52 Anniversary Address. 



occupied places on the bencli in the Court of Session. These 

 were Lord Haining, who passed advocate in 1691, was elevated to 

 the bench in 1729, and died in 1754; and Lord Alemoor, who took 

 his seat as judge in 1748, and died in 1776. On the death in 

 1842 of Mr Eobert Pringle, the last male representative of the 

 Pringles in the direct line, the property of Clifton passed out of 

 the family to Mr Elliot, of Harwood, Haining remaining in 

 possession of Mr Eobert Pringle's sister, who had married Mr 

 Archibald Douglas of Edderstone, and Midshiels. Mrs Pringle 

 Douglas's only daughter married Mr John Pattison, and to them 

 the property now belongs. 



The principal approach to The Haining was formerly from 

 Castle Street ; but now a handsome arched gateway on the road 

 from the Eailway Station to the town opens on an avenue, which 

 conducts by a steep ascent to the north side of the house, in 

 which the entrance-door is placed. On passing into the grounds 

 the first object noticed by the party was a large Oak in a slight 

 hollow to the left. The trunk is short, but the horizontal 

 branches into which it divides at a height of about 7 feet, cover 

 a wide space. The girth of the tree 2 feet from the ground is 12 

 feet 3 inches ; and the branches extend from side to side in one 

 direction 80 feet, and in another 75 feet. In contour the tree is 

 hemispherical, but its symmetry has been a little injured by the 

 loss of a branch on one side. 



At the House a Black Swan, standing on the grass leisurely 

 preening itself, served as an introduction to the great company 

 of water-fowl which attracted our notice as soon as we reached 

 the banks of the Loch, after passing round the stables, which 

 lie to the west of the House, and are separated from it by a 

 little wooded ravine. These birds form quite a feature of the 

 place, and are carefully protected by Mr Pattison. It was inter- 

 esting to see the mixture of wild and tame creatures, the gener- 

 ally shy and hidling Water Hen walking fearlessly about and 

 coming close to the House, while the Coot was but less bold, 

 and even the Wild Duck did not take to flight, although it kept 

 well out of reach. Mr Pattison has favoured me with the fol- 

 lowing list of the water-fowl which are either kept on the Loch, 

 being domesticated, or frequent it, being wild. 

 " White Swans. Eouen Ducks. 



Black Do. White Call Do. 



Swan Geese. Brown Call Do. 



