468 Heport of Meetings. By the President. 



prize-takers. Then in a house of palms and ferns is an example 

 of the screw pine, Pandanus orientalis, of New South Wales ; and 

 a fine display on the wall of the pink flowers of Bougainvillea 

 glabra, which yields two crops of blossom in the year; " Bird's- 

 Nest Fein'^ ( Onoclea struthiopteris ) ; a few orchids; Diplosdeum 

 BoUvianum, in flower ; two rather curious Crotons, one with odd- 

 shaped leaves, " D'Israeli," is new ; Lomaria gibla (fern) ; Ixorea 

 Javanica, a well-known showy old plant, with a bricky-scarlet 

 blossom. There are some good Todeas, which here stand 20 deg. 

 of frost under a frame ; Davallia Novce Zelandice (rare), and 

 Goniophlehium appendiculatum, of the early polypody tribe, being 

 their accompaniments. 



At the western end of the garden are preserved two fine gate 

 pillars (of reddish sandstone) of the early part of the 18th cen- 

 tury, and of Italian model, which formed the former entry to the 

 grounds of the old mansion. Passing onwards again to the 

 grounds, we have the tower of the old castle in front, the immense 

 yew tree under which the conspiracy for the murder of Darnley 

 is reputed to have been discussed by the conspirators, and on the 

 left the ancient church-yard and site of the parish church. On 

 this open space stands a monument to the Hays of Drummelzier 

 and Linplum and a memorial cross for deceased members of the 

 Balfour family. Two long slab graves, discovered in the Stand- 

 ing-stone field at Cairndinnis, near Traprain Law, have been 

 replaced here in the original form ; their dimensions are 9 feet 

 by 4. The great yew on a slight rise nearly in front of the castle 

 had till recently much decayed wood in it, but has improved 

 greatly since this was excised. It has still a clear top, but the 

 under branches have fallen down, like those of the great beech 

 at Newbattle Abbey, and spread their skirts widely round, and 

 have rooted and continue to nourish the parent tree, and keep it 

 in a growing condition. The stem at 3 feet up is 10 feet 9 

 inches ; at 5 feet, 1 1 feet in girth ; and then it separates into a 

 multitude of intertwisting and intergrafted shoots. The diameter 

 of the free space in the inside is 40 feet 6 inches ; the circum- 

 ference of the tree outside, 99 yards. 



There is no record of the building of the tower ; the shield over 

 the doorway is very puzzling ; its quarterings are ; two stars or 

 mullets in the first and second, which may represent Douglas of 

 Whittingham ; a cinquefoil in the third ; and a boar's head 

 erased in the fourth. It must be left for further inquiry. The 



