I 



liUiNS AND Stones ok Holywood Abbey. fi7 



Dr Martiu, Holywood, asked if the plumage was mucli modi- 

 fied to enable them to stand the climate better. 



Mr Bell : I don't think the plumage was modified in any par- 

 ticular form. 



At a subsequent business meeting of the Society, Mr R. 

 Murray, George Street, was elected a vice-president in room 

 of Mr Sulley, removed to Cupar. 



12th March, 1897. 



Mr James Barbour. V.-P., in the chair. 



Donations and Exchanges. — The Secretary laid upon the table 

 the following: — The Report of the British Association for 189G ; 

 U.S. Geological Survey, 2 vols. ; Proceedings of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences ; Transactions of the Botanical 

 Society of Edinbui'gh. Vol. xx., pts. 2 and 3 ; Transactions of 

 the Banffshire Field Club, 1894-5 ; Thirtieth Report of the Pea- 

 body Museum (Harvard University). 



Communications. 



I. — Ruins and Stones uf Holyivood Abbey. By Dr J. W. MARTIN. 



Dr Martin excused himself from going into the literature of 

 the subject, as it had been already dealt with in the transactions 

 of the Society, and confined himself to an examination of its 

 remains, which are to be found chiefly in the stones built into the 

 parish church, the churchyard wall, and neighbouring buildings. 

 The present minister of the parish (he said) informs me that his 

 church was built in 1779 from stones taken out of the old abbey, 

 without the facing stones. There is a stone in the tower with 

 1779 upon it. There are stones at one of his gates taken from the 

 abbey. Mr Brown, farmer, GuUyhill, tells me his father has men- 

 tioned to him that there is a subterranean passage leading some- 

 where from the ruins of the old abbey, which are known to exist 

 at the south-east corner of the churchyard. He could not say 

 where it begins, but he has seen the old wall of the abbey at the 

 place where the Nelsons' grave of Portrack was dug. There are 



