CiRC. 150. 



The Glacial Beds. — As the members walk along the shore towards Hornsea, 

 they will note that the sections, though much obscured by slipping, show distinct 

 bands of boulder clay separated by irregular deposits of silt and gravel. The 

 significance of these bands is not yet thoroughly understood, but the probability is 

 that they mark oscillations of the margin of the ice-sheet. 



The Boulders. — The clays are full of boulders from widely separated sources. 

 Gneisses, crystalline schists, granites and the peculiar igneous rocks of Norway, are 

 found side by side with local Chalk, Oolite, and Lias. The Whin sill and the 

 Carboniferous series of Teesdale are also well represented and a few types from the 

 Cumberland Hills and the Eden Valley have also been recognised. 



Denudation.— The rapid destruction of the Holderness coast by the sea, is 

 painfully evident to all observers. The average loss of land is estimated at about 

 three yards per annum. 



BOTANY.— 



Flowering' Plants. — Mr. J. F. Robinson writes that the botany of the 

 Hornsea district is very fairly typical of Holderness generally, being that of a low- 

 lying boulder clay region near the sea. It may be regarded under four divisions, 

 viz: — (i) The Boulder Clay of the fields and cliffs (for pelophiles); (2) the Glacial 

 Gravels forming low hills and mounds inland (for xerophiles); (3) the Mere, dykes 

 and drains (for hygrophiles) ; (4) the Sea Coast (for arenophiles or halophytes). 

 Owing, however, to the early date of the visit and the lateness of the season many 

 species will not have commenced flowering, although there will be plenty of vege- 

 tation to make observation interesting ; and if nothing else be done it will be 

 satisfactory to confirm, if possible, some of the records of the older botanists, e.g., 

 R. Teesdale's (1792-8) Alisma natans in Hornsea Mere and Glaucium luteiim on 

 the sea-coast sands ; Hy. Baines' (1840) Crambe maritima, and Festitca uniglumis 

 on the coast near Atwick ; and Botrychiuni lunaria. Smith's var. y (probably 

 inatricaricBfolia) recorded in Dillwyn & Turner's Botanists' Guide (1805). The 

 following list, arranged under the four heads mentioned above, contains a few of 

 the species that may be found during the excursion, not always in flower but often 

 sufiiciently in foliage to make identification easy: — (i) Ranunculus sardous {hirsu- 

 tus), Cichoriu??i intybus, Plantago maritima, P. Coronopus, Beta maritima, and 

 Equisetum viaximum. (2) Arabis Thaliatia, Cerastium setnidecandrum, Trifoliiim 

 filiforme. Astragalus danicus {kypoglottis) — occurs on gravels a little out of the area 

 of the excursion but should be looked for in it — Vicia lathyroides, Lathyrus sylvestris 

 (O. E.G.), Poterium Sanguiso7-ba, Myosotis collina. (3) The Batrachian Ranunculi 

 — R. circinatus, R. peltatus, vars. truncatus, penicillatus, and Jloribundus, R. 

 D?-ouetii, R. heterophylhis, R. Baudotii (occurs in saline dykes and ponds in Holder- 

 ness but has not yet been observed near Hornsea) — Ranunculus Lingua, Nasturtitwi 

 palustre and N. amphibium, Cardamine flexuosa, Stellaria palustris, Hippiiris 

 vulgaris, Apium gravcolens. Slum latifolium, (Enanthe Phellandrium , Bidens 

 cernua. Taraxacum officinale var. palustre, Hotto7tia palustris, Salix triandra 

 (vars.), Ceratophylhi7n demersum, Orchis ustulaia and O. incarnata, Typha 

 angustifolia, Lemna trisulca, L. gibba, L. polyrrhiza, Sagittaria, Butotnus, Pota- 

 mogeton alpinus, P. dettsus, P. pectinatus, Zannichellia pedunculata^) Scirptis 

 caricis, S. lacustris, Carex filiformis, Calamagrostis lanceolata, etc. (4) Cra/nbe 

 viariti?na {}) Cochlearia danica, Sileite maritima (the last two recorded at a former 

 excursion of the Y.N.U.), Arenaria peploides. Volvulus soldanella, Amfnopkila 

 arundinacea, A^ropyrum pungens, A. juncetim, and Elymus arenarius. 



Mosses and Hepatics. — 



No records available. 



Lichens, Algae, and Fungi. — 



No records for fungi, lichens, and fresh-water algie. 



In Fretwell's Guide, p. 48, Mr. J. F. Robinson notes that Fucus nodosus, 

 Polysiphoniafastigiata,HaHdryssiliquosa,Laminariadigitata,PlocamiuTncoccineum, 

 Rhodymcnia ciliata, Griffithsia setacea, and Maugeria sanguinea have been found on 

 the shore at Hornsea. 



VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY.— 



Mammalia. — No records. 



Birds. — Mr. F. Boyes writes that the small Heronry in the trees bordering the 

 Mere has slightly increased since the Union's last visit, and will be noticed with 

 interest by many of the visitors. There are also breeding on the Mere the Great 

 Crested Grebe (in small numbers), the Pochard, Wild Duck, Shoveller, Coot, 



