formed the exploit, took the gibbet and words for his arms and name, which to this day are borne by his posterity. The name is now written Dalziel or Dalzell."

The parish is a small one, containing only 2283 Scotch acres. It is about 4 four miles long and 3 broad. Its figure is irregular, in consequence of a small part of the parish lying on the south of the Clyde; and two parts of the parish of Hamilton, the one extending nearly into the centre, and the other, in the north-west corner, on the river Calder, are entirely separated by this parish from that of Hamilton. There is a tradition that these portions of the parish of Hamilton formerly belonged to this parish, but no proper account is given of their disjunction. Why they have not been restored, if ever they formed a part of the original parish, is not known. But certainly the addition of these lands, and of Muirhouse, in the parish of Cambusnethan, which is situated three miles from the parish church, and little more than one from the church here, with the teinds parsonage and vicarage, would render this parish more compact, would improve the living, (one of the small ones,) and would be more convenient for the inhabitants, who in general are indebted to the minister of this parish for the means of religious instruction.

Topographical Appearances.—The land in general rises gradually from the rivers Clyde and Calder, interspersed with occasional inequalities, to a flat ridge in the centre of the parish; consequently there is always, with the exception of a few flat pieces of ground, a sufficient declivity to carry off the water, and snow does not lie so long as on some high grounds in the neighbourhood. The banks of the Clyde are in general low, except at the Roman camp opposite the Ross wood, where they are precipitous; those of the Calder are so in several places, and particularly on the farm of Ravenscraig, near Wishaw House, where they are quite precipitous, resembling the wall of a house. There are several glens of different sizes. The principal one is that contiguous to Dalziel House, and which is about two miles in length. No part of the parish is more than 200 feet above the level of the sea.

Hydrography. Before the Clyde reaches this parish, it has traversed a distance of 50 miles, and after running about 18 miles farther it reaches Glasgow. It is liable occasionally to great inundations, which have sometimes been productive of injurious consequences. In the harvest of 1807, the tenant of the haugh grounds

upon the Clyde, lost, by the spate which occurred at that time, between L. 400 and L. 500, in crop and manure. This serious loss induced the proprietor to embank the river, and to alter the course of a burn, which has succeeded in preventing the land from being flooded. As the water, however, which covered the ground on such occasions was not running, but back-water, owing to a turn in the river, and the junction of the burn mentioned, doubts have been entertained by some whether the ground be as fertile as formerly. The South Calder, (a name denoting wooded river,) which forms the principal boundary of this parish to the north, takes its rise in the parish of Shotts, is here about 60 feet broad, and from its source to its junction with the Clyde, at the south-west corner of the parish, may be estimated to be about 20 miles in length.

Besides these two rivers, there is a burn of considerable size called the Dalziel burn, which takes its rise in the parish of Cambusnethan, runs through the glen at Dalziel House, and joins the Clyde about two miles from its source.

From the nature of the soil-a hard clay,-there are few springs of water near the surface. Those which have been discovered, have therefore been much valued, and in Popish times were honoured with the name of saints, such as St Patrick's, St Margaret's, St Catharine's, and the well of Our Lady. Some of these wells have been seriously injured by the draining of quarries near them, and one by a similar operation in regard to land has, to the great grief of those in the neighbourhood, been entirely destroyed. This well was of a mineral and supposed medicinal quality, and was considered by those who knew its value to be superior to every other, for the infusion of tea, and was therefore called the Tea-well. Those who had been in the practice of using it for that purpose think they have not got that beverage in perfection since it was dried up.

Geology and Mineralogy.—This parish lies near the centre of the great upper coal-field of the Clyde, and, in a geological and mineralogical point of view, presents nearly the same features as the rest of the district. At the Roman camp, on the banks of the Clyde, the rocks are from 12 to 20 feet high, and are composed almost entirely of clay-slate and bituminous shale, with a sort of shivery freestone above it, which separates readily into very thin plates. The clay-slate is very friable, and falls down in large masses, when acted on by the alternations of frost and thaw. In the midst of the freestone, is a regular layer of flag or pavement, two

or three inches in thickness, which runs along the face of the rocks at a considerable height; and at one place, above a small well opposite the Ross wood, these stones crop out to the day, in a position so regular, and are so smooth and well polished, and neatly and regularly jointed, that they more resemble a work of art than of nature. Some of the freestone connected with the coal measures of this parish is different, in so far as we are aware, from that of any other district in the county. At the Windmill-hill quarry, at present wrought in two places, a very hard rough-grained freestone, abounding with unequal grains of quartz, much resembling the Arenarius molaris of Linnæus, is much sought after by masons, for forming chimney heads, and also by the proprietors of iron forges, for pavement, &c. it having been ascertained to be unequalled for standing both the weather and the fire. It was of this strong and durable stone that the bridge near Hamilton was built. Near the village of Craigneuk, there is an excellent flagstone quarry. These stones are of a fine grain, and of a reddish colour, and are from one-fourth of an inch to five inches in thickness. They are frequently used in the neighbourhood instead of slate, for the purpose of covering houses. The projected Wishaw and Coltness Railway is to pass near these quarries, and it has been ascertained, that, from the estates of Dalziel, Wishaw, and Coltness, 1600 tons of stones of different sorts may be sent to Glasgow annually, which at 7d. per ton for carriage, would yield the proprietors L. 466, 13s. 4d. The pavement required for gentlemen's seats which have been lately built in different parts of the county has been obtained from the Craigneuk quarry.

