16th December, 1813, for the purpose of taking intoconsideration the measure of opening a subscription for erecting aMausoleum over his remains—John Syme of Ryedale in the chair.It was reported to the meeting that a number of gentlemen hadsignified their approbation of the measure, and it was thereafteragreed to form a Committee, and to adjourn the meeting to 6thJanuary following. At the adjourned meeting General Dunlop,M.P., son of Mrs Dunlop, of Dunlop, the poet's friend, wascalledto the chair, and it was intimated that a large number of noblemenand gentlemen highly approved of opening a public subscriptionfor the purpose. A large and influential Committee ofnoblemen and gentlemen was formed, and also a special Committee

——Transactions.22iwith Dr Duncan, Dumfries, as convener.The raising of subscriptions,Mr Wilson said, had apparently been gone about in a mostenergetic manner, and he proceeded to read the following letterwritten by Mr (afterwards Sir) Walter Scott to the secretariesfrom Edinburgh on 14th January, 1814 :I am favoured with your packet enclosing proiôsals for erecting bysubscription a mouuraeut to the memory of Burns, and I am very muchobliged to you for affording me au o]jportuuity of testifyiug my highveneration for the Ayi-shire Bard. My society is very limited, but Ihope to get some subscriptions, and would be much obliged to you tosend me a list of such as have been already procured that T may liavesome general rule for assisting my friends, for I have observed that it isoften advantageous to have au idea of what would be thought libei-aland handsome. I beg you will put my name down for ten guineas, withoutlimiting myself to that sum, however, should there be further occasion.We have to regret the loss of Mr Stark, the only architect in Scotland,as I greatly fear, who could have given a plan of simplicity ami dignitycorresponding to the genius of the author. I presume it is oulj"^ meantto inclose, not to alter or violate, the stone which Mrs Burns placed overher husband. The situation is in all respects highly striking.I will take the liberty to send one of the papers you have sent me toMr Constable, the bookseller here, whose influence is considerable, andopeus some avenues to which I have not jiersonally any access.Walter Scott.Edinburgh, 14th January, 1814.On 29th of same month the poet's brother Gilbert wrote to MrGrierson from Grant's Braes:Grant's Braes, 29th January, 1814.I received yours of the 12th inst. covering resolutions of a meetingat Dumfries of the 6th curt. You will readily believe that I was muchgratified with the exertions of a meeting so resjjectable to make so gi-eata public testimony of their regard for my brother's memory. It willreadily occur to every gentleman concerned that however much I mightbe inclined it is a matter I cannot stir or be seen in. I am not verysanguine in my expectations of aid to the subscription in this neighbourhood.I believe my brother was personally known to David Anderson,Esq., St. Germains, near Tranent, a most respectable gentleman, and aman of taste, but of too shy and delicate a cast for bringing the subscrijjtionmuch forward. Robert Stewart, Esq. of Alderston, near Haddington,was in India, I believe, at the time of my brother's death, and hasbeen more succes.sful in the i:)ursuit of wealth than of literary taste, inwhich he has not been much engaged, but I have heard him talk emjjhaticallyof heaveu-born genius, &c. His near neighbour, Robert Veitch,Esq., Hawthornbauk, is himself a votary of the muses, and sufllciL-utly

—222 Transactions.eutliusiastic, but as he has a large family and his circumstances comparativelymoderate, I am not sure that it would be right to make anycall ou his purse. Alexander Houston, Esq. of Clerkington, M.P. forGlasgow in the last Parliament, has shewn me more obliging and usefulattention than any other great man in this country, but though hissubscription will not be wanting if apjilied for, yet, I suppose he wouldnot like to solicit subscriptions.I have thought it right to mention thesegentlemen to you that Mr Duncan may judge how far it will be jjroperto apply to any of them. A Mr Eichardson, merchant in North Shiels,once left a letter for me at the King's Arms, Dumfries, inclosing somepoems of his own. As I had many communications of that kind frompeople I knew nothing of, I never thought of taking any notice of them.I happened lately, however, to meet an English clergyman who is intimatelyacquainted with Mr Richardson, who sjDoke in high terms bothof his talents and worth, and that he had risen from a low beginning toconsiderable eminence and success in life. I may likewise mention toyou that he is a leading member of a Marygold Society in North Shiels.I should think him a person very likely to interest himself in promotingthe subsci-iptiou.Gilbert Burns.And George Thomson, Edinburgh, the corresiôndent of Burns,wrote to Mr Syme of Eyedale of date 10th May following :Edinburgh, 10th May, 1814.It gives me the greatest pleasure to find that there is now a certaintyof a monument being erected to the memory of the greatest poetour country has produced. May I request that you will put down myname for five guineas 1I cannot help feeling some anxiety that a design should be obtainedworthy of the illustrious dead, and honourable to those who take chai'geof it. This will depend entirely on the artist to whom you a]iply, and'tis of the utmost importance, therefore, to fix upon one who is decidedlyeminent for invention, knowledge, and classical taste, and to be guidedentirely by him. For if gentlemen get various designs and then exercisetheir own judgment upon them, the chance of their chusing the worst ismuch greater than that they would chuse the best ; for this obviousreason—that there is no art or science in which our countrymen are soutterly ignorant as that of architecture or sculpture. The fine arts donot make a part of the studies either of our men of fortune or of thoseeducated for the liberal professions. And if they acquire a smatteringof knowledge after they leave the University, it is generally so superficialthat it only serves to give them pretensions and to mislead them. Eventhose who live by the profession of architecture in Scotland are notoriouslyuneducated and ignorant, and since the recent death of tlie trulyingenious Mr Stark, I do not know one of our countrymen who deserves

Transactions. 223the name of an architect. If there are any whose fame has not reacheilEdinbnrgh, I ask their pardon.The gentleman to whom I would strongly recommend it to you toapply for a design is Mr Smirke, E.A., London, an eminent painter wellknown to every amateur of the fine arts, or to his son, the architect inLondon, well known by his design for Covent Garden Theatre, the frontof which is worthy to have stood in Athens.I presume the design for Bui-ns' monument will be architectural, orchiefly so ; whatever there may be of sculpture about it will, I shouldimagine, consist only of alto or basso relievo. Now, the Messrs Srairkeare, of all the artists I can think of, the most competent to give you achaste, classic, and noble design, in whatever style the fund may permitit to be executed.Sculpture, I believe, even in bas relief is very expensive,and if the fund should not admit of a monument sufficiently largeto be a striking object, and of much ornament from the sculptor to besuperadded, then you must no doubt be contented to have the one withoutthe other, or with the less of it. As soon as you have ascertainedthe total amount of the fund you should state it to Mr Smirke or theartist to whom you apply.to be built, lettingGive him a slight drawing to show the elevationand form of the ground where the monument ishim know the exact price of building per cubic foot in Dumfries withthe best freestone, and ask a design architectural and as much ornamentalas he thinks it ought to be, and as the fund will admit of, beseeching himto estimate it correctly, and not to let you begin what the fund will notenable you to finish, an error into which we Edinburghers have fallenmost grievously, and more than once, as our unfinished University andNelson's Monument do testify.I had a conversation soon after the lamented death of Burns withMr Smirke, R.A., upon the very subject of a monument to the poet.Upon that occasion he expressed his highest admiration of his geniusand writings, said he would be happy to furnish a design, and I understoodhim to say that profit would be the least thing he should have inview. And T remember well he expressed it to be his conviction that ifany respectable character on 'Change in London would take charge of asubscription paper for erecting a monument to Burns and set about it inearnest, he would get many hundred pounds in two or three days.What would you think of writing to Sir James Shaw or any otherwarm-hearted Scotsman on this subject who has influence among thosemost liberal of all men, the London merchants '?If you write to Mr Smirke you are at liberty to communicate whatI have said.Mr Wilson added that he might mention awith Thomson which was not generally known.G. Thomson.fact in connectionIn a letter by DrPatrick Neill, Oanonniills, to Mr Grierson of date 4th February,

224 Transactions.1850, the following occurrefl : "I had the satisfaction of seeingold George Thomson last week. He tells me he never saw RobertBurns, although he corresponded so much with him, and got himto write some of his finest words for the old Scottish airs."Friends and admirers of Burns in aU parts of the world were askedto subscribe to the fund. The Provost and Magistrates of Dumfriesgave the scheme their countenance. Mrs Jordan, the celebratedactress, gave a performance in Dumfries in aid of the funds,as is shown by this play bill, which produced £33 18s ;and SirWalter Scott was instrumental in securing the valuable services ofMr and Mrs Siddons for the same object, and they gave a fulldress benefit night in Edinburgh, which realised the sum of £3914s. His letters to Mr Grierson on that subject were as follow :—Edinburgh, 20th May, 1814.I did not answer your last favour because I did not find an opportunityto suggest to Mr Siddons the plan of a benefit for Bums' Monument.The fact is there are so many demands of this nature upon atheatrical manager that unless I were to find a very favourable momentI should not much like to suggest any thought tliat may enlarge this tax.My own idea was to speak to John Kemble when there, which wouldhave been certain to make a house, but I was obliged to leave townwhile he was acting. I will keep the proposal, however, in view ;inthe meantime, I send some subscriptions ou the other side, which maybe added to those lists already circulated.My own circle of friends is very limited, but I ti-ust to get a goodmany guineas if I go to London before the books are closed. I havealways declined taking money, so that you will have the trouble tocollect the subscri})tions by some proper person here.Walter Scott.Edinburgh, 3d December, 1814.I have only time to write you two lines, being very busy just now.Mr Sidilous readily and handsomely agrees to give the benefit, and givestwo guineas himself. The expense of the house is £40. It holds £200.I must endeavour, though my interest Hes little in that way, to get somewomen of fashion to patronise the thing, when possibly we may gather£100.Walter Scott.Edinburgh, 14th December, 1814.Our benefit took place last night. We had by no means a crowdedbut a very genteel audience. The boxes particularly were filled withfashionable people, but neither the pit nor gallery so full as I should haveexpected they might have been from the name of the bard. In this

—Transactions. 225instance the higher classes have been more favoured in doing lionour toBurns' memory. Mrs Scott took two boxes, and used all the influenceshe had with her friends, of whom several took boxes auu tilled themwell. So if the i-eturus do uot quite equal our zeal and my expectatiorsit is not our fault. But the produce will be something considerable. AsSiddous has behaved so handsomely, the gentlemeu of the Committeewill probably be of opiuion that it will be projjer to write him a letter ofthanks, by which he will be highly gratified. Both he and his wife g;i,veus a good play and farce, and did all that could be suggested forrendering the eveniug productive. I will pay my subscription io MrK. "W. Burnet, who will also, I hope, take the trouble to settle with MrSiddons and remit the moneyWalter Scott.On the 8th February,Grierson :1816, Walter Scott again wrote to MrYou were so good some time since as to send me a di-awiug of Burns'Mausoleum, which I think will look very handsome. I believe I am indebt to the fund in the sum of £5 received fi-om Mr Weld Hartsteug, ofDublin. I got the sura when I was in England, and wrote to a friendto send the said sum to you, but I fancy it was neglected, as looking overmy receipts from him I do not see any from you, so I am afraid it wasforgotten.Should it be otherwise, you will have the goodness to returathe £5 note which I now enclose.Kirkconuel, but I feelI think it would be highly advisable to repair the old monument atsomewhat doubtful whether there would be perfectgood taste in placing upon it our ingenious friend Mr Mayne's veryjiretty verses. I should rather prefer doing what has been done on thetomb of Sir John the Grahame at F;ilkirk, (i.e.) cutting a new stone ofthe same dimensions and exactly a fac simile of the old monument.There is something in the forlorn simplicity of the hie jacet Adamv^Fleming that I think would be injured by any modern additions. I donot the less admire Mr Mayne's verses, to which he has added a verygood stxHuza. I intend to solicit his aid in getting words for some fineGaelic aii-s lately collected by Alex. Campbell, which I think will jjrovethe purest as well as most extensive collection of Scotch music yet made,;i3 he has recovered some very fine aii-s.Edinr., 8th Feby., 1816.Walter Scott.About fifty plans, designs, and models were received, out ofwhich twelve were selected as preferable to the others, and at anadjourned meeting of the Committee and subscribers held on 25tliApril, 181.5, the design for the mausoleum by T. F. Hunt, architect,London, was adopted, wliile that of John Hendry, Edinburo-h,was. placed second. Mr Hunt declined to accept the premium

226 Transactions.of .£10 to which he was entitled as successful competitor, andagreed to furnish working drawings free of expense.His workingplans and drawings are still preserved in the Museum in Thornhill.Builders' estimates were advertised for, and that of John Milligan,Dumfries, amounting to £331 8s 6d, was accepted, and Mr JamesThomson was appointed superintendent of works. On 30th Mayfollowing the Committee " having walked down to the Churchyardand inspected the burial place of Burns, are of opinion tliatit is so much encumbered with monuments and tombstones surroundingit and a risk that it may still be more obscured by othererections, have therefore resolved, with the consent of Mrs Burns,to remove the whole remains of the family to another and moreeligible situation in the new burial ground, and the mausoleumerected over the remains is agreed on, the remains to be removedin as delicate and proper a manner as possible." This resolutionwas carried into effect, and on the King's birthday, 5th June,1815, a grand procession took place, and the foundation stone ofthe mausoleum was laid with masonic honours, and the usual documents and coins deposited therein. On the same day the Committee,architect, Mr Turnerelli, sculptor, London, and othersdined in the King's Arms, and at a subsequent Committee meetingthe Apollo's head, for the centre of the dome, designed byMr Hunt, and also the designs for the daisy and thistle tosurround it, were approved. Mr Hunt at the same time markedoflF the ground in the new burial-ground. Previous to this MrTurnerelli had sent in a design for the sculpture. On 6th Junethe Committee met with Mr Turnerelli, and it was agreed toadopt his design provided the necessary sum could be procuredeither to erect it in marble or Roach Abbey stone. His estimatefor marble and figures of life-size was 750 guineas, and if thefigures were a quarter less 600 guineas. On 8th June the Committee,architect, and others were entertained to dinner in theKing's Arms Hotel by the magistrates of Dumfries, when the freedomof the burgh was conferred on Messrs Hunt, Turnerelli,Walter, and Captain Hehl. At this stage many difficulties began.The contractor for the mausoleum was troublesome, and torein pieces the committee's written remonstrances as to the insufficientjointing of the granite steps. He placed stones in the domedisconform to contract both as regards thickness and quality,and Mr Hunt had to step in and see his directions carried out.The Committee inspected the model of the plough for the sculpture

;Transactions. 227as made by Mr Smale, of Edinljiirgh, and for which he charged£4: 4s, and thought it should not have cost above a guinea, or 40sat most. It is noted " that the pk)ugh in Mr Turnerelli's modelnot being considered anything like the ploughs used in Scotland,it was judged proper to have a model of a proper plough made byMr Smale in Edinburgh, to be sent to the sculptor in London."On 9th August, 1816, the Committee inspected the building, andcondemned the execution of various parts, and particularly " withrespect to the stone which Mr Milligan calls an Apollo's head,which he has placed in the centre of thedome, the Committee canhave nothing to do with it, and require Mr Milligan to remove it,as an Apollo's head is preparing in London under the direction ofMr Hunt, as originally resolved, and which must be placed in itsproper situation when received. The daisies are not according tothe patterns sent by Mr Hunt, but not having been sent in timethe contractor could not delay the work, and was obliged to proceedwith his own idea of the pattern." The Apollo's head wasduly received, and a duty upon it of £2 12s 9kl was paid at theCustom House. Mr Thomas M'Caig and Mr Alexander Crombiewere arbiters in settling the sum due to Mr Milligan, and foundhim entitled to an extra payment of £101 16s 2d, and at a Committeemeeting a letter by Mr Milligan to Mr Hunt was read, " ofso scurrilous a nature as to be altogether unworthy the notice ofthe meeting, they determined to treat it with the contempt itdeserves." Work ceased, and the Committee agreed to employ atradesman to finish the curtain wall ; and also to enter intoanother reference with the contractor for the work performed oncurtain walls, and a charge for rejected dome stones. An interdictfollowed the erection of the iron gates at the instance of MrMilligan, and they were allowed to be put up after the matter hadbeen heard before the magistrates. Mr Milligan again began workat the curtain wall, and he in tarn was interdicted by the Committee,and after hearing he was dismissed from the work. MrHunt prepared drawings for the sarcophagus, which were approvedbut great difficulties had to be overcome in regard to it on accountof Mr Milligan, the contractor, insisting on doing all the work,although the Committee considered only a professional sculptorcould properly execute it. Difficulties also arose in connectionwith the proceeds of the subscriptions received at the commemorationdinner held in London on 25th May, 1816, over which theEarl of Aberdeen presided ; but in the end Mr A. Gordon, the

