president's address. 327 



been described : of these 346 were acrogens, of wliicli tlie ferns 

 are examples ; and 135 gymnosperms, of which the Coniferce, or 

 pines, are examples. The qualities of various coals depended 

 greatly on the nature of the plants, the pressure and heat they 

 were subjected to in the earth, the length of time elapsing during 

 their conversion into coal, and the amount of earthy matter 

 intermixed with them. In one coal-field, certain tribes of plants 

 might predominate ; in another field, a different tribe, which 

 alone, were all other conditions similar, would give rise to different 

 kinds of coal. Moreover, these varieties existed even in the same 

 bed, showing the influence, not merely of the predominance of 

 certain kinds of plants, but also proving the action of various 

 mechanical and chemical forces in the formation of coal." 



Trustino^ that I have said enouo:h to show that there is a wide 

 field of investigation open, and one especially interesting to the 

 inhabitants of this district, I will now proceed to give a short 

 notice of each of the meetings of last season. 



The First was held, on the 27th of May, at Southwick and 

 Washington, when several interesting localities were visited, 

 including the Banks of the Wear, and that fine specimen of a 

 baronial border residence, Hylton Castle, though now in a 

 melancholy state of decay. I may mention, that there is, in 

 " Surtees's History of Durham," an engraving of it, from a fine 

 drawing by our late great painter. Turner. 



The more remarkable plants which were observed on this 

 occasion, were — Arenaria trinerviSy Stellar ia nemorum, Apium 

 graveolens, Qjnanthe crocata, Valeriana dioica, Aster Tripoliumy 

 Artemisia maritima, Plantago maritimay Daphne Laureola^ 

 Carex pendula. 



Thirteen members were added to the Club this day. 



The Second Meeting was held at Alston, on June 16-17. This 

 is a most interesting locality, especially to the geologist and 

 mineralogist ; and I regret that I have not been furnished with 

 a note of any observations which were made on that occasion. 

 I am, however, reminded, when thinking of the rich mineral 

 productions of that district, of the remarkable fact, which has 

 been, not long since, ascertained, that scarcely au ore of lead 



