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The Scottish Naturalist. 



vited the members to a garden party, to view the rare plants and 

 flowers. Mr. Rimmer exhibited to the visitors many of his 

 treasures, botanic, entomological, and conchological. After the 

 company had partaken of refreshment a departure was made, the 

 thanks of the Society having been first conveyed to its President by 

 Major Bowden. During the evening Mr. G. Scott-Elliot, F.L.S., 

 of Newton, made arrangements for the formation of a botanical 

 class during the month of June. 



The second field meeting of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway 

 Natural History and Antiquarian Society was held on Saturday, 

 5th July. About thirty ladies and gentlemen proceeded by train 

 to Kirkcudbright, where they were met by Mr. Watson, M.A., 

 President, and about a dozen members of the Kirkcudbright 

 Society. Here waggonettes were in waiting, and the party enjoyed 

 a pleasant drive round the Borgue Shore to Gatehouse, on the 

 way visiting the mansion-house of Cally, the residence of Mr. H. 

 G. Murray Stewart. The house is of granite, and was built in 

 1763, and afterwards in 1835 greatly enlarged. The visitors had 

 the privilege of being shown through several of the rooms, and 

 were charmed with the beautiful specimens of Sevres porcelain, 

 Florentine mosaic, and other artistic work, and also some very fine 

 pictures by old masters. From here the party proceeded to the 

 ruins of Anwoth Church, where they were met by the Rev. W. M. 

 Black, minister of the parish, who pointed out the various features 

 of interest in the district. The party then climbed to the top of 

 Trusty Hill, on which facing due east is a large flat stone bearing 

 some Runic characters, the meaning of which has never been 

 satisfactorily explained. The stone also bears several initials re- 

 cently carved, and to protect it from further demolition in this 

 way a strong iron cage has been placed over it. Some remains of 

 a " vitrified fort " were also inspected, and the several theories 

 on the subject were discussed. Several members of the party 

 then visited Kirkcudbright and had a hurried look round the 

 Museum connected with the Kirkcudbright Club before they 

 took leave of their friends, and returned to Dumfries after a most 

 successful meeting. 



This Society made an excursion on Saturday, 2nd August, to Glen- 

 cairn, when a large party drove first to Irongray Church, where the 

 grave of Helen Walker, the prototype of Scott's Jeanie Deans, was 

 visited. The beautiful falls of the Old Water of Clouden at Routan 