228 Transactions.Committee's agent in London, and Mr Hunt and Mi' Turnerelliefiected a settlement, and the latter received £220 from this sourceas a first payment to account of the contract price of the sculpture.In connection with this dinner it may be noted that the subscriptionsand dinner tickets brought in £528 3s 6d, while the dinnerand expenses connected therewith brought the clear balance downto the above sum of £220.The whole work was now approaching completion, and onSth August, 1818, Mr Hunt reported upon it to the Committee,who afterwards met and gave effect to a number of his suggestions,and made arrangements for the sculpture being shipped to Dumfries.Mr Turnerelli, however, would not part with it until heknew how the balance due to him would be made good.Mr Wilson here read the correspondence between MrTurnerelli and the Secretary in regard to this matter. MrTurnerelli first wrote regretting that the proposition of exhibitingthe marble monument of the poet in Edinburgh had not met theapprobation of the Committee, and declaring that he felt it to behis duty to ascertain previous to its being forwarded to Dumfrieshow and in what manner the Committee intended to dischargepayment, particularly as there were no funds in hand, and theMausoleum in its unfinished state had cost more than £800, andwould require a sum set apart after being finished to keep it inrepair. He positively asserted that the monument was worthdouble the sum stated in his estimate to the Committee. Replyingto this letter, the Secretary wrote to Turnerelli, and in thecourse of his letter said the Committee " considers that it (theletter) reflects no credit on you, and is in direct opposition bothto your profession and agreement.I need not again recapitulateyour own proposal and agreement which of yourself you ought notto have forgot, but which you have not had the candour to admit—on the contrary, have studiously avoided takingnotice of—as ifthe Committee had been acting as children and not to have knownwhat they were doing. However, every transaction is minutelynarrated, and the proposal and agreement distinctly stated,whichyou cannot deny, or should you attempt it there are sufficientwitnesses to prove the fact, which we must now establish on oath,since we see noAv who we have to do with. Although we havehitherto been disappointed in procuring the funds we have goodreason to expect, yet we have confident hope of very considerablesums from different quarters, abroad particularly. We had lately

—;TllANSACTIONS. 229advice of £160 being subscn1)C(l in Demcrara, and the prospect ofits being made out £200, and in all probability we will receive itearly in the spring, as the gentleman, a native of this place, isthen expected, who had the management, and we are at presentin correspondence with America." " Surely." the letter went onto say, " he could not expect the Committee to advance the moneyout of their own pockets, particularly for a work not delivered,although part paid for, and which none of them had ever seen orheard any opinion of except from Mr Turnerelli himself. Theyhad never urged the affair upon him, but he had urged himselfupon tlie Committee." The letter added, " you have already ourideas respecting exhibiting in Edinburgh. The Committee neverentertained the idea of exhibiting the tribute to the memory ofIjurns through the country as a pupit show. We feel more venerationfor our country and our Bard."Further correspondence of a similar nature followed, and inthe end the sculpture was sent down from London and placed inthe Mausoleum. At this time Gilbert Burns, now drawing nearthe close of his life, when asked to visit Dumfries, wrote to MrGrierson :Your obliging letter of the 27th I only received yesterday. I ammuch afraid it will not be in my power to visit Dumfries during thetime the Loudou marbleman is to be with you, though I much wish itnot thttt I think I could be of any use in improving the marble, as Iscarcely think it possible to make an artist pi-oduce the likeness of ajjerson he has not seen, but it would certainly gratify me much to complywith (lie wishes of those who have taken so much trouble to do honourto my brother's memory. I trouble you with the eaclosed to Mrs Burns,and beg you will get it immediately sent to her. If I do make out myvisit to Dumfries at this time it will be on Thursday, the 2d Sept., andwish her to be aware of my coming, as I believe the coach arrives lateat Dumfries. I will send am) invite Dr Sibbald to accom2)auy me if Ifind I can set out, or send what despatches with me he wishes if he donot tliiuk of journeying, which I rather doubt. T beg you will presentMrs B.'s and my assurances of kind regard to Mrs Grierson, and believeme to be ever,Gilbert Burns.Grant's Braes, 31st August, 1819.A large balance, continued Mr Wilson, was still due to MrTurnerelli, and all the Committee did was toundertake to raise itif at all possible. Nothing further seems to have been paid excepta sum of £150 remitted from Demcrara. Letters down to Gth

—230 Transactions.April, 1821, passed between the parties, and in the end MrTnrnerelli apparently considered his claimtotally bad, and ceasedto write on the snbject. These facts as to the price of the sculpturewere totally different from those given in p leaderette of theDumfries Standard, wherein it was stated that the sculpture wasgifted to the community by Turnerelli. The Mausoleum itself, aswell as the sculpture, had been the subject of much hostilecriticism, and even to this day the discussion was periodicallj''revived. Even " honest Allan " could not refrain from passing hisjudgment, and in a letter to Mr Grierson, of date 30th July, 1834,he speaks out boldly:I am grieved to fiud that my remarks on the Burns monument havegiven pain to a worthy gentleman and a lover of the muses. I agreewith you that the design of the architecture is elegant, and may addfurther, the unity and harmony of the whole are much to my mind. Myobjection is that the structure wants that massive vigour of design andhardness of material which insure duration in this moist and stormyclimate. The sculpture I most heartily and conscientiously dislike. Itis ill conceived, and worse executed, and, indeed, the sentiment is beyondthe power of sculpture to expi-ess. Who can carve an inspired or ratheran inspiring mantle ? It is but a bit of marble. The muse in the handof Turnerelli was not likely to succeed in her task. It reminds one ofthat passage in Scripture— " And a certain woman threw a piece of amill-stone on the head, &c." (The quotation is from Judges, c. 9, v. 53,aud is— " And a certain woman cast a piece of a mill-stone upon Abimelecli'shead, and all to break his skull.") I am supported in my dislikeA few days ago Mr Wordsworth, the poet,by very high authorities.wrote to me saying that he had been in the vale of the Nith, and hadwalked in the footstei^s of Burns. " By-the-bye," he says, " what a sorrypiece of sculpture is Burns' monument in Dumfries Churchyard.Monstrous in conception and clumsy in the execution, it is a disgrace tothe memory of the poet." Chantrey had no chance for the monument -he was not one of the competitors—so I was not at all disappointed.Had it been confided to his hands, you would have had a statue for yourmoney worth a couple of thousand pounds. I have had a drawing madeof the monument—the architectural portion I mean—and it will benor will I fail to intimate to whomengraved for the concluding volume ;we owe the first monument raised by the gratitude of Scotland and tothe memory of Buiuis. You did your best to have the poet honoured,aud who can do more ? I have likewise done my best, nor shall I bedispleased should a worthier life be written or a better edition of hisworks published.I have, however, no cause to repine at my success. There is aregular sale of five thousand copies of each volume of Burns' works, and

Transactions. 231of the six thoiissaud priuted of the life ouly a few copies are uusold.Though I understaud that my hibours have not been quite acceptable tosuudry persons in the vale of the Nith, it is otherwise with the rest ofthe counti-y, and some of the first men in the iskind liave written concerningthe life and notes in terms of praise too flattering for me tomention. I am not much mortified at this reception in my native valley ;so long as it is remembered that I wore au apron and wrought with ascabliug hammer in the Friars' Vennel, so long will my works not have" fair play ;" but time reudei-s justice to all, and the day is not distantwhen I shall either be forgotten altogether or be more honoured than atpresent on the banks of the Nith.T am told that our friend Mr M'Diarmid has a life of Burns inprogi-ess. I am glad of this. He will set the world right in manyimportant matters regarding the genius and fortunes of the poet. Sosolicitous wa.s he, I have heard, about the truth, that he actually satbeside Mrs Burns with an interleaved copy of my life for two days questioningher till, to use her own words, she was both weary and ill-pleasedabout it. His love of truth on the part of our friend did not shorten, Itrust, the life of the lady, though it seems to have embittered it. Tobserve that he says the true history of the poet's marriage has neveryet been told. That is true, but can it be told with propriety ] Shouldhe desire to tell the whole truth, I can help him to three of the poet'sletters on that very subject which have not been published, and whichcontain bis sentiments on the matter.I hear with some sorrow that the poet's sword and pistols, which hepresented to Dr Maxwell, were sold at a sale of the latter for a mei-etrifle. This is not at all creditable to the admirers of Burns about Dumfries.I am trying to regain them, and I hope to succeed.I beg you to accept my best thanks for the kind expressions containedin your letter regarding my edition of the poet.When I am nextin Dumfries—and that will be soon—I .shall find my way to Thornhill,without an invitation, and spend a day with one whom I remember withpleasure.When I was a humble labourer in Dumfries, I looked np to you asone of those who loved literature, and I assure you time has ratherstrengthened than diminished this feeling.Belgrave Place, 30th July, 1834.Allan Cunningham.The minute book, concluded Mr Wilson, contains no furtherinformation in regf^rd to the cost of the Mausoleum and sculpture,although it appears that all charges against the Committee wereduly advertised for and called in. Mr Grierson, the secretary,appears from a correspondence with Mr IM'Diarmid inregard to adisputed subscription to have got his strong iron box robbed of thecash book, visitors' book, and otlier documents connected with the

232 Transactions.Mausoleum when on a visit to the coast, and it is therefore impossibleto tell from the documents at my command what amount wasactually expended. The cost seems to have been Avell up to £2000,and I fear the verdict of the present day isthat a very bad returnhas been received for the money expended.Mr Wilson then alluded to the origin of the Burns Club inDumfries. The Committee entrusted with the erection of theMausoleum and their friends, he said, appeared to have celebratedthe anniversary of the poet's birthday by dining in the King'sArms Hotel on 25th January, 1817. No dinner appeared to havetaken place in 1818, but on 25th January, 1819, the event hadbeen celebrated in the Globe Inn. At that meeting it was agreedto open a subscription for the purchase of a china punch bowl, tobe used on all similar occasions, and the sum of .£19 8s 6d wasthen subscribed in guineas and half-guineas. Accordingly a bowlwas purchased, made by Spode of Staffordshire, of excellent workmanship, with elegant emblematic devices, capable of holding 3gallons, and the original subscribers' names were placed thereon.A handsome silver punch spoon and three dozen glasses were alsoacquired, and along with the bowl produced at a meeting of subscriberson 18th January, 1820, and very much admired. Thecost of the bowl was £15 ; of the spoon, £2 2s ;and of the glasses£4 15s. It was then resolved in order to give effect to the celebrationof the birthday of the bard to form the subscribers to thebowl into a society, to be named " The Burns Club of Dumfries,"and Mr John Commelin was chosen president and Mr Griersonsecretary, and minute regulationsdrawn up for an annual dinner.The newly-formed club dined in the King's Arms on 25th Januaryfollowing, about forty gentlemen being present, under the presidencyof Mr Commelin, with Mr Syme as croupier. At thismeeting Thomas White, mathematician, and James Hogg, theEttrick Shepherd, were admitted honorary members. At thesame meeting it was resolved as soon as the funds of theclub would permit to purchase a smiff mull, and to have a portraitof the bard painted for the Chib by an eminent artist. It hadbeen arranged that Major W. Millar should preside at the dinneron 25th January, 1821, but in his absence Mr Commelin againpresided, and Mr W. Gordon, jun., acted as croupier. This meetingtook place in the Commercial Hotel, when thirty-seven satdown to dinner, which was excellent, the wines were good, thelarge china bowl was often filled with good whisky toddy, and the

—Transactions. 233company enjoyed the entertainment to a late hour.In the courseof the evening Mr Gilbert Burns, the brother of the poet, and MrMayne, of the Star Office, London, a native of Dumfries, andauthor of the " Siller Gun," were created honorary members. MrGilfillan, a new member, and a rising artist, intimated that hewould paint and present the Club with portraits of Burns and hiswidow, an intimation which was received with much pleasure. On11th January, 1822, the Club met and appointed Mr JohnM'Diarmid president, and created as honorary members EobertBurns, Wm. Burns, and James Glencairn Burns, sons of the bard ;Sir Walter Scott, Thomas Campbell, James Montgomery, AllanCunningham, William Tennant, Professor of Oriental Languages,and author of " Anster Fair," and George Thomson, Edinburgh.Sir Walter Scott replied to the secretary :23d January, 1822.T am honoured by the iutimatiou that the Dumfries Burns Ckibhave distinguished me by admitting me an honorary member, to whichI am not otherwise entitled, excepting my sincere and heartfelt admirationof the great national poet, whose memoiy it is the purpose of theinstitution to celebrate.I beg you will make my respectful thanks acceptable to themembers.Walter Scott.The original of this letter is framed and hung uj) in DrGrierson's Museum, Thornhill, and it is believed to contain thefirst notice of Burns as the " Great National Poet." At thedinner on the 2.5th, James Hogg was present, and at the particularrequestof James Glencaii-n Burns " a strong bottle was filled withpunch from the bowl to be sent out to him toof which to London cost 7s 8d.several fine songs.India," the carriageJames Hogg appears to have sungKeith Douglas, jM.P., and Thomas Moore wereadmitted honorary members, and Mr Gilfillan presented theportraits of the bard and his widow decorated with wreaths oflaurel taken from the shrubbery at the poet's tomb.also read from James Glencairn Burns and ]\Ir JMayne.Letters wereIn 1823 it was agreed to ask General Dirom of Mount Annanto preside at the anniversary dinner. The General consented topreside, and he was elected president for the year, while Sir John]\Ialcolm, Sir Pultney Malcolm, and others were enrolled honorarymembers.

:—234 Transactions.secretaryAllan Cunningham, of date 14th January, 1823, Avi'ites to theI will thank you to express my acknowledgments to the Burns Clubof Dumfries for having elected me an honorai-y member. Such a distinctionwas as much beyoud my hopes as it was unexiDected andweleoiue. To obtain the notice of our native place is a pleasure whichbefalls few, and I have the proverbial intimation of its rarity to warrantme in thanking you with as much warmth as delicacy will allow me touse. To the most gifted it seems honour enough to be named withBui'ns, and I know not that such honour is enhanced by electing mealong with some of our most inspired spirits. Some declai-ation of myfaith in the illustrious subject of your meeting may be necessary. I amproud to name the name of Burns, and I recall his looks and dwell onmy remembrance of his person with fondness and enthusiasm. In myyouth, when poesy to me was an enchanted and sacred thing, I loved towander in his haiints and muse on his strains everywhere so full ofpathetic tenderness and subjime and moral emotion. I thought then, and1 think now, that capricious and wayward as his musings often were—mingling the tender with the comic, and the sarcastic with the solemnthat all he said was above the mark of other men, that he shed a redeeminglight on all he touched, and that whatever his eye glanced on roseinto life and grace and stood consecrated and imperishable.I saw thathis language was familiar yet rich, easy yet dignified, and that he touchedon the most perilous themes with a skill so rare and felicitous that hisgood fortune seemed to unite with his good taste in keeping him buoyantabove the mire of homeliness and vulgarity in which so many meanerspirits have wallowed. That in him the love of country, devotion,enthusiasm, love, happiness, and joy appear characterised by a brief andelegant simplicity at once so easy to him and unattainable to others thatall those, and they were many, who sought to follow his track amongthemes of domestic life and homely joy wanted his power to dignify thehumble, adorn the plain, and extract sweet and impassioned poetry fromthe daily occurrences of human life.All this and much more than thishas been better expressed before, but I know ou such a subject I will beindulged in a moderate degree of enthusiasm.I am not sure if you havesafe accommodation in your Club Eoom for works of art. I ask thisbecause I wish ihe Burns Club to accept from me the bust of a poet, oneliving and likely to live in his chivalrous poems and romantic stoiiesas long, perhaps, as British literature shall live—the production, too, ofthe first sculptor of the Island—the bust of Sir "Walter Scott by myfriend Mr Chantrey. If such a thing can be accepted be so good as tellme, and I shall gladly confide its presentation to your hands.Eccleston Street, Pimlico,14th January, 1823.Allan Cuxxingham.

