20 Report of Meetings for 1879, by James Hardy. 



On a previous day, April 21, when examining the ground for 

 the meeting, it was remarked that Anchusa sempervirens is still 

 growing where Mr Henderson indicated at the "roadside between 

 the village of Reston and Eeston-mains, and on the bank at the 

 head of the ' Valley-brae ' as you go from Eeston to Colding- 

 ham." In this last habitat, which is near Heugh-head smithy, 

 the stem was much hollowed out by the action of some large 

 caterpillar. A quantity of Viola odorata was in blossom in a 

 wood-bottom near the Eye, opposite a small garden, not far from 

 Reston mill. A kingfisher was observed near Reston mill. The 

 grey-backed crow had not then left. Two wrens were seen ; 

 also a missel-thrush ; and a single song-thrush was heard in the 

 evening. The late winter has made a melancholy deficiency in 

 their ranks. 



The second meeting was held at Kelso and Morebattle, on 

 Wednesday, June 25. The attendance was numerous, com- 

 prising — Dr Paxton, President ; Mr Hardy, Secretary ; Revs. J. 

 F. Bigge, Stamfordham ; Robert 0. Bromfield, Sprouston ; J. 

 S. Grreen, Wooler ; Thomas Leishman, D.D., Linton ; David 

 Paul, Roxburgh ; J. Hill Scott, Kelso ; William Stobbs, Gor- 

 don ; and R. Hopper Williamson, Whickham ; Sheriff Russell ; 

 Capt. J. Broad, Ashby, Melrose ; Capt. McPherson, Melrose ; 

 Capt. J. xi. Forbes, R.N., Berwick; Dr Charles Douglas and Dr 

 Alex. Mackenzie, Kelso; Messrs A. H. Borthwick, Ladiesyde 

 Lodge, Melrose ; John B. Boyd of Cherrytrees ; W. B. Boyd, 

 Ormiston ; Thomas Chartres, Summerfield, Ayton ; John Clay, 

 Winfield ; Thomas Craig, Kelso ; William Currie of Linthill ; 

 John Scott Dudgeon, Longnewton Place ; John Freer, Melrose ; 

 William Johnson, Tweedbank, Kelso ; James B. Kerr, Kelso ; 

 Peter Loney, Marchmont ; George Muirhead, Paxton ; Robert 

 Renton, Fans ; Frederick Lewis Roy of Nenthorn ; John Russell, 

 Galashiels; Septimus H. Smith and Master Alexander Robert- 

 son Smith, Norham ; John Thomson, Kelso ; Charles Watson, 

 Dunse ; and James Wood, Galashiels. 



After breakfast at Kelso, the company in conveyances took the 

 Softlaw road, and proceeded to Grahamslaw, where the first halt 

 was made. The hawthorns by the waysides, or in the plantings, 

 or little glens opening now and then to the passer by, were full 

 of blossom ; and very beautiful they were when the wind brushed 

 through them, and mixed the green with the white sprays. 



