Field (Qeeiiiings, 1886. 



KiRKCONNELL WoODS AND NeWABBEY. lut MujJ, 1886. 



The first Field Meeting of this session was lield on the above 

 date, when a party numbering 18 met at the Fountain at noon, 

 and proceeded thence in waggonettes to Kirkconnell, permission 

 having been granted by R. M. Witham, Esq., to botanize in the 

 woods adjacent to the shore, and to examine the old granite 

 quarry on his estate. On arriving at Whinnyhill, they were 

 joined by Mr Symington, who had promised to act as guide for 

 the day. At Kirkconnell, Mr Witham's gamekeeper met and 

 conducted them through the Old Tower, some rooms of the old 

 house — which is one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland — 

 and showed several old swords and portions of armour that had 

 been found in the Kirkconnell Moss. Having examined these 

 interesting objects, the party wandered leisurely through the 

 woods and along the shore until the old quarry was reached, 

 where a halt was made and a short business meeting held- -Mr 

 Neilson presiding. The Secretary reported that the Committee 

 had arranged to hold the June excursion in the neighbourhood of 

 Lochmaben, and to meet the Scottish Natural History Club 

 there. He also informed the meeting that a set of Font's Maps 

 of Dumfriesshire and Galloway had been offered to the Society, 

 and that the Committee were negotiating as to purchasing tiie 

 same for £5, subject to the approval of this meeting. It was 

 agreed to purchase the maps at the above-named sum. The 

 Secretary subsequently exhibited and described the plants which 

 he collected, but as the season was later than last year only the 

 ordinary spring flowers had been found, the rarest being Vinca 

 minor and Chrysosplenium alternifolium. Having spent an hour 

 in the quarry, they continued their walk along the shore and 

 adjoining tields until the Abbot's Tower, on the farm of Landis, 

 was reached. This is a square stone tower, now roofless, with its 

 walls covered with ivy ; and no one present was able to impart any 

 information respecting it, except what is expressed in the name. 

 After visiting Sweetheart Abbey, the party adjourned to the 

 Commercial Hotel, where tea was partaken of, and at six p.m. 



