72 Transactions. 



residence of teetotalers, and Drink-between must originally have 

 been some small public-house situated between two towns or 

 villag-es where Drymen were wont to rest, and ''their hydra 

 drouth did sloken," on their journey between the two places We 

 have also the old tenure on which lands were held recalled to us, 

 as Freeland, Pennyland, Shilling-land, Tenshillingland, Merkland, 

 Two, Three, and Fourmerkland, and so forth. Animals of all 

 kinds enter largely into our local nomenclature. Wolflea, Wolfhill, 

 Wolfcrag, &c., Bearsden, Bearnock, &c., Beaverhall (not in the 

 last Directory) remind us of the time when these animals were 

 common in the country ; Catsbit was a place frequented by the 

 wild cat, Dogballo (noisy), Ducksdub, Gowksknowe, Goosecruvie, 

 Houlet Ha', Kattanraw, Paddockhole, Midgehole, Todholes, 

 Brockhole, and many others. The universal belief in olden times 

 of the existence of fairies, bogles, and other supernatural beings is 

 vividly brought before us in numerous names, such as Bogieshole, 

 Boglestone, Carline-craig', Witchknowe, Fairy Knowe, Fairygreen, 

 Brownie's Hill, &c. Such names as Maison-dieu, Grace-dieu, 

 Bellevue, St. Germains, French-mill, &c., recall to our remembrance 

 the close relationship which at one time existed between ourselves 

 and the French nation. We have an instance of a village ac(|uir- 

 ing a rather odd name in our immediate neighbourhood. There 

 formerly stood a small public-house on the road about half-way 

 between Dumfries and Dalbeattie which was called "Beeswing;" 

 a picture of a race-horse of this name, well-known on the turf 

 about 50 or 60 years since, hung as a sign over the door. The 

 public-house has for a good many years ceased to exist ; additional 

 houses, a church and manse, post office, and railway station have 

 sprung up in the immediate vicinity of the old public-house, and 

 the village as it now stands is foimd in the Directory as Beeswing. 

 As an instance, out of many which could be given, in which 

 changes of names arise, Bailliewhirr is doubtless a corruption of 

 the Celtic haile-a-hr (the new or fair town or hamlet). 



n. — A General Catalogue of Dianfriesskire Antiquities. 



By Mr Philip Sullky, F.R Hist.S. 



Mr P. Sulley submitted a general catalogue of the antiquities 



of Dumfriesshire, compiled from the ordnance survey map and 



checked by reference to the Statistical x\ccount. He went over 



the county parish by parish, indicating the various objects of 



