440 Report of Meetings. By the President. 



same time of year, seems somewhat odd, as it now chokes up 

 the whole plantation, It may, however, be a subsequent intro- 

 duction, and have driven out most of the flowers which made 

 such a display before. 



Believing that every thing in Nature has its uses, we cannot 

 help being struck with the numerous and enormous leaves of 

 this rank-growing plant, which hide the ground, and prevent 

 smaller plants from flourishing ; and ask — for they are useless for 

 fodder — whether they were designed to delight the eje, or as a 

 natural mulching, or both? Or are they just examples of the 

 " survival of the fittest" to delight the Darwinian? 



"We went on to the Medicinal Well in the Haugh below the 

 Plantation. This "Well, having no connection with the " Bath- 

 ing Well" stream, and now nearly obscured by neglect and 

 marshy overgrowth, is mentioned in County Histories as being 

 well known to possess medicinal properties ; and it is more than 

 a tradition among old people of the neighbourhood, that invalids 

 used to stay at Cornhill, or Coldstream, for the purpose of drink- 

 ing its waters. Not being able to find out that they had ever 

 been analysed, I sent samples to my friend Dr. A. P. Aitken, 

 Analytical Chemist to the Highland Agricultural Society. 



The ditch near the Well contains many sorts of plants, among 

 which I noticed Solanum Dulcamara, or Bittersweet, which many 

 or most people believe to be Deadly Night-shade, and call it so. 



Eeturning to the hotel, our party, about 45 in number, set 

 out in conveyances for Pallinsburn. 



The first object of interest which arrested attention was a Toll 

 Collector, one of the last of his race, specimens of which although 

 observed during most Club excursions during the last 50 years, 

 must hereafter be sought for among the fossils of the Victorian 

 epoch. 



Having reached Pallinsburn, we were courteously received by 

 Mr Watson Askew, and proceeded to examine the great gravel 

 bank upon his estate, one of those remarkable ridges known as 

 Eskers in Ireland and Kaims in Scotland ; which, with a general 

 course from East to West, are abundant in parts of our Border 

 Counties especially Berwickshire ; which have long puzzled 

 geologists ; and about which our Proceedings contain several in- 

 teresting notices. 



Our distinguished member, Mr David Milne-Home of Milne 

 Gcraden, wrote a valuable essay upon them and the high- water- 



