2 Address of the President. 



the Members who had started early, after which the party pro- 

 ceeded to Boatford, and examined the upright stone placed in 

 a field upon the south side of the river Mth, and not far dis- 

 tant from the road leading from the village of Thornhill to 

 Penpont. Little or no history exists in regard to this cross, 

 but there is an excellent representation of it in the volume of 

 the Spalding Club devoted to the Sculptured Stones of Scot- 

 land, pi. cxxi. p. 37, edited by Mr. Stuart, who thinks it may 

 have once stood close to the bank of the river. Other sculp- 

 tured stones seem to have also formerly stood at some distance, 

 but in the vicinity, which have been removed in the course of 

 improvements. This points both to the value of Mr. Stuart's 

 volume and to the importance of yet saving all that we can 

 of these relics. 



The fog and drizzling rain of the morning having cleared 

 away, and the sun breaking out, the party proceeded to Tibbers, 

 where they were met by Mr. Howat, clerk of the works at 

 Drumlanrig, who explained the plan of the ancient building, 

 and gave an account of the clearing operations which were 

 still going on. Dr. Grierson, among the ruins, read a paper on 

 the ancient history of the castle. 



During the excavations the greatest pains have been taken 

 to find and preserve all remains and relics that could throw 

 any light upon the ancient place and its inhabitants. The 

 clearing out of the well discovered several articles and bones ; 

 but one of the more interesting incidents of the excavations 

 was the discovery of the ashpit or kitchen-midden, telling us 

 of the animals that were then living in the vicinity and of the 

 especial feeding habits of the residents in Tibbers. Among 

 a large heap of bones collected by the workmen — among 

 which those of sheep, roebuck, etc., could be recognised — by 

 far the most abundant were the leg bones of a small ox, the 

 so-called Bos longifrons of palteontologists. This animal, I 

 have no doubt, existed until a very late period, if it does not 

 exist still, and was only, I believe, a small race of oxen run- 



