PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 3 



be found, A start was soon made to explore the Hareshaw 

 Bum, tliougli the weather overhead was portentous of rain. 

 Much time was spent about the old iron workings and examining 

 the rock sections before reaching the wooded part of the burn. 

 All the spring plants were in flower — the Pencilled Yetch, and 

 many others, which have been many times recorded from this 

 well searched locality ; though a place so much visited by 

 pleasure parties and fern gatherers is sure to lose annually 

 many of its rarer plants, and Hareshaw Burn is not excepted. 

 The nesting places of several birds were observed ; some photos 

 were taken, and time spent and enjoyed as only townspeople 

 freed from care can enjoy themselves along this beautiful rocky 

 burn. Under umbrellas — for it had commenced at midday to 

 rain steadily— we reached the Linn, and sheltered under the 

 huge overhanging cliffs, enjoyed the splashings of the noisy 

 burn, the noise of a colony of jackdaws, the steady patter of the 

 not unwelcome rain on the foliage, on which the eye rested 

 with delight, and the novelties of the surrounding scenery. We 

 had gathered the wild flowers ; we had observed and admired 

 the seven or eight species of ferns; had lingered at every 

 waterfall and section of rock ; observed the birds that came in 

 view ; and discoursed at length on many subjects — and thus, 

 though we made no discoveries new to science, we spent several 

 pleasant and happy hours, notwithstanding the steady and 

 heavy fall of rain that followed us up and down the burn.. A 

 comfortable rest and dinner at the Railway Inn soon brought 

 our enjoyed excursion to a close." 



The Third Field Meetikg was held at Dumfries on Monday 

 and Tuesday, the 17th and 18th of July. Taking advantage of 

 an arrangement made by the Secretaries, four or five members 

 were enabled to leave JS'ewcastle on Saturday, and thus spend 

 Sunday in this quaint old corporate town, whose charter was 

 granted by Robert the Second in 1395, though it had previously 

 been raised to the dignity of a royal burgh by Special Charter 

 during the reign of William the Lion about the year 1190. 

 Those members of your club who went on Saturday proceeded 



