52 president's address. 



I must confess, even at the risk of exciting the anger or 

 compassion of members of the Natural History Society, that I 

 cannot regret the extirpation of wolves and boars from our 

 fauna, nor of feudal chieftains and moss-troopers from our bor- 

 ders. All would, however, probably agree with Mr. Gibson, in 

 thinking that the whole locality is suggestive of feudal memories, 

 and invested with a picturesque beauty and interest, which can 

 hardly be exceeded in any of the river valleys of Northumberland. 



Mr. J. T. Bold exhibited a series of specimens of one of our 

 wild Bees, and its parasite, the latter {Nomada borealis), he 

 remarked, has hitherto been regarded as a very rare British 

 species. Two other insects were also shown, and were noted as 

 additions to our catalogue of Water Beetles, having been taken 

 by Mr. Bold at Prestwick Car. Mr. Bold mentioned that he 

 had seen a Pied Fly-catcher in the vicinity of Newcastle, and 

 concluded by intimating that he was collecting materials for a 

 catalogue of the Aculeata. 



Mr. Storey laid before the meeting, specimens of the Mountain 

 Melic Grass {Melica nutans), which he had found during the 

 day, and which species, he stated, was new to the locality. 



Nine gentlemen were elected members of the Society. 



The Second Field Meeting was held at Rowland's Gill, near 

 the Scotswood Station of the Railway, on Friday, the 29th of 

 June, but no account of the proceedings of that day has been sent 

 to the Secretary, further than that Mr. Charles Wilson, of Bishop 

 Wearmouth, was elected a member of the Club. 



The Third Meeting was held at Chillingham, on the 24th of 

 July. The following account of it is derived from one contributed 

 by Mr. W. H. Hills. The party from Newcastle, left Alnwick by 

 the Wooler omnibus, to East Lilburn, not far from the Field of 

 Flodden. The whole country, instead of being barren and deso- 

 late, despoiled by the reivers of border times, is laid out almost 

 like a garden in its luxuriant fertility. The dark Flodden of the 

 poet cannot be recognised in the quiet meadows, where peasant 

 children 



" Rest them by the hazel bush, 

 And plait their garlands fair ; 

 Nor dream they sit upon the grave 

 That holds the bones of Marminn brave." 



