ANNIVEBSART ADDRESS 225 



at Holy Island, where, as Lord of the Manor and host, 

 he well discharged so leading a part, caused us all very 

 great regi'et, and elicited sincerest sj'mpath}^. In Mr 

 iShaw we have lost a valuable Associate, who from time 

 to time did appreciated woik for us in natural history. 



You will probably be aware that our Club claims to 

 be the oldest bona fide Field Club in the Kingdom. It 

 cannot, therefore, but be interesting to you to hear the 

 account given by Sir Walter Elliot, one of the most 

 distinguished of our former members, of its beginnings, 

 by which you will judge how well founded is that claim. 

 The true origin of Field Clubs in general, and of our own 

 in particular, can be traced. Sir Walter thinks, to an 

 association of students formed in 1823 at the University 

 of Edinburgh, under the name of the Plinian Society, 

 for the advancement of the study of natural history, 

 antiquities, and the physical sciences in general. Country 

 excursions formed part of the programme, also meetings 

 for papers and discussions. The chief promoters of the 

 scheme were three brothers Baird, from Berwickshire, but 

 John, the eldest, must be considered the founder. Among 

 the original members occur the names of Charles Darwin, 

 John Hutton Balfour, and Hugh Falconer — all men who 

 made their mark in the world of science and literature. 

 The Plinian Society/ seems to have been short-lived, but 

 not so the influence and effect that it had. John Baird 

 became minister of the parish of Yetholm ; his brother, 

 Andrew, that of Cockburnspath. Thence they renewed 

 intercourse with an old friend and kindred spirit, who, 

 though not a member of the Plinian, had occasionally 

 contributed papers to it. That friend bore a name which 

 is not altogether unknown to us. It was Dr George 

 Johnston of Berwick upon Tweed. Well, these conspirators 

 laid their heads together, the result being that on the 

 22nd September 1831, at Bank House in the parish of 

 Coldingham, Dr Johnston, the Rev. John Baird of Yetholm, 

 the Rev. Andrew Baird of Cockburnspath, Mr William 



