Anniversary Address. 247 



1450, for a provost and prebendaries, but Chalmers in his 

 Caledonia, Vol. II., p. 312, says, it was founded in 1403, by 

 his father. Sir Alexander Home, and that the son only added 

 to the endowment (see Rupell's Edition of Keith's Bishops, 

 p. 468). 



" Mr. Muir, in his volume entitled, ' On Church Archi- 

 tecture of Scotland,' refers once or twice to details of Dung- 

 lass, but quite casually. If we could get the foundation 

 charter we should make something out of it, but little is to be 

 gleaned elsewhere." 



On reviewing the year's proceedings, not much that is 

 new presents itself, but it is scarcely to be expected that 

 discoveries can be made, every year^ in ground that has 

 already been so often explored. 



The most note-worthy events seem to be the rediscovery of 

 the LinncBa horealis near Mellerstain, and the Geological 

 facts observed on the Cowdenknowes hill and at the Fame 

 Islands. 



The antiquaries, who form a numerous body in our club, 

 can point, among other matters, to the attention that has been 

 drawn to the curious circular markings on rocks and stones 

 which are so common in the Eastern Borders, as a proof that 

 they have not been idle. I believe the Berwickshire Natur- 

 alists' Club has the honour of being one of the first public 

 bodies which directed the attention of antiquaries to these 

 mysterious symbols, and, though the key to them has not 

 yet been discovered; let us hope that by perseverance, 

 and by the united efforts of different persons, some satisfac- 

 tory explanation will, in time, be arrived at. 



I may here allude to the influence which the extension of 

 railways has had on our club. It has enabled us greatly to 

 enlarge our area of operations, and to visit localities, which, 

 but for their agency, must have remained unvisited. And I 

 may observe that railways, though they cut up a country 

 sadly, are not always destructive of the pursuits of the natur- 

 alist. The botanist finds many plants, and sometimes un- 

 common ones, growing in luxuriance by the side of railway 