Transactions. 235The bust of Sir Walter Scott, by Chantrey, referred to in theabove letter was duly des^mtched, and the donor again writes onDecember 25th, 1823 :—Some ten or twelve days ago I forwarded to you by way of Leiththe bust of Sir Walter Scott for the Burus Club of Dumfries. I hope bythis time it has reached you in safety. You kuow much better than mehow such things are introduced. You will therefore oblige me by presentingit in your own way at the next meeting.large increase of members, and much mirth and eloquence.T trust you will have aIt was my wishto have written you earlier. T have long felt how much all owe to yourdiscreet and active enthusiasm in other matters as well as those of song,and though slow in expressing it, I have not felt it the less sensibly.To render our native town distinguished, to make it, though lesspopulous, as far known and famed as prouder cities, ought, and I trusthas been, the wish of all her sons.For my own part, though living in adistant place, and out of the way too far to be with you in person, I feelnot the less solicitude for the fame and name of Dumfries than thosewho liave the happiness of dwelling in her streets. Humble and remoteas I am, my best wishes are ever with you, and I love my native valeand district zealously to do it honour as the wisest or the proudest of itschildren.I am willing to think that T have, though in a far less degree,in the wish of him in whose honour you are so soon to assemble redesired,and was ever a desire more amply fulfilled for the sake of hiscountry and the love he bore her— " To sing a song at least."Remember me to Mr Macdiarmid.Allan Cunningham.London, 25th December, 1823.The only further trace of the Bums Club he could producewas contained in the following letter from Sir Walter Scott, datedfrom Abbotsford, 29th December, 1831 :—I am very much flattered with the invitation of the Burns Club ofDumfries to take their chair upon the 26th of January next, and were itin my power to do myself so great honour it would give me the mostsincere satisfaction. But my ofticial duty detains me in close attendanceon the Court of Session during its sittings, besides which I am not nowso equal as at a former part of my life either to winter-journeys or tosocial exertion. The severe illness to which I was subjected some yeareago obliges me to observe great caution in these particulai s.I beg to express my sincere wishes for the conviviality of the meeting,anfl to express my most respectful thanks for the honour which theClub have conferred uponAbbotsford, 29th December, 1831.Walter Scott.

236 Transactions.ith of April, 1890.Major BowDEN, Vice-President, in the Chair.Neiv Member .— Mx John Thorburn Johnstone of Moffat.Z>^;?rt//wzj.— Annual Report of the Canadian Institute, 1888-9 ;Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1888-9 ; andMr J. J. Eeid's paper on Mouswald and its Barons. Mr ScottElliot presented a copy of Lees's Yorkshire Naturalists' Union,and botanical papers from Mr J. G. Baker, F.R.S., the authorof them.Communications.I. The Flora and Famia of Madagascar. By G. F. ScOTTElliot,B.Sc.Nothing would seem to be easier than for a botanist todescribe the flora of a tropical island, but in reality nothing is sohard as to give an account of so strange and outlandish avegetation. The flora of Madagascar contains probably 6000or 7000 species, of which 10 per cent, are endemic. Mostof these special forms, moreover, are so strange and extraordinarythat anything like a detailed description is impossible.They are in fact vegetable kangaroos. I shall simply tryto describe the vegetation, or rather the diff'erent vegetations, asone sees them. The island consists of an enormous mass of graniticmountains rising to a height of 10,000 feet in isolated peaks, butusually forming an irregular tableland or mountainous plateau about4000 feet above the sea level. The flanks of this tableland arecovered with dense and luxuriant forest, which thus forms a beltall round the island and limits the bare upland plateaux of thecentre.Between this forest and the sea is a rather wide stretcli ofsandy plains broken by lagoons, brackish and freshwater lakes,and intersected in all directions by deep and broad rivers.The flora of this sandy littoral is very monotonous. There isusually a stretch of short turf with Phaseolus, Ipomsea Pes Caprseand other plants with long trailing runners rooting at intervals.Our English sandpiper is common along the shore, but thecommonest creature is a small red crab, of which myriads arealways running up and down just outside the reachof the waves.It is a ferocious little animal, and snaps its extremely small clawswhenever one approaches, while gradually sidling away into thewater.Thei'e are in places very dense brushwood, formed chiefly

Transactions. 237by Lobelia Sc?evola and certain Kubiacea?, and this is at timesbroken by clumps of Casuarina trees and Pandanus. The formeris a favourite perching place for the guinea-fowl, which are foundin large numbers along the coast.Every now and then one has to take to a canoe and travel upThe banks of these rivers are fringed by groupssome sluggish river.of Traveller's tree, Baobab and other trees, not differing so much fromour own forms in appearance. A gigantic Arum with leaves nearly4 feet long is often arranged iu long rows along the margins. Thebeautiful blue water lily and the yellow Limnanthemum rest on thesurface of the water, and occasionally one finds the latticed leaves ofthe Ouvirandra, one of the curiosities of the island.blue and red kingfisher may often be s :>eu perched on theThe lovely littlebushes,and occasionally darting off after some incautious fish. Lookingover the sides of the canoe one is astonished at the quantity offish that inhabit these wâters, and this explains the presence ofcrocodiles, which in such places are extremely numerous. Theyare not really often seen, but one hears frequently of oxen caughtby the crocodile and dragged ofi" for assimilation, or of some unfortunatewoman gathering rushes who has been seized and disappearedfor ever. Occasionally one rows under a group of flyingfoxes hanging by their tails. They turn their foxlike headsdownward, expostulate vigorously, then unhook themselves andfly ofi" with a strong steady flight. Such a stream ends in a widelake or reedy lagoon, chiefly formed of Cyperus sequalis. Alongits sides grow huge grasses 10 or 12 feet high, and on awitheredtree one often sees a cormorant perched with its bill in the airand looking sideways downwards at the canoe with a peculiarlyleery expression. Such places are the chosen haunts of thethirteen or so species of ducks, some as big as a small goose,others not larger than a quail. Herons of all shapes and coloursabound, and other kinds of waterfowl are quite innumerable.Occasionally, though rarely, one sees a flock of flamingoes drawnup side by side, shoulder to shoulder, in a regular military line.The pure white line which their bodies form is visible miles away.Near at hand one sees the bright scarlet wing coverts which forma belt halfway down the white uniform. Such lakes and sandystretches form a large portion of the coast, but one soonbegins toleave them and mount the outlying flanks of the hills. Theseform a series of gentk? slopes and valleys before one enters theforest proper. This is the home of the Traveller's tree, oue of

238 Transactions.the most striking plants in existence. It has a stem 8 or 10 feethigh and about 20 leaves sjjreading out like a fan, each of whichis about 10 feet long. The bright white flowers grow on a sort ofcone at the bases of the leaves, and the honey is busily visited bya beautiful little sunbird with a scarlet and blue breast. Theseeds are the great mainstay, moreover, of the rather dingy slatecolouredMalagash Parrot, which frequents them in great numbers.This tree is of the greatest use to the natives, whose houses arebuilt almost entirely with its leaves. The water, however,obtained by piercing the leaf bases is lukewarm and of a veryvegetable taste. It is also here that the Eofia palm, whose splitleaves are so much used by gardeners, grows. It is also here thatthe Bamboos thrive, with their enormous gracefully curved leaves,like a gigantic bunch of ostrich feathers, of a delicate yellowishgreen. The extraordinary Nepenthes, moreover, is not uncommonon these slopes. The grass clothing these gentle rises is veryharsh and useless, and there is an abundance of the commonbracken everywhere.Soon, however, one enters thetrue forest, which covers threeor four ranges of parallel mountain chains. It is usually not verybeautiful. The path is only about two feet wide, and is walled inon either side by a sort of gigantic hedge 70 or 80 feet high.This is formed of dense undergrowth and huge trees, from thelower branches of which hang the enormous foliagemasses of theclimbing plants. The aim of Nature seems to have been to fillevery available space with leaves. There are no glades and noneof those agreeable vistas so common in English woods. Thoughthe appearance of these trees is not really very striking, they areall of entirely different kinds. One here meets huge Compositaj,the Vernonias, with enormous umbels of purple heads ; suchLeguminosge as Neobaronia with fleshy, flattened, leafless branches.Brexia, a tree 80 feet high, whose nearest relative in ourcountry is the Saxifrage ; AVeinmannia is also a Saxifrage.Many of the largest trees belong to Euphorbiaceoe, such as thegenus Euphorbia itself and Croton. There is also a huge foresttree, Wormia, a near ally of Eanunculaceoe. Few of these treesare at all beautiful ;perhaps the bright pink flowers of Ixora orColea are the handsomest, and one of these in full blossom is verybeautiful indeed. The creepers are chiefly objectionably spinyAsparaguses or Smilax, but their number and variety is enormous.The undergrowth of Plectranthus, Balsams, &c., is often very

Transactions. 239beautiful, but it is on dead trunks and decaying stumps thatonesees the finest plants of all : Bolbophyllunis, Angrsecum superbewith its long spikes, 18 inches long, densely covered with hugewhite flowers and A. sesquipedale with its enormous spur.Fernsof all kinds abound ; tree-ferns 20 feet high ; and in the deeperdenser parts huge quantities of Hymenophyllum, as well as manyof our common forms. The silence in these huge forests is sometimesalmost oppressive. Almost the only animals are thedifferent kinds of lemurs, whose shrill whistling bark may occasionallybe heard. Diff"erent species are adapted to play the partsof monkeys, squirrels, dormice, &c., none of which exist here. Thelarger kinds live in large bands flying from tree to tree, and feedon small birds, fruit, &c. Others live in holloAvs regularly hibernating,and to do this store up their winter food in their tails,which become extraordinarily fat and fleshy.Here the wild boar,really a Babiroussa, spends most of his time. He wakes uptowards evening, and spends theon the pommejacot (Imbricaria).night wandering about feedingSometimes one comes on hugefurrows made by him when ploughing up the Lily bulbs, Dioscorea,&c. Sometimes he digs up the unfortunate Tenrec, a kind ofhedgehog which hibernates below ground, and eats him, but hismost favoured morsel is a snake. He begins at the tail and eatsup the snake to the head, which he always leaves untouched.Towards morning he retires to a shady spot, and there makes acomfortable bed, covering himself with dead leaves and grass,where he slumbers till the evening. The only important carnivoiousmammals are insectivorae, the largest being the Fouche, a nondescriptmastiff-like creature Avhich one seldom sees. Thewhole of the animals are far less specialised structurally than thoseof the continent, while in habit they seemed quite as distinct.birds the handsomest are the Couas, with very beautiful bluishplumage ; there are also hoopoes ; several kinds of pigeons, one ofwhich has a sort of whining bark very much like a small terrier ;a peculiar black starling also lives in flocks, flying from tree totree. A bird called the " Tolo," a kind of cuckoo with an absurdlylong tail, is very common ; it is very stupid, and never seems torealise that its tail can be seen when once it has concealed its head.Still, in spite of these exceptions, it is really insects, and especiallybutterflies, which give a little brightness and colour to the forest.Fifty or sixty brilliant blue and black butterflies fluttering abovea little stream by the path are really a wonderful sight, and IfedOf

—240 Transactions.Admirals, pure white Papilios, and Acrseas with bright red spotson their wings, are all very common in the darker places. Sometimesone sees a millipede about 10 inches long, with hundreds oftwinkling red feet crawling over the path, and a very large woodlouse,which rolls into a ball about an inch in diameter, is verycommon. But the insects are a study in themselves in IMadagascar.When one emerges from the forest into the interior, thedifference is extraordinary. As far as the eye can reach, there isnothing but range after range of bleak granite hills covered with auniform grey grass broken by low scrubby perennials.Only smallbushes with heath-like leaves seem able to live on the soil, whichis a hard red clay, the debris of the granitic and gneissose rocks.The flowers are usually very inconspicuous, and it is most remarkableto find Eubiacea such as Anthospermum, Leguminosse e.g.Indigofera, Hypericums, Stachys, Philippias, &c, all taking thesame appearance. There is even an extraordinary Monocotyledonwhich has done its best to become something of the same kindVellosia. Where there is more water the flowers are more beautiful,and it is in such palaces that one finds Disas and Habenariaswith long stalks and bright pink and white flowers, or thatmost beautiful Gentian Tachiadenus with a corollaand the handsome shrubby Impatiens forms;4 inches long,but it is impossible todo justice to these flowers in such a paper as this.The main features of the flora are, however, easy to understand.There is a certain number of seaside plants usually thesame as those found along the Eastern Coast of Africa. Theflanks of the mountains are covered with forest, and this florashows most affinity with the forest plants of the East AfricanCoast, while the bare steppe-like highlands of the interior arecovered with plants which show distinct relationship with thesimilar grassy plateaux of the Transvaal and the Shire Highlands.11. Annan : Its Historical and Literary Associations.By Mr Frank Miller.Mr Miller said the town which he had been asked to describewas interesting to every student of Scottish history as one of thefamous old border burghs. Owing to its geographical position, itwas sadly exposed to the fury of invaders during the long-continuedwars with England ; and again and again it was the sceneof desperate conflict. When at length the union of the crownssecured a permanent peace, it was universally acknowledged that

Transactions.24 ithe exertions of the stout burgesses of Annan had proved of theutmost vahie in the struggle for the maintenance of the rights ofthe little kingdom of Scotland. Not only was the burgh renownedin history ; it was rich in association with some of the most illustriousof modern Scotchmen. The greatest lyrical poet the BritishIsles have produced, one of the most intrepid of African explorers,a pulpit orator of unique power and spiritual elevation, and thedeepest and most earnest thinker of our time had all been more orless closely connected with it. As the town in which Irving wasborn, and in which Carlyle received his education, Annan wouldnever cease to be regarded with interest.Having made a brief reference to the churchyard, and quotedseveral of the more curious epitaphs, Mr Miller proceeded : AnnanCastle, the site of which has so long been occupied by the churchyard,was erected at least a hundred years before the War ofIndependence forthe protection of the town, which, as referencesin various ancient documents show, was even at that early perioda place of some importance. In the year 1300 the Castle wasrepaired by Eobert the Bruce, whose ancestors had obtained thewhole of Aunandale in fief. A stone from the building, withBruce's name and the date 1300 inscribed on it, was seen byPennant " in the wall of a gentleman's garden," when he visitedthe town in 1769. It is now at Bideford, in Devon, from which,let us hope, it will one day be brought back to Annan. The Castleis associated with not a few stirring events in Scottish histoiy. Ofthese perhaps the most memorable is the defeat of Edward BaHolby Lord Archibald Douglas in 1332. Shortly after his coronationat Scone Baliol gained possession of the fortress, and commandedthe barons of Scotland to repair to it and do him homage. Hismovements, however, were carefully watched by Douglas, who, atthe head of one thousand horsemen, rode hastily from Moffat, andfalling upon the town and castle at midnight, routed the forces ofthe usurper with much slaughter. Baliol lost his brother Henryand the most distinguished of his English followers in the action,and only saved his own life by fleeing precipitately to Carlisle.During the long wars with England the Castle was frequentlycapt.ured and laid in ruins. As the chief stronghold of the townwhich was the key to the West of Scotland, it could not beabandoned to destruction ; and after demolition by the foe it wasalways speedily rebuilt. Eventually the pious but povertystrickenburgesses obtained permission from James VI. either to

