1 « dtK id(i;i N.S. Vol. XX. THE TRANSACTIONS Journal of Proceeding's DUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALL Natural History and Antiquarian Society FOUNDED NOVEMBER, 1862. SESSIO^^T 19O7-10OS. IMNTED AT THE STANDARD OFFICE, DUMFRIES, and PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 1909. N.S. Vol. XX. THE TRANSACTIONS Journal of Proceedings DUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALLOWAY Natural History and Antiquarian Society FOUNDED NOVEMBER. 1862. SESSIOIT 1Q0V-1908. PRINTED AT THE STANDARD OFFICE, DUMFRIES, and PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 1909. Office=Bearers for 1908=1909. PresideaU Professor G. F. Scott-Elliot of Newton, Dumfries, M.A., B.Sc, F.R.G.S. F.L.S., &c. Honorary VIcC'Riesidents. James Barbouk, F. S.A.Scot., St. Christopher's, Dumfries. John F. Cormack, Solicitor, Lockerbie. John M'Kie, R.N., Anchorlee, Kirkcudbright. Robert Service, M.B.O.U., Janefield, Dumfries. Vice-Presldeats. James Maxwell Ross, M.D., Duntrune, Dumfries. J. W. Martin, M.D., Charterhall, Dumfries. William Dickie, Merlewood, Dumfries. William M'('utcheon, B.Sc, Inverie, Dumfries. Hon. Secretary and Hon. Editor of " Transactions," Samuel Arnott, F.R.H.S., Sunnymead, Dumfries. Hon. Treasurer. M. H. M'Kerrow, Solicitor, 30 St. David Street, Dumfries. Hon. Librarian. Rev. Wm. Andson, Ivy Bank, Dumfries. Acting Librarian. (xEORGE W. Shirley, Ewart Public Library, Dumfries. Hon. Curator of Museum. James Lenno.x, F. S.A.Scot., Provost of Dumfries. Hon. Departmental Curators. Coins and Tokens—Rev. H. A. Whitelaw, M.A. Antiquities—Dr J. W. Martin. Hon. Curators of Herbarium. Professor Scott-Elliot. Miss Hannay, Langlands, Dumfries. Hon. Secretary Photographic Committee. W. A. Mackinnel, The Sheiling, Dumfries. Members of Council. ; Vice-Presidents ; Vice-Presidents The President Honorary ; Secretary ; Treasurer ; Hon. Librarian ; Hon. Curator ; Hon. Curatoi-s of Herbarium ; and the following :— John T. Johnstone, Millbank, Moflfat. Mrs Helen Atkinson, Castle Street, Dumfries. Rev. H. A. Whitelaw, M. A., Albany Place, Dumfries. Wm. a. Mackinnel, The Sheiling Dumfries. J. B. Waddell, Airlie, Moffat Road, Dumfries. James Houston, Marchfield, Dumfries. Peter Stobie, Rae Street, Dumfries. William Semple, M.A., B.Sc, Ph.D., Mile Ash, Dumfries. James Davidson, F.I.A.C., Summerville, Dumfries. J. P. MiLLiGAN, Aldouran, Dumfries. — — — — ———— — —— — — —— — C03^TT:B3SrTS- SESSION 1907-8 PAGE. Office-Bearers for 1908-9 3 Annual Meeting ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Presidential Addres.s —Notes on Winter Botany Professor Scott-Elliot 9 Marine Fisheries, The Undeveloped Resoui'ces of Our Wilson H. Armistead 17 Cup and Ring Markings John Corrie 30 Clochmabon, The Eev. R. Neill Rae... 31 Gold Mines and Gold Mining Professor J. W. Gregory ... 35 The Woodcock H. Steuart Gladstone 35 Chapels of Knapdale, The Ancient W. A. Mackinnel 49 Irongray in the 18th Century— i?ei'. S. Z>Mw/o;; 58 Vfe2,t\\Qr ollQOl —Rev. W. Andson 64 Weather Notes at Jardington in 1907 J. Rutherford 69 Galloway Village in the Stone Age L. M'L. Mann 74 Fungi, The Local W. M'Gutcheon 95 Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn, Notes on—/. Rutherford ... 97 Microscope, A Night with T. T. Ovens 99 Brittany, Stone Remains of J. Glover 101 Claverhouse—Soldier, Judge, and Sheriff in Dumfries and Galloway Rev. Dr J. Kinrj Heioison 106 Devorgilla Baliol and the Old Bridge of Dumfries James Barbour 114 Bird Notes Robert Service 125 Dumfries and Galloway, Gleanings of Old Dr E. J. Ohinnock ... 131 Bntter&ies, The British— Bertram M'Gowan 144 Bird Liie—The Study oi—C. H. Marriott 145 Old Mortality in Kirkcudbright J. Robison 157 Limestone, Kelhead W. M'Pherson ... 157 George Fox, An Annan Reference in the Diary of Rev. John Cairn'< 158 Natural History Notes—/. W. Payne... 162 — ——— — — — Contents. PAGE. Annan in the last Four Decades of the 18th Century Frank Miller ... 163 Annan, the Old Burgess Roll of James Barbour 170 Fungi, Contributions to the Study of Dumfriesshire A. Lorrain Smith 170 Annan, Charter.'! Granted to E. J. Chinnock ... ... ... ... 177 Paul Jones, An Episode in the Life of J. Robison... ... 179 Lapwing, The W. Hunter 185 Touch Piece of Charles IL, Note on the Gold—/. Davidson ... ... 190 Cumin, Buchanan's Account of the Death of E. J. Chinnock ... ... 191 Field Meetings— St. Mary's Isle 197 Raehills 201 ,, Cumberland ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 205 Accounts, Abstract of 209 Exhibits and Presentations ... ... ... 