Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club.

Date:
[1858]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    7/68 page 61
    be laid in his own house, were assembled, the Rev. J. D. Clark, William Dickson, J. C. Langlands, P. T. Dickson, J. and W. Boyd, G. Hughes, G. Tate, Revds. W. Cumby, C. Dowson, C. Thorp, and F. R. Simpson, and the Secretary and President; Dr. Robson, Dr. Marshall, and Mr. Graham as visitors. After dinner Mr. Dickson read a paper on the , ancient Font of the Parish Church of Rothbury, of which he exhibited a drawing. A paper on the prior existence of the Beaver {Castor Fiber) in Scotland, from the pen of Dr. Charles Wilson, and some observations on the habits of the Common Cowry {Cyprcea europcea) were read by the Secre- tary. Dr. Robson, of Belford, and Dr. Marshall, of Annstead, were proposed as members, and the election of the members proposed at the last meeting was confirmed. The next meeting of the Club was at Earlston, on June 24th, and was attended by only three members,—Dr. Geo. Douglas, Mr. William Boyd, and the Secretary. The Rev. Mr. Swan, of Smailholme, and his brother, favoured the members with their company as visitors. A sumptuous breakfast and dinner had been prepared in anticipation of a large gathering. The day was beautiful, and the haughs of Leader as enticing as of yore, and the rich golden flowers of the “ bonnie broom” of Cowdenknows added greatly to the beauty of the scenery. Thomas the Rhymer, or Thomas of Ercildown, the ancient name of the Parish, was born here, in the thirteenth century, and there is still a fragment left of the Rhymer’s Tower. Several insects were captured, and amongst the plants observed may be mentioned, Mentha viridis, Lepidium Smithii, Geurn intermedium in both states, and Rumex sanguineus. The Church of Earlston is modern. It was erected in 1786, dis- placing the ancient structure. Its registers date from 1694. The Parish is not in general mountainous, though there is one hill to the south of the town 1000 feet above the level of the sea, on which there is said to have been a Roman encampment. On the 29th July, the Club met at Greenlaw. The day was most favourable, bright and with a cool air. The major- .
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3