174 -^^ Account of the Excursions (1909). [Sess» 



round about Edinburgh. The walk was continued over the 

 hill to the marl-pits, where a number of marsh and water 

 plants were collected. 



On Victoria Day upwards of thirty members visited Duns 

 Castle and loch. At Duns station the party was met by Mr 

 George Fortune, F.S.A., who acted as leader. He first con- 

 ducted the party to the garden at The Hermitage, where a 

 fine collection of herbaceous plants was seen and admired. The 

 antiquities of Duns were then pointed out and described ; and 

 after luncheon the party visited Duns Castle and gardens and 

 ascended Duns Law. In the course of the walk two splendid 

 specimens of Araucaria imhricata were seen, and many wild 

 plants were gathered which are not common in the district 

 round Edinburgh. Several members drove to Manderston 

 Gardens, and in the early part of the day others visited the 

 river Blackadder, and were successful in finding specimens of 

 parasites that infest the fresh-water mussel. This was one of 

 the most enjoyable excursions of the season. 



On the following Saturday a large number of members 

 visited Gosford grounds. The majority, under the guidance 

 of the Secretary, walked through the grounds, and visited 

 the ponds with their numerous specimens of ducks and geese. 

 One or two of the members botanised the shore between Gos- 

 ford and Aberlady, where several plants were noted. Blysmus 

 Tufus var. hifolius was found at the church, on the shore at 

 Aberlady, where it was first got in 1894. 



Amis ton and Temple were visited the following Saturday, 

 and the members were conducted through the wood by the 

 Eev. D. W. Wilson, who pointed out several of our rarer 

 birds. The notes of the wood-warbler and the blackcap were 

 heard, and a nest of the tree-creeper was pointed out. Among 

 the rarer plants found were Arum maculatum, Lathrcea squam- 

 aria, and an alien — Allium paradoxum — which was previously 

 found by Mr Saunders near Kirkcaldy, and has been noticed 

 at several of our excursions since. 



The next excursion was a walk from Dolphinton over the 

 Pentlands to West Linton, under the direction of Mr Denson» 

 The route followed was by Garvald, Ferneyhaugh, North Muir, 

 Mendick Hill, Eumbling Well, and North Slipperfield. On the 

 way were seen many specimens of Ruhus spedahilis, an Amer- 

 ican bramble that has naturalised itself here and in several 



