I7I 
THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS’ UNION AT 
MALHAM AND GORDALE. 
It is a well-known custom connected with the meetings of the 
British Association that excursions should be undertaken during two 
days of the meeting. These are arranged with a view to giving the 
visitors an opportunity of acquainting themselves with whatever 
there may be of interest in the neighbourhood of the place of 
meeting. In a county like Yorkshire, noted as it is for the 
diversified character of its natural features, for its mountains and 
moorlands, abbeys and castles, its agriculture and commerce, the 
difficulty is not so much to find places which are likely to attract 
visitors, as to select, from the many which suggest themselves, those 
which can be easily compassed in a day’s excursion. 
Among the numerous excursions that were carried out on 
Thursday, the 11th of September (1890), was one w 
entrusted to the guidance and direction of the Yorkshire matin? 
Union. The area allotted to this expedition was the plateau 
of Malham, and the escarpment which it forms along the South 
Craven fault. This district includes the only lake in the West 
Riding, and the remarkably picturesque scenes of Malham Cove 
and Gordale Scar. Besides these natural beauties there is not 
a branch of natural history which cannot be successfully pursued in 
this district, owing chiefly to the diversified character of the 
geological formations, which include Silurian, Mountain Limestone, 
Yoredale Shales, and Millstone Grit. These hashes ines are 
especially valuable when it is remembered that this was an essentially 
working excursion, carried out (so far as the restrictions of the 
British Association Committee would’ allow) on the lines of the 
ordinary excursions of the Union; and the fact that it was a working 
excursion attracted many members of Field Naturalists’ Clubs, who 
were anxious to avail themselves of the opportunity of studying the 
methods adopted by the Union. 
A special train left Leeds at 8.25 a.m. with a party of about 
seventy, and arrived at Bell Busk at 9.15 a.m Here wagonettes 
were in waiting, to convey the party to Malham. A break in the 
journey was made at Kirkby Malham to give the excursionists an 
Opportunity of examining the interesting old church, and of inspecting 
the register, which contains the signature of Oliver Cromwell. The 
Rev. T.-C: Henley most kindly explained the objects of interest. 
On arriving at Malham village, lunch was served at 10.30, at the 
Buck Hotel, after which three parties were formed for investigating 
the natural history of the district. 
June 1891 