—242 Transactions.convert it into a place of worship or use its stones to build one.Though its Castle was the main defence of Annan in time of war,the church, which stood near to it, was also a place of strength,the tower being fortified. The destruction of " Annan Steeple "was the chief object of an English invasion in September, 1547.At the head of 2500 men, " whereof 500 were Scotsmen thatserved the King," Lord Wharton advanced to the attack, plantinghis siege train on the slope known as Battery Brae. The defenderswere ably commanded by an officer named Lyon and by theMaster of Maxwell, and the Lairds of Johnston and Cockpool.They did not exceed a hundred in number, yet for eight hours theunequal struggle was maintained, the heroic men of Annanhurling defiance at the foe" Till forty of the poor hundred were slain,"And half of the rest of them maimed for life !The battered church after its capture was completely destroyed,being blown up with gunpowder. " This done," writes the oldhistorian, " the English sacked and burnt the town, and left nota stone standing, for it had ever been a right noisome neighbour toEngland. The Englishmen had conceived such a spite to it thatif they saw but a piece of timber remaining unburnt they wouldcut the same in pieces."Near to the brae from which on that far-off September morningthe invaders' guns poured their deadly discharge stands " TheMoat," a long old-fashioned house, guarded by spreading elms andbeeches.In the midst of the grounds, which stretch down to theholm, is a small tree-crowned height—one of the artificialeminences so common in Annandale. The " Moat Hill " isgenerally supposed to have been raised in early timeswhich toas a spot onassemble for the administration of justice, but its originis really wrapt in mystery. The Moat for a few months in 1808was the residence of the Rev. James Grahame, author of " TheSabbath," who married an Annan lady, a daughter of RichardGrahame, town clerk. In his charming retreat the poet wrote" The British Georgics," gaining fresh insjîration from the oldworldgarden and the little wildernesses of tree and shrub. Onlya Virgil can treat satisfactorily such a subject as " Husbandry,"but Grahame's work has merit, and in many of the lines theinfluence of local scenery can be traced.Proceeding, in his description of Annan, tothe Town Hall, ahandsome modern erection, Mr Miller gave some of the results of

Transactions. 243his examination of the records preserved in that building. Thesedocuments include the Council Minutes from 1678 tothe presentyear, and a number of important " dispositions." The lecturerexpressed his surprise that the older Council records, from whichmuch curious information could be gleaned, had never been transcribedand published. Reterring to the state of the burgh twohundred years ago, he said : The poverty of Annan in the closingyears of the seventeenth century seems to have been great. Oneprivilege, that of collecting customs, was enjoyed by the town,having been granted by Charles II. to recompense the burghers fortheir losses during the civil wars which raged in the time of hisfather. A ferry boat on the river was " pairte of the commongood," but the rent yielded by it seldom amounted to 40 poundsScots per annum. The appearance of the town shelved its insignificance.The houses were small and of rude construction, whilethe church was a plain building without a steeple. The sanitarycondition of the burgh was unsatisfactory, though the magistratesnow and again issued orders for the cleansing of the street, andfined persons found guilty of indulging in ijractices detrimental tothe public health. The inhabitants being " sudden and fierce inquarrel," fights and aggravated assaults were common. In 1686the schoolmaster was fined ten pounds Scots for fighting, and in1700 the town clerk was condemned to pay fifty pounds Scots "fora blood and ryott committed by him upon Eobert Johnstone, sonto the deceased David Johnstone, sometime bailie." Women notinfrequently figured in assault cases, " ryving of hair " being one ofthe favourite amusements of the gentler sex. The good old sportof tossing in a blanket was not unknown in Annan, as is shown byan entry, dated 1694, recording the infliction of a fine upon twomen " for raising of an blanket and throwing of David Johnstoneand Adam Johnstone to the ground." If quarrelsome, the peoplewere comparatively honest. At times a goose was stolen from thecommon, nr peas and beans were taken from a neighbour's garden,but few serious cases of theft occurred. Ofi'ences against propertywere punished with more than the usual severity. In 1701 aservant maid, convicted of complicity in a theft of barley from hermaster's barn, " was ordained to be put in the stocks on Mondaymorning, and to continue there during the magistrates' andCouncil's pleasure." The court, considering it probable that thegirl's master would prove tender-hearted and refuse to give her upon the awful Monday morning, wisely appended to the sentence

244 Transactions.these words, " and the said John is ordained to be imprisoned if hefail to produce her." Amongst other offences with suitable penaltiesattached were, " saying that the magistrates did not give truejudgment," " building of peat stacks upon the High Town Street,"" raising and pulling up of march stones," and " cutting and carryingaway of wood " from plantations in the neighbourhood.Persons were frequently fined for " irregular marriage," and onone occasiona man was prosecuted for " resetting the Egyptiansand also eating and drinking with them " —in other words, forsheltering gypsy outlaws and fraternising with them.Passing from the picture of life in the burgh two centuriesago as reflected in the Council records, Mr Miller alluded to theconnection of Carlyle with Annan, mentioning that the OldAcademy, to which he was taken by his father on that " redsunny Whitsuntide morning " in 1806, has long been the residenceof Mr Batty, who for many years was Chief Magistrate of theburgh. The house is large and dark—one of the buildingswhich Dorothy Wordsworth had inher observant eye when shepenned her singularly graphic description of Annan. Carlyle's" doleful and hateful school life " lasted till 1810, when he wassent to Edinburgh University. Four years later he returned toAnnan, having obtained by competition the post of teacher ofmathematics in the Academy. He remained in the town till1816, boarding with Mr Glen, the burgher minister, in the housein Ednam Street now occupied as the United Presbyterian manse.With the name of Carlyle will always be associated that ofEdward Irving, who was born in 1792, in a house in Butts Street.Gavin Irving, the father of the preacher, was a tanner, carrying onhis trade in a yard near to his dwelling-house. He held the officeof bailie when the election celebratedcarlins in the south " took place.in Burns's " There were fiveHis wife, Mary Lowther, was anative of the parish of Dornock, where her father owned a pieceof land. She was a handsome woman, with brilliant black eyes,and her energy and force of character won the admiration of allwho came in contact with her. Irving received his education atAnnan Academy, of which the talented Dalgliesh was head master.In a few sentences the lecturer outlined Irving's meteoric career,and remarked that not a few of his townsmen would still tell withstrange awe how they witnessed in their youth his solemn depositionin Annan Parish Church and listened to the cry of anguishwhich burst from his lips when his opinions were condemned.

Transactions. 245Another celebrated man, Hugh Clapperton, the Africanexplorer, was born in Butts Street, in 1 788. His father (a nativeof Lochmaben) was the only surgeon resident in the healthy town.Miss Clapperton, the explorer's cousin, had kindly allowed theexhibition to the Society of Dr Clapperton's ticket of admission asa burgess of the royal burgh.Annan, it was mentioned, was alsothe birthplace of ThomasBlacklock, the blind poet-minister, author of the beautiful sixteenthparaphrase ; but tlie house in which he was born has long sincedisappeared—its very site has been unknown for at least fiftyyears.Towards the close of his troubled life Robert Burns had oftenoccasion to visit the town, which was then the home of numeroussmugglers, a large contraband trade lêing carried on with theIsleof Man. " The Deil's Awa' wi' the Exciseman " was written in ahouse in High Street, not on the shore of the Solway, as stated byChambers on the authority of Lockhart. The poem, immediatelyafter composition, was read by Burns to a large company assembledin the house. Mr Miller explained that this fact was made knownto him by Dr Williamson, whose father and grandfather were bothincluded in the poet's audience.Another building in High Street was worthy of notice. InDecember, 1745, the retreating army of Prince Charles Edwardbivouacked at Annan, and " Scotland's Heir " found shelterin the Buck Hotel. The burgesses were prudent enough not toquarrel with the Highlanders ; but over their " white port " theybreathed devout wishes for the speedy destruction of the Princeand all his followers. During the Eebellion the Magistrates andCouncil met in the public-houses almost daily to discuss the movementsof the enemy. Much liquor was, of course, consumed atthe expense of the burgh, and some of the publicans' bills remainedunpaid until 1749. A quotation from the minute of the Councilmeeting at which payment of the outstanding debts was authorisedmay be acceptable.Find upon examination of the said accompts that the greatest partof the articles therein stated have been contracted by some of theCouncillors when met together for intelligence aiad advice about theircommon safety in the years 1745 and 1746, when the country was in theutmost confusion by the late unnatural rebellionDo declarethat this indulgence is only on account of the late troubles, and that thisact shall be no precedent to invalidate or iufiiuge the foresaid act of the

246 Transactions.Town Council on the 7tli of December, 1740, regulating the extent andmethod of payment of the burgh's expenses in public-houses.•2nd of May, 1890.Major BowDEN in the Chair.New Member.—On the motion of the Secretary Mr J. G.Kew Botanical Gardens, was electedBaker, F.R.S., curator of thean honorary member.Do7tations.—Proceedings of the Natural History Society ofGlasgow, 1887-9 ; Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute ofNatural Science, 1888-9 ; Annals of the New York Academy ofSciences ; the Seventh Annual B.eport for 188.5-6 of the UnitedStates Geological Survey.Mr Scott Elliot made a report of his preliminary efforts inprocuring assistants for forming a Flora of the district, and theformation of an Herbarium for Dumfriesshire and Galloway.The Dinwiddle Library.The Secretary read the following letter, received through MrRobert Stoba, Solicitor, from Mr Robert Dinwiddie, of New York.To Dr Edward J. Chiiwock,Brae Side, Scarborough-on-Hudson,New York, 1st March, 1890.Secretary of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway NaturalHistory and Antiquarian Society,Dumfries, Scotland.Sir,Mr Robert Stoba has kindly consented tohand you with this letter two cases of books as per enclosed list, formerlythe property of my late father, Robert Dinwiddie, a native ofDumfries, and, as I believe, a member of your Society. These bookswere bequeathed in his will to me, but I have concluded to oifer themto your Society in the hope that they may prove of value to its membersin many ways. I trust that they may prove acceptable to your Society, andfind a permanent home among the fellow-townsmen of my father, and Idesire that they shall be added to your library of reference, and beknown as the " Robert Dinwiddie Library," and held subject to suchregulations that, while promoting to the utmost usefulness to allmembers of your Society, they will still be protected as far as is possiblefrom loss, destruction, or mutilation. In i^resenting these books to

Transactions. 247your Society, I do so believing that such disposition would have beenagreeable to my father's wishes could he have been consulted, and I amglad to be the medium of tendering you this donation to your library.I have the honour to be.Yours very truly,Robert Dixwiddie.The Secretary was directed to write thanking the donor forhis valuable present.Mr James Lennox, F.S.A. (the Librarian) read the followingpaper entitled " The Dinwiddie Library, and how it came to thisSociety" :—The original owner, Mr Robert Dinwiddie, was born inDumfries, 23d July, 1811, and died f.t Xew York, 12th July,1888. He was the third son of Mr William Dinwiddie, hosier.Commencing life in the Dumfries branch of the Commercial Bankof Scotland, he rose to be teller. He emigrated to America in1835, and joined the house of Brown Brothers, merchants andbankers in Xew York ; shortly afterwards entering the employmentof J. Laurie & Co., commission merchants, in which business hesucceeded them, being left by them to administer funds for St.Luke's and the Presbyterian Hospital in connection with the St.Andrew's Society of New York.He retired from business in 1883, and then devoted more ofhis time to scientific pursuits, although he had always been aworker both in archreology and botany. His attainments in thesehad been recognised, as he was fifteen years a member of the NewYork Academy of Sciences and an active member of the MicroscopicalSociety up to the day of his death. Some years ago hegifted the whole of his extensive scientific library to the NewYork Academy of Sciences, and what is now under our own roofhas been collected since that date, being more valuable as they aremore recent.He visited this country a few years ago, being here when theCryptogamic Society were in Dumfries, and during his stay hewas admitted a life member of this Society. The history of theNew York Academy of Science contains a portrait of him, but nomention appears in the text, as it was with great difficulty thatthey persuaded him to sit for this plate, but on no account wouldhe allow anything to be said of him.The books consist of 229 bound volumes and 22 unbound.They embrace :—24 Microscopic, o Medicine, 8 Geology, 24

—248 Transactions.Natural History, 38 Botany, 13 Natural Philosophy, 4 Meteorology.6 Travels, 43 Reports of Societies, and 57 Magazines, &c.To go fully into these would make a lengthy paper, as manyof these subjects can be sub-divided into very many special studies.Amongst them we have books on fresh water plants, salt waterplants, shells and fish, cryptogamic botany and flora, &c. Thebooks are, in the main, English; many of them are elegantlybound in half morocco and half calf, which will add much to theirusefulness in handling.Communications.I. Observations of the Temperature of the Nith mid its Estuaryfor the year ending ijth April, i8go.By Eev. Wm. Andson.The observations were taken at the instance of a committee ofthe British Association, which was appointed to obtain observationsof the temperature of rivers, estuaries, and lakes over the UnitedKingdom as compared with that of the air, and as modified by thedirection and force of the wind, the state of the weather, &c., the chiefobject being to ascertain the seasonal variations. The observationsat Dumfries were taken throughout the twelve months. Mr JamesLewis took the observations of the estuary at Kingholm Quay,from 25th June to 21st March, and observations were begun atlater dates in the River Dee by Rev. W. I. Gordon, of Tongland,and in the Dee estuary by Mr Macdonald, lighthouse keeper.Little Ross. These, he understood, were still being carried on,but as the year was not completed they could not be reportedupon. The Nith observations, he explained, were taken at theDumfries boathouse, where there was an average depth of morethan three feet. In consequence of the damming of the water bythe weir below the Old Bridge the river at this point never fellvery low ; he had never seen the depth less than 2^ feet. On twooccasions of heavy flood even the parapet wall was overflowedonce in the beginning of November, when the depth was estimatedto have been fully ten feet, towards midnight on the 1st ; andagain on 25tli January, after heavy rain and the melting of snowon the high grounds, with a south-west gale, when the depth of9 feet was registered at the gauge on the Old Bridge. The hourof observation was at or near noon. The following table shewedthe mean temperature of the air and water for each month

—TRANSACTIONS. 249separately, along with the state of the river or the mean dej^th asregistered at the gauge (which was erected in July), viz. :

March,250 Transactions.most were :7'4° ; September, 6'6°; and April, D"')". Meandifference for whole year, 4*3°. Thus it will be seen that themonths in which the temperatures of the air and water mostnearly approximated were those in which the day was at theshortest and the longest. In other words, there were two maximaand two minima of difference between the temperatures of the airand water, the former occurring in the months of March andSeptember, the equinoctial months ; and the latter in Decemberand June, the months of the winter and summer solstice. Theformer fact is easily explained, but it is rather a curious circumstancethat the same thing should hold good of the month in whichthe sun is longest above the horizon, and most vertical. Theexplanation, I have no doubt, is that in the latter part of June andthe first part of July, when there was a period of drought andwarm weather, which lasted more than three weeks, the river fellto its lowest level, and the current was very sluggish. Hence thewater became more heated than inordinary circumstances, and itstemperature more nearly approached that of the air.Though as a rule the temperature of theair was higher thanthat of the water, there were a good many exceptions tothis rule,especially in the months of May, June, July, November, andDecember. Thus there were five days in May in which thisoccurred, six in June, and four in July, with an aggregate excessin the temperature of the water of 37°. In November and Decemberthere were also 15 days with an aggregate excess of 30-4°, thegreatest number being in December, viz., 10 days, while on othertwo days of that month the temperature of air and water wasequal. The conditions under which this state of things was observedwere, as a rule, in summer, when the temperature waslowered by cloudy and wet or dull and foggy weather, or by theprevalence of cold winds ; and, in winter, when the conditionswere similar, or when frost set in. The most extreme differencewas observed on July 7th, when the reading of the air temperaturewas 53°, and that of the water 65°—a difference of 12°. This wasat the close of the period of drought before alluded to. Thegreatest excess in the temperature of the air above that of thewater occurred in March, when on 16 days it was higher by morethan 7°, ranging from 7° to 14-5°; and the next in September, inwhich month there were 13 days in which the difference exceeded7°, ranging from 7° to 13"2°. On these occasions the weather was

