30 



admiring t}iis vast panorama, tlie part}' descended the hill, passing over the 

 Aymestrey rock to the Lower Ludlow. 



At Aymestrey they visited a quarry, in the beautifully laid out grounds of Mr. 

 Lewis, which was interesting, as presenting a fine escarpment of rock, perhaps 

 100 feet high, quite even and wall like. The rock is so jointed that, as it is worked 

 it preserves this evenness of vertical surface. From the quarry Mr. Levns 

 conducted the members into his residence, where he threw open for their 

 inspection a collection of fossils, the fruits of many years careful investigation 

 of Silurian and other rocks, and certainly one of the finest collections in the 

 kingdom. The botanists of the party had a very delightful ramble, although 

 nothing was met with which had not been previously detected in the county, with 

 the exception of Lycopodium clavatum, of which one of the members met with a 

 very small portion. Polypodium Dryopteris, and also Scrophularia Ehrhardti, 

 was scattered in its previously known station of Aymestrey, and notwithstanding 

 the late season of the year 300 species or more were ascertained to be natives of 

 the district visited, though many plants which may have been expected to occur, 

 proved absent. 



Several beautiful fungi (Clavarife and Agarics) were seen in the woods of Croft 

 Castle. 



The company then returned to Mortimer's Cross Inn, where they carried out 

 the spirit of the poetic resolution, — 



"I am resolved : 

 The mind shall banquet, though the body starve," 



in a manner much more satisfactory than a literal fulfilment could possibly have 

 been. The mind having " banqueted," the body was treated with equal justice. 

 After partaking of an excellent dinner, on the cloth being removed, the Chairman 

 gave the usual loyal toasts. He then proposed, in complimentary terms, the 

 health of the Rev. T. T. Lewis, thanking him, not only for his kindness in acting 

 as their guide to so many interesting and instructive spots in the day, but also for 

 the bountiful supply of fruit which he had sent for the dessert (applause). 



The Rev. Mr. Lewis returned thanks, in a neat and suitable manner, for the 

 compliment paid to him. He remarked that, although they had had a long ramble 

 that day, they had only done half their work. They ought to complete it by 

 visiting the other side of the anticlinal. He would suggest that next year they 

 should hold one of their meetings at Leintwardine in the morning ; that they 

 should start from that place after breakfast, and after examining the Wenlock 

 formation, make their way down to the northern limit of to-day's excui-sion ; and 

 meet in the evening at Mortimer's Cross to dinner, as on the present occasion 

 (applause). He went on to remark upon the importance of meteorological observa- 

 tions. He considered such to be quite within the objects of the Club, and was 

 glad to observe that a Meteorological Table was published weekly in the Hereford 

 Times. He was sure that if any member would undertake to record observations, 

 the Meteorological Society of London would furnish the necessary instruments. 



