Meetings of Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, by J. Hardy. 393 



two properties of Blackadder and Allanbank are now combined, 

 and belong at present to Sir George Houstoun Boswall, Bart., 

 and his lady. In early times Allanbank was named East Nisbet, 

 and it was the site of a fortalice. It is also said to have had a 

 chapel, which stood near the spot where the Covenanters con- 

 vened at the great sacramental assemblage of 1674, although 

 there is no distinct reference to it in the ancient charters. 



Near the orchard Doronieum plantagineum was observed in some 

 quantity, but its character is that of a garden oufc-cast. The 

 garden, which contains a good herbaceous border, and the green- 

 houses having been looked at, the walk without further incident 

 was continued by Allanton Bridge to Chirnside. It had been 

 proposed to comprehend Kelloe within the compass of the day's 

 visit, but the delays occasioned by the rain prevented. 



At dinner, Dr Charles Stuart, who had acted as leader of the 

 party for the day, presided. A paper, by Mr Hardy, on the 

 history of Blackadder, Allanbank, and Kelloe, was partly read, 

 at an interval during the walk. Dr Stuart exhibited a stone ball 

 found at Billy Castle ; but, from its small size, it appeared not to 

 have been a warlike article, but to have been used in the game 

 of "long bullets." Mr Watson brought a copper seal; lately 

 picked up near Marchmont, in Berwickshire, which was of con- 

 siderable historical interest. The inscription reads : — S. BVRGI. 

 VICI. CANONICOBY. MONASTEEII. SANCT, CKVCIS— 

 i.e. the Seal of the Burgh of the Canons of the Monastery of 

 Holyrood. It is one of the seals of the burgh of the Canongate, 

 Edinburgh. Sir Walter Elliot brought some fossil fish remains, 

 obtained from a quarry of the old red sandstone at Wauchope, 

 near Wolf elee. These were plates of Pterichthys major, and were 

 remarkably fine specimens. Others similar, but not so good, 

 have recently been detected in a quarry at Kimmerghame, Ber- 

 wickshire. 



As indications of the progress of the season, Dr Stuart re- 

 marked that Sand-martins appeared at Chirnside Bridge, on the 

 13th April ; being five days earlier than in 1877. He saw Chim- 

 ney-swallows on the 24th April at Edington Mill ; and young 

 Grey Wagtails, well on the wing, below Hutton Bridge, on the 

 26th of that month. 



At this meeting two new members were proposed ; Mr Peter 

 Loney, Marchmont, and Mr William A. Hunter, banker, Dunse. 



