Feb. 1900.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 279 



Mr. Barron, at present engaged in a geological survey 

 of the Mount Sinai district, he rearranged all the 

 geological specimens in the Kelso INIuseum, which were 

 before in a confused state, and unfit for any educative 

 purpose. In archaeology also he had made good progress. 

 He studied the remains of prehistoric life in Scotland, 

 and was something of an authority in connection with 

 that subject. Anything old had a fascination for him, 

 and he had gathered together many interesting relics. 

 He loved to investigate old Scotch ways and customs, 

 or to work out from ancient documents the history of 

 a ruined building like the old Castle of Hume in his own 

 parish. But it was perhaps to botany that he dedicated 

 most of his spare time. He was a good field botanist, 

 and it was mainly field botany that attracted him. He 

 was a member not only of this Society, but of the Scottish 

 Alpine Botanical Club, and of the Cryptogamic Society 

 of Scotland. His knowledge of the wild flowers of Scot- 

 land was extensive, and he delighted in a botanical ramble 

 which might add something new to his list. In 1898 he 

 accompanied two of his friends to the Southern Tyrol, and 

 the new flora opened out to him there was a source of 

 intense pleasure to him. One of the most interesting 

 communications recently made to this Society was an 

 account of that expedition, read by him in April last. 

 In his manse garden at Stichill he found an unfailing 

 source of interest in the cultivation of a large number of 

 plants which he had collected from many quarters, and 

 he had a special love of Alpines, which he grew in his 

 rockeries with great success. A new fernery had just 

 been finished by him before he left his manse for ever. 

 He possessed also a good herbarium, to which he was 

 always making additions. He had acquired the herbarium 

 of the late Mr. Andrew Brotherston, of Kelso, a collection 

 valuable especially for its willows and roses, but, unfortun- 

 ately, a portion of it was injured by fire after it came into 

 his hands. From every expedition he returned with new 

 specimens to add to his store. He would not have 

 pretended to much knowledge of scientific botany, but 

 he was one of those Iwtanists who love and study wild 

 plants, and who, in different parts of the country, have 



