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Transactions. 141 
take their names from two classes of society among the Saxons— 
the former from the ceorles or middle class, and the latter from 
the boors or lowest class, the thanes being the highest. The 
suffixes, bery and /aw, mean respectively a hill, and a rising 
ground, examples Greenlaw, and Raeberry. Den and shaw, a 
wooded valley, and a wooded hill, or height, Clouden and 
Clatteringshaws. This latter may be taken as an instance where 
the meaning is greatly obscured by modern spelling. In the 
Valuation Roll of 1642 it is spelled Catteringshaws, which means 
the wooded point of the hill frequented by the wild cat. That 
wild cats abounded in this locality is evident from the neighbour- 
ing lands formerly being called Catbellie, wild cats being common 
in Galloway until after the beginning of the present century ; 
but since they no longer prowl in that neighbourhood, or yet the 
wolf in Strathmaddie, and the badger having ceased to make his 
hole in Benbrock, the scream of the eagle being no longer heard 
at Auchenlairie, and the wild sow having deserted Dunmuck, 
the roebuck having fled from Rueberry, and the fox from Anock- 
shinny, these together with the ceorles and boors would alike be 
forgotten were it not that their memory lives through their 
“names being given to the places which they had inhabited. In 
concluding these remarks, I would submit that the Antiquarian 
Section of the Association might find congenial work in rescuing 
from obscurity these beautifully descriptive, yet fast waning 
placenames. The Natural History Section might also be 
induced to assist, as it would add to the interest of any floral or 
other specimen they picked up, if, while noting the name of the 
locality, they were likewise able to record how it had obtained 
that name, 
5th February, 1886. 
Dr Grierson, President, in the Chair. Forty-three 
members present. 
New Members.—Dr Hunter Dryden, Dumfries; Dr Robertson, 
Penpont; Mr Robson, Penpont; Messrs J. Cumming, M. 
M‘Innes, and T. C. M‘Kettrick, Dumfries. 
Donations.—Mr W. J. Maxwell presented on behalf of Captain 
Maxwell of Terregles five rare birds from New Zealand, includ- 
ing the ground parrot, Stringops habroptilus; four local birds—two 
