Report of the Meetings for 1894. 89 



Mellerstain House is of at least two dates. There is a 

 stone at the N.E. corner of the basement of the eastern wing, 

 on which is carved the date Uth September 1725. The 

 central part and the design by which the whole is united 

 is said to be that of the elder Adams, and probably dates 

 from before 1802. His style of a central block, with two 

 wings, has been popular for a long period in Scotland. The 

 interior of such a large house gave full scope to his decorative 

 powers. The ceiling in the library, with its surrounding 

 friezes and medallions of Grecian studies, apparently from 

 the Parthenon, is in most striking contrast to that of the 

 dining room, where curves and ornamental lines form a pleasing 

 design. The carved woodwood of the book cases is in severe 

 harmony with the classic taste of the architect. The library 

 itself has been mainly collected, as the book plates show, by 

 "George Baillie, one of the Senators of the Treasury in 1724," 

 and comprises a valuable collection, in beautiful bindings, 

 of the best of the world's literature to that period. Here 

 are also three cabinets of Italian workmanship of ebony, and 

 inlaid with polished pebbles and marbles, many of which 

 have views of picturesque scenery painted upon them. 



In the dining room and corridors are portraits of the princi- 

 pal members of the Baillie family. Those of the famous Lady 

 Grisell and her husband have been painted by M. Varelet, and of 

 Miss Hamilton and her brother by Allan Ramsay, and that of 

 the Earl of Marchmont by Kneller. The great Vandyck is 

 represented by a portrait of Burger Meda Le Blome of 

 Antwerp. Mementoes of the famous Lady Grisell were 

 exhibited, such as her copy of the Confession of Faith, and 

 her Sampler, dated 1768, showing the same skill as her 

 interesting sewed work on the pulpit cushions at Polwarth 

 Church. In the older part of the house is a graceful 

 lantern and stair railing of hammered iron. 



In the ball room is an interesting collection of birds and 

 fossils, many of which are local, but have unfortunately not 

 been catalogued. 



In our hurried walk round the lake, which has been 

 formed by confining the E len water, the botanists reported 

 quantities of Tijpha latifolia (L.), Nuphar lutea (Sm.), Nymphaea 

 alba (L.), Senevio aquaticus (Huds.), Veronica anagallis (L.), 

 Scrophularia nodosa axi^ aquatica (L.), Epilohium angmtifoliwm 



