12 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
The Sixta Fietp Meertine was held at Hartley Burn on 
Friday, September the 14th. The members left Newcastle by 
the early train for the Slaggyford Station, on the Alston Branch 
of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. On reaching that place 
they proceeded to Knaresdale Rectory, on the kind invitation of 
the Rev. Henry Morton, where they were most hospitably 
entertained to breakfast. Leaving the rectory, they bent their steps 
to the waterfall in Glendue Burn, and thence across the ‘‘ Maiden 
Way” over Hartley Burn Fell to the Black Burn, which they 
reached about half-way down its course, and not at its head, as 
originally proposed, for owing to the wetness of the day, they 
were but too glad to seek the shelter of the inn at Halton Lea 
Gate, where they dined, and returned to Newcastle by the train, 
leaving the Lambley Station at six p.m. This excursion pro- 
mised to have afforded to the geologists much that was interesting 
in the stratification of the bed and sides of Hartley Burn; and even 
in spite of the disheartening state of the weather, the members 
often gathered round Mr. Howse, and listened with pleasure to his 
interesting explanations of the appearances presented by the rocks 
which were passed on the way. The botanists merely gathered 
a few specimens of ferns—Polypodium phegopteris and P. dryopteris, 
in fine condition at Glendue Burn, and Allosorus crispus, Poly- 
stichum aculeatum, and Asplenium trichomanes, on the banks of 
Hartley Burn. 
The Seventy and Conciupine Firtp Muertve, as fixed by the 
programme, was held at Whitburn and Marsden, on the 10th of 
October. Owing to the showery morning but few assembled at 
the railway station, and of these some were deterred from pro- 
ceeding by the prospect of the day turning out, as it unfortu- 
nately did, decidedly wet. Those who ventured further on the 
chance of its improving, left the railway at the Cleadon Lane 
station, and at once set out for the village of Cleadon, and sought 
shelter under the roof of our indefatigable member, the Rey. G. 
C. Abbes, glad to escape from the continuous rain. Here several 
hours were profitably passed in examining the large and varied col- 
lection of curious specimens of the forms assumed by the mag- 
nesian limestone of the neighbourhood, which Mr. Abbes has 
