word Stoke, in the name of the adjoining parish, shows that palisaded fortifica- 

 tions were in use in the district, and wouhl seem to sugssest that Wharton was 

 fortified in like manner, i.e., by a ditch and a mound, with a row of stakes 

 on the top of it. Wharton gave a title to the ancient family of the Dukes of 

 Wharton, which lapsed temp. Geo. I. 



The route lay directly up the hill towards Wicton, through some pleasant 

 fields. The botanists were directed to look out for the Adder's-tongue fern 

 ( Ophioglossum vulgatum), and the Bloonwort (Botrichimn lunare) ; the first was 

 quickly found, but the latter was not met with. It grows, nevertheless, in this 

 district. There is half a meadow fuU of it in the parish of Humber, and it was 

 also said to grow on the side of the same hill in the park. The Listera ovata 

 grew everywhere. The Orchis morio, mascula, and maculata were in abundance, 

 and the green frog orchis (Hahenaria viridis) was also gathered. A small portion 

 of a ring of the St. George's mushroom (Agarkus gamhosus), which figured on 

 the programme as destined for a distinguished part of the day's proceedings, 

 was found, but the long dry weather kept back the crop that would othervase 

 have been present. A large specimen of the Horse mushroom (Agaricus arvensis) 

 was also gathered which was somewhat remarkable, so early in the year. 



The Club, however, did not give much time to botanising ; it had come with 

 the especial object of enqmring into the appearance of certain brachiopod lime- 

 stone fossils that had put in an appearance here in the most unexpected 

 manner — and on to the Wicton fields they went, over hedge and ditch. The 

 Woolhope Club is necessarily Silurian to the back -bone, and the news of the 

 discovery had aroused its liveliest eaergies. With business-like activity it pushed 

 on to a lane, where, looking and searching amongst the stones, a few pieces of 

 undoubted limestone with fossils were picked up, and afterwards entered a large 

 field where some diggings had been made. Two large square holes had been dug 

 down some six or seven feet until water was reached, and a pile of stones by 

 each of them of the same character of those in the lane, showed the place from 

 whence the fossils had been taken out. 



Whilst the hammers of the gentlemen present were hard at work on the 

 stones dug out of tlie holes, R. D. Harrison, Esq., read the account of the 

 recent earthquake at the Sandwich Islands, which has just appeared in the 

 newspapers. After which the President called upon Dr. Bull to give them some 

 explanation of 



