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An Address to the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. By tli- R -v THO- 

 MAS KIDDKLL, President, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. 

 ( Ri'ad at the Anniversary Meeting held at Holy Island, Sejrtem- 

 ber2<J. 1340.J 



GENTLEMEN, 



The meetings of our Club have always been marked with so much 

 that is delightful at the time, and agreeable in retrospect, that you 

 will readily believe me when I express my regret that I am prevented 

 by engagements at a distance from attending and addressing you in 

 person, when resigning the office in which your kindness has placed 

 me. 



It may be remarked, in reference to the pleasure we have enjoyed 

 in our periodical excursions, that we have very seldom found the wea- 

 ther so unfavourable as to prevent us from sallying forth and obtain- 

 ing some reward for our exertions. As the days of meeting are fixed 

 long beforehand, this strongly attests the great preponderance of 

 favourable weather in our part of the island a circumstance which 

 persons are not generally inclined to admit till it be thus forced on 

 their conviction. I proceed to the minutes of our transactions during 

 the past year. 



The Anniversary was held at Milfield (18th September), and was 

 well attended. Present, Rev. T. Knight, President, Mr Selby, Mr 

 Darling, Drs Johnston, Clarke, and F. Douglas, Rev. Messrs J. Baird, 

 H. Parker, and T. Riddell ; and Rev. H. S. Templeton, a visiter. 

 For several days previous the weather had been very showery, and 

 remarkably cold for the season. On Saturday and Sunday the 14th 

 and 15th, a very gre:it quantity of rain fell, accompanied by an east- 

 erly wind. On the 15th, all the rivers and streams in the country 

 were swollen much beyond their usual bounds. In many places tin- 

 hanks were overflowed, and the water rushed with great impetuosity 

 over the haugh lands, and did much damage by sweeping awas en- 

 tire fields of corn in some places, and in cutting up and otherwise de- 

 stroying the pastures in others. The new bridge in progress of erec- 

 tion near Norham was carried away by the weight of water and of 

 corn pressing upon it, while the centering was still standing. This 

 circumstance will serve to distinguish the flood in the memory of the 

 neighbouring inhabitants for many years to come. The 18th was 

 not very favourable for the pursuit of objects of natural history. The 

 weather was showery, but at intervals the sun shone brightly. Few 

 or no insects were on the wing; most of the wild flowers ha. I 

 to blow ; and nothing remarkable was observed among the featht n .1 

 tribes, with the exception of a redstart seen at a farm-onstead at a 

 short distance from Milfield village. The parts directed their course 



B. N. c. NO. viii. Q 



