ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 227 



7 in Ireland, among which were two or three Field Clubs, 

 which in 1871 had increased to 27, and now are immensely 

 more numerous. By the way I may remark tliat it has 

 always appeared to me that our own designation ought 

 to have been The Border, or The Border Counties' Club, 

 because when we consider the comprehensive nature of 

 the term " vicinage " (somewhat a quaint term) ; the size 

 and importance of the county of Northumberland; the 

 fact that the original members were as numerous from the 

 English side as from the Scottish ; and lastly, but not 

 least, the prominent interest which is attached to Roxburgh, 

 Peebles, and Selkirk Shires — all this, I say, being duly 

 considered, the existence of Berwickshire in our title as 

 exclusively the predominant partner, does certainly now 

 seem a little obtrusive and misleading. Shortly after 

 the completion of the foregoing sentences'! was interested 

 to find that a suggestion of the same sort was made as 

 long ago as 1861 by a former distinguished President, 

 a Berwickshire man. He said, " Considering the great 

 change which has taken place since the formation of the 

 Club in its objects, and in its sphere of operations, some 

 change should be made in its name." It is only fair 

 to add that this idea of Mr David Milne Home was 

 stoutly combated by a succeeding President, also a Ber- 

 wickshire man, in 1873, Dr Archibald Campbell Swinton. 

 That a Club working on such lines as ours was considered 

 to be a new departure is shown by Dr Home's " History 

 of Learned Societies of Great Britain in 1843." He says, 

 " The Berwickshire Naturalists' Club professes some 

 features of a peculiar kind which make it very interesting, 

 specially to its own members. It meets by day, not in 

 the evening. It examines facts and specimens in situ, 

 and the explanations, oral or written, are thus the more 

 interesting. It itinerates within a certain district. Some 

 of its members who are familiar with the working of 

 learned societies give it a decided preference to any 

 other of them." Well, the Club grew and prospered. 



