Name.-The name of this parish in ancient records is written Alueth, Alvath, or Alveth: this last mode of spelling is to be seen upon a tomb-stone in the church yard, dated A. D. 1682. The word is doubtless of Gaelic origin, and is probably from Aubheach, rocky, an epithet very characteristic of the hills around. The present spelling, Alva, has been in use since the beginning of last century.

Situation, Boundaries, Extent, &c.-This barony or parish belonged, in ancient times, to Clackmannanshire; but since the beginning of the seventeenth century, has been attached to Stirlingshire, although upwards of four miles distant from the nearest point of the latter county. Since the passing of the Reform Bill, Alva has been politically incorporated with Clackmannan, but is still absurdly connected with the county of Stirling, for judicial purposes. It is surrounded, on all sides, by the shire of Clackmannan, except on the north, where it is bounded by a part of Perthshire. Tillicoultry is the adjacent parish on the east, Logie on the west, Blackford on the north; and the river Devon, forming the southern boundary of Alva, divides it from the parishes of Alloa and Clackmannan. The lands of Alva extend over a very considerable portion of that fine range of hills distinguished by the name of Ochils; and the remaining grounds stretch over part of the valley lying at their base, and watered by the river Devon. From east to west, the parish measures somewhat beyond two miles and a-half, and from north to south betwixt four and five miles.

The Alva hills are, beyond comparison, the grandest of the whole Ochil range. They are not so rugged and inaccessible as those immediately to the west in the parish of Logic, but they present a bolder and more majestic outline, while, in luxuriance and beauty, they excel alh around them. Bencloch or Bencleugh, the highest of the Ochils, is situated at the north-east extremity of the parish, and extends partly into Tillicoultry, reaching the height of 2420 feet above the level of the Devon. T he view from the summit of Bencloch is most extensive and beautiful, comprehending the whole picturesque range of the Grampians, part of thirteen counties, and several towns.

The Devon, a river of small size, but of surpassing beauty, has its source among these hills, in the parish of Blackford, Perth-shire. This river, according to the industrious Chalmers, was formerly called Dovan, and is so written in a charter granted by Robert III to the burgh of Inverkeithing. The Devon flows at first, almost due east from its source towards Glendevon, lying in the centre of the Ochils. At the village called Crook of Devon, and near the church of Fossaway, it makes a sudden turn westward, and, passing through the parishes of Muckhart, Dollar, and Tillicoultry, gently glides along the southern boundary of Alva parish. The romantic waterfalls and exquisite scenery of this little river, have long been attractions to the lovers of nature. The most interesting part is its wonderful passage through arching rocks, where the hoarse music of waters has acquired for this lusus naturae, the epithet of Riumbling Bridge; or where, a little further on, amid a series of cascades, we find the water producing the curious excavation of that never empty boiler, the Cauldron Linn. Nor can the passing traveller fail to admire also the wanderings of this stream, after it descends into the valley east of Dollar, whence, gliding in a serpentine course, and in a deep bed with little fall, it proceeds towards the Forth. It is singular that the Devon, after having performed a circuitous route of about thirty miles, should finish its course, nearly opposite the point at which it first arose, reaching the Forth exactly where the latter assumes the character of a frith, two miles above Alloa.

Through each of the glens which divide the Alva hills, stream-lets, diversified by small waterfalls, descend towards the valley. The most interesting of these is called Alva burn, a rivulet of excellent water, which, over abrupt and precipitous rocks, forces its passage, and falling in three beautiful cascades, seeks repose where the ground becomes soft and level, in a capacious linn. Separating the West from the Middlehill, this streamlet adds to the beauty or a romantic glen, from which, issuing at the foot of the hills, it runs along the eastern side of the village. A fine plantation of forest trees grows on the steep bank to the east, affording shelter from the north east winds, so violent in this neighbourhood. The Alva, or Strude glen, as it is generally called, was opened and part of the rock blasted to excavate a walk through the romantic crags. The path conducts to a waterfall about 30 feet by its late proprietor ; James Raymond Johnstone, Esq. who ugh, above which is an excavation or hole in the rock, worn during the lapse of ages, of which there is a tradition that it once afforded refuge to an outlaw. Farther back in the hill, and inaccessible to all but the adventurous is another arch of rocks over a waterfall, which is the most singular and wild scene among the Ochils. The water of the stream not only contributes much to ornament the landscape, but also affords a powerful arm to industry, by turning machinery in the village. Where the water finds repose in a large linn, a dam has been constructed at much labour and expense, for retaining a collection against times of summer drought and scarcity. Water-troughs or boxes for conveying the water to the mills, run along the side of the walk, forming as it were a barricade from the precipitous depths of the ravine. Here we have a splendid example of man's power to control nature, and subject her to the dominion of his rational faculties. This little mountain-torrent, which for many centuries had rolled on, unheeded and unheard, "singing to itself its own quiet tune," amid the lone and unbreathing solitude of the Ochils, and which perchance only drew the eye of the passing traveller by its beauty,--now turns the busy wheels of commerce, and not only dispenses life to the vegetable world, but to man himself throughout a flourishing district of country.

