Anniversary Address. 31 



public. I trust, therefore, that it is no undue jealousy for 

 the fame of my native county, which makes me anxious that 

 we should long retain the title of the " Berwickshire 

 Naturalists' Club." Experience has shewn that our being so 

 designated, in no degree hinders the accession to our ranks 

 of valuable members from the other side of the Tweed. And 

 it is under that name that our labours are known and appre- 

 ciated by learned universities and kindred societies both in 

 this country and in America, whose interchange of publica- 

 tions with us has led to a wise violation of one of the original 

 rules of the institution, " That the Club shall hold no pro- 

 perty." 



It has been suggested that the books which the Club ac- 

 quires in this way might be deposited in the Berwick 

 Museum. And certainly no place could be more appropriate 

 for their custody, than the ancient town which was the 

 birth-place of the Club, and the home of its distinguished 

 founder Dr Johnston. But if even the Museum is to be 

 available for this purpose, its accommodation, already too 

 limited for its own wants, must be greatly increased. 



It is my painful duty to record the death during the past 

 year of one ordinary and one honorary member. The former 

 of these was Mr George Webster, of Hallydown, a Berwick- 

 shire landed proprietor, and a highly respected member of 

 the Bar of Scotland. The latter was a lady of whom the 

 Club had reason to be proud, Miss Elizabeth Bell, of Spring- 

 hill, near Coldstrearm She was a valued correspondent of 

 Dr Johnston, and the discoverer of many rare plants on 

 Tweedside. A fine fungus was, by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, 

 named in her honor, Agaricus Bellice. There is a figure of 

 it in the "Annals of Natural History," vol. vi., plate 10, 

 figures 1-4, and in the " Natural History of the Eastern 

 Borders," plate 10, figure 1. It was found growing from 

 dead stalks of the common reed at the Hirsel. 



Again thanking you gentlemen, for the honor of having 

 been elected your President, there remains only the last duty 



