Qolha^t jaatnralists' JFWtr Club. 



THnRSDAT, Mat 27th, 1886. 



The first Field Meeting of the season took place at Newent. The members 

 from Hereford were met at Ledbury by the President, Mr. G. H. Piper, who 

 brought a contingent from his neighbourhood. Sergeant Mews was at the station 

 with his heliograph, a small circular mirror about eight inches in diameter, 

 attached to a tripod some four feet in height. He seemed perfectly master of the 

 instrument, and explained its use with much intelligence. The business of the 

 Club was at once transacted, and upon the arrival of the train for the branch line 

 to Gloucester, seats were taken for Newent, whilst Sergeant Mews took up his 

 post on Doghill, whence he was to communicate with our party upon May Hill. 

 After a short drive from Newent, under an uncomfortably cold May shower of 

 rain, a halt was made at Cugley. some two or three miles out of the town. The 

 President humorously informed us that by going through a fine field of wet clover 

 and other wet verdure (which happened to be more than usually luxuriant this 

 year, owing to extraordinary rains of this ordinarily merry month of May), we 

 should find "Crockett's Hole," a hiding place of Protestant Martyrs in the reign 

 of Mary Tudor. At this moment any hiding place would have been welcome had 

 it been attainable without so much discomfort ; but when it was put to the vote, 

 the chorus of voices in unison from the carriages resolved unanimously that the 

 visit to the hiding place should be postponed sine die, especially as the President 

 promised to give us, after dinner, some traditions and facts uixjn the subject. The 

 storm clouds now rolled by, and the rest of the day was exceptionally fine, but 

 the uphill journey to May Hill was rendered more tedious to one detachment of 

 the party by the unwilling temper of some of the horses, which objected to such 

 hard work against the collar, but, owing to the amiability of the naturalists, who 

 willingly relieved the sullen animal of a portion of its draught, and by the per- 

 suasive action of the driver, the place of destination was somehow or other 

 eventually reached by everyone. Bright sunshine greeted us when we dismounted 

 and congregated at the summit of the high road which formed the nearest point 

 to the top of May Hill, about half a mile distant from this spot. From here a rutty 

 track for country carts and waggons leads to the top of the eminence, where the 

 celebrated Severn Channel landmark, consisting of a small plantation of old Scotch 

 firs, which had apparently weathered several centuries of vicissitudes of climate, 

 attracted our attention ; and the charming panorama of hills in various counties 

 all around the horizon, indicated the importance of this station as a camp, and a 

 commanding position for fire beacons. Field-glasses, ordnance maps, mariners' 

 compasses, and sandwiches were now, and for a considerable period, deliberately 