Coal abounds in this parish, but it is only wrought at No. 1 or Engine Pit, near Coursington. At the depth of 10 fathoms from the surface, we have the upper or rough coal, which is here 6 feet thick. Above this coal, there are five feet of surface, and the rest is blaes, (clay-slate, and bituminous shale,) intermixed with small beds of ironstone each 1 or 2 inches thick. At the depth of 14 fathoms from the rough coal, the Ell coal occurs. It is here 4 feet in thickness, and is that now wrought. The main roof is rock, and the pavement a scurf of fine clay on solid rock. Fourteen fathoms farther down is the splint coal, but it has not yet been wrought in this parish. Above the coal, is a foot of blaes, and below it five feet of fine clay. The coal from this pit is often marked on its surface with the remains of various species of reeds, and with small

leaves, resembling chickweed, which gives it a chequered appearance. The dip is to the north, and the rise of course to the south. The freestone quarries also affect the same inclination. Clyde, however, at the Camp, the dip is to the east.

On the

The greater portion of the surface of this parish is a yellow clay. There is, however, a considerable quantity of what is called croft land in almost every farm. The haughs and holms on the Clyde are a rich loam on a sandy or gravelly subsoil.

retains its ancient name.

Zoology. By an act James IV. Parl. 6th, cap. 74—for planting and policy--it is enacted, that "every Lord and Laird make parks with deer, stanks, i. e. fish-ponds, and cunningars or rabbit warrens." Accordingly there was here formerly a park well stocked with deer. There are also the remains of an ancient cruive dam at the camp, which indicates that the salmon were (which was really the case,) more abundant than at present. Forty-five years ago, they were often caught here in great quantities. Since the erection of the dam at Blantyre cotton works, and from other causes, they have become very scarce. The cunningar belonging to Dalziel still The coneys or rabbits, which occupied that spot, have been long ago extirpated, and the field levelled, and regularly cultivated. A number of these animals have, however, lately made their appearance in this quarter, report says, introduced by sportsmen for the purpose of furnishing food for the foxes. The cunningar is now on the opposite side of the Clyde, though still in the parish, from which it seems to have been cut off at no very remote period, by the river assuming a new channel and leaving the old one nearly dry,—now termed the dead waters. The haughs of Dalziel are famous for the number and the excellence of the hares which they produce.

The Caprimulgus Europæus or goatsucker is common in the woods. The Lanius excubitor or common shrike is also occasionally observed. The Turdus iliacus and Turdus pilaris or redwing and fieldfare thrushes, were observed this season to be absent little more than three months, a flock having been seen in the beginning of May, and again in the beginning of August. The Fringilla spinus or siskin is very common, also Purus caudatus or longtailed titmouse. There was, till within these twelve years, an extensive rookery contiguous to Dalziel House; but by cutting the Scotch fir trees, (to which crows are partial) driving down their nests and other means, they were completely expelled. In passing the spot from which they had been driven vi et armis, they

were observed afterwards, to give a mournful and angry cry, and to make a sudden deviation from their course, turning away with seeming disgust, from a place where they had been so hardly treated. Ardea stellaris or bittern, one shot here lately.

The following are the only fish found in the Clyde and Calder, 1. Petromyzon fluviatilis or river lamprey, here called lamper-eel. We should doubt its going down regularly to the sea, as it has many obstacles to encounter, which seem to be too great for it to overcome, yet it is by no means rare in these waters. 2. Salmo Salar or common salmon. 3. Salmo trutta or sea trout, very rare. 4. Salmo Salvelinus, torgoch or char. This fish was taken, upwards of a century ago, from an alpine lake by Anne Duchess of Hamilton, and naturalized in the Pamilian and Avon near Strathaven, from which it occasionally descends to the Clyde. It is here termed Duchess Anne's trout. 5. Salmo fario or common trout, abundant. 6. Esox Lucius, or common pike, abundant in still water. 7. Leuciscus rutilus or roach, but there generally termed braize,—is rather a rare fish, and is chiefly caught in May. It is supposed by some that it comes into the Clyde from Lochlomond, when the general migration occurs, about the beginning of summer; but as there are obstacles in the Clyde which prevent larger fish from getting up here, we cannot see how so small a fish could overcome these difficulties. 8. Leuciscus phoxinus or minnow, very common. 9. Cobitis barbatula, loach or beardy, more common on the rocky bed of the Avon than in the Clyde. It lies basking in the sun at the bottom of rivers, and readily suffers itself to be taken by what the boys term a sned, i. e. two or three horse hairs plaited together, and fastened to the end of a wand, in the form of a loop, which is slipped over the fish's head and suddenly drawn up; vast quantities are thus destroyed, but are not eaten. 10. Platessa Flesus, flounder. It is most common below the dam at Blantyre, but has also been occasionally found here. 11. Anguilla vulgaris, or common eel, very abundant. 12. Perca fluviatilis or perch, occasionally found here. The par also common.

Botany. The following is a list of the different plants: Circea Lutetiana, enchanter's nightshade; Veronica montana, mountain speedwell; Phalaris Canariensis, canary grass; Milium effusum, millet grass; Galium boreale, broad-leaved bed-straw; Symphytum officinale, common comfrey; Campanula trachelium, at Dalziel House, but now extirpated; Epilobium angustifolium, rose-bay