president's address. 289 



Trilobites, Crinoids, and Corals, are of great beauty, as are the 

 old red fish from the collection of poor Hugh Miller ; but the 

 gems of the series are a large set of Carboniferous Crinoids 

 discovered by the owner, and named by Professor De Koninck, 

 Woodocriniis. These beautiful remains are new to science, and 

 in the discoverer's opinion were not attached, but free -swim- 

 ming. A noble series forms a conspicuous object in one of the 

 large wall cases. A very good case full of Coal plants is amongst 

 the attractive portion, as well as the Lias and Chalk fossils." 



We spent some time in Mr. Wood's garden, where there were 

 many things v\Aorthy of notice — amongst others a very fine col- 

 lection of British ferns growing in great luxuriance. The luxu- 

 idance of the garden seemed to show a kindly climate, but we 

 thought there were indications in the appearance of some mosses, 

 lichens, &c., of a good deal of humidity. 



After spending a little time in seeing the lions of the town, 

 and having procured all the vehicles we could, we started to 

 follow the remainder of the programme laid down for us, and 

 had a delightful drive over the high lying moors of Hudswell 

 and Downholme, with beautiful and extensive views of the coun- 

 try ; and, returning by the Reeth Road, we reached Richmond 

 in numbers between sixty and seventy. 



The Fourth Meeting was at Bambro', on the 21st August. 

 About a dozen of us went over on the afternoon previous, to 

 Belford Station, whence we had a pleasant v^^alk to Bambro'. 



The castle, seeming to grow out of the living rock, so firmly 

 does it seem to be planted on its basaltic throne, always grand 

 and impressive, was beautiful as we saw it on this evening bathed 

 in a flood of golden light from the setting sun : its natural posi- 

 tion is a very strong one, and is said to have been occupied and 

 fortified by the Romans in Agricola's time ; its history, civil and 

 military, is very interesting. Occupied and fortified in 550 by 

 Ida, first Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria, it fell afterwards 

 into the hands of the Danes, was again fortified by the Saxons, 

 afterwards for a long time a stronghold of the Norman Earls of 

 Northumberland. It must have witnessed many a wild and 



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