Beport of Meetings. By the President. 445 



The building stands on a hard red and white freestone escarp- 

 ment, well known in the district by the name of the " Ten Quar- 

 ter Freestone/' which at the point where the tower is situate is 

 from 36 to 40 feet thick. There are four seams of coal which 

 underlie the Berwick road at about right angles, and abut 

 against the basaltic dyke on the other side of it. The '' Cooper 

 Eye " is the chief of these seams. It is about 100 yards from the 

 Tower, to the west, the " Bulman " seam being to the east, and 

 nearest. 



The old parish church, but still of quite a modern character, 

 (there was no ancient one) and quite disused, is close to the 

 Tower, the road separating them. The new church consecrated 

 in 1880 by the Bp. of Durham is visible about a mile to the east. 

 We were obliged to content ourselves with a distant glimpse of 

 what are called Druidieal remains, on Gi'indonrig, a mile to the 

 N.W., the exigencies of time not permitting a closer examination. 

 They consist of an ancient burial place of four large stones, set 

 up similarly to Druidieal Cairns. The belief in Druidieal circles, 

 has I fancy, rather gone out. 



Our route back to Cornhill lay over " The Till by Twizell 

 Bridge;" from which famous locality, we viewed, not without 

 regret, the remains of the recently dismantled castle crowning 

 the rocky steep, at whose foot, " so many a chief of birth and 

 rank. Saint Helen ! at thy fountain drink." 



The exact identity of Saint Helen's well is at present much 

 obscured by accumulations of earth and marshy overgrowth. 



Nothing special in the way of Natural History came under 

 notice during the day. Of course we observed our old friends 

 the Black -headed Gulls at Pallinsburn. 



These birds do not breed on the Fames as some have supposed, 

 nor are they seen there, except as temporary and occasional 

 visitors. 



Their inland breeding places were formerly more numerous 

 than now, but the drainage of lochs and mosses causes them to 

 desert ancient places of resort. At Pallinsburn Mr. Askew 

 considers that they hold their own. 



I have to thank Mr George Bolam, of Berwick, for the follow- 

 ing interesting note concerning these sprightly and favorite birds. 



The Black-headed Gull is a permanent resident with us, and some 

 individuals may be seen at any time throughout the yearabout the mouth 

 of our river; of course they are least numerous during the mouth or two 



