49 



EXCURSION TO ELBOLTON CAVE. 



An extremely enjoyable excursion (the second of the season) took place 

 on Saturday, May 17th, 1890, to Elbolton Cave, via Skipton, under the 

 leadership of the Rev. E. Jones, to whom much credit is due for working 

 so thoroughly the deposits on the floor of the cavern. At Skipton the 

 party was increased to seventeen by the Skipton naturalists, and a 

 splendid drive of about eight miles in clear weather brought the party to 

 Cracoe. The asceut of the hill was then made, leaving the lead-mines on 

 the right, the highly fossiliferous rock being explored en route. The 

 charming and well-lighted views to be seen from the elevated site of the, 

 cave detained the party a little time, and then a descent was made into 

 the cavern, which was explored for a distance of one hundred feet, and to a 

 vertical depth of some thirty feet, many stalactites and stalagmites in 

 course of formation were seen, and, in addition, the osseous remains of 

 animals (some now extinct) were noticeable in situ. Mr. Jones was good 

 enough to point out the former location of several human skeletons, and 

 it is fortunate that the position as to vertical depth and location of the 

 other numerous objects removed is correctly mapped out. To those 

 members especially who had recently listened to Mr. Jones' lecture on the 

 cave the visit was full of interest. The return journey was made vid 

 Burnsall, Appletreewick, and Barden, a route rich in highly picturesque 

 scenery of valley and moorland. The most lovely portion of the day was 

 perhaps the close, when the ruddy glow of sunset, as noticed from the 

 Wharfe Valley, gave very noticeable prominence and sharp outline to 

 Barden and Burnsall Fells. 



The following forty-six species of birds were I'ecorded by Mr. W. 

 Storey : — Skylark, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Yellow 

 Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wheatear, Eedbreast, Wren, Willow Warbler, 

 Cuckoo, Garden Warbler, Wood Warbler, Whin-chat, Chaffinch, Green- 

 finch, Linnet, Redpoll, Redstart, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, 

 Landrail, Common Bunting, Yellow Bunting, Hedge Accentor, Tree 

 Sparrow, House Sparrow, Starling, Curlew, Grouse, Lapwing, Rook, 

 Jackdaw, Sandpiper, Waterhen, Magpie, Missel Thrush, Song Thrush, 

 Blackbird, Swift, House Martin, Sand Martin, Swallow, and Dipper. 

 A large number of plants common to the district were not yet in flower, 

 Ibut the finds included three specimens of the very pretty Priimda farinosa 

 (Bird's-eye primrose), which were left undisturbed, and a specimen of 

 abnormal poppy. The following were also collected : — Geranium lucidum, 

 Draha verna, Samfraga granulata, Saxifraga tridactylites, Blue Sesleria 

 {Sesleria ccerulea, a mountain grass), Brittle Bladder Fern {Cystopteris 

 fragilis), Knotted Pearlwort {Sagina nodosa). 



