president's addeess, 295 



The Club had for the last few years departed from its ori- 

 ginal rule and practice of having five Field Meetings, and had 

 met in addition in the autumn at Marsden. The inducements 

 for this were that as it was accessible both from Shields and 

 Sunderland, as well as from Cleadon Lane railway station by 

 a moderate walk, and was easily within the compass of an after- 

 noon's holiday, it afforded to many an opportunity of being 

 present who otherwise probably might be unable to be at any 

 of the Field Meetings ; while the coast scenery and the geology, 

 as well as the other sources of interest, must always make it a 

 delightful place to meet at : however, at our last Anniversary 

 Meeting it was decided to substitute St. Mary's Island for Mars- 

 den. The Club accoi^dillgly met there on the 9th of October. I 

 was unable to be present, but I find that forty-five members at- 

 tended, and had, notwithstanding the somewhat unfavourable 

 weather, a pleasant day under the able guidance of Mr, Wheeler, 

 Vicar of Whitley, proceeding via Blyth and Tyne Railway to 

 Backworth, thence by Earsdon and Holy^vell Dene to Seaton 

 Sluice and the village of Hartley to St. Mary's Island. Some 

 of the party availed themselves of the courtesy of the proprietors 

 to see over the extensive Hartley Bottle Works. Tea was pro- 

 vided at the inn on the islaiid ; after discussing which an inter- 

 esting paper was read " On the Discovery and Description of 

 Climaxodus linyuneformis,'' by Mr. Thomas Atthey, who is justly 

 ]-egarded by all good naturalists as a sort of Lord of the Manor 

 of the Coal Seams of this neighbourhood. 



We have had only one Evening Meeting during the wintelS 

 viz., on the 3rd of December, when a hotice Avas read from the 

 Right Hon. Lord RavenswOi'th of some rare birds observed re- 

 cently. One of them, a fine Roller, shot at EsHngton, and pre- 

 served by Mr. Duncan, was exhibited. The following were also 

 read: — "Notes on the FossiJs of the Marl Slate,'' by Joseph 

 Wright, jun. ; " DesCriptinn of a iicir Kntoniostracan iuhaljitinff 

 a Coal-2Iinc,'' by G-. S. Brady, C.M.Z.S., &c. ; " Entomblo.gi'Cdl 

 Notes,'' by T. J. Bold. Some curioils eai'th-Avt)rms were sent 

 ioY exhibition by Mr. R. Draper, of Seaham. They had been 