Climate &c.--- The climate in this district is mild, but variable. Snow seldom Pies for any length of time among these hills. It is remarkable, however, that at the bottom of a ridge or rock, near to the summit of Bencloch, where it is sheltered from every wind, snow is frequently seen in the months of June. From the singular appearance of the narrow and extended sheet of snow, it has received the fanciful name of Lady Alva's Web.

Geology, Mineralogy, &c.-These hills are all of the secondary trap formation. The onyx and other pebbles have long been known and worked into ornaments, and the Ochil Eye pebble is peculiar to this range of bills. They are found in stony crevices, and the best specimens of the Perth lapidaries come from this quarter. Heavy spar is also found in one of the glens; and that part of the Ochils contained in the neighbouring parishes of Logie on the west, and Tillicoultry and Dollar on the east, as well as Alva, are known to have rich veins of cop-per, lead, and iron; although further investigation is required to ascertain their value. But that for which the hills of Alva are particularly distinguished, is the valuable veins of silver glance they are known to possess. About the years 1710 to 1715, Sir John Erskine, by means of miners from Leadhills, discovered a very valuable vein of silver, in the glen that separates the Middlehill from the Woodhill. Its first appearance was in small strings of silver ore, which being followed, led to a large mass, part having the character of malleable silver, and found upon trial to produce as much as twelve ounces of silver from fourteen ounces of ore. A sum not greater than from L.40 to L.50 had been expended, when this discovery was made. During the space of thirteen or fourteen weeks, it has been credibly affirmed, that the value produced was L.4000 per week; and it has been alleged that Sir John drew from L.40,000 to L.50,000, exclusive of ore which was supposed to have been purloined to considerable amount by the workmen. Very soon, however, the silver ore began to appear in smaller quantities, and symptoms of lead and baser metals being present, farther researches were laid aside for the time. The specimens of silver glance then found are rich and beautiful, and the pure virgin silver is observed to adhere in slender strings to the spar, with a variety of fanciful and irregular forms. In the year 1757, Lord Alva, nephew to Sir John Erskine, caused a pair of communion cups to he made for the use of the church of Alva, from some of the remains of that ore in' his possession. On these the following inscription is engraven, " Sacris in Ecolesia S. Servani, apuid Alveth, A. D. 1767, ex argento indigena, D. D. C. q. Jacobus Erskine."

About the year 1759, Charles Erskine, Lord Justice-Clerk, father or Lord Alva, having, a few years before, purchased this barony from his nephew, Sir Henry Erskine, revived the working of the mines. A company, consisting or kinsmen and friends of the family, subscribed a moderate capital, and carried on this work with considerable industry. They pursued the course of the vein, where the silver ore had been found, a great way beyond the old workings, but without success. Although occasional small strings of metal appeared, there was nothing important enough to en-courage or reward their exertions. A shaft or sump, as miners term it, was made to the depth of several fathoms, immediately below the bottom of the waste from whence the former rich mass was taken, and a drift carried on in the direction of the silver vein upon that level; but this also failed to accomplish the object. To facilitate these operations, however, it had been resolved to drive a level at a considerable distance nearer the bottom of the hill, for the purpose of draining the water from the works above. In executing this part of the scheme, the workmen bad not advanced far into the side of the hill, when a large mass of ore was discovered. This, at first, they thought silver, but upon chemical examination it was found to be cobalt. A large quantity of this was brought out, and a great part of it used in the manufacture of porcelain, at this time begun in Prestonpans in East Lothian. The beautiful deep blue prepared from cobalt, was used to colour china and glass, and showed no inferiority to that procured from the mines of Saxony. A quantity of cobalt was afterwards found among the rubbish dug from the mines fifty years before, which Lord Alva caused to be washed after the manner practised by miners, and obtained an additional quantity. The work was carried on to a great length from where the mass of cobalt was got ; but spar and other vein stuff appearing, the enterprise was again abandoned. During the time these works were carried on, a very accurate survey of all the different veins of metals discovered in the hills of Alva, was made by the agent for the Company, who possessed considerable skill in the practical art of mining. The several appearances and qualities of the different ores, together with the precise directions of the veins, and other circumstances elucidated, were all accurately taken down by the agent in a register or journal, now in the possession of James Johnstotne, Esq. present proprietor of this barony. From these registers, it appears there are n6t fewer than fourteen or fifteen veins among the Alva hills, which, from the trials made, contain ores of silve; lead, copper, iron, and cobalt.

