Report of Meetings. By the President. 469 



tower is ascended by a turnpike stair. Dunbar and tbe adjoining 

 coast can always be seen in a clear day ; and the mansion-house 

 stands exactly opposite. The ceiling of one of the rooms is orna- 

 mented with stucco work in compartments. From the fat-faced 

 • cherubs in some of these it was reckoned not to be older than 

 seventeenth or eig'hteenth century. The apartment on the ground 

 floor was omitted to be shown. The old bowling green at the 

 base is now the washing green ; the kennels are beyond. 



The company then crossed by the gentle-flowing rivulet called 

 the Papana, winding through a green haugh, which shewed, 

 before the grass was cut, a wealth of white ox-eye daisies, yellow 

 buttercups, and common daisies in endless numbers ; and great 

 variety of panicled and spiked headed grasses. Ranunculus auri- 

 comus is one of the wild flowers on the banks ; and the lower 

 stems of the older trees are decorated with the goldon hues of 

 the lichen, Calicium hyperellum. 



The house is very extensive both in length and breadth, built 

 in the Glrecian style, which permits of ample space in the apart- 

 ments, and every convenience for cabinet collections or assemb- 

 lages of objects of taste. The stone employed is a fine white 

 sand-stone. The Club were kindly invited lo partake of refresh- 

 ments, and then Miss Balfour shewed her late brother's museum 

 of fossils and birds, where he had made his earliest essays in 

 science ; and her own collection of Lepidoptera, which is very 

 fine, well preserved, carefully set out, and sprinkled with rarities, 

 having this further to recommend it that the specimens are mostly 

 representatives of the East Lothian fauna. The birds also con- 

 tain some scarce species, and are chiefly local. The greater- 

 spotted woodpecker, a hoopoe, the water rail, a peregrine falcon, 

 and several shore birds were noted. There was also a botanical 

 cabinet, which there was no time to look into. 



The visitors were also favoured with a sight of the public 

 rooms, the family portraits, and valuable paintings, and the 

 richly-stocked library of books, several of them with exquisite 

 bindings. 



Once more outside, it was remarked that the holly hedges 

 thrive exceedingly well here. There is not the same degree of 

 frost in winter here as is experienced on the Tyne, to the great 

 destruction of the evergreens. 



The drive to Stenton was uneventful. Puchlaw house was 

 passed on the left. Turning up towards Presmennan, another 



