332 Yorkshire Naturalists at Settle. 



in brightness, a defect natural to these valleys, and no doubt due in some 

 degree to the proximity of so many busy towns. The excursions of the 

 next four days (Aug. 3rd — 6th) from Settle centred round Ingleborough. 

 The main object was to examine the contrast between the limestone 

 vegetation and the adjoining types on non-limestone soils and rocks. 

 Ingleborough, as a botanical centre, never fails to reveal something new. 

 Its plant life depends so much on the geology that the itinerant demon- 

 strations of Dr. Gilligan added much to the interest and enabled the party 

 to appreciate the geological information amassed by a long race of York- 

 shire geologists. Ingleborough has long been a shrine for the geologist, 

 and these excursions will hasten the time when it will become a Mecca for 

 the British ecologist. Under the guidance of Mr. Cheetham the party 

 explored a wealth of vegetation rarely met with in such a small area. 

 The limestone pavements were examined with keen interest, and from the 

 bare pavement it was possible to trace the stages of filling up with denser 

 plant growth, in one direction towards the scar woods, in another towards 

 the grassy pastures. Colt Park and Oxenber Woods were past their 

 best season, but the fruiting stages of most of the characteristic plants were 

 seen. On the steeper limestone and grit crags, there are interesting 

 arctic-alpine species, most of which were found. The vegetation with 

 Ling, etc., on Moughton limestone was examined with interest, and Mr. 

 Cheetham demonstrated its relation to the distribution of glacial deposits. 

 Another feature was Thieves' Moss, with marl deposits and the occurrence 

 of Schcenus nigricans, with an extensive area of Juniper not far off. The 

 excursion of August 5th was to the south of Clapham, for the examination 

 of Keasden Beck, which, with its sandstones and shales, presented the 

 contrast necessary to bring out the features of the limestone. The follow- 

 ing day was booked for Barbon Dale, but the weather, hitherto perfect, 

 was unpromising, and a shorter route from Clapham by Norber and 

 Crummack Dale was substituted ; those who risked the weather were 

 rewarded because it cleared, and an excellent excursion was provided. 

 Space does not permit of lists of plants being included, but most of the 

 species recorded in the various publications were seen. Much care had 

 been expended in preparing the programme, and it must be gratifying 

 to those concerned, that in every way the excursions were highly ap- 

 preciated, especially in these days of stress, when field naturalists have so 

 few opportunities for meeting. 



Fungi. — Mr. A. A. Pearson, F.L.S., writes : — A short note for those 

 interested in the mycological aspect of the ground covered may be in- 

 cluded in the report. It was too early in the year for anything approaching 

 a luxuriant growth of fungi, and a serious search was not made for them. 



On the moors and elsewhere one could not help noticing the fine up- 

 standing groups of Anellaria separata, a coprophilous black-spored species 

 with a ring on the long stem. An occasional puffball was kicked over, 

 and small specimens of Psilocybe suh-ericcea and Galera hypnonim almost 

 exhausted the list. 



On Monday's excursion fungi were more in evidence. A juicy wood 

 near Keasden Beck yielded a fair number of species, but the delights of 

 te brook itself enticed the mycologists away and only a very incomplete 

 list was compiled. Russula cyanoxantha was common in the grass near 

 the brook, where Hygrophorns conicus and Nolanea proletaria were also 

 met with. Here, also, was a large white Clavaria nestling in the long 

 grass, but specimens were not boxed for more careful examination. 



Mycena galericulata and M. vitilis were gathered in the wood, and a good 

 growth of Peniophora hydnoides was observed on rotten wood under oaks. 



Mycologists would be amply repaid by a visit to Keasden Beck later 

 in the year. 



Mosses. — On the Ingleborough excursion most of the interesting 

 mosses occurring there were seen ; in Colt Park Wood we had Thuidimn 

 Philiberti Limp., and on the main limestone, at 2,000 ft., Pseudoleskea 



Naturalist, 



