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30 years ago; it was lying in a peat bog, a few feet below the surface. A large portion of the tree was got out; it contained 564 feet of wood, but a great deal is still buried in the bog. Below the peat was a quicksand clay of great depth. This bog oak had certainly been one of the glories of this county in former times. But there are other oak trees which have disappeared within the memory of man, which may be worthy of notice. In Raines' Memoirs of Hodgson, the following passage occurs in a letter, dated Haltwhistle, 23rd Sep., 1810:-"From this charming spot (Featherstonhaugh Castle) I went by the river's edge to Lambley, where once there was a nunnery, now swept away. But my ride was amply repaid by a sight of a fine, dark, broad oak and such an oak for size, lightness of foliage, and picturesque situation as there is not another in the world. It has ten trunks, each more than I can fathom, and at least 80 feet high, all springing from one main stock." This tree is now gone, and used to be called the "bell tree." I shall now describe a few of the existing trees of this county. Opposite to Bywell Hall, on the south side of the Tyne, and in the north hedge of the turnpike road, is a very good specimen. The bowl is about 15 feet high before it branches, in girth it measures 17 feet on the ground, and 12 ft. 10 in. one yard high. Behind the old garden wall at Netherwitton is a very remarkable stump of an oak, braced together with iron cramps; it is now merely a shell. It is about 20 feet high, and at a yard from the ground measures 22 ft. 6 in.

It now only remains for me to describe the King and Queen Oaks of Netherwitton. The King is indeed a most imposing and stately monarch; his bowl is certainly 40 feet high. On the east and north sides there are no branches below those which form the head of the tree; the south and west sides have only two branches before the head shoots out. The tree stands in a wood, on the north side of the garden, on a road side which goes between the Longhorsley and Nunnykirk road. Its position is rather unfortunate, as it is growing on the edge of a hill side, so that a considerable portion of the bowl rests against the bank

VOL. IV. PT. I.

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on the north side, which takes off much from its dimension at the base, and spoils the view of the fine, straight bowl. It is growing on a light, gravelly soil, or freestone. Dimensions at the ground, 14 ft. 9 in., and 1 yard above, 13 ft. 6 in. His partner, the Queen, is (as she ought to be) of smaller dimensions, and stands about 20 yards east of the King. This is also a fine specimen, has a better head than her royal neighbour, but is inferior in length of bowl. At the base she measures 14 ft. 5 in., and one yard above, 11 ft. 5 in.

Some years ago a very near relative of mine was staying with a nobleman in the South of England, and in a conversation he had with the gardener, he said, "What splendid trees you have in the park here." His reply was, "Yes, Sir, they are very fine, but nothing compared to those in the North of England." My relation, rather startled with the gardener's answer, said, "Where are there any fine trees in the North?" "Ah, Sir," replied the gardener, "if you could only see the King and Queen Oaks at Netherwitton in Northumberland, you would never mention these trees again." I need not say that the gardener belonged to that place, or near it, and my relative was as well acquainted, or perhaps better, than he was himself with these fine trees. There is nothing like standing up well for one's own; and it reminds me of the general object of the old Newcastle song, and particularly of that verse

"But if on Saint Nic'las ye once cast yor e'e,

Ye'll crack on't as lang as ye're levin'."

It is in this spirit that I have endeavoured to write, but yet with perfect truth and accuracy, for I have measured every tree I have described, except one, and that was done for me by my friend Mr. Creighton, of Morpeth; and I trust that on some future day I may be able again to give you an account of many other worthies yet unknown to me, but whose acquaintance, I do not doubt, it will give me much pleasure to make. In conclusion, I may remark that the age of trees is often curiously connected with historical events, as, for example, in the following instance:-I was told by an old man, near Matfen,

in the parish of Stamfordham, that when his father was engaged in planting the trees on the west side of Matfen Hall, the seat of Sir Edward Blackett, Bart., that he, and the rest of the labourers present, distinctly heard the troops fire on the mob in Hexham, which fixes the age of the trees in a very remarkable manner; that event took place on the 9th day of March, 1761.

IV.-Notice of the Occurrence, on this Coast, of a Holothurian (Cucumaria elongata) new to Britain. By JOSHUA ALDER. (Pl. II. Fig. 3.)

[Read June 9th, 1857.]

