44 Transactions. 



rampart was built of wooden piles found several feet below the 

 surface. It stops at the edge of a loch, and begins again on the 

 ojjposite side. But the course is very whimsical ; there is no 

 principle or apparent reason why it takes a particular lead. It 

 may have been once manifest, not now. The width of the base is 

 always eight feet, and the fosse is always on the north side. 

 From Lochryan, where it begins, to the last trace near the Bridge 

 over the Deuch, the fosse is present — on the north ; where stones 

 were scarce an earthen rampart was made, and strange to say that 

 remains in as good a state of preservation as the stone, if away 

 from arable land. The Deil's Dyke may be regai-ded as a con- 

 temporaneous continuation of the defensive wall of Severus, built 

 208-211 A.D. to stop the incursions of the Caledonians, or Northern 

 Picts. The Deil's Dyke was a defence of the Southern or 

 Galloway Picts who were nearly Romanised, as being, in Cale- 

 donia, longest in contact with them, viz., from 79 a.d. to 211 A.D., 

 or from Agricola to Severus's time. 



5th January, 1883. — Conversazione. 



The fourth monthly meeting of the session was held as a 

 conversazione to-day in Greyfriars' Hall, when a large collection 

 of objects of interest, illustrating Archseology and the different 

 branches of Natural Science, was exhibited. The exhibition was 

 opened at 2 p.m. by Provost Lennox, who addressed the meeting 

 on the objects and work of the Society. After a short interval 

 the Hall was again opened at 7 o'clock, Dr Gilchrist presiding. 

 The Secretary read the minutes of last meeting, which were 

 approved of. The President then addressed the meeting on the 

 ''Aims and Claims of the Society," after which the following ladies 

 and gentlemen were elected members : — Provost Lennox ; Mr S. 

 M. Brown ; Rev. J. D. M'Kinnon ; Rev. J. Cooper ; Dr A. 

 Davidson, Thornhill ; Mr Fingland, Thornhill ; Miss Aitken, 

 Dumfries ; Miss M. Aitken ; Mr W. J. Lanrie ; Mr Armstrong, 

 architect ; Rev. G. W. Tooley ; Mrs Tooley ; Mons. M. De Prackie ; 

 and Mr J. Sloan of Barbeth. The Secretary announced the 

 following donations : — Petrified palm ; shark's tooth ; gun flint 

 from the Tower of London ; nodule of flint enclosing echinus • 

 and several specimens of Whitby jet from Major Bowden. In the 

 course of the evening Mr J. Gibson Starke addressed the meeting 



