Meetings of Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, by J. Hardy. 409 



We were here informed that two years' since a Bing-ouzel had 

 placed its nest in the lower window of the drawing-room of the 

 manse, a few feet from the ground, and one of the eggs is pre- 

 served to testify of the fact. I have not met with another in- 

 stance of this bird mistaking the angle of a window for the recess 

 of a mountain rock. We are also told that the Bluebottle ( Cen- 

 taurea Cyanus) still maintains its footing as a field weed near Old- 

 hamstocks ; and it has also been observed recently near Inner- 

 wick. 



On the 21st May, 1817, five children in this vicinity were 

 nearly poisoned by eating some of the root of the " Water Hem- 

 lock" (GEnanthe crocata). Three of the children belonged to 

 John Paterson, and two to John Dodds, servants to Mr Denholm, 

 tenant of Woollands. They were saved from death through the 

 exertions of Mr John White of the village of Oldhamstocks, who 

 made them drink sweet oil mixed with twice as much milk as oil. 

 White says the eldest of the sufferers "was convulsed to a 

 terrible degree — her mouth turned about to the right side — her 

 lips became black — her eyes distorted, and there was a clanking 

 noise in her throat, something like the beating of a wooden 

 clock ; pure blood issued from her mouth, and her body was 

 much swelled." They all vomited after taking White's draught, 

 and in a short time recovered.* 



After leaving this quiet place, the members found their way 

 down to the Dunglass woods, through Springfield farm. At a 

 few fields' breadth from the road, a few years since, a close 

 cluster of ancient graves was discovered, when the ground was 

 preparing for crop. The graves were enclosed with grey sand- 

 stone slabs, such as are derived from the Pans quarry, on the sea 

 coast near Linkheads. Only black earth remained at the bottom 

 of the cists, some of which, from their size, appeared to belong to 

 young people. This is all that is known of the forgotten ceme- 

 tery. 



Common Agrimony grows at the road-side near Springfield ; 

 and an extraordinary quantity of Malva sylvestris alongside a 

 wall in a field south from the farm cottages. 



The Club has frequently visited Dunglass, and always with 

 pleasure. The trees and ivy, which were rending the building to 

 pieces, have recently been removed from the old church, and a 

 * Berwick Advertiser, June 28, 1817. 



