PREFACE. IX 



.affords much interesting scenery, and is favourable to the 

 growth of plants which love a rocky and somewhat alpine si- 

 twation. There, in particular, we find the Dwarf Cist us evolv- 

 ing its brilliant blossoms in the utmost profusion ; it is the 

 only station in Northumberland for the not less beautiful 

 Spring Cinquefoil, the Sea Campion, far from its shore, ocea*- 

 sionally reappears here, and, to omit many enumerated in the 

 subsequent pages, the Ivy and Honeysuckle climb up the co- 

 lumnar rocks, decorating them with verdure and beauty, in re- 

 turn for the shelter and support they receive. 



Let us now turn to Berwickshire ; -and of it I feel happy in 

 being able to lay before my readers a very interesting and va- 

 luable geological outline, the essay of a much esteemed friend, 

 and the first attempt which has been made to sketch the struc- 

 ture of this county *. 



* As an Introduction to this Essay, my friend has remarked, that " the 

 geographical distribution of plants, their characters, habits, appearances, &c. at 

 different elevations, and the general relation which these bear to the soil, the 

 mineral substances, and general rock formations of the county, or district 

 where they grow, are undoubtedly to be regarded as among the most in- 

 teresting, as well as important, researches connected with the study of Botany. 

 But until lately, these are views which have been but little attended to ; bo- 

 tanists having been, and still being, too apt to have their thoughts entirely 

 confined to an acquaintance with the plant itself, to the exclusion of any in- 

 formation connected with it, to content themselves with merely knowing 

 names, number of species, the place these hold in the system, &c and to flat- 

 ter themselves, that if they have succeeded thus far, this is all that is neces- 

 sary to form a botanist. Whereas, did they view the matter rightly, they 

 would find, that so fat from these summing up all that is necessary to be 

 known in botany, they form, in fact, by far the least interesting and import- 

 ant parts of it, they are little better than the mere elements of the science, 

 the mere stepping-stones by which to arrive at its real usefulness and import- 

 ance, the rude materials (very necessary, indeed, to possess), but which, un- 



