Report of Meetings. By the President. 477 



the day. We chose the route through the battle field of Philip- 

 haugh (see Proceedings for 1882, p. 57, and for 1876, p. 43) and 

 across the Yarrow and the Ettrick over Collins' Bridge, through 

 the Bowhill Grounds, thus reaching the road on the right bank 

 of the river. Philiphaugh House, which is not ancient, is a 

 combination of the Scotch-baronial and Italian styles. Not far 

 from it was pointed out to us Carterhaugh, the scene of the cele- 

 brated Football match, which took place on the 4th December, 

 1815, between the Sutors or Souters of Selkirk and the men of 

 Yarrow, at which was present among other notables "Mr 

 Walter Scott, Sheriff of Selkirkshire" (for particulars see Lock- 

 hart's ''Life," p. 327, and ''Border Minstrelsy," p. 78.) Near it, a 

 field remarkably full of common Eagwort [Senecio Jacoboea) elicited 

 from an agriculturist of the party the remark that cattle had 

 evidently grazed that field ; for sheep being very fond of the 

 plant, would have kept it nibbled close down. 



The Scotch and local names of this plant, besides "Ragwort, are 

 Yellow-weed ; Yellow or StinUng Elshinders ; and in the Merse, 

 Fizz-giffffs.'^' The genus Senecio , represented in this country by 

 the well known groundsel and ragworts only, is perhaps the 

 most extensive in point of species in the Vegetable Kingdom. 

 Nearly 600 different kinds are known to botanists, which are 

 spread over all parts of the globe, but found in the greatest pro- 

 fusion in temperate climates. The name of the genus is taken 

 from the Latin senex, in allusion to the white pappus hairs which 

 crown the achenes. 



Oakwood Tower, "home of Michael Scott, Wizard," next en- 

 gaged our attention, but we took more interest, perhaps, in a 

 distant view of Howebottom, the scene of an interesting experi- 

 ment by the late Duke of Buccleuch, about which the Eevd. 

 James Farquharson supplied a paper to Proceedings for 1878, p. 

 473. Howebottom used to be a bare and treeless hill-pasturage, 

 all of which since 1829 has been "hained," left to itself, pre- 

 served from either being cut down or pastured. As to what it 

 is now, Mr Farquharson's paper supplies full details, from 

 which it disappoints one to learn that the native oak has not 

 made its appearance. That it was indigenous in Selkirkshire we 

 have abundant documentary, as well as ocular demonstration ; 

 in fact as we drove along, Fauldshope Oaks were pointed out 



* Dr Jokaston. 