Coal.&c.-On the south bank of the Devon, immediately opposite the land8 of Alva, it is well known that the finest coal in this country is procured, belonging to the Earls of Mar and Mansfield. The same seams of coal, extending to the north bank of the Devon, on the estate of Alva, were worked about a century ago, by Sir John Erskine, with considerable advantage, and the pits and other vestiges of this work are still to be seen. With a noble spirit of enterprize, that gentleman projected a canal to run along the banks of the Devon, and convey his coal to the Forth, from. thence to be exported to a proper market. About sixty years since, accurate surveys of the Devon were made, as high as the parish of Dollar, with a view to facilitate the transporting of coal belonging to the different proprietors on either bank of the river, by means of a canal; but this intention was not carried forward. It is evident, from the smooth and gentle current of the stream in many places, that one entire canal might be unnecessary. It was generally believed that the coal seam here extended from one extremity of the parish to the other; but recent attempts in the west and south-west parts, carried on under the superintendence of a scientific gentleman, proved unsuccessful. Still, there can be little doubt of the existence of coal, where it was sought for, although it dips far below the surface. Indeed, this parish is part of the great coal field of Scotland, which crosses the island diagonally from east to west. Bounded on the north by the river Eden, near St Andrews, it goes to the south parts of Kinross-shire, and from thence sweeps towards the Ochils at Dollar; and stretches westward along the foot of the hills, till it arrives at Craigleith, the westmost of the Alva range. Here it makes a sudden turn southward, crossing the river Forth, below Stirling, and may now be traced by Kilsyth, Campsie, and Kilpatrick, till it falls into the Clyde above Dunbarton.

Zoology.-The most rare animal found in this parish, is that species of hawk (Falco peregrinus) used in ancient times for the diversion of hunting. From time immemorial, this bird has had its residence in a very high perpendicular rock, called Craigleith, projecting from the brow of the Westhill of Alva. Only one pair, it is affirmed by the villagers, build a nest In the front of this precipice. These hatch their young annually, and when the progeny are of proper age, the parents compel them to seek a new habitation; death alone obliging the original pair to resign their ancestral habitation, which falls to the next survivors.' In a former age, when " lords and ladies gay" were fond of the sport of falconry, a bird of this kind was deemed very valuable, and to the present day, it is in high repute with some of our nobility, who send from a great distance to procure specimens of the breed. From this place the beautiful and unfortunate Queen Mary got falcons, soon after her arrival from France. The Duke of Athol, king's falconer in Scotland, sent for these birds, and not long ago a pair of them were sent by James Johnstone, Esq. to the Duke of Si Albans, who, as king's falconer in England, still keeps up the sport of hunting with them. Eagles are occasionally seen among the Ochils in this neighbourhood.

Botany, &c.-Alva is distinguished from the surrounding country by the luxuriance of its forests and plantations. The front of the Woodhill, on which stands the house of Alva, is clothed with the richest varieties of trees. The late Sir John Erskine, some time before 1720, planted most of those which surround the enclosures immediately below the house. The east and west sides of the bill, immediately below the house, were planted by Lord Alva, to which very large additions have been annually made by the subsequent proprietors. The hill, which is fully 1600 feet above the level of the sea, is now planted within 200 yards of the summit. The pleasure-grounds and plantations are beautiful and extensive, and the appearance of the wooded hill reminds the traveller of the monastery near Florence, a description of which' is given by the poet Milton. These fine plantations are upon the hedgerows of the several enclosures, and on the brow of the Woodhill where the house stands. They are diversified by the oak, the elm, the ash, the beech, the larch, and many varieties of the pine. The ash trees are remarkable for size and strength, and fair proportion. Many of the oaks are venerable for their hoar antiquity, and before their stately forms and extended boughs, the other giants of the forest bow their diminished heads. The approaches from the two lodges, wind up beautifully towards the house, and from the house to the village church, which is nearly a [mile, the rows of trees on each side form an umbrageous and delightful avenue.

There is here an admirable and hitherto unexplored field for the botanist to examine. Almost every moss or the class Cryptogamia is seen among the hills, also a great variety of what is rare and useful belonging to the Phanerogamia.