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NATURALISTS AT SCUNTHORPE. 



A MEETING of the Yorkshire NaturaUsts' Union was held 

 at Scunthorpe on Aug. 25th, in conjunction with the Lincolnshire 

 Naturalists' Union, the object of the excursion being the 

 investigation of the natural history and geolog}^ of the 

 district. The ironstone mines have entirely changed the aspect 

 of the area, and rare mammals, shells, insects and plants 

 wiiichonce occurred are now no more. In view. of the changes 

 that have taken place, and a probability of still further changes 

 in the near future, it was felt that a thorough scientific survey 

 should be made, and to some extent this was undertaken by 

 about fifty members from various parts of Yorkshire and Lin- 

 colnshire, representing almost every branch of science. 



The party had the advantage of the local guidance of 

 Messrs. A. M. Cobham and A. C. Dalton, who conducted 

 the members round the moors and ironstone m.ines. 



A meeting held at the Blue Bell Hotel at the conclusion of 

 the ramble was presided over by Canon ^^^ Fowler, and he, 

 along with the owners of the property who had granted per- 

 mission to explore, was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. 



The ironstone of this district is buried beneath beds of 

 peat, blown-sand, etc., which has to be removed. During this 

 process interesting relics of the pre-historic inhabitants of the 

 district are occasionally found. Two of these were obtained 

 on this excursion, and are now in our museum at Hull. They 

 are cinerary urns, of unusually crude workmanship, and con- 

 tained cremated human remains. That shewn on the right 

 of the accompanying photograph is devoid of any ornamenta- 

 tion whatever, and clearly shews the impression of the fingers 

 of the potter. This is particularly the case at the bottom of 

 the vessel, where the impressions of the finger tips are remark- 

 ably well shewn. As is usual in the case of these funeral 

 vessels, the edge slopes inwards, and is nearly half-an-inch 

 across. The vase is 10 inches high, loj inches at the shoulders, 

 varies from 9 to g| inches across the top, and is 5-I inches 

 across the base. The collar is perfectly plain, and is i| inches 

 wide. 



This specimen seems to lend colour to the theory that in 

 British times ordinary domestic vessels were used as cinerary 

 urns, as was also the practice in Roman times ; and were not 

 specially made. This particular vessel was certainly cracked an 



1910 Nov. I. 



