Anniversary Address. 93 



breakfast only the President and Secretary and Mr. W. Dunlop 

 attended. Dr. Hood was present at dinner. But we had as a 

 visitor, Lieutenant Johnston, R.N., the only son of our Secretary, 

 who has chosen a profession very opposite in its object to that 

 of his father (the one intending to destroy men's lives, the other 

 to save them) and has already distinguished himself in it — so 

 that we may confidently expect him to earn a fame and success 

 in his career not inferior to what his father has won in his more 

 pleasing pursuits. 



The following is the Secretary's note of this Meeting : — " On 

 our way to Dunse the only noticeable thing was Galium boreale, 

 seen in a ditch on the roadside near Edrom. The walk from 

 Dunse to Polwarth was, botanically, very unproductive ; and the 

 fewness of the insects was remarkable enough. The limes at 

 and about Langton House were principally Tilia grandifolia, 

 whereas the fine avenue leading to Dunse Castle is bordered with 

 a goodly row of Tilia europaa on each side. At the bridge over 

 Langton burn we noticed Barbarea vulgaris and Veronica anagallis, 

 growing in abundance and in full flower. At Choicelee we ob- 

 served the hemlock in vigour and abundance, and we noticed it 

 nowhere else during our walk, till, on our way home, it was seen 

 again on the roadside near Dunse. I am persuaded the distri- 

 bution of the hemlock is partial, and regulated by circumstances 

 yet unascertained. 



" The fine fertile landscape which lay before us, when looking 

 down upon the Merse from Choicelee, is worth seeing : — and so 

 we passed on to Polwarth. The poor houses — the undrained 

 common — the ill-treated thorns — did no credit to the lord of the 

 manor. We saw nothing in our walk from Polwarth to the 

 church, but a manse out of place and out of proportion to the 

 living. The church is worth notice. 



" On our walk back to Dunse, I did not see a single plant of 

 any rarity, with the exception of Salix pentandra at Chatterton 

 Bridge. 



" The very good dinner was worthy of the Club. 



" Sir John Marjoribanks, Bart., Dr. Matt. James Turnbull, 

 Rev. G. S. Thompson, and Captain the Hon. Frederick Grey, 

 were admitted Members. No papers were read." 



Though the day was, scientifically, barren, and it might seem, 

 from the tone of the Secretary's note, as if he had been discon- 



