Anniversarij Address. 9 



lately in draining near this spot, along with a quantity of 

 ancient pottery. 



Mr Curie directed the attention of the club to another ob- 

 ject of great interest to philosophers, which had been found 

 at Newstead. In the year 1827, when foundations were 

 being dug for a new cottage, a large rounded lobed mass of 

 black-looking heavy stone was discovered at the depth of 

 three or four feet from the surface sticking in the clay ; being 

 peculiar in appearance it was preserved as a curiosity, but its 

 nature was not known till 1861, when the mass attracted the 

 notice of Dr Alexander Smith of Edinburgh, who carefully 

 examined it and had portions analysed. It proved to be 

 meteoric iron, magnetic, and containing of iron 93'51, of 

 nickel 4*86, of silica, 0'91, and of carbon 0*59. Such me- 

 teorites are very rare in Britain, only one other having been 

 noticed; this is the largest, weighing 33 lbs 11 oz. IJ 

 drachms avoirdupois. At some distant period it had fallen 

 from the heavens, and from the great force with which it 

 fell it had been buried some depth in the earth. An account 

 of it has been printed in the Edinburgh New Philosophical 

 Journal for July 1862. 



From Newstead a sharp walk of a couple of miles brought 

 us to Melrose in time for dinner, which was earlier than usual 

 in consequence of the hours of the evening trains. 



After dinner Dr Bruce made some remarks on Newstead, 

 and a discussion took place regarding the camp on the south 

 side of the hill which had been examined in the forenoon. 

 Mr Tate exhibited and read an account of a fossil Sea star 

 from the sandstone of Shilbottle, being the only specimen of 

 the kind which has been discovered in the mountain lime- 

 stone formation. Mr Curie of Melrose exhibited specimens 

 of the Torbanehill mineral, which contained Stigmaria jicoides 

 with rootlets attached ; and this fossil being a plant peculiar 

 to the carboniferous formation, and occurring abundantly in 

 the clays below coal seams, furnishes a strong argument for 

 holding, that this so called Torbanehill mineral is in reality a 

 coal. Mr Curie also exhibited what had much the appear- 



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