REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1905 297 



that they are the most Northerly examples of their kind in 

 the British Isles, and that the theory of their preservation 

 lies in their having been surrounded at the time of planting 

 with a shelter of Privet, etc., which, together with the 

 protection afforded by the railway embankment, enabled them 

 to be fairly established before being exposed to the Northern 

 blasts that must now assail them. They have, through stress 

 of circumstances, lost their characteristic umbrella habit, but 

 retained the deep green colour and bunched feature of their 

 spines. The tallest of them does not exceed 30 feet in 

 height. 



From this point the route lay Westwards through Bilsdean, 

 the birthplace of the late Dr Hardy, and the scene of his 

 early school-days, to a road leading by the burn of the 

 same name to the shore, where Mr J. G. Goodchild, F.Q-.S., 

 offered some remarks regarding the rock formation, which 

 consists to a large extent of calciferous sandstone. It was 

 intended that members should have a choice of courses from 

 this point back to Cockburnspath, either to proceed along 



the coast and examine the striking landmark, 

 Stand- Stand-alane, already described and figured in 



alane. the Proceedings,*' or to retrace their steps 



along the coast in the direction of Cockburns- 

 path, Unfortunately time did not permit of the former 

 alternative being adopted, which is all the more to be 

 regretted now, seeing that no further opportunity of viewing 

 this towering rock-pillar is possible, the storm of 12th 

 March 1906 having demolished it, and left only a stump, 

 indicated in Plate XVII. of this volume. One of the oldest 

 inhabitants of the village, Mr John Malcolm, notified its 

 destruction in these sad and affectionate terms, " Our grand old 

 rock has fallen " ; and to his enterprise is due the peculiarly 

 effective representation of it in juxta-position with the over- 

 hanging cliffs of the mainland. Selecting the shorter and 

 more direct course, the party followed the coast-line towards 

 Eeed Bay, where Glaucium luteum still covers a considerable 

 area, and Carex extensa occurs in small quantity. At the 

 mouth of Dunglass burn large bushes of Hip'po'pha'e rhamnoides 



* Ber. Nat. Club, Vol. xv., pp. 44-45, Plate vii. 

 MM 



