199 



oolha^t jaaturalists^ fidb dllnh. 



Third Field Meeting, Tuesday, August 25TH, 1857. 



SHUCKNALL— HAGLEY PARK— BARTESTREE. 



The last Field Meeting for the present year was held on Tuesday, August 

 25th. The district selected for the explorations of the members being the huge 

 upcast of Silurian rocks at Shucknall, the Old Red of the vale of Weston Beggard, 

 the trap dyke or protruded mass of volcanic matter in Hagley Park, near Bartes- 

 tree chapel ; and the famous dome of Hagley. The route thus included the 

 opposite side of the valley to that chosen for the first Field Meeting of the year, 

 which was held at Tarrington in June last. 



On this occasion, owing to the contiguity of the scene of investigation to 

 the city, the usual meeting at breakfast was dispensed with, and about 10 a.m. 

 a party of the members met at the Green Dragon Hotel, from whence they departed 

 soon afterwards in a brake. The route lay by Westhide, which is situated on 

 the north slope of Shucknall, and on reaching the ancient Church of that parish 

 the party were received by the Rev. Mr. Bulmer, the Curate, who kindly threw 

 open the little but very interesting old Church for the inspection of the members. 



As most of the party had eyes for the beauties of Archaeology no less than 

 for those of the natural sciences, a half hour was spent very pleasantly in ex- 

 amining the curious recumbent figures of the 14th century, one of which appears 

 to represent a lawyer ; the interesting incised stone of the reign of Henry VII., 

 with its black letter inscription ; the ancient carved brackets which supported 

 the rood-screen ; and the windows, which belong respectively to the Early 

 English, Early Decorated, Flowing Decorated, and Early Perpendicular periods. 



From the Church Mr. Bulmer led the party to his house, in the grounds of 

 which an elm tree of prodigious size was made the occasion of a short but in- 

 structive address by the President of the Club, Mr. C. Lingen. 



The President pointed out the remarkable fact that there was something 

 Uke a stream of new wood, which, like an eruption from a volcano, had broken 

 out far up the trunk of the tree, and had flowed downward to the ground, tilling 

 up a great portion of the space left by the decay of the stem of the tree. The 

 centre wood was altogether gone, yet the vital power of the tree seemed to have 

 made extraordinary efforts to repau: the loss. At various points fresh leaves 

 were thrown out from the bark, contrary to the natural arrangement, which only 

 produces leaves upon or about branches. He pointed out the fact that it was 

 only plants of the comparatively low natural order to which the elm, the nettle, 

 and one or two other plants belong, which possessed this astonishing amount of 



