FIRST FIELD MEETING. 9 
Those most worthy of notice are,—in the Dene, Ranunculus au- 
ricomus, Trollius Europeus, Euonymus Europeus, large hairy 
variety of Pragaria vesca, Carduus heterophyllus, Myosotis sylua- 
tica, Orchis Morio, Listera Nidus-avis, the last-named plant 
was found by the Rev. Mr. Bigge, and brought by him to his 
garden at Ovingham. Convallaria majalis, one of the very few 
really wild northern localities of this plant. Paris quadrifolia, 
Polypodium Dryopteris. In the neighbourhood, communicated 
or pointed out by the Rev. J. F, Bigge,—Sisymbrium Sophia, 
Arenaria verna, by the side of the river a little below Ovingham, 
Nepeta Cataria, Verbena officinalis, Botrychium Lunaria, and 
Ophioglossum vulgatum. 
THE PRESIDENTS NOTES ON THE SECRETARY S REPORT OF THE FIRST 
FIELD-MEETING. 
The party proceeded as far as the township and farm-stead of 
Spital. It has been said that here had been situated an hos- 
pital, or religious house of some kind, but on what evidence I 
could not learn. If this origin of the name should not be sub- 
stantiated, the features of the situation will easily suggest ano- 
ther, for there is hard by a somewhat remarkable “spout” or 
waterfall, where the burn tumbles over a ledge into a deep circu- 
lar basin. I do but mention the circumstance because this fea- 
ture may soon be lost by the diversion of the burn itself to feed 
the new reservoirs for supplying Newcastle with water. 
There is at Spital a clear mineral well, impregnated with iron 
and sulphur; and around it the moss or bog is abundantly sprink- 
led with that most elegant floweret, the Primula farinosa. 
The long woodland dene, in which our day had been so plea- 
santly spent, takes its name from the township of Whittell, Whit- 
tall, or Whitt-hall. In the earliest list of the townships of Nor- 
thumberland it will be seen to have as good a claim to the name 
of White-hall, as the more splendid structure in Westminster it- 
self. Hall is the Old English and Anglo-Saxon name for the 
better sort of houses, such as were inhabited by small landowners, 
or in other words, by yeomen, (aed-man, a man possessing pro- 
perty.) No spelling can be worse than that of the modern 
VOL. I. G 
