THE REV. MR BAIRD's ADDRESS. 139 



scene of the snow-storm in Thomson's "Winter," and memorable from 

 the occasioual residence of the poet himself, in a small cottage 

 situated in a little glen on the former hill, we descended into the vale 

 of Bowmont Water. Mentha gentilis was gathered in wet ground by 

 the margin of the river near to Primside Mill, and on the roadside 

 Cardmis nutans sparingly. 



The rocks of the district walked over were exclusively trap, the pre- 

 vailing, almost the only one being the felspar porphyry. Numerous 

 large boulders of the pitchstone porphyry were observed; this rock 

 being known to occur among the lower hills of the Cheviot. 



After dinner, and the excellent address of our late President, Sir 

 William Jardine, several other valuable aud interesting communications 

 were read. 1. A notice of the Effect of the root of the Monk's-Hood 

 {Aconitum napellus) on the Horse, by Mr Henderson. 2. Notice of 

 Scolopax major (Great or Solitary Snipe) by Mr Selby. 3. A List, by 

 the same gentleman, of some of the rarer nocturnal Lepidoptera, taken 

 during the season at Twizell House. 3. A Notice, by the Rev. A. 

 Baird, of an Ancient Sea-Beach recently exposed by a violent storm on 

 the coast near Dunglass. 5. An Analysis of Lithomarge from Maxton, 

 by Dr Eobert Thomson ; also an Analysis of Puller's-earth from the 

 same situation ; and some remarks by the same member on Potamogeton 

 oUongus. 6. A List of Day-flying Lepidoptera, captured during the last 

 summer by Mr M'Laurin, junior. Some other communications were re- 

 ceived, but the reading of them was postponed to the meeting of the 

 Club in December. 



At the meeting in December, held as usual at Berwick, (for any noti- 

 ces of which I must be chiefly indebted to our Secretary's minutes), 

 a considerable number of members appear to have been present ; and 

 though, in consequence of the state of the weather, and other circum- 

 stances, the excursion was short, and produced nothing of interest ; 

 yet there appears to have been no lack of in-door occupation and enter- 

 tainment. Several long and interesting papers were read, — one by Mr 

 Henderson, on the Popular Rhymes of Berwickshire ; another, by Mr 

 Darling, on the black-turnip Caterpillar ; a third by Mr Donaldson, 

 received from Sir Thomas Macdougall Brisbane, entitled "Practical 

 Observations on the Par, by James Kerse, fi.sher, Bowhill;" a fourth, 

 by the Eev. Mr Parker, from the Eev. Mr Cook, regarding a Skeleton 

 and Stone-Coffin dug up in Chatton church-yard, for which Mr Parker 

 was requested to convey to Mr Cook the thanks of the Club. 



The Eev. A. Baird also exhibited a specimen of the Plain Eed Mul- 

 let taken in a herring-net some months previously on the coast of 

 Berwickshire, by one of the Cockburnspath fishermen. It was a full- 

 grown individual, and may be regarded as the only authentic specimen 

 hitherto taken in the Scottish seas ; for, though it has long obtained a 

 place in the British Fauna, its title to be considered as a Scottish fish 

 has hitherto rested on a vague report. A large map of Berwickshire 