210 Exchanges 213 Members of the Society 215 ILLUSTRATIONS. Woodcock on Nest .. facing page 38 ,, Nest and Eggs of 38 Brittany, Stone Remains of 102 Annan in 1824 168 OMISSION. The Note by Lady Johnson-Ferguson on Ancient Tomb- stone referred to on Page 211 has been accidentally omitted, but will appear in next volume. Ed. EDITORIAL NOTE. The contributors of the papers are responsible for the state- ments and views expressed therein, and pubHcation is not to be held as expressing the concurrence of the Society or the Editor. The Editor desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to the " Dumfries and Galloway Standard," " Dumfries and Galloway Courier and Herald," and " Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser," for reports of several meetings and discussions. Transactions and Proceedings OP THE DUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY X ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. % SE]SSI03^T 190V-8. 4th October, 1907. ANNUAL MEETING. Chairman—Professor Scott-Elliot. The Secretary and Treasurer submitted their Annual Reports, which were approved of. An Abstract of the Accounts appears in this issue. The Annual Report of the Photographic Section was submitted by the Secretary, Mr W. A. MacKinnel, and approved of. On the nomination of the Council the Office-bearers were elected for the session. (See p. 3, vol. xix.) 1st November^ 1907. Chairmen—Professor Scott-Elliot, President, and Mr R. Service, Hon. Vice-President (during the delivery of the former's address). Presidential Address. Notes on Winter Botany. By the President, Professor G. F. Scott-Elliot, M.A., F.R.G.S., &c. A wood in spring or summer is as different from itself in winter as a man-of-war at a royal review to the same ship cleared 10 Notes on Winter Botany. for action in time of battle. The whole process by which leaves, useless twigs, and all sorts of herbaceous material is broken up and overcome before the next spring's vigorous growth begins, is of extraordinary interest. The formation of cork and the leaf fall are well known, but the destruction of all those many her- baceous stems that last but for one season is not so well under- stood. Perhaps the most remarkable point about them is the way in which they survive, often until well on in winter time, just indeed so long as the dead, dry, withered, and yet elastic, stalk can be of use in disseminating the fruits and seeds. When the last spore is shed the destruction of the stalk soon follows. Herbaceous stems consist generally of a ring of woody or collenchymatous mechanical tissue, often raised into ribs or flanges. Outside this there are, successively, first soft parenchyma, and then the tough, more or less thickened epidermis. So soon as the last seeds are definitely formed and separated from the wall of the ovary, the drying of the stalk begins (probably the water is no longer assisted in ascending the stem by the demands of the ripening seeds). Then, as the cells in the upper part of the stalk gradually die, less and less water ascends until they become like those of dried herbarium specimens which may last 100 years or more if kept thoroughly dry and free from certain insects. But the lower part of the stalk just above the ground is kept generally more or less moist by surrounding vegetation: in Umbelliferse also the part just above the node is kept fresh and humid by the remains of the vagina; similar sheathing leaf bases or stipules have the same effect in other plants. It is at these spots that the first fungus attack usually begins. They remind one of the decay of an ordinary paling stob, which usually sets in at the neck. That part of the stob which is in air may be quite sound* and also the basal end planted in the earth, but just at or near the surface of the ground, where the condi- tions frequently change from moist to dry, fungus attacks are favoured and the stob rots through. * The gates of Constantinople destroyed by the Turks in 1453 when eleven centuries old of Cypress (C. sempervirens) in air and the wood of Juniperus oxycedrus, buried in the earth in Malta,, were quite sound after respectively 1100 years and 400 years.—Boulger " Wood," 1902. Notes on Winter Botany. 11 The herbaceous stems are attacked in these moist and sheltered places by such fungi as Heterosphaeria patella, Melanomma, etc. The stalk eventually rots and is easily broken at the base by wind or accidents of sorts. Having been felled, the hollow centre is a neat and cosy refuge for insects and animals, and the whole stalk is soon attacked by a variety of fungi. A favourite position for Sphaerias is the soft tissue out- side the mechanical cylinder, and by their agency the epidermis is soon broken away. As regards the breaking up of leaves, a vast number of fungi attack dead rotting leaves when lying on the soil, but a very large part of the work must be done by animals. A curious fungus is Typhula Grevillei, whose minute club-like fructifica- tions may be found between the leaves and not upright. In such a position the spores must be distributed by worms, insects, or other animals which probably devour the fungus or the leaf substance, and so distribute the spores. But the most interesting facts are those connected with the rotting of tree stumps and the decay of fallen branches and twigs. The first point that one notices is the indestructible character of the cork sheet in which the woody parts are enclosed.