70 Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 



exhibited. The housekeeper then shewed the company over 

 the interior. It is still used as shooting quarters in the autumn, 

 and Sir David Baird was then residing there. 



At Wedderlie House, a gigantic two-handed sword, 5£ feet 

 long, is preserved, found two feet under moss when casting drains 

 on the farm of Cammerlaws. A drawing of this has been made 

 for the Club. Mr George Fortune writes me : " The old sword 

 was found in a moss to the east of Wedderlie. There were some 

 pieces of wood about it, probably the fragments of a scabbard or 

 sheath. A little to the south-east of the moss, a good number of 

 flint arrow-heads were found by a workman in trenching the 

 land, some of which I have seen in his possesion. [Thej r were 

 double barbed arrow-heads of small size, with longish oblong 

 tangs projecting beyond the barbs.] There is a camp on the 

 Harlaw farm opposite, from which a very fine arrow head was 

 got. On going across the Harlaw Moor, I found a blue vitrified 

 whorl [a large bead rather judging from the sketch] ; it was 

 ribbed transversely. I gave it to Mr Mill." Several wrought 

 flints have been picked up on Cammerlaws. 



On the invitation of Mr Clay of Kerchesters, who occupies 

 Wedderlie farm, the company adjourned to the farm-house and 

 partook of his hospitality. In the farm-house there is a small 

 bed-room cast-metal grate, which belonged to Eobert Burns when 

 he farmed Ellisland. It was presented by Gilbert Burns, the 

 poet's brother, Lord Blantyre's factor, to Mrs Kobertson, the 

 occupant then, as " one of Bobbie's grates," he having got it at 

 the dispersion of his brother's effects at Ellisland. 



The party now became sub-divided, several going to look at 

 the native plants of Osmunda regalis in Flass old wood, now re- 

 duced to three, and railed in to prevent them being extirpated. 

 This was done at a cost of £60. Galeopsis tricolor grew in the 

 fields, and Liatera ovata growing in the moist wood, was seen in 

 this short walk. The dwarf and bent straggling trees of native 

 wood, of birch and grey saugh and mountain ash, formed a 

 peculiar and striking sight, standing as they did like battered 

 veterans, sore thinned out, and waging their last battle on a fatal 

 field. The period is coming when they will be replaced, as other 

 native woods have been here, by a young and more flourishing 

 race of trees. Here also, 



" The old order changeth, yielding place to new." 



Not only is Flass wood venerable for age, but it is we are told 



