Address of the President. 13 



found. Upon making a trial human bones could be found 

 in quantity at a very little depth below the surface. It had 

 evidently been the site of a burying place, and as there 

 appeared nothing of antiquarian research worthy of spend- 

 ing time here, those of the party who were independent of 

 trains returned and examined the site and what yet remain- 

 ed of Newbie Castle, together with objects of a more recent 

 kind, — the fine specimens of cattle, both Galloway and short- 

 horn, feeding and preparing to be tied up, for which Mr 

 Beattie has been so long and justly celebrated. Mr Beattie 

 was also so kind as to induce the remaining members to 

 partake of refreshments before they endeavoured to find the 

 ancient forest on the shore of which the billet gave notice. 



Changes are constantly going on upon a sea shore, and 

 some 15 or 20 years ago I made a sketch of the shore 

 nearly opposite where the kists were discovered. Beyond 

 the coast mounds the fields had not been reclaimed or 

 di-ained, and there was a moss covered with heather then 

 existing. This moss ran under the shore mounds and upon 

 it the trees had grown. At that time the roots stood higher 

 above the surface than they do at present, and at low water 

 could easily be seen at some distance above the surface. 

 These sand hills and mounds extended at one time much 

 farther seaward, and as we have seen a gradual encroach- 

 ment has been made. On examining the shore we found 

 roots still remaining at the edge of the shingle and sea- 

 wards, and Mr Beattie is aware of their existence as far 

 northwards as Newbie House. What we saw and uncovered 

 were the roots of oak trees of considerable size. 



Several good plants occur along the shore here, but the 

 season was rather too far advanced for the botanist. The 

 entomologists of the party were, however, much gratified 

 by seeing several specimens of Colicis edusa flitting along 

 the sea beach herbage upon both sides of Newbie House, 

 but- in Mr Lennan's absence no one was provided with 

 catching apparatus, and the colias proved more than a match 

 for the hats and handkerchiefs of the most nimble members. 



