273 



YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS AT DENT. 



The 292nd Meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union opened a 

 Dent, for the investigation of Whernside, on May 14th. In spite of the 

 difficulties of travel imposed by a severely curtailed train service, the 

 President (Mr. H. B. Booth) and twenty members arrived at Dent 

 station on the preceding Friday evening. With Mr. J. Hartshorn's 

 characteristic foresight, motors awaited this party, and after a pleasant 

 and picturesque drive of four miles, members were deposited at Head- 

 quarters, the ' George and Dragon ' Hotel, Dent. Here several others 

 had already assembled, and by means of private cars and other modes of 

 travel the arrivals rapidly increased to thirty. 



The natural beauties of Dent, and of the dale to which it gives its 

 name, are too well known to require comment here. The district was 

 visited by the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union in 1904, and a report of that 

 meeting is to be found in The Naturalist for the same year. 



Although Dent is the birthplace of Adam Sedgwick, one of the greatest 

 geologists of last century, this fact did not serve to influence a gathering 

 of geologists on the present occasion. Mr. H. E. Wroot was an exception, 

 and his knowledge of the geology of the district proved valuable to 

 members requiring information in this direction. 



Evidence of the itiineralogical character of the district was obtainable 

 from the numerous ' rocks and stones ' which adorned the window-sills 

 of many of the cottages ; these included good specimens of copper pyrites, 

 witherite, and various forms of calcite and quartz. Interesting specimens 

 of the richly fossiliferous Black Dent Marble were similarly plentiful, 

 and a good example of its economic and decorative possibilities was to 

 be seen in a fine mantelpiece in one of the more modem houses of the 

 town. 



On Saturday, under the guidance of Mr. Hartshorn, the party set out 

 for the exploration of the northern shoulder of Whernside, working up 

 Great Blake Ghyll, and as the detailed lists will reveal, the examination 

 of this Ghyll yielded very profitable results. The weather forecasts of the 

 several 'oldest inhabitants,' in the early morning of this day, had been 

 variable, and soon after mid-day, by which time the shoulder had been 

 reached, the opinion of the most pessimistic among the prophets became 

 amply justified. The return journey was made by the shortest route, 

 which proved to be a particularly wet ' moss,' and except for the squelch 

 of water pressed out from the boot at every step, the descent was accom- 

 plished in silence. Even to the naturalist, Whernside appeared to offer 

 little attraction in such a rain-storm as that experienced on this afternoon . 

 The President and a youthful but enthusiastic ornithologist, who had 

 penetrated as far as the Tarns, succeeded in getting lost in a fog from which 

 they were extricated by the timely appearance of a keeper, who piloted 

 them to Headquarters. A change of clothing, and dinner, restored the 

 spirits of the members, who afterwards devoted the evening to a prelimi- 

 nary examination of their collections. 



Following the usual custom, on Sunday, no special programme was 

 arranged. In much more favourable weather, the President con- 

 ducted a small and select party to one of the Yorkshire strongholds of 

 the Peregrine Falcon, and a fatiguing journey was well repaid by the rare 

 sight of the eyrie of a pair of these birds, the nest being found to contain 

 two eggs, and two white, downy, infant peregrines. Another party 

 visited the Holm Fell waterfall, while a third small contingent with 

 mycological intentions, after working along the banks of the Dee, crossed 

 the road and explored the woods on the hill side above Gate Garth. Other 

 enthusiasts investigated the lichen and hepatic flora of Scotcher Ghyll. 

 The results of these various activities are embodied in the more detailed 

 notes to follow. 



Monday proved another glorious day. The preliminary part of the 



1921 Aug. 1 



