Anniversary Address. 245 



by the priests on these hills. The theory is ingenious, and 

 invests the terraces with even a greater mystery than has 

 hitherto attached to them. But I am not inclined to agree 

 with Mr. Baird. His remark that the terraces in his neigh- 

 bourhood are always visible from some adjoining hill top, 

 suggests that this arrangement may have been adopted for 

 the sake of safety to crops growing on the terraces, as most 

 probably on these hills there would be persons watching the 

 district in camps or fortlets. To investigate this subject 

 further, it occurs to me, that it would be desirable to have 

 a small committee appointed to make a special report to the 

 club. After hearing the report, a visit could be paid to some 

 of the more remarkable of these terraces. I have heard 

 that at a place called Hethpool, on the CoUedge river, they are 

 very striking. They occur also in other parts of the country, 

 for Professor Simpson, in that most instructive address which 

 he delivered last year, as president of the Antiquarian Society 

 of Scotland, asks, " Who fashioned the terraces at Newlands 

 in Tweeddale ? and what was the origin of the many hill -side 

 terraces scattered over the country ? " On this testimony to 

 the interest attaching to these terraces, I feel the less hesi- 

 tation in recommending the subject to the special considera- 

 tion of the club. 



Grants House Meeting. — '' The third Field meeting for the 

 year 1861, was held on the 25th of July, at Grants House, a 

 place always visited wdth renewed interest, as it was the 

 birth-place of the club. The Botany and Zoology had on 

 former occasions been carefully observed ; and therefore the 

 chief objects of this meeting were to examine Edin's Hall and 

 the geology of Cockburnlaw. A very wet morning was but 

 a bad augury for the meeting, and deterred several members 

 from attending. There Avere present, however — the Presi- 

 dent, the Rev. Geo. Rooke, Mr. Home of Berwick, Messrs. 

 Turnbull, John Boyd, Wm. Stevenson, Robert Douglas, J. 

 Patterson, D. Macbeath, Chas. Watson, Dr. Stuart, Dr. Hood, 

 Mr. Geo. Tate, Mr. Carr of Hedgeley ; and as visitors, Mr. 

 Landale of Temple Hall, Mr. Waite of Dunse, and Mr. Hardy 

 of Penmanshiel . 



