272 Transactiojis of the [Sess. 



himself, and I for one feel tliat lie has been fighting for us. I say- 

 then, let us help him, and in every possible way give him our 

 support. I think I hear some of you say in amazement, *' What 

 can we do ? " Well, my view is, we can do a great deal. In the 

 first place, we can stir up public opinion as a Club ; we can try to 

 interest every Field Club and Natural History Society in Britain, 

 and do our best to get them to combine to support Professor Bryce. 

 But, what is more, we have over two hundred members who can 

 influence their friends in favour of this Bill, and the effect of such 

 efforts will be great in stirring up a healthy agitation to promote 

 the end in view. We wish to invade no man's privacy ; and to do 

 damage to property is the last thing we desire. In Scotland there 

 is no law of trespass, and I trust never will be. We must respect 

 the lawful rights of others as we value our own, but we must have 

 our heritage. During the past summer I had the privilege of 

 forming one of a party of members of the Botanical Society who 

 visited the mountains at the head of Glen Lyon, and I wish I could 

 only express to you the enjoyment we all had. Might it not be 

 possible to inaugurate such excursions in connection with our 

 Club ? It is a matter for the consideration of the Council, as it 

 would enable our members to get wider experience than can be 

 obtained by merely working in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. 

 It would also help to bind us together in closer friendshij), and 

 tend to promote and encourage united investigation. 



And now regarding next summer's excursions, may I suggest 

 that each of you should think over the subject during the coming 

 winter, and be ready to propose places for the Club to visit next 

 season. For several years a number of lists with the names of 

 places were sent in, but these have gradually been dwindling in 

 numbers, with the result that the work of drawing up the list of 

 excursions has of late mostly devolved upon the Council. It would 

 be a decided advantage if places could be visited to which as a 

 Club we have not yet been. We might perhaps attempt excur- 

 sions that would enable those interested in the various branches 

 of study we take up to thoroughly enjoy themselves in their own 

 particular investigations. Some might require to take long walks, 

 others again might find all they required within a short distance of 

 the starting-point ; but one feature of our excursions might be, to 

 have each day a fixed rendezvous at which we could all meet in 

 the evening. The longer walks would enable our members to be- 

 come acquainted with all the " rights of way " Avithin a consider- 

 able radius of the Modern Athens, and thus help to preserve them 

 as public paths. There is uiDon the table a little book with a red 

 cover that I trust may place on record for all time coming what 

 are at present undisputed rights of way over the Pentland Hills. 

 It has been written by our fellow-townsman Mr W. A. Smith, and 



