268 THE COMMITTEE'S ADDRESS. 
specimens of Asplenium septentrionale ; and, although the habi- 
tat is not a new one, it is, nevertheless, gratifying to find that 
this rare and interesting fern still occurs within our district. 
Mr. Tate, of Alnwick, a gentleman well known for his geological 
investigations, more especially of the fossils of the mountain 
limestone, has detected, during the past year, Ceterach officinarum, 
on the ruins of Hulne Abbey—a species that has not before oc- 
curred in this district. Another plant, Zypericum androseemum, 
new to the Northumberland Flora, was discovered last year, in a 
wood, near Alnwick, by Mr. John Storey, Jun. This inter- 
esting addition to our local Flora, its discoverer believes to 
be indigenous. The following habitats, furnished by Mr. 
Bungey, are also worthy of notice :—Sambucus Hbulus, near the 
City of Durham ; Hottonia palustris, and Ranunculus Lingua, 
near Houghall ; Gagea lutea, banks of the Wear, at Butterby ; 
Pyrola rotundifolia, sea coast, near Horden Hall; Osmunda 
regalis, Crook Hall Wood, all in the county of Durham. Mr. 
John Thompson has also contributed a few habitats of some of 
our rarer plants, amongst which may be mentioned Jasione mon- 
tana, dry banks near the city of Durham ; Allium arenarium, 
and A. oleracewm, growing together near Middleton-one-Row ; 
and Rumex Hydrolapathum, near Butterby, Durham. The other 
discoveries, made by members of the Club, will be found in the 
following report of the proceedings of the various Field Meetings. 
The First Field Meeting of the year, was held in Gibside 
Woods. ‘The place of assembly named was Winlaton Mill; but 
only a few of the party met at the appointed place, and although, 
afterwards, a considerable number arrived, they rambled about 
in scattered parties of three or four, until evening, when they as- 
sembled at the hospitable board of Ralph Carr, Esq., of Dunstan 
Hill. After dinner, two papers were read, one by Mr. Carr, on 
the effects of the great heat of the summer of 1847, on larches 
and other trees, in the grounds near his seat at Dunstan Hill. 
The other paper was by Mr. W. K. Loftus, on “ Evidences of Di- 
luvial Action at Belsay.” Guibside and its woods have been too 
well examined to leave much chance of finding any objects of 
Natural History previously undetected ; and, therefore, although 
