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YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS AT REDCAR. 



F. A. MASON, F.R.M.S. 



Redcar was the centre selected for headquarters at the 293rd Meeting 

 of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, held on Saturday, June nth. The 

 meeting had been fixed with the intention of re -investigating the 

 Estuarine beds of the district, famous for their fossil plant-remains, but 

 the difficulties of travel during a critical period of the coal strike pre- 

 vented anything like a representative gathering on this occasion. On 

 arrival of members from the south, a party under the guidance of Mr. 

 M. L. Thompson, of Middlesbrough, set out for the quarries on the side of 

 Upleatham Hill. As had been anticipated after a recent reconnaissance 

 by Mr. J. J. Burton, the site of the quarry that had formerly yielded 

 so much valuable pateobotanical material was found to be an almost 

 impenetrable jungle of shrubs, surrounded by thickly-planted conifers. 

 Geological examination was impossible, and the removal of offending 

 debris by blasting was out of the question on account of damage which 

 would occur to the plantation. One could only stand in contemplation 

 of conditions as they had been. The ground then under our feet was 

 classic, and that fact was the only satisfaction to be derived from the 

 visit. From that locality had been obtained plant remnants of the 

 Jurassic Age that had given rise to the study of fossil botany, but it 

 was only too evident that from this particular quarry,, at any rate, 

 nothing more could be expected. As pointed out by Mr. Hamshaw 

 Thomas, the following ferns had been obtained in this locality : — - 

 Sagenopteris Phillipsi var. major, Todites Williamsoni, Cladophlebis 

 denticulata and Maraitiopsis anglica. Cycadean fronds had been repre- 

 sented by Ptilophyllum species, Taeni'opteris vittala, Nilssonia mediana 

 and Dictyozamites Hawelli, while Baiera longifolia and Czekanowskia 

 Murrayana among the Ginkgoales, and Taxites zamoides, belonging to the 

 Coniferales had also been discovered. No specimen of any of these was 

 found during the excursion, bat as other quarries on the same horizon 

 are being developed in the direction of Old Marske, it is possible that 

 sooner or later new portions of the plant beds may be revealed, and lead 

 to their re-discovery. 



Meanwhile the entomologists had taken the opposite direction, 

 working along shore towards the South Gare Breakwater. There was too 

 much wind, however, to do serious work, and except for a number of 

 Diptera taken by ]\Ir. Chris. A. Cheetham, little was obtained in the 

 wa}^ of results. Mr. W. H. Burrell examined the same district for 

 mosses without noting anything except the most commonly occurring 

 species. 



Among the flowering plants seen on the Marske excursion, Hahenaria 

 viridis was the most noteworthy. 



On Sunday the day was spent in examining the district between 

 Coatham and the South Gare Breakwater, which included the enormous 

 slag heaps that now cover the large area enclosed by the Tees Conservancy 

 Commission, together with Sand Dunes and Salt Marshes. The botany 

 and ornithology of this area proved particularly interesting to the 

 naturalist whose studies are, perforce, mostly confined to inland districts, 

 and although no rarities were found, the plant associations, as will be 

 seen from the list of constituent plants, provided safficient material to 

 occupy attention. 



Among the birds, a breeding colony of the Lesser Tern was found near 

 the Breakwater, and observation of the birds at close quarters excited a 

 good deal of interest. A day or two later, through the kindness of Dr. 

 Robinson, of Redcar, Mr. W. G. Bramlej', the ornithological member of 

 the party, was able to see five nests of this Tcni. Ringed Plover were 

 numerous, and on one occasion a flock of 25 to 30 birds was observed ; 

 a pair of the same birds piped and fed within a few yards of the ]iarly 



Naturalist 