In consequence of a wish lately expressed, that notices of new and rare animals and plants in this district should be read at our Field Meetings as they occur, I have now to announce the occurrence of a small marine animal of the family Holothuridæ, not before known to be British. It is the Cucumaria elongata of Von Duben and Koren, described in their interesting work on the Scandinavian Echinodermata, from specimens met with on the coast of Norway or Sweden, but apparently not common there, and, as far as I know, not hitherto found any where else. Two specimens of this rare animal were lately brought to me by Mr. Wright, along with some zoophytes, from the five-men boats that come to Newcastle Quay with fish. The exact locality where they were got was not ascertained; but as the men usually fish in deep water off the coast of Northumberland or Durham, there can be little doubt that the animals were obtained within the limits of our district. They were dead, but not in bad condition.

As the species has not yet found a place in the British fauna, it may be necessary to give a short description of it.

Cucumaria elongata is about two inches long, slender, and tapering towards both extremities, especially the posterior one. The skin is of a mottled grayish colour, coriaceous, hard, opaque,

and rough with minute scales. The feet or suckers are, as usual, arranged in five double rows, becoming single occasionally towards each end of the body. They are rigid and non-retractile. The tentacles are rather small and plumose.

This species is more worm-like than most of its congeners. The scales that cover the body, when highly magnified, are seen to be beautifully perforated. (Pl. II., Fig. 4.)

V.-Notes on Plants New to the Flora of Northumberland, with Observations on some Critical Species. By DANIEL Oliver, jun., F.L.S.

[Read December 17th, 1857.]

IN company with my friend, W. H. Brown, of North Shields, I enjoyed, in the past summer, a very pleasant ramble through the wilder parts of Northumberland. All who have been interested in our local flora have felt that the hilly tract bounding our county to the west northwards to Cheviot proper had been very imperfectly explored, if indeed ever visited by the botanist.

Our attention was to a considerable extent devoted to the Phonogamous vegetation, and the Algae of the route which we traversed. On the present occasion I shall confine myself to notices of some of the more interesting flowering plants which we met with. The genus Hieracium was especially kept in view in the upper glens and valleys of our rivers, and, with the assistance of my kind friend, the author of the "Monograph of the British Hieracia," I think I am able to record some species as members of our flora, which had not been previously satisfactorily ascertained to be included therein. Another visit to the remote corners of our county is yet required, in order to ascertain the altitudinal range of the commoner species of plants-an object better attained on a second visit than a first, when the general aspect and topography of the country and the peculiarities of its

flora are yet new to the observer. I hope that at some future time observations on this head may be recorded in our "Transactions."

I shall just mention the outline of our route. 1st day. Starting on foot from Hexham, we passed by Chollerford and Simonburn, to Teckett waterfall, thence over the fells to Bellingham, visiting in the evening Hareshaw Linn. 2nd. To Tarset and Smalesmouth, returning by Chirdonburn and Hesleyside to Bellingham. 3rd. To Woodburn, and by the Reed to Otterburn, thence to Horsley and Rochester. 4th. To Chattlehope Spout and Carter Fell, spending the night at the Whitelees. 5th. By Catcleugh to the head of the Coquet; Blindburn and Windyhaugh. 6th. Coquetdale to Alwinton. 7th. Alwinton. 8th. By the Alwine, crossing the high ridge of hills to the Breamish, Bleakhope, Linhope Spout, and over the summit of Hedgehope to Langleeford and Wooler. 9th. A visit to Cheviot, ascending by the "Brizzle" ravine on the northern face of the mountain. 10th. Whitsunbank Loughs, near Wooler, &c., and coach to Alnwick. 11th. Rail to Belford, Kyloe Crags. 12th. Warren Bay, rail to Christon Bank, Dunstanborough, and home. Altogether, a twelve-days' excursion of much interest.

Thalictrum flexuosum, R. Fries. The large and leafy Thalic

trum growing on Kyloe Crags is referable to this species. The smaller plant found there requires further examination in the fresh state. The character derived from the direction of the stipules, italicised by C. C. Babington in his "Manual," must be carefully received. Thalictrum minus, growing on our sandy coast, has stipules with spreading or reflexed auricles; in the above work the stipules are said to be inflexed.

Ulex nanus, B. Galli, Planchon. The whin of Wooler Common, towards Cheviot, the earliest flowers of which were scarcely expanded at the time of our visit, I should refer to this variety, not to the typical Ulex nanus of Forster. Anthemis anglica, Sprengel. Babington's Manual, Ed. 4. I gathered on the gravelly beach of Warren Bay, near Budle

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