Transactions.251for the most part bright and sunny, or if cloudy or rainy, verymild, with south or south-west winds.I have also to submit a table shewing the mean monthlytemperatures of the air and water of the estuary of the Nith atKingholm Quay, and taken with great regularity by Mr James^nTt 7 ^'"'''^ ""^ ""^^"^ ""'" ^"*^^^' fr«^ 25th June, 1889, to21st March, 1890. The hours of observation necessarily' vari^lbecause the proper temperature of the estuary could be obtainedonly when the tide was up. For the most part they were takenbetween the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., though sometimes alittleearlier and sometimes a little later.Air. Water. Difference.From 2oth June to 31st July ... ,.6lf''*''61-5 +0-o»St to 31st August 59 _.,".^g.g1st to 30th September _"56-2 54.41st to 31st October ..45.5 4-.^^;1st to 30th November... ... . 45-8 ^^.^ t^.J1st to 14th December... 33.3 35.8 _j.g1st to 31st January 42 .j oq.r1st to 28th February .'..... .•.:40 37.4"'H1st to 21st March .. .. ... 43.7 40-4 1 3.3Sums429-9 414-3 MeannjDifference.^^^"^ • 47-7 46 1-7From this table it will be seen that for the periodfrom 25th Juneto 31st July the mean temperature of the estuary was a fraction ofa degree higher than that of the air, and thesame thing occurredagain in October. In all the other months it was lower, butnot to the same extent as in the case of the river temperature,raking the whole period during which observations have beenmade, the mean temperature of the air was 47-7= and of the water46 ,giving a mean difference of only 1 -7°, instead of 4-3= as in thecase of he river. This result might have been somewhat modifiedIfthe observations had been extended over the whole year insteadof nine months, but not, I think, to any great extent, there beingan obvious reason why the temperature of the estuary should bethe fachigher than that of the river as compared with that of the air, vizthat when the tide rises it passes over the extensive tractsof sand which in the Sohvay Firth are left bare by the receding,tide, and in sunny days become heated by the sun, to which itmay be added that the influence of the Gulf Stream nH,.st tell in

252 Transactions.some degree upon the temperature of the tidal water, while thatof the river is wholly unaffected by it. It may perhaps be askedwhy the mean annual temperature of the air in my observationsshould be 52-5°, while in those of Mr Lewis it is only 47-7°, andthe mean temperature of the water 48-5°, as compared with 46°.But this admits of an obvious explanation. For one thing, therewere no observations taken by Mr Lewis in April, May, and thegreater part of June, while mine included these months, andanother thing to be taken into account is that my observationswere taken invariably about noon, when the heat of theday wasapproaching its maximum, while those of Mr Lewis were taken atall hours when the tide was up.I regret that I have not been able to procure a sufficientlyextended number of observations of the temperature of LochruttonLoch to be of much value, but by the kindness of Mr Beck and MrLindsay I got observations made from the 8th to 19th August,and from 13th September to 1st October, with the followingresults ;Mea7is.Air. Water. Difference.From 8th to 19th August 58-3 61-1 +2-8„ 13th September to 1st October ... 54-3 55-2 +0-9From this we may probably infer that during at least the autumnand winter months, and possibly in summer also, the temperatureof the Loch is, as a rule, in excess of that of the air. But theobservations are too limited in number to warrant any decidedconclusion being founded upon them.II. Seaweeds. By Mr Joseph Wilson (late Secretary).Seaweeds form by far the largest section of the Algae, whichis one of the three great classes into which the thallogenous plantsare divided. They are most abundant in the tropics, and manythousand species have been found in the waters surrounding theBritish Isles. These aquatic plants vary very much in size, form,texture, and colour. Some species are entire and coriaceous,others branched and filamentous ; some are flat, with or without amidrib ; others are round, and in some instances measure severalhundred feet in length. One characteristic feature of all is thatthey have no true roots, but absorb their food instead from themedium in which they exist.

—Transactions. 253The seaweeds found along the shores of Dumfriesshire andGalloway have not, as far as I am aware, been catalogued, andalthough they are not so varied or plentiful as those on moreexposed coasts they form a portionshould not be overlooked.of the flora of the district andSeaweeds are found in greater abundance on the rocky andexposed coasts, in the pools of water among the rocks, and growingin the water when the tide is at the ebb. As there are no rocksalong the coast of Dumfriesshire, but sand banks instead, and thedistance to the water's edge when the tide isout considerable, onlya few specimens can be obtained growing in the natural state, andnot many are to be gathered when washed ashore by storms.The Galloway coast differs from that of Dumfriesshire, for thereare rocks at Douglas Hall, Colvend, and further westward, butthese are either of the Silurian or Igneous formations, and are notso favourable to the growth of seaweeds as the softer rocks.In order to investigate the seaweeds of the district it isnecessary to examine the rocks or other structures where theygrow at all seasons of the year, and every opportunity should betaken to collect specimens washed ashore by spring tides andstorms. Under these circumstances the making of a complete listof seaweeds is no easy task, and asthe spare time at my disposalwas limited, I have only been so fortunate as to secure some of thecommoner species, many of which I now exhibit and briefly notice.Sub-Class I. Melanospennea.—The seaweeds in this subclassare of an olive colour and grow in abundance on every shore,except one genus Sargassitm—which covers immense tracts of theAtlantic in the trojiics. This sub-class is divided into six orders,which we shall briefly notice.'Fucacece.—Âll the plants in this order are dark olive andhave the peculiarity of turning black when dry. The followingare frequently met with : Halidrys Siligiiosa, growing in rockypools, and at low water mark on the rocks at Douglas Hall andthe Galloway coast. Fucus vesiculosus, common sea-wrack, growson every stone washed by the tide.F. Serrafus, common, is distinguished by the serrate fronds,no air vessels, and grows in large patches on the rocks betweentide marks. F. Nodosus, also common, generally washed ashore atGlencaple and Euthwell by the tide. A number of parasiticalspecies attach themselves to this plant. F. Caiialiadatus, a small

———254 Transactions.plant scarcely four inches in length, grows in tufts on rocksbetween tide marks at Douglas Hall and Colvend. F. Ceratioidesat the mouth of Nith near Glencaple.Himafifhalia Lorea, or sea thongs, grows on the rocky shoresat low water mark and is frequently washed ashore with springtides. Desmarestia aculeata is a representative of the secondorderStorochnacea—occasionally met with growing in pools onthe Colvend coast. Order HI.— LaminariacecB is represented byAlaria esculetita, occasionally washed ashore in winter ;Lami?iariadigitata and L. Saaharina, frequently met with along the Caerlaverock shore ; and also Chorda filmn in winter and spring. Theplants in the next three orders grow attached to rocks at lowwater, or in tidal pools, but T have only been able to distinguishone genusSub-Class II.Dictyosiphofi—from Ruthwell.Rhodospermea.—The plants in this sub-classdiffer in texture and colour, and the frond is more or less jointed,as you will notice from the specimens exhibited. Odonthaliadentata, frequently met with on the coasts of Fife, should be foundat Colvend. Polysiphotiia nigrescens, P. fastigiaia, are very frequentlymet with on the stems of Fuciis nodosus. Laurenciapinnatifida, or pejjper dulse, found growing on stones at Colvend.Corallina officinalis grows on the rocks at Douglas Hall, &c., andDelesseria sanguinea, D. a/afa, grow attached to the stems of theLamittarice. Flocanium coccineum is abundantly met with alongthe whole coast, and is a great favourite with every sea-side visitor.Rhodyjtienia palmetta, dulse, not so frequently used for dieteticpurposes as formerly, grows attached to the rocks, and the lesserdulse, Iridcea ediilis, is occasionally met with among the largerseaweeds attached to the rocks. Several sjêcies of the Ceramiacecemay be found in the waters of the Solway. Cerainium rubrum,C. rosenm, C. Turneri are occasionally gathered growing on thelarger seaweeds.Sub-Class III.Chlorospermea.—The grass-greenseaweedsare represented by the Siphonacea, Confervacece, and Ulvacea',among which Cladophora rupesins, common ; Conferva rupestris,C. Albida, Enteromotplia intestinalis, and Ulva latissiina are frequentlymet with on the sand shores at Caerlaverock andKuthwell.

Transactions. 255III. Edgar's MS. History of Dumfiies. By Mr JamesBarbour.Dr Burnside's MS. History of Dumfries, written in the year1791, contains reference to an earlier MS. account of the town byEdgar. The original of this latter work is not known to beextant, but a transcript of it is embraced in the Eiddel MSS.preserved in the library of the Antiquarian IMuseum, Edinburgh.A copy has been obtained for this Society, and, as desired by theSecretary, I have prepared a brief notice of it.A note prefixed to his transcript by Riddel explains how itwas obtained and who the author was. He :— says " This accountof Dumfries was wrote by Edgar, a burgess of that burgh.He was father to the late Theodore Edgar of Elsishields, nearLochmaben. I had it copied from the original MS. inEdgar's own handwriting, which, in 1790, was in the possession ofJohn Clark, senr., writer (and late Provost) of Dumfries." (In.)R K. 1791.A monument to the memory of Theodore Edgar of Elsishieldsstands in St. Michael's Churchyard, from which Ave learn that hedied 5th February, 1784, aged 68. On another stone within thesame enclosure we read :" Here lyes the body of Mr RobertEdgar, writer in Dumfries, who lived almost four score years andten, and died an honest man. July 4th, 1759." This was ourauthor, of whom, although doubtless a prominent man in his day,little is now known. ]\Iany legal documents are extant in hishandwriting, and the Seven Trades' minute book shows that heacted as clerk to the Incorporations during the long period offorty-five years, from 1701 till 1746, when he resigned.The MS. appears to have been written at a period later than1745, the events of that year being referred to in it in termsindicating the lapse of some time since their occurrence. It isentitled :IXTRODCCTION TO THE HiSTORY OF THE ToWX OF DUMFRIES.IIn which the Origin, Situation, Length, Convenience, Royalizing,Buildings, Demolitions, Advances of Trade, are consideredfrom the Earliest Accounts.•2nd. The Government, Administration and Execution thereof.Crafts Increase, Industry and Manufactures are shown, withReasonable Remarks and Advices on the Whole.By a Lover of Truth and of he Wel/art of the Barijh.

256 Transactions.There is prefixed an address " To the Reader," from whichit may be inferred the MS. was intended for publication. Thenames given to Dumfries, the origin of the town, and its situation,antiquity, and topography are treated of, but the workmay be regarded mainly as a disquisition on the constitution ofthe Burgh and the administration of its affairs.I will submit a few of the topographical details. The mainstreet is described as extending from the head of Friars' Vennel toCatstrand, a mile in length. Many of the names then commoncontinue in use, such as Friars' Vennel, Townhead, FleshmarketStreet, and Whitesands. Others have given place to new names.Irish Street was formerly known as West Barnraws, ShakespeareStreet as East Barnraws, Loreburn Street as North-eastBarnraws,and Queensberry Street as Mid Bai'nraw. The peculiar arrangementof the numerous closes in the town is described as resemblingthe teeth of a comb. They were on each side of the streets 30 or40 feet apart, and led down to the inhabitants' houses, yards, andbarns. The streets are described as being well paved and free ofstanding water.The public buildings belonging to the town were :—The OldTolbooth, now a bookbinder's workshop, situated opposite theMidsteeple on the south side of Union Street, which was rebuiltbefore the Eebellion of 1715 ; the Prison or Pledge-house, whichstood on the north side of Union Street, and was built at theKing's command and the town'sexpense in 1583 or 1585, as appearedby an inscription on the forewall ; the Midsteeple, built in1707 ; and the New Church, built in 1727. The town also addeda north-west wing and a tower to the Old Church after theReformation.Previous to 1708 there were only two bells in the town—onein St. Michael's Church, supposed to have belonged to SweetheartAbbey, and one over the Tolbooth, which had been gifted to thetown in 1443 by William Lord Carlyle in honour of St. Michael,described as " a little clear sharp sounding bell." It is preservedin the Observatory Museum.The Fish Cross stood in the High Street opposite EnglishStreet ; and the site of the Market Cross was the centre of theblock of buildings north of and adjoining the Midsteeple.A great building, called the " New Wark," stood in the spacenow called Queensberry Square, on the staircase of which were theRoyal Arms of Scotland and others, and the date 1583 or 1585.

Transactions. 257The Castle, which stood on the site of Greyfriars' Church, wasbuilt by John Lord JMaxwell and Elizabeth Douglas, his lady,anno 1572, on part of the ground formerly belonging tothe Greyfriars'Monastery. The building was of three storeys, with fourlarge vaults in the basements, and a turnpike stair andbartizan covered with lead ; and there were four or five acres ofground attached to it and walled in.For near thirty years, from1660 to 1687, the Castle was not possessed by the Nithsdalefamily, but in 1688, immediately before the Eevolution, it was putinto complete order and occupied by them.Before the Rebellionof 1715 the Earl of Nithsdale sold the Castle to John M'Dowall ofLogan for the sum of one hundred and forty guineas.The bridge of Dumfries consisted of nine arches, with a tentharchunder the street, and there was a port on it in the middle ofthe river, which had, our author says, till within thesegreat valves or gates, which the administrators have laidtroublesome.sixty yearsaside asIt was the custom for the county families to reside occasionallyor permanently in the county town, and many of them builtcomparatively handsome houses for themselves there, which muchenhanced the town's appearance.The situation of the town is described as one of the mostdelectable in the nation, the river JSTith being on one side andLochar Moss on the other, with corn lands between, and withmany delightful walks and " refreshing turns " around. Thefollowing verses are offered as applicable :In Nithsdaleshire towards the south there standsA royal burgh, which all that shire commands,Drumfries 'tis call'd, and very near the townThe river Nith in chry.-5tal streams runs down ;A pleasant bridge that's built with arches nineOf red freestone as stretched with a lineFrom Vennel-foot to Galloway it tendsAnd divers roads thro all that country sends.Near eight miles south the mountain Criffel standsWell known, and seen from several distant lands,And on the east old Solway's force makes wayWith swelling tides both in the night and day,And north-east too, tho' distant from the townQueensberry stands with her adorning crown.Yea round about with many little hillsThis town seems guarded from all threatning ills ;And yet we find much of the country round

258 Transactions.Lyes uninclosed, uncultivate the ground,Which great defect doth from the owners flowFor tenants by well-try'd experience know(Their tacks being short, as seldom long they be,Perhaps three years, or five, or three times three).If they should be at cost and pains to makeTheir land prove fertile and much labour takeTo bring the ground a better crop to bearTheir rents are rais'd or they turn'd out next year.This to amend let all attempt with speedWho have it in their power to give remead ;May many join, and all with one consentObtain at length an Act of Parliament,That in North Britain all who set yr. landsShall on stampt paper sign it with their handsThat all their tenants' tacks or leases bearsThe fixed term of one-and-twenty years.That tenants may have time to try and makeImprovements of their lands for their own sake.Let them enclose some aikers every year,And plant such planting as the soil will bear ;Let summar' justice 'gainst the tenants beQuite laid aside, and let them courteouslyPay all their rents, but if the landlord findHis tenant backward go, or come behindIn his improvements, and no friends he haveThat will assist him or his credit save,Then let his tack be registrate with speed.And others take that will perform the deed.If some such method could be thought upon,Much money might be sav'd, for much is goneOf late to other countries to procureCorn, wheat, and rye, that did not long endure.But if our lands were all enclosed well,And well manur'd, all that in Scotland dwellWould be sustain'd, and much would be in storeFor every year's produce would produce moi-e,And then North Britain might lift up her head.And thankful be when all her sons have bread.The constitution of the Burgh and the administration of itsaffairs are criticised at great length and severely. It was thecustom, our author says, for the old Council to elect the new, thecommunity having no voice in the election, and no direct power toimpugn the actions of their rulers. The result was that affairs weremanaged mostly by a faction forming little more than a majorityof the Council, composed of relatives and friends, banded togetherto perpetuate the magistracy among them, and whose motive was

