519 



mass the spring filters its waters, to the hazel and the oak that shelter the pool l»e- 

 neath their shade from the too hot influence of the sun. 



" How different again is the wood that hangs on the sides of the hills rising from 

 the valley on each side of the principal stream or river ! It consists principally of oak, 

 of moderate size at the base of the hill, gradually diminishing in stature as we ascend, 

 until we find it at the summit nearly level with the surface of the ground, spreading 

 in low, circular, leafy bushes. This troop of oaks is intermingled with a considerable 

 quantity of birch, as various as the oak itself in size and appearance, while an ash 

 tree rises tall above them both at distant intervals. The " bonnie broom " is frequent 

 and tall on the lower line of this wood, while the whin occupies the line above with a 

 denser growth than usual. The intermediate ground under and amidst the trees is 

 full sometimes of a coarser herbage, rich in fungous growths, and where lichens make 

 the trunks all leprous ; sometimes moss predominates, and this is the habitat too for 

 Melampyrum sylvaticum ; in other places are long streams of stones and gravel, co- 

 vered partially with briars, trailing roses, and with green patches of wild sage {Teu- 

 crium Seorodonia), or of the herb ]\Iercury {Mercurialis perennis). 



" Such fancy paints our ancient border forests to have been, and probably there is 

 much of reality and truth in the picture. A wide mountainous and barren tract, in- 

 tersected by a principal devious stream, having, on each side of it, an alluvial plain of 

 some breadth that afforded good and abundant pasture for the horses, herds and flocks 

 of the rude inhabitants. On each side there run up ravines of greater or lesser depths, 

 every one with a burn or rivulet in its bottom ; some rocky and clean — others with 

 plashy places, while the hills are occupied with woods such as we have attempted to 

 describe, and the plains above are brown barren moors, varied with peat-hags and co- 

 vers of whins and of broom, as the depth of the soil afi'orded a locality for their growth. 

 Through these forests herds of red and fallow deer were wont to roam at freedom, and 

 were the chase which our forefathers pursued with almost savage raptures — while now 

 the ground is occupied with new and foreign plantations, with corn, with artificial pas- 

 tures, and the hills are covered with flocks of sheep, obedient to the call of the shep- 

 herd, and browsing watchless, because they know no danger." — p. 7. 



Fiu-ther on the writer observes it were " easy to imagine that on 

 such a day as ours was — tempted by its sunshine and its fairness — 

 the proud abbot of Coldingham had chosen it whereon to visit the 

 sister abbey of St. Bathans, and was now descending, in all the state 

 and panoply of his order, the height that overhung the hidden retreat 

 about us ! " 



It is somewhat strange that in a botanical light this promising loca- 

 lity should possess bul little interest. The only plants found worthy 

 particular notice are said to have been Hieracium palustre, H. bore- 

 ale [Koch), and H. sylvaticum ; all three occuiTed "in tolerable abun- 

 dance in the rocky bed of Monnie-nut burn, below Godscroft; and 

 Melampyrum sylvaticum, which was abundant in the oak woods. — 

 Quercus Robur was the oak principally observed, " but many speci- 

 mens approached Q. sessiliflora in its peculiarities." 



