Report of Meetings for 1879, by James Hardy. 11 



conglomerates tliat flank the East Lothian Lammermoors. Here 

 a pair of recently-arrived Grey Wagtails disported themselves in 

 lively attitudes by the side of the burn. Where the water had 

 cut down to the rock, and little waterfalls were formed, there 

 grew among the mosses many pretty shell-shaped tufts of the 

 pale-green Jungermanni serpyllifolia, a rarish species ; and 

 farther up beneath the trees a green state of J. albicans, and 

 abundance of J. harhata, and also of Madotheca platyphjUa. The 

 greywacke and its accompanying slate here, as Avell as at Covey- 

 heugh, have a red ground tint. The soil, besides being full of 

 stones, is in general poor and yellow-hued, being that produced 

 by a super-abundance of decayed slate. The predominance of 

 slate is shewn wherever sections of the rock are exposed in the 

 ravines. The furze bushes which were passed had been much 

 compressed by the heavy loads of winter's snow that they had 

 had to sustain, and many of the twigs had been severely frost 

 bitten. It was a trying season for furze fences. 



Houndwood House is a fine old building standing by a little 

 dean, in which grow fine old trees ; and of these there are many 

 in other parts of the ground. A rookery is established near the 

 house. On the eastern side, the house and private grounds are 

 sheltered by lines of well-grown aged hollies, protected by an 

 outer belt of trees. The hollies were well worth seeing. Along 

 with the other shrubs they had been so well screened, as to be 

 quite uninjured by the winter's inclemency ; and the Deodars, 

 Wellingtonias, and Auracarias had likewise escaped the ordeal. 

 A very fine series of Ehododendrons is cultivated here, to which 

 the situation appears to be adapted ; as nothing could be gayer 

 than the show of blossom, when it had attained its perfection, 

 some weeks afterwards. The following sorts are grown here : — 

 Queen Victoria, Minnie, Mr John Waterer, Mrs John Waterer, 

 the Grand Arab, the Gem, Hugh Eraser ; delicatum, purjmreum, 

 andfastuosum. There are said to be few other places in Berwick- 

 shire that can rival the display here. In the grounds there is 

 much bishopweed, a prevalent concomitant of old gardens, in- 

 troduced in some evil hour. Arum maculatum,, Doronicum JParda- 

 Uanches, oxlips, coloured primroses, daffodils and other Narcissi, 

 the Lily of the Valley, and some fine plots of Solomon's Seal 

 grew in a half -wild state ; and there are several Liliums planted 

 out. The birds sow Daphne Laureola all about the place. There 



