Report of Meetings for 1887. By J. Hardy. 15 



Marigold ; Anacharis alsinastrum in profusion ; Cardamine amara 

 and pratensis ; vast beds of Petasites vulgaris, whose blossoms are 

 attended on bright days by the hive-bees, who derive from it 

 large pellets of a whitish poUen ; willows, etc. 



The river flows in a haugh of considerable width, and the 

 banks rise considerably, the cultivated land and buildings being 

 situated on a sloping elevated platform. At intervals the 

 uniformity is broken by steep abrupt sections of grey tinted 

 Tuedian shales with lengthened tawny coloured bands of 

 indurated shale, or pale sandstones, disposed at a moderately 

 high oblique angle. 'I he river was crossed on a plank-bridge at 

 Todhengh. Blanerne house fronted us, a little to the left, on a 

 bank among sheltering trees ; a modem dwelling of plain 

 structure, but convenient; the original entrance had faced the 

 river ; it is now at the north side. 



While the main body of members visited the well-stocked 

 greenhouses and flower-borders, the President, the Secretary, 

 and Dr. Stuart, as representatives of the Club, waited on Mrs. 

 Sandys-Lumsdaine, by whom access bad been given to view the 

 grounds at Blanerne House, who very kindly showed the family 

 pictures, and other relics of interest, including pedigrees of the 

 now combined families of Lumsdaine and Sandys. There is an 

 original portrait of Archbishop Sharp here, attributed by some 

 to Sir Peter Lely, by others to Sir Godfrey Kneller. There were 

 several old Bibles on the table ; one a '' Breeches," one said to 

 have belonged to Archbishop Sharp ; a Hebrew Bible, and some 

 others ; a silver coin of Queen Elizabeth ; a coin of Henry IV. 

 of France, found when making the road from the lodge to the 

 house ; a miniature of James Stuart, father to Prince Charlie ; 

 two daggers. 



The old castle was next inspected : where some fine trees of 

 great bulk were conspicuous ; and two red-skinned Soots pines, 

 not quite so large. A fine stretch of green park bordered with 

 trees lies behind the house. The castle stood on a steep bank at 

 the end of a high platform, which continues a considerable way 

 up the river, with occasional breaks, and wooded, chiefly with 

 beeches, on the steepest part. There is an appearance of two 

 buildings, with an interval between. The first has been the 

 keep, but is very ruinous ; the old windows have been arched 

 with red coloured sandstones on edge ; and later square headed 

 windows have been let into these, A fragment of the cattle- 



