TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

TYNESIDE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB.

ADDRESS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE TYNESIDE NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

READ AT THE TWELFTH ANNIVERSARY MEETING, held on friDAY, THE 29TH OCTOBER, 1858, BY THE PRESIDENT, WILLIAM KELL, ESQ., F.S.A.

GENTLEMEN—I accepted the office of President of this Club for the special purpose of endeavouring to get its pecuniary affairs put into a more satisfactory state; and although that object had not been effected when the year of my presidency expired, I am glad to say that it has since been accomplished by kind assistance; that those accounts which presented an accumulating difficulty and obstacle to the progress of the Club have since been arranged, and that the Treasurer is thereby enabled to lay before this meeting a statement of his accounts which shows the Club to be in a state of pecuniary prosperity.

This Club was formed on the 25th April, 1846, and at the close of its first lustrum, the gentleman who was then its President presented (on the 22d March, 1851), in his address, a

VOL. IV. PT. I.

A

lucid and very interesting resumé of the proceedings of the Club during its existence. The second lustrum has now closed, and I was desirous that the members should be presented with a narrative of its researches and observations during that period. I could not hope that any such narrative prepared by me would have been a fitting companion for that of Dr. Embleton, which I have had great pleasure in circulating, and which I have good reason to believe has been mainly instrumental in the formation of two Clubs with similar objects-one in Cheshire, the other in Lincolnshire-which are now earnestly pursuing their career of usefulness. I believed, however, that my fellowmembers would receive kindly any exertion on their behalf, either for their instruction or amusement; but a tedious illness during several months of the year of my office, the subsequent loss of time in search of renewed health, with the accumulation of professional duties, meanwhile, have rendered it imperatively necessary that I should abandon the attempt, and confine myself to a succinct narrative of the proceedings of the Club during the year. I do hope, however, that some one or more of my successors may be more fortunate in following the example so ably set by Dr. Embleton, and that we may have such a summary of the subsequent proceedings as will, in a condensed form, exhibit the usefulness of the Club to its members, and the value of its transactions to the student of Natural History.

The FIRST FIELD MEETING of the year 1857, was held at Prestwick Car, on the 19th May. A party of eight members were conveyed to Dinnington by a "break" engaged for the occasion, and a party of students from the Neville Hall College of Medicine joined the Club on the Car, or rather on the ground which it once occupied, for the Car has been so much reduced by recent draining operations as to have lost its characteristic attractions; and the numerous rare and interesting objects of Natural History which found sustenance in its waters or on its banks, and which had afforded the more scientific members of our Club so much delight in former years, have nearly disappeared. Had the draining been a profitable speculation, it might have afforded

some consolation, if not a set-off; but it is pretty well understood that it has not been so, and, therefore, the Naturalist has been deprived of a great source of information and delight, while no one has been benefitted. The party mourned over the departed glories of the Car. The effect upon the Ornithology of the locality was very perceptible at this meeting, in the diminished number of birds observed; two pairs of Dunlins, three Redshanks, a Snipe or two, a pair of Curlews, and a few Pewits, were all the birds noticed. Mr. John Hancock was so fortunate, nevertheless, as to find two nests with fresh eggs of the Dunlin and Redshank, observing that "probably these will be the last of the Dunlins and Redshanks breeding on Prestwick Car." I have since been informed by Mr. Hancock that they really were not the last, for he took another Dunlin's nest on the 27th of May.

Hydra vulgaris was collected by Mr. George Hodge, and on the party assembling at Dinnington to take tea, a paper by Mr. Bold, on "Insects New to our Fauna," and the Introductory matter prefixed to Mr. Wailes' "Catalogue of our Lepidoptera," were read, both of which have since been printed.

Mr. T. J. Bold has prepared a catalogue of the Entomology of the Car. Its Ornithology has been entrusted to Mr. John Hancock, and it would be very desirable that others of the members should contribute notices of the plants and interesting objects, in other branches of Natural History, which have hitherto been such an attraction to Naturalists in that locality, and which no longer exist there.

