NATURALISTS AT HEBDEN BRIDGE. 
GREY skies, and half a gale, were the early morning weather 
conditions for the Union’s excursion to Hebden Bridge on 
Saturday, July 17th. Naturally they were not conducive to 
a large party assembling at headquarters to set out upon the 
investigation of Crimsworth Dene, but fortunately the gale 
had spent itself by eleven o’clock, and from that time the sun 
held sway, and the rest of the day was glorious. The attend- 
ance gradually grew, and ere the excursion ended assumed 
quite reasonable proportions. The South-West Yorkshire 
naturalist has reason to be proud of the many wondrous valleys 
which have been carved out of the gritstone rocks, and beauteous 
indeed was the walk up Crimsworth Dene from its base to 
Lumb Falls, which were seen almost to perfection. A peat- 
coloured stream of water in good force cascaded along a rocky 
bed, and on each side was a pleasing picture of vegetation 
that never failed to tire, and a wealth of sweet blossom pro- 
duced by plants which recalled the lines of Austin :— 
‘“No rare exotics nor forced are these ; 
They budded in darkness and throve in storm ; 
They drank their colour from rain and breeze, 
And from sun and season they took their form.” 
No wonder then, that with a district so classic, especially 
from a botanical standpoint, the memory of such stalwarts as 
the late Samuel Gibson, John Nowell, and Thomas Needham 
were recalled, and not least was the pleasure shared by all, of 
giving welcome once more to one of the Union’s past Presi- 
dents, and most eminent mycologist, Mr. Charles Crossland, of 
Halifax. 
Grainwater Bridge, which was set as the limit of the area of 
investigation, was never reached, inasmuch as the students 
present found quite sufficient to interest in Midgehole Wood, 
and along the valley as far as the Falls. 
By permission of the Governors, and the Principal, Mr. 
M. E. Wager, B.Sc., tea was taken at the Secondary School,, 
where the subsequent meeting was also held. The attendance 
at this meeting was excellent, and under the chairmanship of 
another of the Union’s past Presidents, Dr. Harold Wager, 
quite an instructive time was spent. Sectional reports upon 
the work of the day were given as follows :—Geology, Messrs. 
J. Henry Greenwood and Abraham Newell; Vertebrate 
Zoology, Mr. Walter Greaves; Flowering Plants, Mr. F. W. 
Whitaker ; Dr. Woodhead supplementing with remarks upon 
the chief ecological features of the Crimsworth Valley ; Ferns, 
Mr. Fenton Greenwood ; Mosses, Mr. W. H. Burrell; Fungi, 
Dr. Harold Wager, F.R.S.; Conchology, Mr. Greevz Fysher ; 
Hymenoptera, Mr. Rosse Butterfield. A comprehensive vote 
of thanks to the landowners for permission to visit their 
Naturalist, 
