249 
YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS ON THE CLEVELAND HILLS. 
THE Members of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union spent Whit 
week-end in the Castleton district on the Cleveland Hills, made 
classical by the late Canon Atkinson’s ‘ Forty Years in a Moor- 
Jand Parish.’ 
The party made an early start on Saturday morning, under 
the guidance of Messrs. Elgee and Punch, and visited the ganister 
quarries on the slopes of the moor. Here the exceedingly pure 
siliceous rock is quarried, during which process Mesozoic plant 
remains are found, including Wil/iamsonia leaves and fruit—a 
species named after a well-known Yorkshire pioneer, the late 
Professor Williamson. From here the moors were crossed, 
and a long day’s tramp brought the party to the top of Free- 
borough Hill, via White Cross Swangs and Dimmingdale Quarry. 
From the top of the curious conical Freeborough Hill a 
glorious view of the surrounding country was obtained, and the 
many extraordinary physiographical features caused by the 
extra-morainic lakes during the great Ice Age, as demonstrated 
by Professor Kendall, were clearly indicated. The archzolo- 
gists took an interest in the enormous tumuli, the burial places 
of British chiefs, which here surmount the hills in numbers. 
The botanists, under Dr. Woodhead, had much to occupy 
their attention, the numerous rare and beautiful flowers in the 
slacks and valleys being particularly attractive. The various 
types of vegetation were also well indicated, and not the least 
interesting feature was a pure sphagnum bog, thougha small one. 
On arriving back at Castleton the party were entertained 
to tea by Mr. and Mrs. Punch, whose charming Alpine rock 
garden was greatly admired. In the evening a meeting was 
held, under the chairmanship of Mr. Punch; and Mr. F. Elgee, 
of the Middlesbrough Museum, read a suggestive paper on 
“The Peat Beds and other Superficial Deposits of the Eastern 
Moorlands,’ which was followed by a discussion. 
On the following days the excursion was continued, in a 
broiling sun. 
Long tramps over moor and fell occupied the daytime, whilst 
the evenings were spent in the discussion of local geological 
problems, or in the study of the heavens by means of the ex- 
cellent 10-inch reflector in Mr. Punch’s fine observatory, the 
sky being perfect for observation. 
Some of the more enthusiastic members of the party, 
forming the archeological section, took a 16 miles’ walk one 
evening after tea to examine the remains of a nunnery, the 
whole of which could have been carried away on a wheel- 
barrow. This section also paid considerable attention to the 
many curious grooves cut into the stonework in various parts 
of the village. These are in a perpendicular position, five or six 
inches in length, and about two inches wide and deep, tapering 
at each end. They greatly resemble the markings at the sides 
Igii July 1. 
