Anniversary Address. 159 



the party set to work to exhume bones and shells. A rib and 

 some Vertebrae of the Red Deer, several freshwater shells, and 

 a piece of Bog Iron Ore were obtained and shewn at the Meet- 

 ing by the Rev. J. Baird. 



" This bog is at a short distance from Wooler water and but 

 little above its level ; it occupies an area of about four acres 

 and is surrounded on all sides, except on the north, with hills 

 formed of boulder clay and gravel, which flank the higher 

 elevations of the Cheviot porphyry. The following is a sec- 

 tion of the deposits in descending order. 



Peat, in which are prostrate trees of Hazel and Birch and 

 also Hazel Nuts, from 2 to 4 feet in thickness ; 



Marl, in which have been found skeletons of the Red Deer, 

 teeth of the Boar, and great numbers of freshwater Shells 

 of species still living in the district, 8 feet in thickness ; 



Blue Clay a few inches, and 



Boulder Clay and Gravel. 



" The Shells forming the marl are species of the genera 

 Limnnsea, Succinea, Planorbis, Valvata, and Cyclas. Three 

 noble skeletons of the Cervus Elephus have been found nearly 

 entire ; one of them, Mr. Hughes estimated, from the length 

 of the thigh bone, to have been fifteen hands in height, which 

 is about one foot higher than the usual size of this animal. 



" These facts give a tolerably distinct history of the succes- 

 sion of events on this spot. During the Boulder Clay period, 

 the district was covered with water up to a considerable height. 

 This period with its sub-arctic climate, its glaciers and float- 

 ing icebergs passed away, and the present conformation of 

 our Island was to a great extent assumed. At the base of the 

 Middleton Hills a small lake was left, in which for several 

 ages MoUusks lived and bred, for the accummulation of eight 

 feet of marl, chiefly formed of their shells, indicates a consider- 

 able lapse of time. A few land shells were washed into the 

 lake, and Deer and Boars living along the margin or coming 

 to it to drink, occasionally found a tomb beneath its waters 

 and were covered over with fresh deposits of marl. In the 

 course of time the waters were partly drained away, but the 