Transactions. 259love of power and self aggrandisement rather than the good of thetown.Unfortunately there is meagre mention of events of interestto us which took place in the Avriter's time. Of King James'sProvost and of the Revolution we gather the following :—In1686 King James VII. arbitrarily discharged 'Burghs from electingtheir Magistrates and Town Council ; and following on this hehimself nominated persons to these offices. John Maxwell ofBarncleuch in this way became Provost of Dumfries, who wasknown afterwards as King James' Provost. He was descendedfrom a cadet of the House of Kirkconnell.Being bred a lawyerin Dumfries he became Town Clerk at the Revolution of 1660.He acted as agent for the Earl of Nithsdale, by which he gainedconsiderably. Being a professed Catholic he became, in 1681 or1682, disqualified by the Test Act to continue as Town Clerk anddemitted that office after having arranged for a yearly pension of£5 for life. In 1686 King James VII., as before mentioned, nominatedhim to be Provost of the Burgh, in which office he continuedtill the Revolution of 1688, when he and his Council fled, butbeing taken he was sent to Edinburgh and imprisoned there.HisCouncil granted him, instead of the usual Provost's allowance of100 merks, a salary of 500 merks per annum in consideration ofhis residing in the town and attending to its affairs. He soughtby his authority to embellish and ornament the town in which hefirst drew breath by new buildings, causing those that were oldand waste to be rebuilt. The paving of the public streets was alsoinitiated by him, the work being brought in his time above theCross. He had a patent to be a senator of the Court of Session atEdinburgh, for which he was well qualified by long practice and along head and subdolous wit. This Provost had a sour melancholiccommand and authority to conciliate reverence and regard, and toingratiate the people, proceeded in appearance of strict justice moreand beyond many of his predecessors ; and in regard to his positionin the Council, he was sure to have a set of Councillors who,he being King's Provost, only asked what said the Provost andthen it was so.At the Revolution in December, 1688, after King James hadgone away to France, the people of Dumfries and the countryabout arose and burnt the Pope in effigy and took away the popishbooks out of the popish houses in Galloway, with their priest'svestments in crimson and velvet, and trinkets, and also carved

:260 Transactions.idols of wood out of the Castle or Palace, and burned all at theCross of Dumfries on Yule day 1G88. And the Magistrateshaving absconded, the principal heritors and old Magistratesadvised the family to remove from the Castle and all Catholicsfrom the town by tuck of drum, to prevent further trouble anddamage, which they did accordingly ; and in May following famousMr Campbell was repossessed in the Kirk to the universal joy ofthe inhabitants.Here is a characteristic extract which bears on the history ofthe Old BridgeIt is a memorable Remark on some families of Divine Justice thatall may fear and bewai'e of exemplary punishments on the enemies ofthe Church of God,even to the third and fourth Generation of theirFathers, who were guilty, which, says mine author, is discovered in theHistory of the Church of Scotland, viz., Saturday, the 4tli of August,1621, the time of the i^roceedings of the Parliament of Scotland and themoment the Commissioner, the Marquis of Hamilton, his rising tosceptre the Act of Parliament ratifying the Assembly holden at Perth,25th August, 1618, now ratified. In which Parliament John Corsan wasan affirming Voter for the Town of Drum [fries] and Amisfield and Lagfor the shire of Dumfries, ratifying the five Articles of Perth—there fellout such Blackness and Darkness, three successive great Lightnings,three loud claps of Thunder, Hailstones and prodigious Rains, Fire inthe houses of Edinburgh in the morning called the Black Saturday.ThisProdigious, tremendous, terrifying, unseasonable weather continued allAugust, began again in October, And on the 4th of October Ten archesof the Bridge of Perth were broken down by the deluge of waters, andthe Bridge of Tweed, almost finished, at Berwick was broken down, andone or two arches of the Bridge of Dumfries next to the town fell,all astokens of God's displeasure against the cowardly Commissioners, andthe places who sent them, in concurring to destroy the Church of Scotland.So that it may be apply 'd, that for 120 years these places andfamilies have not prospered. As to the falling or demolishing of theone or two arches of the Bridge of Dumfries nigh the town, I remember,says mine author, a Tradition from some old people in my hearing, halfa-centuryago. That a worthy Presbyterian minister being lodged in thehouse on the East of the Friers' Vennel, named Lag's Lodging, did allthat day to twelve o'clock at night, watch and enjoin the people to watchand pray, for that some strange occurence would fall out that night,and that He himself did watch and heedfully observe the swelling of theRiver Nith, with the great Tempest of Wind and Rain, and said that heperceived a moles or monstrous Bulk as of many Stones or Trusses ofHay together come down through the Bridge, which took away one ortwo arches between eleven and twelve at night about that time.

—Transactions.2G1The following accounts not being now extant in the TownCouncil books may be of value :The Provost who most improved it was C ston, who hath left anAccount of his management from Michaehnas, 1702, to Michaehiias, 1708,which is as follows :AccomiH of Debts jâid hy Colistoim for the Tmm of Druinfries fromMichaelmas, 1702, to Michaelmas, 1704.To Arbigland of prinl. and @ rent which was owing to hisFather, p. BondTo J. Irvine, Lady Terraughty, of prinl. and @ rent conform3^00 q q^ ^"S""'^3300To B. Ewart £1900 prinl. and £18 str. of @ rent owing by°...^3174io Mrs J°"^Reid, relict of B. Reid of bygone, @ rents £36 str. ... 0650Mrs R.'s prinl., 2600 merks.To Janet Real, daughter of J. R. C, (if prinl. and @ rents p3080^ ,f7\ ,io 41 FirelocLs, @ £9 p. peice 0554To Lochaber Axes, Parti.sans (or Halberts), and Drum.s ... 0150To a part of the Expense of Bridging Lochermoss 0400To Sr. David Cunningham in full of several years' salariesaccepted by him and discharged0200To Mr Wm. Veitch 50 merk of bygone @ rent of the prinl.sum of £20 str., which I would have paid him, but he couldnot uplift it without the Presbyrs. consent 0050ToDean Johnston the balance of his Treasurer accompts ... 0600To 2 years' rent of Mr Robt. Patoun's house, at £12 str., P. .. 0216And this beside the Ordinary Salaries and spendings on theTown's affairs, which in one of these years was only about£10 sterling.1. Nota.—l assert that the Town's revenue the said two yearsat my first entry was only £3000.2. At Michaelmas, 1704, when Provost Rome succeeded me inthe office of Provost, the Town's debt was only about 3000merks due to B. Ried's children and Mr Vietch as above,and the oldest debt of £600 sterling by Dr Johnston'smortification, which the Town borrowed in 1649, for compleatingtheir outreik at the Duke's Levie, for which theTown gave security on the Milnhole Miln (which, as it isknown. Provost Crosbie and others have ruined) and whichthe Church Members should look into.3. I procured a Compliment from the Royal Burrows of £200Scots to the poor people burnt out by the fire in the Friars'Vennel in May, 1702, and which I brought home and distributed amongst them according to their several circumstancesand necessities.

262 Transactions.4, The Town having thought fit to relinquish the horse milnwhich cost the Town great Expenses in Anno 1686, and tobuild a Miln beyond the Water in Anno 1705 or 1706),several sums were borrowed on that head, to which I wasnot witness, Mr Thomas Rome being then Provost.Account of the lemon's Debts 2Mid from Michaelmas, 1706, toMichaelmas, 170S.To the Trades to help to build the Meal Mercat conform toAct of yl. Community 400Spent by B. Barclay £100, and John Neilson of Chapel £100,abt. Margt. Ramsay's Inditement, and £200 given herselfwhen she went out of the Kingdom, and £200 as theExpences of her Tryal and incident Charges 900All this Tryal being before the Magistrates as Judges, theExpence was an peculate and imposition on the Burgh'sRevenue.Sept., 1707.—Paid to Barncleugh Maxwell of the Ai-rears ofthe 100 merks yearly which John Herries, called Butt,should have paid him and relieved the Town, and whichKelton, as then Provost, and now his heirs, should makegood to the Town 900To Dr Geo. Archbald 1000 merks and a year's @ rent borrowedby Provost Rome towards building the Mill 1055To William Rae in Lintonside another 1000 mks. and a year's©rent for the Mill 1055Bought by Coliestoun from Netherwood, 4 Acres of Groundbetween the Dove-Cote Croft and Castledykes, being acontinual bone of contention between him and the Town,Mh.they daily poinding one another's Cattle, and more especiallyon this Motive that Netherwood had a Charter boundingsaid 4 Acres of Land with the Water of Nith, andhaving raised a Breve of Perambulation before the Sheriff,by which he designed to have carried away the greatestpart of the Dock ; but his perambulation being advocateand made litigious, I forced Netherwood to sell the 4 Acresof Land, whereby the Dock and the same are now worthyearly £240 Scots, and for which 4 Acres of Ground disponedto the Town I paid him Eleven Hundred Merks ... 1100To Gavin Carlyle for an road thro' his park in prosperity to theTown's Mill on the other side of the Water 100To John Gilchrist (now Baillie) the balance of his TreasurerAccounts -100 ^To Mr M 'Naught £44 10s as 2 years @ rent of 600 mks. andborrowed for the Mill at Whitsunday, 1705 66 10To James Gordon and Janet Real, spouses, £168 6s, as 2 yearsa rent of 2000 mks., and £45 10s as 2 years a rent of 600mks., both borrowed for the Mill at Lammas, 1705, the @rent being paid to Lammas, 1707 ; both is 320 10

Transactions. 26325th March, 1708.—Paid to James Gordon the 2000 mks. Bond J/fo.and @, rent thereof from Lammas, 1707 ... ... ... 2064To him the other Bond of 600 merks and 7 months and 20 days@ rent thereof, and the Bonds and Discharges put upin the Town's Charter Chest • ... 627 6At Michaelmas, 1708.—Left at my outgoing £50 str. in thehands of John Killhagys, as Treasurer, which was destinateto repair the Steeple of the Kirk 900Suma Totalis ... 25,993Nota.—The Burrow's dues on the head of the Missive and fitting theTown's .5i]que being £20 sterling these 4 years, inde 1460 mks. Itemthe whole Magistrate's, Officers' ffees, and Contingencies ; But all areaugmented and altered.IV. Recent Antiquarian Discoveries at Kirkcudbright. ByEdward J. Chinnock, LL.D. (Secretary).I am indebted to the kindness and courtesy of our esteemedmember, Mr George Hamilton, for the following particulars of theinteresting discoveries recently made near Kirkcudbright by himselfand his friends in connection with the Kirkcudbright Museum.The illustration is taken from a j^hotograph presented by Mr JohnM'Kie, who is also an honoured member of this Society.On Thursday, the 10th of April, while the shepherd at HighBanks, parish of Kirkcudbright, was driving in stobs to which tohang his sheep nets, his gellock or crowbar pierced a large flatstone about eighteen inches from the surface, and disappearedunder the soil. On making examination he found that it hadgone into an open chamber, and on laying it bare he found itwasa place where some one had been buried. Information was sentthat evening to Mr M'Kie, the hon. convener of the MuseumAssociation, and next morning he, with Mr Bell of Gribdae and MrHamilton, the lion, secretary of the Museum Association, went tothe field and examined the cist. They found that it was the fieldknown as Woodfield, on the farm of High Banks, which was inturnips and being eaten off by sheep. They were joined by Mr Eigg,the tenant, his son William, and the shepherd, who gave themall the information regarding the discovery.It was a pentagonal chamber, three feet in length and twofeet in width, the sides being the longest and parallel, formed oftwo slabs of slatey rock, the base one slab of the same, and theapex pointing S.S.W. of two similar slabs of stone. Each slabwas about eighteen inches wide, and kept in their place by a

264 Tkansactions.packing of small stones behind each. The top or covering stonewas lying alongside—a large irregulai'-shaped stone, four inches inthickness. This had completely covered the chamber. The floorwas composed of two slates, which rested on the soil. The wholewas quite clear of anjrthing except two pieces of arm tones, asmall piece of a skull, and a piece of a left under jaw, in whichwere three teeth (two molar and one canine) — young fresh teethevidently belonging to a youth. At the west side of the cist wasa small urn, which, however, fell to pieces very shortly after beingexposed to the air. Its contents were apparently nothing but alittle earth. This urn was 6^ inches in height by 4^ inches inwidth. It was well proportioned, had no lid, and was of burntclay. It was ornamented with old Celtic ornamentation of a kindknown to belong to the bronze age, and might have lain undisturbedwhere it was found at least 2000 years. The ornamentationwas evidently done by hand with a comb or some such toothedinstrument tracing it round the vase. It consisted of lines drawnround, but not regularly, of zig-zag lines with achevrony appearance,and was all over the outside of the urn from the top to thebottom. There was no ornamentation inside nor at the bottomoutside.Noticing remains of two large cairns in Woodfield, and havingobtained leave from the proprietors, Mr Hope and Lady IsabellaHope of St. Mary's Isle, and the tenant, Mr William Rigg, themembers of the Kirkcudbrightshire Museum Association proceededto open these cairns on the 17th of April. Both cairns are aboutthe same size, being some 200 feet in circumference, quite round,and rising only some six feet from the natural surface of the field,as for years back they had been probably used to get stones fordykes and rude drains connected with the agriculture of the landaround. They are 150 yards apart, and nearly north and south ofeach other. Two good, stout, intelligent labourers, under thedirection of Mr M'Kie of Anchorlee, commenced at seven in themorning on the most southern of the two (which lay on the toj) ofa small hillock that had some half a century ago been occupied bythe officials of the trigonometrical survey while they were surveyingthe surrounding country between 1840 and 1850) and cut twotrenches at right angles to each otlier towards the centre, keepingthe natural surface of the ground as the floor of the trench. Atfirst they pierced through a circle of smaller stones, which hadevidently fallen at diff'erent times from the cairn ; then they came

TiiANSAcrriuNS. 265upon a ring of large pieces of rock, chiefly quarried from theneighbourhood. Very few travelled boulders were found amongthem, but inside this ring, which had evidently marked the outsidebase of the cairn, Avere heaped up stones of all kinds and descriptions,among Avhich was found a flat stone with evident cupmarkings and the peculiar dotted ai:)pearancecaused by the rudesculpturing in these olden times by sharp-pointed pieces of stone.On approaching the centre, the floor, or under part of the trench,which had all along been the original surface of the field, sank, anda rounded chamber about three feet in diameter was reached,filled with very fine earth. This hole was set round with largishstones laid lengthwise, and with no stones inside at all. Ratheran amusing incident occurred here. All present, in a great stateof excitement, were watching every strokeof the men's pick-axesand spadeful of earth that was thrown out, when one of themembers of the Association called out, " Stop, stop ; there is somethingcarved on this stone," and he brought astone about a footsquare, and, clearing away the soil adhering to it, laid bare a])eautiful specimen of the " broad aiTow." There was a goodlaugli at this discovery and some disappointment, for, if this wereall, it showed the mound was of recent construction, as the broadarrow is the mark of the Government surveyors, who had used thismound only some half century ago, and many were the quotationsfrom the " Antiquary " of Edie Ochiltree's observations to theLaird of Monkbarns when Aiken Drum's lang ladle was turned upon a somewhat similar occasion.However, the conclusion come towas that this stone had been sunk by the trigonometrical surveyorsto uphold their flag or measuring pole while there, and the searchwas continued with increased zeal. The fine earth in the centrehole was carefully lifted out by hand, and in a short time an urn(in pieces), more highly ornamented than the one found on the10th, was discovered, and a quantity of bones around it. Thesebones were in small pieces and considerable quantity, as if morethan one body had been buried there, and the remark washazarded that the urn may have contained the cremated remainsof the chief who laj' there, while the bones were the remains ofslaves who were killed and buried along with him tobe his companionsor servants in another world, so that he might arrive in itwith his customary attendants and in all due state becoming hisposition in this world. The urn is about six inches in height andsix and a half in diameter with no cover, ornamented on the outside

—266 Transactions.with a running pattern, and lines going round the upper part andlines converging from near the shoulder to the bottom. It wasmore glazed on the outside, and the burnt clay of which it wascomposed was much tliicker and the mouth coarser and larger thanin the one discovered the jDreceding week.There was nothing more found, so the trenches were filled upand the mound smoothed over, and the second cairn was attackedin the same way by cutting two trenches from the south and eastto meet in the centre. The stones which surrounded this one onthe outside were much larger than those encountered in the other,and the workmen had not gone far till they came on pieces of avery plain urn with a quantity of bones, and close by a large flatstone, 3 feet by 2| in size, which, on being carefully lifted,exhibited a quantity of bones resting on a second but smaller slabof stone, which was also lifted, and a quantity of bones found underthis, also resting on another and still smaller stone, which was atthe bottom of a sort of well cut out of the solid rock and goingdown about three feet. There was no urn found there, nor wasthere any grave or chamber found in the centre, but to the left of ittraces of artificial workmanship were found, which it was resolvedto follow up some other time. The proprietors of the ground havepresented the urns and other objects found to the KirkcudbrightMuseum. The urns are beautifully moulded and prove a knowledgeof the pottery wheel, and as they are imperfectly burnt, themakers, in order to strengthen them, mixed small pieces of hardstones or perhaps quartz with the clay (all angular). I append afew remarks made by Mr Hamilton in his communication to me:" One curious feature, I wonder if it is common elsewhere, is thatthere were three layers of stones with cremated bones placedbetween them, and all in a well kind of a pit in the solid rock.The largest stones were on the top, the centime one much smaller,and the bottom one smaller still. The bones were evidentlyplaced there after cremation, as all were in small pieces, mostlyunder an inch square.Age.Thei'e was no cremation before the BronzeThere was no tinge of iron or rust on these bones as wouldhave existed had any iron weapons or instruments been found nearthem. The Iron Age commenced about 1.50 B.C., so we may putthe age of these remains as at least more than 2000 years ago.The urns establish the fact that whoever put them there were notsavages. They testify a belief in a future existence, and thecremation teaches a belief in purification by fire. There were no

