224 Rev. P. Mearas on the Kaim at WarL 



to house, fed by scraps thrown to it by the hospitable villa- 

 gers. Dead rats, and even kittens, it has been known to 

 carry off to the woods to devour at leisure. Unfortunately, 

 some idle boys broke its leg, and, from that time to this, it 

 has never again appeared in the village. 



On my return homewards, when several old herons wei'e 

 hovering above me, my attention was directed to a mass, 

 which had been dropped on the ground by one of the birds. 

 On examination it proved to be an eel, the first half of which, 

 from the head downwards, was in a half digested state ; but 

 the remaining portion was perfect, and had evidently not 

 been swallowed, for the stomach of the heron has a prodigi- 

 ous digestive power. 



The Kaim at War/c, on the Tweed. 

 By the Rev. Peter Mearns, Coldstream. 



Kaim is the Scotch word for corrib ; and when used as the 

 designation of a detrital ridge the name is commonly sup- 

 posed to contain some reference to the form of the ridge, as 

 having a remote resemblance to a cock's comb. The ridge 

 at Wark is understood to have been known by this name 

 from a very remote period. 



This kaim extends for seven-eighths of a mile — almost in 

 a straight line from east to west, inclining towards the south 

 at both ends, as is well seen from the Castle, which is near the 

 middle. It thus runs parallel with the vale of the Tweed. 

 Two hundred and eighty yards M^est of the Castle, it is inter- 

 sected by a road leading to a gi-aveyard. The intersection is 

 named Gilly's Nick. The kaim is about sixty feet in height, 

 and about 150 feet in width at the base, rising, where undis- 

 turbed, to a sharp ridge of two or three feet in breadth at 

 the top. Between the Castle and Gilly's Nick there is a 

 gravel pit, 80 feet wide, and 24 feet deep, which affords 

 an excellent section, exposing the strata of which the kaim 

 is composed. Another section was made at the east end a 

 few years ago to obtain a site for a large school-room. At 

 the foundation a thick layer of sharp sand was found, from 

 which a sufficient quantity was obtained for all purposes 

 connected with the building. 



The kaim has been broken in several places to obtain sites 

 for dwelling-houses belonging to the village, and is again 



