Anniversary Address. 181 



moschatellina, Allium ursinum, Stellaria holostea ; and on a 

 fine rocky knoll near the Suspension Bridge, glittering 

 masses of Geranium lucidum intermixed with Fedia olitoria. 

 Passing on by the Suspension Bridge, we arrived at Mertoun 

 House, where we were most kindly conducted by Lord Pol- 

 warth through his beautiful gardens and grounds. The 

 gardens are most unique, situated on the corner of a steep 

 bank ; — the remains of old Mertoun House standing on the 

 top, entirely surrounded by the garden. This is now occu- 

 pied by Mr Fowler, the head gardener, who accompanied the 

 party through the grounds for the purpose of explaining any 

 matters of interest connected with the place. Along the 

 banks of the Tweed, on the Mertoun side, we noticed 

 Doronicum pardalianches 3 Epipactis latifolia and a consider- 

 able quantity of Laihrcea squamaria growing at the roots of 

 willow trees. After leaving Mertoun the Club kept along 

 the banks of the Tweed to Dryburgh Abbey, where a con- 

 siderable time was spent in admiring that very beautiful ruin. 

 The ruins of this monastery are situated on a richly-wooded 

 peninsula, formed by a bend of the river Tweed. Many 

 trees of large dimensions surround the abbey ; one overgrown 

 yew is said to be coeval with it. There is reason to con- 

 jecture that on this spot there had been a Druidical temple ; 

 for the Celtic etymology of the name Darach-bruach, Darach- 

 burgh, or Dryburgh, is by interpretation, the bank of the 

 sacred grove of oaks, or the settlement of the Druids. The 

 new abbey of Dryburgh was founded by Hugh de Morville, 

 in 1150, for monks of the PrsemonstrateDsian Order, brought 

 from Alnwick Abbey in 1152. In 1323 the abbey was 

 burned, and a considerable portion of it destroyed by the 

 English, in the reign of Edward II., and was repaired at the 

 expense of King Robert Bruce. It was, however, again 

 destroyed by the English under Sir George Bowes and Sir 

 Bryan Laytoun, in 1544 ; from which time there has been no 

 attempt to restore it. This ruin is chiefly in the Saxon style 

 of architecture, and the only remains are the western gable 

 of the nave of the church, the ends of the transept, part of 



