316 
NATURAL HISTORY OF THORNE WASTE. 
Tue 204th meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union was 
held at Thorne on Thursday, July 11th, 1907, for the 
investigation of Thorne Waste and the adjacent country. 
Mr. H. H. Corbett writes that the very cold and wet season 
had militated against the prospects of some of the sections of 
the Union, and no doubt had also an adverse effect upon the 
numerical strength of the meeting. Notwithstanding this, be- 
tween fifty and sixty members and associates risked a wetting 
and the after effects, and were rewarded by a really charming 
summer day. The whole of the district visited is low lying 
country, consisting either of re-claimed marsh or uncultivated 
peat bog, with small areas of slightly raised gravel and sand. 
The fields and lanes are for the most part bordered by broad 
ditches, and these, together with the canal, furnished both con- 
chologists and botanists with plenty of material for study. 
Entomologists, who were strongly represented, found the results 
of their labours but poor, having regard to the very good repute 
of the district and the lengthy list of ‘good things’ tabulated 
on the official programme. 
The outlook for geologists did not appear to be very 
exciting, but nevertheless they found good work to do, 
especially in the matter of recent geology. 
Most of the naturalists arrived at Thorne N.E. Station at 
about 11 a.m., and immediately found interest in the large 
ponds that here occur on the sides of the line. These were 
bright with the flowers of both species of water lily, and many 
other less showy but interesting plants grew on the margins. 
The party walked through the town of Thorne to the Stanforth 
and Keadley Canal, where some followed one side of the 
water and some the other. Here were seen several plants 
of interest, a long stretch of bank being purple with the flowers 
of Malva sylvestris; while in the canal were Pofamogeton crispus, 
P. perfoliatus, P. lucens, P. pectinatus, and P. fretsiz, all except 
/ucens being in flower and fruit. A somewhat remarkable con- 
chological feature was the great abundance of /e/ix cantiana, 
a species that seems to be extending its area of distribution. 
Leaving the canal side and taking the field path towards 
‘the Waste,’ J/rzs pseudacorus and Nasturtium amphibtum 
became conspicuous in the ditches, while the bushy edges 
furnished only one species or variety of Rubus, namely, 2&. 
dumetorum v. ferox approaching d/verszfolius. This is 
Naturalist, 
