Report of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 453 



with, tlie Simonside Hills, whose craggy front is turned from us. 

 Afar off Cheviot heaves its mighty ridge, several of its cairns, 

 and even the deep impressions in its sides being very distinct. 

 Along the continuous mountain wall of lesser altitude that forms 

 the Border line we can also pick out the scaurs and cleughs, some 

 of them pale hued, others in gloomy shade. Cushat Law is the 

 bulkiest looking of the intermediate heights, having space to ex- 

 hibit itself, but there are heathery cones of no trivial dimensions, 

 that vie with it, and the other formidable protuberances of that 

 billowy land. The woods at Biddleston are easily recognisable, 

 and with a little spare time many other notable specialities might 

 be determined in the far extending landscape here mapped out. 

 As we pass on we begin to familiarise ourselves with the farm- 

 places and the dwellings distributed throughout the valley, or on 

 its sloping sides ; with the well-marked belts of road, Watling 

 Street being one, that cross the levels, surmount the less ambi- 

 tious hill-backs, or dive into the winding passes ; with the 

 clumps and lines of wood, which, however, are rather sparse ; 

 and above all with the wealth of glittering waters that enrich the 

 meadows. 



Before the moors are left, wheat-ears perched on the stone- 

 walls, which by the bye are excellent, and the telegraph, 

 wires, shewed that their summer breeding places were in the 

 neighbourhood. Larks and pipit-larks arise at intervals. The 

 pipit- larks even nestle in the Mote-hill at Elsdon, where one with a 

 morsel of food in its bill, was afterwards seen to be extremely 

 concerned about the movements of a small dog that had ap- 

 proached too near the spot where its young were concealed. 

 Descending to Eaylees burn, the farm place of Eavenscleugh 

 near the opening of a ravine, again testified to the equivocal 

 character of some of the former members of the indigenous fauna. 

 "Capability Brown," the landscape gardener, was a descendant 

 of the Browns of Eavenscleugh. There are hawthorn bushes not 

 very well grown, and sore scourged by the frost, at Eaylees. 

 Alders and butter-burs flourish by the stream. The Eev. J, 

 Hodgson will have us to believe that Eaylees is derived from Hae 

 or Rrae, a carcase, and that it signifies the field of the slain. 

 But did it not occur to him that it carries the name of the wild 

 roe, once plentiful hereabouts ? For does not the oldest set of the 

 " Battle of Otterburne," say, 



•* The roo full reckless there sche runnes 

 To make the game and glee ?" 



