Miscellaneous. 503 



zeal and ardour in the pursuit of nature which led to the institution of the club, 

 and characterized its first meetings, still continue to animate and to characterize 

 every succeeding one. The object of the club being to gain as accurate and 

 complete a knowledge as possible of the natural productions of the county (and 

 its immediate neighbourhood), and its constitution being partly scientific and 

 partly social, its meetings, exclusive of the winter meeting (which is always at 

 Berwick,) are held four times a-year in different parts of the district; the mem- 

 bers meeting at breakfast, devoting the next five or six hours to an excursion 

 through the most interesting parts of the neighbourhood, and then assembling 

 to a comfortable dinner, after which, communications and notices, both verbal 

 and written, are received and listened to ; discoveries are recorded, and that ra- 

 tional, happy, and mutually improving conversation is carried on, the tendency 

 of which is, not only to expand the mind and improve the heart, but to render 

 us also happier with each other, and happier with ourselves. Nor have the 

 hopes of the founders of the club been at all disappointed as to the success which 

 was likely to ensue from its institution. It has been the means of adding very 

 many valuable facts, not oidy to the natural history of Berwickshire, but to that 

 of the country generally. It has proved the district, the field of its investiga- 

 tions, to be one most rich and interesting in almost all the departments of natu- 

 ral history. It has published also, annually, for four years past, a small volume 

 of its transactions ; and from the zealous as well as the harmonious spirit by 

 which it still continues to be animated, there is every reason to believe that it 

 will go on increasing in knowledge, reputation, and prosperity. 



The last meeting of the Club was held December 22d, at Berwick-upon- 

 Tweed, — P. J. Selby, Esq. of Twizel House in the chair. After the reading 

 of the minutes of former meeting, and other routine business, the following 

 communications were read: — 1. A paper by Mr Henderson " on the popular 

 Rytbmes of Berwickshire." — 2. A paper by G. Darling, Esq., " on the Black 

 Turnip Caterpillar." — 8. A communication received from Sir Thomas Bris- 

 bane, entitled, " Practical observations on the Par, by James Kerse, fisher, 

 Bowhill." — 4. A paper from the Rev. T. Cook, illustrative of some facts 

 connected with the early history of the Borders ; and 5. Contributions to the 

 Flora of the district, by Miss Bell and Dr Johnston. A number of rare and 

 interesting birds from New Holland were also exhibited, and Dr Johnston's 

 Collection of Land- Shells, which the Club were invited to examine, was viewed 

 with much attention and pleasure. The rarest and most valuable contribution, 

 however, at this meeting, was a specimen of the Mullus barbatus, or Plain red 

 Mullet, exhibited by the Rev. A. Baird, of Cockburnspath, who procured it 

 from one of the fishermen in that parish, in the month of August last. It 

 was taken in a herring-net, and was a beautiful and full-grown specimen. 

 Though this fish has for some time occupied a place in the British Fauna, it may 

 be stated that its claim rests merely on a vague remark of Mr Pennant, who ac- 

 knowledges that he never saw it. A single specimen, it is believed, is in the 

 British Museum, but it is uncertain whence it was procured. The individual 

 exhibited on this occasion therefore may be considered as the only authen- 

 tic British specimen which has been preserved of this famed and beautiful fish. 

 The next meeting of the Club was fixed to be held at Houndwood, on the first 

 Wednesday of May, 1837- 