Transactions. 267idols or idolatrous representations found in the cairns or upon theurns, no crescents, crosses, or astronomical signs."1th of June, i8go.Field Meeting— Tet regies, Holywood , andDalawoodie.New Member.—Mr Wm. Stone, Brooke Street.A party numbering close upon fifty lett the town at oneo'clock, and drove first to Terregles Church, where they were metby Mr W. J. Maxwell, Terregles Banks, and had an opportunityof inspecting the " Quhair." Then they paid a visit to Terreglesgardens ; and, making a short detour to see the Druidical Circleand Holywood Church, they proceeded to Dalawoodie, the residenceof Mr R. Rimmer, F.L.S., president of the Society, by whomthey had been invited to a garden party.The Quhair, which is an annexe to the church and forms theburial place of the Maxwells of Terregles, was erected by theLord Herries of Queen Mary's reign, and restored by the lateCaptain Maxwell, who placed in it the beautiful white marblestatue, named " The Angel of the Resurrection " (which was, webelieve, the last work of Burnie Philip, one of the sculptors of theLondon Albeit Memorial), and had constructed the series of vaultsin the crypt, one of which received his own remains in Decemberlast. It is understood that Lord Herries was himself interredhere ; but no stone indicates his tomb. A slab with a mailedfigure quaintly carved in relief, and the date L568 (being the tombstoneof EdAvard Maxwell of Lamington) is inserted in the pavementof the crypt ; and an elaborate monument to Sir JohnMaxwell of Spottes and his wife. Dame Elizabeth Gordon, the sonand daughter-in-law of the Lord Herries just referred to, is placedagainst the south wall. The first of the family whose tomb isdistinctly indicated is " William, commonly called Earl of Nithsdale,"the son of the attainted nobleman of 1715. That noblemanand the heroic Countess who effected his rescue from the Towerboth died in Rome and were buried in the Eternal City. A veryinteresting relic preserved in the Quhair is a portion of the carvedwoodwork of the priests' stalls from Lincluden Abbey. Mr JamesBarbour gave an address on the history of the edifice.The Terregles gardens and ornamental grounds are notablefor their extent and their magnificence. Stately trees, beech

268 Transactions.hedges of giant stature and perfect symmetry, terraces and banksof velvety turf, cunningly contrived grottos, lake and stream, andstatuary present at every turn new features that invite the visitorto linger in admiration ; at this season the grounds are gorgeouswith the bright and artfully blended tints of the rhododendronand azalea, while on their outskirts a long bank of the yellowbroom reflects a golden glow. At the joiner's shop they wereafforded an opportunity, through the courtesy of Mr Alexander, ofseeing the remaining fragments of the bedstead which was occupiedby Queen Mary during the few nights that she spent atTerregles after the flight from Langside. These consist of thewoodwork which had formed the head and foot. They are of oak,enriched with a good deal of carving, and two ot the turned feetintact. The wooden canopy and some of the tapestry are alsopreserved, and we were glad to hear that it is in contemplation tohave thesurviving portions of the interesting but much decayedrelic fitted together again.Only brief halts were made at the Druidical circle and atHolywood Church. At the latter place several gentlemen ascendedthe belfry, but failed to make out quite satisfactorily the inscriptionon the ancient bell—a relic, it is understood, of the Abbeyof Holywood—although they gave those who remained below aslight taste of its melodious quality.Dalawoodie, as all Dumfriesians know, is one of the mostdelightfully situated country seats in the vicinity, immediatelyoverlooking one of the prettiest reaches of the Cairn ; and thespacious and picturesque mansion is in keeping with its pleasantsurroundings. Here the large party were hospitably entertainedby Mr and Miss Rimmer ;and they were afforded an opportunityof examining rich collections illustrative of natural history andnumerous artistic objects which bespeak the learned pursuits andrefined tastes of the owner. Mr Rimmer is a distinguishedauthority and author in the department of conchology, andpossesses a magnificent cabinet of British shells. Botany has alsoengaged much of hisattention, and the fruits of his industry areapparent in a wealth of mounted specimens. Numerous fineexamples of antique oak carving, of embossed co2)2jer work betweentwo and three centuries old, and of early art in other forms, add acharm of their own to the elegantly furnished apartments. MrRimmer possesses some fine specimens of antique furniture carved,and rare old china; and thdse who visited the Fine Ai't Exliibi-

Transactions.2C^9tion in Dumfries do not require to be told that he has turned hisattention with good purpose also to the gathering of rare oldengravings. A very pleasant hour was spent in the gardens andgrounds, which are most tastefully laid out and beautifully kept.The botanists found much on which to question their genial host,and his store of information was readily at their command.Having expressed through Major Bowden their thanks for thehospitality which had been extended to them, and been assuredby Mr Eimmer that he would be delighted to have them againhis guests next season, the party left about seven o'clock anddrove in to Dumfries.asZrd of July, 1890.At a meeting of the Council, Mr G. F. Scott Elliot, F.L.S.,was appointed curator of the Herbarium, with the Misses Hannayand Miss M. Aitkeu as assistants. A letter Avas read from LlrsWalter Grierson of Chapel Mount, acknowledging one from DrChinnock, in which he had accepted the gift of her late son's (DrFrank Grierson) Herbarium to the Society.r^th of July, 1890.Field Aleeli/ig— Kirkcudbright, Cally Park, A?nvoth, Gatehouse.New Members.—Mr John Henderson, solicitor ; Mrs Sloan,Elmbank ; Miss Copland, Abbey House, Newabtey.Twenty-six members attended, and proceeded by rail toKirkcudbright, where they were joined by thirteen of the KirkcudbrightClub. The whole party, under the escort of Mr JohnM'Kie, then drove to Gatehouse, going by way of Nunmill andBorgiie, passing the old churchyard of Kirkchrist, and along thefoot of the wooded moat of Doon. Some distance further on, theypassed the bye-road leading across the farm of Balmangan to theburial-groundof the ancient parish of Senwick, now incorporatedin Borgue. The party, however, did not visit the churchyard,which is some distance off the road ; but pushed on past BalmanganTower, the seat at divers times of the families of Charteris, M'Lellan,and Carson, and by Pringleton, Borgue, and Pluntou Castle. Thelatter was the seat of the family of Lennox—or, as it used to be

270 Transactions.written, Levenaux—which was kin to the family of which LordDarnley came. The Lennoxes were at one time proprietors ofCally, then called Lennox-Cally, and afterwards inter-marriedwith the Galloway Stewarts.On entering the policies of Cally, the party were met by thegardener, who showed them through the well-kept gardens, andover the charming walks which intersect the extensive lawnsshaded by giant trees of unknown antiquity. By the generouspermission of Mr H. G. Murray-Stewart of Cally, the visitors wereallowed to explore the mansion-house, under the guidance of thegenial butler. They entered by the Marble Hall, which is almostoriental in the splendour of its polished marble and delicatestatues. In this hall, on a polished marble table inlaid withcoloured pebbles, there stands a fac-simile of Cleopatra's Needle,in black marble. The marble forming the floor was brought fromItaly in a rough state and polished at Cally Sawmill by marblecutters brought thither for the purpose, and the huge roundedpillars are built of granite boulders taken from Craigdews, at theback of Cairnsmore of Fleet. The size of the blocks is remarkable.The drawing-room was next visited. On the Myalls are hungstriking portraits of the proprietor's wife and mother, and thelarge table in the room has its top wrought into graceful designsformed by inlaid gems in profuse variety. Several fine examplesof the old masters are hung upon the walls.On leaving the mansion the visitors passed by and inspectedthe old Cally tower, and proceeded through Gatehouse to AnwothChurchyard. Here they were met by liev. Mr Black, the ministerof the parish. The old church—roofless now and ivy-grown—is asmall building, measuring about twenty-two yards long andscarcely seven broad. A stone over the entrance bears the inscription:" Built A.D. 1627." This is the date of the settlementof Samuel Eutherford as minister of Anwoth, which is said to havebeen only at that time erected into a separate parish ; and it isthis association with the memory of the saintly and scholarlydivine who first administered within its walls that invests thehumble ruined fane with unusual interest.There are a number of memorial stones within theprecinctsof the church, some of them elaborately sculptured and bearingquaint inscriptions. The most massive is an architectural structureof light-coloui-ed sandstone, which commemorates severalmembers of the Gordon family, who were for a time owners of the

Transactions. 271Ardwell and Cardoness estates. At least one of the intermentsrecorded, it is curious to note, is of earlier date than the church,and this circumstance would seem to indicate that there had beenan earlier i^lace of worship. The three boars' heads of the Gordonarms are sculptured on a circular top stone, which bears also theinitials "I.G.," and the armorial device is repeated on other partsof the monument, quartered in one instance with three sheavesand three stars. The inscriptions are elaborate, of rude verse butpious sentiment. The first in order of time is that which appearson the north end of the stone, viz. :Walking with God iu ixiritie of life,lu Christ I died, and eiulit al my stryfe ;For in my saule Christ heir did dwel by grace ;Now dwells my saule iu glorie of his face.Thair foir my bodie sal uot heir remaiue,Bot to ful glorie sal siiirlie ryse agaiue.Mariovue Mure, goodwife of Culliudach, departed this life aimo 1612.This lady was the daughter of the laird of Torhousemuir, Wigtown,afterwards of Cassencary, Kirkmabreck ; and her husbandwas William Gordon of Cullendoch. Two wives of their son, JohnGordon (by whom in all probability the monument was erected),are the subjects of the other inscriptions.Durabe, sensles statue of some painted stones,What means thy boast 1 Thy captive is but clay ;Thow gaines nothing but some few lifles bones.Hir choysest pairt, liir soule, triumphis for ay,Tlien, gazeug friendis, do not hir death deplore;Yow lose a while ; she gains for evermore.Margrat Makclellaue, goodwife of Ardwel, departed this life 2 Apprile,162 —, retatis suae 31.The title Ardwell here employed is understood to have been derivedfrom the farm of Over Ardwell. Nether Ardwell was atthat period in possession of the M'Cullochs; as was also theestate of Cardoness; but John Gordon acquired the latter bypurchase from his kinsman, William M'CuUoch, and it will beseen that in the epitaph of his second wife the title is chancredfrom Ardwell to Cardoness. The second union must have .Subsistedonly for a short time, when it was interrupted by tJieof the lady.deathYe gaizers on tliis trophee (jf the tonibe,Send out one groue for want of hir whoi.se lyfe,

272 Transactions.Twyse borne ou earth aud uow is iu earth's wombe,Lived loug a virgine, uow a spotles wiff;Church keepis her godlie life ; this tombe hir corps ;Aud earth hir famous name.Who then doth lose ? Hir husband no, since heavenHir Saule does gaue.Chi-isten Makcaddam, Lady Cardynes, depairted 16 Juny, 1628, retatissuae 33.For the convenience of readers we have introduced some punctuationmarks and capitals in reproducing the epitaph ; and have sofar modernised the spelling as to use the ordinarj'' characters, insteadf V for u and z for y. The initials of the parties are cut inbold characters on the stone in the following order, I being usedfor J, and C as the second initial both of M'Clellan and M'Cadam :WG MM IG MMC IG CMCThe burial place of the M'Cullochs of Ardwell is also in thechurch. Built into a recess in the south wall there is a stonebearing the crest of the Maxwells of Cardoness—a man's headwithin two laurel branches- -and their motto, " Think on," andbeneath, along with other heraldic devices, the initials of CaptainWilliam Maxwell and hiswife, Nicolas Stewart, with an intimationthat the monument was rebuilt by them in 1710. Thisrecess formed the doorway by which Mr Rutherford entered whenabout to ascend the pulpit, which stood against the wall on thewest side of the doorway.John Bell of Arkland is commemorated by a large tablet intheouter wall, with a slightly mutilated Latin inscription, and apiece of sculpture in relief, representing the skeleton figure ofDeath bearing a scythe in one hand aud discharging with the left adart at a sleeping figure.on a fiat tombstone, is dedicated :It may be his wife to whom this epitaph,Heir lyis Margrat Halliday, spouse to Johue Bel in Archland, whodepairted this lyfF anno 1631, Jan. 27, ajtatis sure 76.O Death, I will be thy death. Now is Christ resin from ye deid,aud is the First froot of them that beleive.These were no doubt relatives of John Bel of Whiteside, themartyr, whose tragic story is told on a neighbouring stone. Hewas a step-son of Viscount Kenmure, and his mother was aM'Culloch of Ardwell. The inscription over his grave ia asfollows :

Transactions. 273Here lyes Johu Bell of Whytesyde, who was barbourously sliot todeath in the paroch of Tougland, at the command of Griez' of Lag.Auno 1685.This raomiment shall tell posterityThat blessed Bell of Whitesyde here doth ly,Wlio at command of bloody Lag was shot,A Murther strange, which should not be forgot.Douglas of Morton did him quarters give,Yet cruel Lag would not let him survive.This martyre sought some time to recommeudHis soul to God before his dayes did end.The tyrant said, What, devil, ye've jirayed enoughThis long seven years on mountains and in cleugh ;So instantly caus'd him, with other four,Be shot to death upon Kirkcounel Moor.So thus did end the lives of these deare saintsFor there adherance to the covenants.Small stones in the churchyard commemorate ArchibaldFaulds and Thomas Irving, servants at Bardarroch, who had accompaniedtheir employer—no doubt the Captain WilliamMaxwell above referred to— " in Flanders and Germany duringthe wars of the glorious King William."The party next proceeded to Rutherford's monument, passingon the way Rutherford's Well. The monument is a graniteobelisk, erected on the summit of Boreland Hill in 1842, at a costof £200, raised partly by subscription and partly by a collectiontaken at a sermon preached on the site of the monument by Rev.Dr Cook of Belfast in 1838. It is 60 feet in height, with a 7 feetsquare base, and bears on its southern face the inscription :To the memory of Eev. Samuel B.utherford, minister of the parishof Anwoth. He was appointed Professor of Divinity in the Universityof St. Andrews, where he died, 1661.This monument was erected 1842 in admiration of his eminentabilitie.s, extensive learning, ardent piety, ministerial faithfulness, anddistinguished public labours in the cause of civil and religious liberty.Surely he shall not be moved for ever ; the righteous shall be in everlastingremembrance.— Ps. cxii. 6.On the reverse side there is an inscription stating that themonument was struck by lightning in 1847, and rebuilt in 18.51.In the latter year a conductor was added, which now bears traceagainst the granite of many a discharge of the electric fluid downthe side of the monument. A splendid view was here obtained of

