or 'termination."" (Old Statistical account, XIV., 512.) Mr. Spottiswode, about the same period, according to Chalmers, traced it from the "British strength, called the Haerfaulds, on a hill two miles north-west of Spottiswode, throughout the country to the vicinity of Berwick, at which time it was in various places very discernible. In the ascertained track of this ancient fence are several British strengths, situated as usual on their several heights," as at Chesters in Fogo parish, the fort called Black-castle-rings near Dogdenmoss, near which a silver chain was found many years ago and given to the last Earl of Marchmont,* and on our way back to Blythe we observed the faint traces of a strength not far from the farm house.

The two parties met again at the farm. The late tenant Sandie Stewart, appears to have been a character, and many good stories are current regarding him. Driving back to Lauder, the museum of a local naturalist was inspected. Walter Simson is the shepherd at the castle, and has collected a goodly number of birds, chiefly native, and some few exotic, together with some mammals and specimens of various sorts. Among the animals from the neighbourhood were good examples of a polecat, an otter, a white hare, &c., and of the birds, a fine buzzard from Edgarshope, a merlin, a hobby, a little auk, a Canadian goose, a dotterel, &c., all killed near Lauder. The Rev. Mr. Middleton, the clergyman of the parish, favoured the Club with his company at dinner. No papers were read, and after proposing Messrs. Romanes, Broomfield, Dr. Robertson,and the Rev. Jas. Middleton as new members, the party broke up highly gratified with the day's proceedings. I cannot close this account of the meeting without expressing my thanks to Mr. Romanes for the assistance he has given

I have been informed by our fellow member, the Rev. J. Walker, of Greenlaw, that this chain was found in the dyke near Greenlaw by a woman, and was so black and oxidized that she gave it to the smith named Matheson, thinking it to be iron. It lay in the smithy for some time, till Matheson took it to repair the rig-widdy or chain of a cart-harness, when its true nature was discovered, and it was sent to Lord Marchmont, who died in 1794. The son of the smith is still at Greenlaw.

me, not only by supplying information, but by procuring the photographs which have been exhibited.

The morning of the 26th June gave promise of an auspicious day for the concerted meeting of the Club, at Newcastleton, with the Dumfries and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society. The summons issued by the Secretary met with a hearty response, and notwithstanding the scanty and imperfect means of communication, members from Northumberland, Berwickshire, and Roxburghshire,† flocked to the rendezvous to welcome their brother naturalists from the west.+ Several visitors favoured the meeting with their company.§ Upwards of thirty sat down to breakfast, at the conclusion of which it was arranged that one party should drive to Hermitage, whence Mr. Langlands and several of the Northumbrian members determined to walk to Riccarton junction, without coming back to dinner, as the only means by which they could catch the return train. Another party was to proceed on foot down the Liddel, under the guidance of Messrs. John Elliot and Adam Noble, of Newcastleton, and after inspecting some antiquarian remains near the town to separate into two divisons, one party investigating the botany and geology of the Tweeden glen, the other continuing their antiquarian researches.

The pedestrians accordingly were first directed to a fine old cross, a little above the road, said to mark the spot where * From Northumberland-Mr. J. C. Langlands, Rev. J. Bigge, Rev. J. S. Green, Rev. P. M'Dowall, Mr. Heatley, Mr. Allen, Master Bigge.

+ From Roxburghshire-`ir Walter Elliot, Dr. F. Douglas. Mr. Wm. Boyd, Dr. Robson Scott, Mr. Borthwick, Mr Jerdon Mr. W. Dickson, Captain M Pherson, Rev. J. P. Macmorland, Capt Grant.

From Dumfries-Sir Wm Jardine, Bart., President; Mr. Stark, of Tro queerholme, Vice-president; Provost Harkness, of Dumfries; Mr. Arch. Harkness, Dumfries; Major Bowden, Lockfield; Mr. Maxwell Witham, Kirkconnel; Mr. Witham, Kirkconnell; Dr. Gilchrist, Crighton; Dr M'Nab, Dumfries; Mr. A. D. Murray, Secretary; Mr R. Murray, St. Catherines.

§ Visitors-Mr. R. Barclay, Secretary, Montrose Nat. Hist. and Antiq. Soc.; Mr. R. S. Murray, President, Hawick Archeological Soc; Rev K. Prescot Ponteland; Mr. E. Lyon, of Windlesham Hall, Surrey.

It is called the Milnho'm Cross in the Statistical account; but Sir Walter Scott names the place Langraw. Bord. Mins., I. lxvii.

the body of a former Armstrong of Mangerton, treacherously murdered by the Lord of Hermitage, was set down on its way to the churchyard of Ettleton higher up the hill. Tradition assigns the crime sometimes to a Soulis, sometimes to a Douglas, but nothing certain remains on record. The cross is of elegant design, and is badly figured in the old Statistical account of the parish (Vol XVI., 86.), by the Rev. James Arkle, minister in 1793, who states it to be 8 feet 4 in. high, set on a base 1 foot 4 in. high. A two-handed sword, 4 feet long, is sculptured on its south face, above which are some letters and apparently an arm, the heraldic distinction of the Armstrongs. The letters appeared to be MA but it was difficult to decipher them on the moss-grown surface.

