Transactions. 191 



Jardine of Applegarth, first president of the Dumfries and Galloway 

 Natural History and Antiquarian Society, and of the late Dr 

 Gilchrist, a more recent occupant of the office. There is also a 

 portrait of the late Mr Starke of Troqueer Holm, the immediate 

 successor of Sir William. The commanding figure in the local 

 world of letters as here represented is of course that of Burns. Of 

 the poet himself there are nearly a dozen engravings. Two of 

 these (the property of Mr ]\Iaxwell, bookseller, and of Mr Gibson 

 Starke of Troqueer Holm) bear inscriptions in the handwriting of 

 the poet's sons. Grouped around the central figure are portraits of 

 members of his family and literary friends ; among the latter being 

 Dr Currie, his first biographer ; the Rev. Dr Blacklock, a native of 

 Annan, and the blind poet-minister of Kirkcudbright ; Mr Syme 

 of Ryedale ; the Ear! of Glencairn ; and an engraving of Mr 

 Martin Hardie's striking portrait group, " Burns in Edinburgh." 

 A photograph is also shewn of Miss M'Murdo, " Phillis the Fair " 

 of his song. In " the poet's corner " we find further three portraits 

 of Allan Cunningham, one of them being a sketch which was 

 in the collection of the late Sir James Gibson Craig ; Henry Scott 

 Eiddell, a native of Ewesdale, and author of " Scotland Yet ; " 

 Thomas Aird, the friend of Ayton ; and James Hogg, who was 

 successively a shepherd and a farmer in Dumfriesshire before 

 settling at Altrive. General Sir Robert Laurie, who represented 

 Dumfriesshire in Parliament from 1774 until his death in 1804, 

 and one of the three who took part in " the Whistle " contest at 

 Friars' Carse, is also entitled to be ranked among the friends of 

 Burns. Near his portrait is that of a descendant of his successful 

 rival on that occasion, Mr Cutlar Fergusson of Craigdarroch, M.P. 

 for the Stewartry, and a member of Earl Grey's Reform Ministry. 

 The Senate has other representatives in the persons of the late Mr 

 J. J. Hope- Johnstone, M.P. for Dumfriesshire ; Mr Ewart, M.P. 

 for the Dumfries Burghs ; and Mr R. Milligan, brother of the late 

 Mr Milligan of Westpark, who sat for Bradford in the Parliaments 

 of 1847 and 1852. In Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, 

 Sheriff' of Dumfriesshire, and Mr Andrew Crosbie, advocate, son of 

 a Provost of Dumfries, and the " Pleydell " of Scott's " Guy 

 Mannering," we have additional pillars of the law. Divinity is 

 strongly represented. Perhaps the most attractive portrait in this 

 series is a remarkably fine engraving of Edward Irving. There is 

 a complete set of the ministers of the New Church of Dumfries, 

 several of them gentlemen of distinction; and among others we 