The SECOND FIELD MEETING was held at Heselden Dene on the 9th June. I was not able to be present, and am indebted chiefly to the notes of Dr. Embleton for the following details of the meeting. The party was met at the Castle Eden Colliery Station by Mr. Burdon and friends, by whom they were kindly conducted down the deep windings of the well-wooded and picturesque Hazle-dene, in which were speedily found the Primula farinosa, Pinguicula vulgaris, Asplenium ruta-muraria, Aquilegia vulgaris, and other plants, if not rare, at least not commonly met with, and interesting to the Botanist.

The Stonechat, Saxicola rubicola, was observed breeding in the next Dene south of Castle Eden. This bird used to be plentiful on Prestwick Car, but it has not been known to breed in that locality for several years.

About a mile and a half from the mouth of the Dene the party, led by Mr. Burdon, emerged into the fields to the north, and going through Monk Heseldon (Hazle-dene), made its way across the country to the Black Halls Rocks, in order to visit them before the advancing tide should render them inaccessible; and it was fortunate that this course was adopted, as the party had just time enough to effect an exploration of the coast, and to make good their retreat.

The Black Halls Rocks are of Magnesian Limestone, and the cliffs as rugged, broken, and wildly picturesque as can well be imagined, resembling in general character those at Roker and Marsden, being, however, grander, and in greater variety of irregularity-several rugged promontories, jutting boldly seaward, enclose little bays, and are perforated by passages of diversely arched forms, some of them leading into capacious and lofty caves, capable of holding large assemblages of men. Here, "in cool grot," the Naturalists reposed after their hot walk, and examined the strange forms of the strata, and detected a few fossils imbedded in the rock. These were afterwards extracted by the Rev. G. C. Abbes. They proved to be Nautilus Frieslebeni, Monotis speluncaria, and Gervillia antiqua. Mr. Howse has since obtained from the same locality specimens of Terebratula elongata and Pleurotomaria antrina. A great part of the face of the rocks appeared as if it had once been entirely broken up into small angular fragments, which had again been by some mysterious agency suddenly and confusedly cemented together, their angularity being perfectly preserved. The Asplenium marinum was detected growing out of small cavities in the limestone in several places.

Escaping, some by scaling the cliffs, and others by rushing through the waves which threatened to bar their exit, from these beautiful caverns, in which they had lingered almost too long,

the party inspected the entrance to an old lead mine at the base of the cliff; no traces of ore, however, remained outside, and no means were at hand for exploring the interior. Passing northward along the shore, they were struck with the characteristic appearance, on a large scale, of the face of the Boulder formation, which there fronts the sea, and has for ages been exposed to all the ravages of the north-eastern blasts, and to the action of the sea on its base. It has been suggested that it would add much to the value and interest of our "Transactions," if they could be embellished with good photographic portraits of the peculiar Geological features observed during this short stroll by the seashore.

By degrees the entrance to Castle Eden Dene opened upon one section of the party; the other, under Mr. Burdon's guidance, having gone inland, and passed along the south side of the Dene. The former section, as the weather looked very threatening, walked rapidly up the peerless Yew Dene, and soon gained the hospitable mansion of Mr. Burdon, where an abundant and elegant repast awaited their sharpened appetites. Mrs. Burdon very obligingly pointed out her beautiful collection of British Ferns, flourishing in a favourable spot in the garden. Mr. Burdon exhibited a very curiously-formed glass vase and other remains of ancient date, which had been dug up in the immediate neighbourhood of the mansion. The vase has been figured in Surtees' " History of Durham.” A somewhat similar one was found some years ago in the Isle of Ely, and these are the only examples of the manufacture that are known to exist. Another object of interest was a bronze circle set on a small handle, and having what might be taken for three seals of oval form attached to the outer surface of the circumference at equal distances; the figures on the disks, however, were in relief, not in intaglio. The use of this curious object is not known.

Having visited that remarkable scene the Gunner's Pool, the party, after a pleasant day, reached the train for Ferryhill as it began to rain. At Ferryhill the party took tea, and the following papers were read:—