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About 300 or 400 yards up the hill, is the churchyard of Ettleton, the burial place of the Armstrongs, some of whose tombstones, with armorial bearings and long inscriptions, were examined. On that of Thomas Armstrong, of New Strongerside (or Stonegarthside), obiit 1769, are three arms with several hearts, having reference apparently to their dependence on the Douglas family. Others exhibit only two and some one arm. According to Nisbet, the general blazon of the Armstrongs of the south, was "argent a dexter arm issuing from the sinister side, clothed, gules, holding a tree eradicated and broken at the top," or according to others 66 a sword." But to Armstrong of Mangerton he assigns, "argent, 3 tortreaux or pallets (i.e. cakes) azure, representing, according to John Fern, strength," and this is the shield painted on Sir Walter Scott's hall at Abbotsford, where the arms of the principal Border families are represented. The only remains of the church discernible are the foundations of a small oblong nave in the south-west corner of the inclosure, near to which lies a piscina lately turned up in digging a grave. little to the north of the churchyard is a piece of ground called Silver-field, where coins are occasionally found, which may have been the site of the parsonage or of the old village of Ettleton, but there are no traces of building, nor is anything known on the subject. A solitary tree about half a mile

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to the south-west marks the site of the old peel of Side, said to have been the residence of Jock of the Side, brother of the Laird of Mangerton.

Returning to the foot of the hill, the party separated at the little bridge over Ettleton burn, the botanical and geological section proceeding straight to the valley of the Tweeden on the opposite side of the river, whither Sir William Jardine (who had visited Ettleton the evening before) had preceded them. The rest likewise crossed the Liddell a little lower down, and inspected the ruined tower of Mangerton, the stronghold of the chief of the Armstrongs. All that now remains is the ruined lower story, in the west wall of which is a sculptured stone bearing the Armstrong effigy, not as stated by Nisbet, but the common one of an arm and two-handed sword, with the date 1580, and the letters SA and FE or E E, but the whole too much covered with lichens for the carvings to be easily distinguished. Sir Walter Scott refers the letters to the names of Simon Armstrong and Elizabeth Elliot.*

The archæologists, crossing over the high ground above the Liddel, joined the party which had preceded them at the head of the Tweeden burn, the rocky banks of which, clothed with natural wood, were much admired. They then returned together by a short cut to Castleton, not, however, before they were overtaken by a heavy shower, which brought cloaks and umbrellas into requisition. The glen of the Tweeden offers some good geological sections of the Mountain Limestone, in which Sir William Jardine recognised the following organisms-Rhynchonella pleurodon, Productus giganteus Terebratula sacculus, Fenestella plebeia, Ceriopora rhombifera, Glauconome pluma, a Polypora, and some others; and is crossed at its upper end by a trap dyke running north and south. The waters percolating through the limestone are impregnated with calcareous matter in solution, which is deposited extensively on the twigs, grass, and foliage in the bed of the stream. Large quantities of this petrified deposit are carried off for ornamental gardening, several tons having been carted away this year.

* Minstrelsy of the Border, I., 167, first ed.

No new plants were discovered. Typha latifolia fringed the margin of the stream; Polypodium phegopteris and other ferns were observed. Enanthe crocata, which was growing in several places, attracted attention. Noble, one of the guides, stated that it was eaten by sheep, an assertion which, from the known acrid quality of the plant, was received with doubt. But he maintained the accuracy of his observation, and there are not wanting grounds to support its correctness. The poison of Enanthe resides in the root, and Dr. Johnston in his Flora observes that, "despite the warning of Gerard against such practice, modern physicians have given an infusion of the leaves, or the juice of the roots, in leprosy, with benefit." And he adds" "goats eat the plant with impunity." The same animal browses freely on the stalks of Euphorbia tirucalli in eastern countries, so the Border shepherd may be right after all.

Inquiry was made for the scene of the combat between one of the Armstrongs and an English champion, of which Sir Walter Scott has given a vivid description in his letter to Mr. F. M. Reynolds, editor of the Keepsake, of 1828.† But the spot lying farther down the valley, at a place near Flat, noted for games of chivalry, and called Turner (quasi Tourney) holm, where the Kershope burn joins the Liddel, was too far to visit. Sir Walter's version differs somewhat from the popular tradition, which makes the duel to have arisen out of a dispute about some land between William Armstrong of Greena, a mile lower down, and Forster of Stonegarthside, on the opposite side of the river. William borrowed his brother Jock o' the Side's famous sword, but was killed by his opponent, the popular voice says treacherously, for which Jock subsequently took vengeance. Sir Walter makes Arm

strong the only son of the aged Jock, who, witnessing the fall of his boy and the loss of his cherished weapon, survived the combat only three days. The fact attested by the Ettleton * Flora of Berwickshire. I., 70. Dr Johnston had paid particular attention to this plant, Hist. of the Berwickshire Club, I., 55.

† Novels, ed. 1832, Vol. XLI., 377, and Border Min., 11., 72.