Report of the meetings for 1898 273 



Note by Rev. George Gunn. 



Mr Gunn stated that, under the guidance of Mr John Elliot, 

 Newcastleton, who had frequently led their Club as well as other 

 Naturalist and Antiquarian Field Clubs around the district, he, 

 with Mr Symington Grieve, Edinburgh, and Rev, J. R. Macdonald, 

 Saughtree, as guests, had traversed the Moors, the Black Burn, 

 and the Long How Gill. A large variety of plants had been 

 gathered, of which a complete list had been made. The 

 following were included: — Andromeda polifolia Linn., Circaea 

 lutetiana Linn., Potentilla palustris Scop., Neckeria claviculata 

 N.E. Br., Drosera rotundifolia Linn., Calluna erica D.C., and 

 Erica tetralix — both white varieties in large patches — Hahenaria 

 hifolia R.Br., H. viridis R.Br., Listera cordata R.Br., Lysimachia 

 nemorum L., Narthecium ossifragum Huds., Nasturtium officinale 

 R.Br., Trientalis europaealAnvL., Par nassea palustris Liinn., Pyrola 

 rotundifolia Linn., Ruhus saxalilis Linn., R. chamaemorus Linn., 

 Poterium sanguisorha Linn., and P. officinale Hook., Solidago 

 virgaurea Linn., Triglochin palustre Linn., Cystopteris alpina 

 var. Dickieana Milde, Hymenophyllum unilaterale Bory., Polystichum 

 lobatum Presl., and P. aculeatum Syme, Lastraea oreopteris 

 Presl., Botrychium lunaria Sw., Ophioglossum vulgatum Linn., 

 &c. 



The Black Burn flows through a romantic course, which 

 presents many features of great interest to the geologist and 

 botanist. Mr Elliot first pointed out a petrifying spring, 

 where Hypnum calcareum and other mosses had been hardened 

 into limestone. In the walk up the water several fossils were 

 found ; splendid specimens of ripple markings were also 

 observed. The limestone had at one place formed a natural 

 bridge of large size, but this had fallen early in the present 

 century, having been undermined by the water. Porphyry, 

 with crystals of analcime, at another place higher up takes 

 the place of the limestone. 



There Mr Elliot pointed out various attempts at mining, 

 which had been made in recent times. He also showed 

 where he thought the iron ore had been taken for smeltings, 

 the remains of which were seen here and there on the 

 moor. Specimens of the slag, still very heavy from the 



