pbesident's address. 12& 



On the second day, Tuesday, an accession of members arrived 

 by first train, and after breakfasting a start was made in con- 

 Teyance for Plodden Field, Pallinsburn, Etal, and Ford, by way 

 of Akeld and Millfield. The morning was splendid ; and as the 

 party drove along, the battle-mounds and border towers came in 

 sight, and were pointed out by one or other of the party. Those 

 huge buttresses of porphyry Humbledon, Akeld, and Yeavering 

 Bell, as they came successively into view, beaming in the morn- 

 ing sunshine, rising up in purple sheen over the abundant foli- 

 age of the lower ground, gave unspeakable pleasure. At Akeld the 

 road deviates to the right from the line of outburst of the porphyry,, 

 and the drive is continued along country lanes by Coupland Cas- 

 tle and other border towers to Millfield, where a turn of the road 

 westward led us through that little village to Flodden edge,, 

 along narrow roads, and by the side of well- cultivated fields, 

 No halt was made to examine historical sites till we arrived at 

 the little church of St. Peter's, at Branxton, and here the Presi- 

 dent called for a halt, and a short visit was made to inspect the 

 interior of the little church, some parts of which are remains of 

 ancient date. From Millfield to Branxton we had crossed over 

 two spurs of porphyry from the ISTorthern part of the Cheviots, 

 enclosing between them a large patch of Carboniferous-limestone, 

 but, in this well-cultivated district, only one trace of outcrop of 

 limestone was seen, at a distance from our route, and no trace 

 of cliffs and scars were visible. The whole face of the country 

 had, in Glacial times, been planed down, including the two long 

 ridges of porphyry which extended from the west to the valley 

 of the Till, and all covered with rich alluvial soil, and in a high 

 state of cultivation. 



From Branxton our route lay by the King's Stone and Pallins- 

 burn, where a short stay was made to examine this classical spot, 

 hallowed in church history, and much endeared to naturalists as 

 the cherished home and breeding place of the Black-headed Gull, 

 which finds here, with many other interesting water fowls, a 

 safe and secure sanctuary to rear and nurse their young ; and 

 yet no stone wall, nor iron fence, nor lofty hedge row is needed 

 to afford the necessary protection ; on the contrary, there is only 



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