Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 77 



way, and turned at Oldhamstocks. At that time I drew up a 

 summary of what there was to see. I have been there several 

 times since, and the following notices contain the principal 

 observations made. On one or other of three separate visits, Dr. 

 Stuart, Mr A. H. Evans, and Capt. Norman, R.N., accompanied 

 me. Dr Stuart has furnished an outline of what he remarked 

 on two of these occasions, which will appear among the papers 

 of the year. 



THE AIKENGALL RAVINES. 



After getting above Stottancleugh, the gravel brought from 

 the wasted conglomerate of the upper ravines by the winter 

 floods and forming the bed of the stream, draws the attention ; 

 the whole breadth of the flattened space between the banks being 

 frequently littered with spoils. Pieces of white sandstone strewed 

 here and there, as well as peculiar porphyries and greenstones, 

 evince that the waste has been partly derived from a district at 

 a distance from the surrounding hills ; but the vast proportion 

 of the debris is from the Silurian Greywacke embedded in the 

 conglomerates that once filled up the ravines. As we turn up to 

 the left the water disappears in summer ; and the main stream 

 is well named Stonecleugh Water. 



The gravelly haughs are empurpled in the summer-time with 

 beds of wild thyme, which runs on wherever there is space for 

 it in among the narrow bottom margins of the upper ravines, 

 whence it climbs up and over their scaurs wherever it can obtain 

 a scanty soil. The prevalence of stork's bill (Er odium cicutarium) 

 and Parsley Piert (Aphanes arvemis) are symptoms of the barren- 

 ness of the substratum. 



The entangled grey willow thickets on the left have their 

 stems and branches densely studded with a white Coccus ; and 

 in the autumn they are blackened by the honey dew of a small 

 oval palo green Aphis {A. Salicivora? ovA. Caprece?) clustered 

 on the underside of the foliage. 



There are five ravines subsidiary to the main Stonecleugh 

 running between it and the Lammermoor ridge, and sub-dividing 

 into spaces more or less extensive the intervening high slopes ; 

 some of the intervals being elevated spurs called Steels. These 

 ravines or gaios (open fissures), do not cross the spine of the main 

 ridge, but usually either shallow out into peaty swamps, or they 

 are blocked up at the upper end by concave earthen scaurs called 

 Qribs. 