274 Transactions.the Isle of Man, with mists hovering ovei' it, and of the Wigtowncoast.The carved stones and remains of the vitrified fort on TrustyHill adjoining were then inspected.After dining at Gatehouse, votes of thanks were passed to theKirkcudbright Society and to the Eev. Mr Black. As representingthe Kirkcudbright Field Naturalist Club, Mr Thomas Campbellexpressed the pleasure they had in meeting the Dumfries Society.Votes of thanks were passedto Messrs George Hamilton andM'Kie, Kirkcudbright, for superintending the arrangements of theexcursion.'ind of August, 1890.Field Meeting— Irongray, Jarbruck, Moniaive, Glencairn Church.A large party drove first to Irongray Church, where the graveof Helen Walker, the prototype of Scott's Jeanie Deans, wasvisited. The beautiful falls of the Old Water of Cloudeu atEoutan Bridgewere next reached, and then the party proceededto Glenriddell and Jarbruck Butts. This remarkable elevationwas mounted and carefully examined. There are four theories ofthe origin of this mound—first, that it was a Roman encampment ;second, that it was an ancient Biitish burial place for chiefs orpriests ; third, that it was erected as a moat or place of judgment;and fourth, that it was a British encampment. The visitors, afteran investigation and discussion, in which Messrs Barbour andWatt took the principal part, came to the conclusion that the onlyartificial part of the hill is the western knoll, and that the whole isdue to the natural action of the river or water in bygone ages.Probably the place was utilised by the ancients as a moat, andsubsequently as a place for the exercise of archery. Here a meetingof the Society was held, under the presidency of Mr JamesShaw, and, on the motion of the Secretary, Mr Thomas M'Kie ofthe Moat was elected a member. Dr Chinnock also intimatedthat tlie Council had recommended the election of Messrs W.Leunon and W. Hastings as honorary members on account oftheir merit as scientists and their services to the Society. On themotion of Mr J. Barbour and Mr W. Moodie respectively theelection of these gentlemen was ratified. Mr John Corrie,Moniaive, now conducted the visitors to various objects of interest

Transactions. 275in the village and its vicinity, especially noteworthy being themonument erected to James Renwick, the last of the martyrs, whowas executed in Edinburgh early in 1688. This heroic young manwas a native of the village. A gean tree now marks the site ofthe cottage where he was born. After passing a vote of thanksto Mr Corrie for his services as guide, the party drove toGlencairn Church, where the Rev. Patrick Playfair was waitingto point out objects of interest. The remains of the old pre-Reformation chui-ch and the tombstones of the three Inglestonmartyrs Avere observed, Mr Playfair supplying as much informationas he had been able at present to acquire about the old church,the gable ends of which alone remain. He then shewed thevisitors through his exquisite garden, pointing out various rare andbeautiful plants and flowers. After the Secretary had conveyedthe thanks of the Society to Mr Playfair, the party drove back toDumfries through Dunscore and Holywood -sdllages.Report of the Formation of tlie Herbarium. By G. F.Scott-Elliot,M.A.The herbarium of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Societymay now be regarded as an actual entity. It now numbers fully500 species, in which are included almost all the rarer plants ofDumfriesshire. The majority of those not represented are eithervery common plants, such as Daisy, and naturalised or plantedspecies and outcasts or escapes. There is no reason why the endof next season should not see us in possession of a completeherbarium of the three counties.The arrangement adopted has been to number each sheetafter the London Catalogue as well as after Bentham's Manual,We have entered on every sheet as definite an account of thelocality as we could obtain.The entire labour of mounting these 500 and more sheets hasbeen performed by theMisses Hannay, with some assistance fromMiss Margaret Aitken and Miss Hamilton, and thethanks of theSociety are especially due to these ladies for the extremely neatand beautiful way in wdiich this part of the work has been done.It is, moreover, a peculiarly monotonous and self-denying task,and the time and labour spent upon it has been very great indeed.The herbarium has been arranged in order, and is now ready for

276 Transactions.consultation by any member of the Society. After consultingwithMiss Hannay I have thought the bestplan will be to keep itin her house, 1 Victoria Terrace, as a fire cannot be kept in theSociety's Rooms during winter. Miss Hannay has, however,kindly saved us all risk in this respect, and members of the Societyare cordially invited to inspect it.The Hieracia and certain other doubtful forms will be sent tothe Rev. E. F. Linton, of Bournemouth, who has very kindlyoffered to name all for us and return them. His knowledge ofBritish plants is extremely correct and of great width.We have received plants from a large number of members ofthe Society and others, and some have been extremely valuableconsignments indeed. It would be invidious to particularise, so 1simply append a list of our benefactors : Miss Aitken, Miss Babington,Mrs Gilchrist Clark, Miss Copland, Mr J. Corrie, Mrs Grierson,Miss Hamilton, Mr J. T. Johnstone, Revs. E. F. and W. R. Linton,Miss MiUigan, Mr J. Rae, Miss Reid, Mr R. Rimmer, Mr J. Shaw,Miss Ethel Taylor (2 sendiugs), Miss Tennant, Mrs Thomson, MrsCarthew-Yorstoun. The rest have been collected by the MissesHannay and myself.A special notice, however, is required of Mrs Grierson's munificentbequest of the herbarium of the late Dr Grierson to theSociety.This herbarium is so complete and so accurately named,carefully mounted and prepared, that it is a most valuable bequest,and will, I hope, lead to a great botanical revival in Dumfries. Itis also, however, a responsibility to the Society, and should, I hope,be much used next summer.I hope next summer to begin exchanging duplicates both withmembers and other societies. This summer I have forwarded someto the Kirkcudbright Museum, which have been acknowledged byMr AVatson, curator. Next year I hope to do this on a moreextended scale.8th September, 1890.

XifcflDembcra.Miss Dobie, Penfillan House, Penpont, Thornhill.W. D. Robinson Douglas, J. P., Orchardton, Castle-Douglas.Alexander Young Harries, J. P.,Spottes, Dalbeattie.J. J. Hope-Johnstone, J.P., Raehills, Lockerbie.W. H. Maxwell, J. P., Munches, Dalbeattie.W. J. Maxwell, M.A., advocate (Chairman of County Council),Terraughtie, Troqueer.Mark J. Stewart, M.P., Southwick.Ibonorar^fiDcmbere.Robert Barbour, late secretary, Cape Town.Arthur Bennett, F.L.S., 90 High Street, Croydon.George F. Black, Ph.D., Antiquarian Museum, Edinburgh.G. Baker, F.R.S., Royal Herbarium, Ktw, Surrey.J.J.Harvie Brown, F.L.S., Duniface, Larbert.William Carruthers, F.R.S., F.L.S., British Museum, CromwellRoad, London.James Dairon, F.G.S., 6 Garden Street, Glasgow.Battershell Gill, M.D., 9 Cambridge Terrace, Regent's Park, London.James Grant, M.D. (Bey), The Sandovian, Cairo.Peter Gray, 71 Paulet Road, Camberwell, London.R. Henderson, Manitoba, Canada.J. J. F. X. King, 207 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.William Hastings, taxidermist, Dumfries.Walter Lennon, Brooke Street, Dumfries.William MTlwraith, Rockhampton, Queensland.J.M'Meekan, Hobart Town, Tasmania.William K. Robertson, 13 Pitt Street, Edinburgh.David Sharp, M.B., F.R.S., Wilmington, Dartford, Kent.J. Starforth, architect, Edinburgh.R. H. Taylor, M.D., i Percy Street, Liverpool.Joseph Thomson, F.R.G.S., Gatelawbridge, Thornhill.R. Turner, 3 Westbank Place, Hillhead, Glasgow.Joseph Wilson, late secretary, Florida ^îlla, ^^'indygates, Fife.

John Adair, High Street, Dumfries.Dr John Aitken, Asylum House, Inverness.Miss Aitken, The Hill, Dumfries.William Allan, Irving Street, Dumfries.William Anderson, Netherwood, Dumfries.Rev. William Andson, Newall Terrace, Dumfries.Armistead, The Solway Fishery, Newabbey.J. J.James Barbour, architect, St. Christopher's, Dumfries.Mrs James Barbour, St. Cristopher's, Dumfries.Robert Barbour, Belmont, Maxwelltown.Robert Barbour, solicitor, Maxwelltown.Rev. William Bell, M.A., Graitney.Blacklock, solicitor, Irish Street, Dumfries.J.Major Herbert George Bowden, Irving Street, Dumfries.John Brown, F.E.I.S., Drumsleet, Troqueer.Thomas Brown, Auchenhessnane, Penpont.T. Rae Bruce, Dalshangan, New Galloway.Rev. James A. Campbell, M.A., Troqueer.John Callander, M.D., Dunscore.John Callander, High Street, Dumfries.Rev. x\lexander Chapman, M.A., Maryville.Edward James Chinnock, M.A., LL.B., LL.D., Rector of DumfriesAcademy.Clark, Town Councillor, Irish Street, Dumfries.J. J.Frederick H. Clarke, M.B., CM., 37 Castle Street, Dumfries.Frederick R. Coles, The Hermitage, Tongland.Miss Copland, Alsbey House, Newabbey.John Corrie, Burnbank, Moniaive.William A. Costin, Roseland, Maxwelltown.John Cowan, Birkhill, Dumfries.Rotchell Park, Maxwelltown.John Craig, solicitor,Mrs John Craig, Rotchell Park, Maxwelltown.William T. Craig, solicitor, Irish Street, Dumfries.John Gumming, English Street, Dumfries.Alexander L. Davidson, Schoolhouse, Ruthwell.James Davidson, Summerville, Maxwelltown.William Dickie, Stmidard Office, Dumfries.

Ordinary Members.27'JWilliam A. Dinwiddle, i Buccleuch Street, Dumfries.John W. Dods, St. Mary's Place, Dumfries.John Douglas, M.D., Whithorn.Bernard Drummond, Moffat.Patrick Dudgeon, J. P., Cargen, Troqueer.John Dunlop, Schoolhouse, Dornock.Alexander M. Fergnsson, solicitor, Irish Street, Dumfries.John R. Fergusson, artist, Castle Street, Dumfries.J. Gillon Fergusson, J. P., Isle, Dumfries.James Fingland, druggist, Thornhill.Rev. George Laurie Fogo, M.A., Torthorwald.Richard P. Fotheringham, Brooke Street, Dumfries.Rev. James Fraser, M.A., Colvend.Thomas Fraser, High Street, Dalbeattie.William Galloway, Whithorn.Mrs Gilchrist, Linwood, Dumfries.John Grierson, Town Clerk, Dumfries.John Gunning, Castlebank, Dumfries.Mrs Gunning, Castlebank, Dumfries.AV. Halliday, College Street, Maxwelltown.George Hamilton, Ardendee, Kirkcudbright.Miss Hamilton, Castlebank, Dumfries.Miss Hannay, i Victoria Terrace, Dumfries.Miss J.Hannay, i Victoria Terrace, Dumfries.James Herries, Loreburn Park, Dumfries.James Hogg, Saughtree, Dumfries.David Boyle Hope, Sheriff of Dumfriesshire and Galloway.James Houston, Church Crescent, Dumfries.George Johnstone, Castlemilk, Lockerbie.John Thorburn Johnstone, Victoria Place, Moffat.John Kerr, Blountfield, Ruthwell.Thomas Kerr, 112 Friars' Vennel, Dumfries.Thomas Laing, F.E.I. S., Schoolhouse, Noblehill.James Lennox, F.S.A., Edenbank, Maxwelltown.Alexander D. M'Donald, M.D., 18 Castle Street, DumfriesJ. C. R. Macdonald, solicitor, Irish Street, Dumfries.W. R. M'Diarmid, 8 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh.James M'Andrew, Schoolhouse, New-Galloway.Matthew S. M'Kerrow, Boreland of Southwick.Dr Mackie, Thornhill.Mrs Mackie, Thornhill.

280 OiiDiNAHY Members.John M'Kie, Anchorlee, Kirkcudbright.Thomas M'Kie, advocate, i Gloucester Place, Edinburgh.Thomas C. M'Kettrick, Viewfield, Dumfries.Mrs James H. M'Gowan, Ellangowan, Dumfries.Thomas M'Gowan, solicitor, Rotchell, Maxwelltown.Robert D. M'Glashan, Saughtree, Dumfries.Mrs M'Kenzie, 3 Queen's Place, Dumfries.Rev. John D. M'Kinnon, Newall Terrace, Dumfries.James D. M'Veigh, Buccleuch Street, Dumfries.James Matthewson, 18 Copeland Street, Dalbeattie.James Maxwell, Screel, Auchencairn.Francis Maxwell, J. P., Gribton, Dumfries.James Maxwell, Bank House, Maxwelltown.William J. Maxwell, Terregles Banks.Wellwood Maxwell, Kirkennan, Dalbeattie.Frank Miller, Bank of Scotland, Annan.John Milligan, Friars' Vennel, Dumfries.Rev. William Milroy, Penpont.John A. Moodie, solicitor, Finella, Maxwelltown.William Moodie, solicitor, Finella, Maxwelltown.Miss Morgan, Shakespeare Street, Dumfries.Thomas A. Moryson, Jeanville, Dumfries.Miss Mounsey, Castle Lodge, Ludlow, Salop.Neil Murdoch (ex-Bailie), Netherlea, Dumfries.Patrick Murray, M.D , Castle Street.Robert Murray, 14 George Street, Dumfries.Mrs Murray, 14 George Street, Dumfries.Miss Murray (care of Dr Murray), Castle Street, Dumfries.John Neilson, M.A., Catherine Street, Dumfries.John Nicholson (ex-Provost of Annan), Stapelton Grange, Annan.James Paterson, Killiness, Moniaive.J. Patterson, St Mungo Schoolhouse, Lockerbie.Charles Stewart Phyn (Procurator-Fiscal), Dumfries.Rev. Patrick M. Playfair, M.A., Glencairn, Thornhill.John Primrose, solicitor, Arundel House, Maxwelltown.John Proudfoot, Ivy Bank, Moffat.John Rae, Rashiegrain, Teviothead, Hawick.Joseph Rae, Templand Schoolhouse, Lockerbie.David Watson Rannie, Conheath, Dumfries.Frank Reid, St Catherine's, Dumfries.Richard Rimmer, F.L.S., Dalawoodie, Holywood.

Ordinary Members. 281George Henry Robb, M.A., Nithmount, Dumfries.Miss Robb, 24 Castle Street, Dumfries.Miss M. Robb, 24 Castle Street, Dumfries.Dr J. M. Robertson, Penpont.James Rutherford, M.D., Crichton Royal Institution, Dumfries.John Rutherford (late secretary), Jardington, Terregles.John Rutherford, Archbank, Kirkmichael.Henry Sawyer, Rae Street, Dumfries.Alexander Scott, Bailie, Annan.Rev. J.H. Scott, M.A., Sanquhar.George F. Scott-Elliot, M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., Newton, Terregles.Charles Seiffert, Midsteeple, Dumfries.James Shaw, Schoolhouse, Tynron, Thornhill.Thomas Shortridge (ex-Provost), Beechwood Bank, Dumfries.Rev. Richard Simpson, M.A., Dunscore.Mrs Sloan, Elmbank, Dumfries.James Smith, Commercial Bank, Dumfries.John Smith, St Michael Street, Dumfries.James Gibson Hamilton Starke, M.A., F.S.A. (advocate), J.P., TroqueerHolm.Mrs Starke, Troqueer Holm.Miss Kate Stewart, F..osemount Cottage, Maxwelltown.Peter Stobie, Queen's Place, Dumfries.William Stone,17 Brooke Street, Dumfries.John Symons, solicitor, Irish Street, Dumfries.John Symons, Royal Bank, Bank Street,Dumfries.Miss Ethel Taylor, Kirkandrew Rectory, Longtown.Miss Annie Tennant, Aberdour House, Dumfries.Alexander Thompson, Rosemount Terrace, Maxwelltown.Mrs Thompson, Rosemount Terrace, Maxwelltown.Miss Mary Thompson, Rosemount Terrace, Maxwelltown.Alexander Thomson, M.D., Castle Street, Dumfries.George Thomson, solicitor, George Street, Dumfries.James S. Thomson, 75 Plainstones, Dumfries.Rev. John H. Thomson, Hightae, Lochmaben.James Turner, Linden House, Dumfries.William Tweddle, Park View, Dumfries.J. R. Wallace, Auchenbrack, Tynron, Thornhill.William Walls, Bridge Street, Dumfries.Thomas Watson, editor of the Standard, Dumfries.James Watt, Milnwood, Maxwelltown.

282 Ordinary Members.Rev. Robert W. Weir, M.A., Castle Street, Dumfries.David Welsh, Waterloo Place, Dumfries.James W. Whitelaw, solicitor, Summerhill, Troqueer.James Williamson, 25 Terregles Street, Maxwelltown.James R. Wilson, solicitor. Royal Bank, Sanquhar.Robert Maxwell Witham, J.P. (barrister), Kirkconnel, Troqueer.Mrs Maxwell Witham, Kirkconnel, Troqueer.Miss Maud Maxwell Witham, Kirkconnel, Troqueer.William M. Wright, Charnwood, Dumfries.

Vol 6 - Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?