152 Transactions. 



A'cif, the fist. In " Midsummer Night's Dream," 

 " Give me your neif. " 



Fiittock, a worthless species of hawk. The word, I believe, is twice 

 in Shakesjieare. 



" I chose an eagle and did .avoid a pnttock." — CymJieline. 

 The interest that attaches to it is that it occurs in our well- 

 known, world-known I might say, Galloway place name, 

 Craigenputtock. A sparrow hawk is named from its habit of 

 preying upon small birds. A puttock preyed on pouts, young 

 game birds. Pout, sometimes spelled poult, is akin to our 

 poultry or pullet. Ock is probably a corruption of hawk. 



Quick. We have this word in the Creed meaning " alive." In 

 the sense of " alive " it occurs in Chaucer and Spenser. In 

 Dumfriesshire Quickens is the name for couch-grass, a grass 

 possessed of wonderful vitality. 



Ramps. The Tynron word for wild garlick {Allium nr si mem).— J. 

 Ramsons is the old English word. 



Reechy, begrimed. Rogge or Rug, to shake. Are in the Cliaucer, 

 Spenser, and Shakespeare Glossaries. 



Skarre, Scarre, Scaur, Skair.—J. Bare place on a hill. Rock 

 through which there is an opening. Rock in the sea. 



" Bank, bush, and scaur." — W. Scott. 

 Rock, precipitous cliflf. 



" Men make ropes in such a Scarre. "—vl W'.s Well that Ends Well. 

 The word is in Wycliflf's bible. In Orkney, Skerry a rock in 

 the sea. I recommend study of the word as possibly throw- 

 ing light on the name of the river Skarr, the principal 

 tributary of the Nith, the most remarkable part of whose 

 course is the precipitous rocks of Glenmarlin, near Penpont. 



Skathe, harm, mischief. — Spenser's " Faerie Queen." 



Stour, fight, stir, trouble, misfortune.—/. Dust in motion, trouble, 

 vexation. With the first four meanings it is found in 

 Spenser's " Faerie Queen." 



" How gladly would I bide the stour, 

 A weary slave frae sun to sun." 



— BiirnxH "Mary Morison.'" 



II. " Tke Grave" a1 Conchieton, Borgue. By Mr Frederick 

 R. Coles. 



In this paper, which w\as fully illustrated with diagrams and 

 plans, Mr Coles described an ancient burial place on the farm of 

 Conchieton, in Borgue Parish, its main features being a tumulus of 



