194 president's address. 



Hold the gold basin, for youi- heart's blood to run. 



To hold the gold basin, it grieves me full sore: 

 Oh kill me, dear Lonkin, and let my mother go. 



Seven gentlemen were elected members of the Club ; and Mr. 

 Atkinson, of Wylam Hall, kindly opened his grounds to the 

 party on their return, exhibiting his rain guages, meteorological 

 instruments, and other objects of interest. 



Our Second Field Meeting was held at Chollerford, on 

 January 22nd, where, under the guidance of the Kev. W. T. 

 Shields, the ruins of Cocklaw Tower, a fine Peel keep, were 

 visited. The Rev. Mr. Bird courteously conducted the party 

 through the early Norman church of ChoUerton, with its ancient 

 monuments of the Umfraville family, and its organ, built by 

 Father Schmidt in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. After a 

 luncheon, most hospitably provided by Mr. Bird, we proceeded 

 to Gunnerton Crags, a mass of basaltic columns, and a portion 

 of the great Whin Dyke, which extends in a south-westerly 

 direction from Dunstanborough right across Northumberland. 

 Few spots could be selected more interesting to the botanist. 

 Here were collected, among many other basalt-loving plants, 

 the pretty mountain Pink, Diantlius deltoides ; Allium vineale; 

 Saxifraga tridactylites^ and gramdata; liubus saxatilis, Gna- 

 phalium dioicum, Geranium lucidum, Trifolium striatum, and 

 Asplenium trichomanes. After the botanists had satisfied their 

 curiosity, the party proceeded to Chipchase Castle, still follow- 

 ing the line of the railway. Chipchase Castle consists of the 

 remains of an ancient castle of about the eleventh century, and 

 of a more modern, but still venerable residence, added to the 

 stronghold of the Umfravilles by the Herons, in the more 

 peaceful times of 1621. We first inspected the less ancient 

 part of the edifice, with many noble apartments, especially a 

 large music-room, richly decorated, containing a very handsome 

 carved oak chimney-piece, apparently of Dutch or German 

 manufacture, of the beginning of the seventeenth century. The 

 housekeeper obligingly conducted the party over the building, 

 which she seems to take a pride in preserving. The ancient 



