YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNIOX — ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1893. 



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Yorkshire is so well watered a county, and its soil is for the most 

 jXart of such depth and substance, that it has not suffered from the 

 long drought of the last summer like much of the lighter lands 

 further south ; and the wild liowers have generally been well grown 

 ^'^nd have bloomed well. At the two later excursions of the year 

 there was a thinner attendance. Is it that the spots chosen were 

 hardly so favourable for flowering plaiits, or does botanical ardour 

 decrease as the summer wanes and the flowers grow fewer? 



Mr. W. B. Slater, for Cryptogamic Botany, reports that, in 

 consequence of the remarknbly dry sunny weather of the past sunnner^ 

 luoisture-loving plants have been much dried up, and it has been an 

 unfavourable season for collecting them in good condition. 



The best gathering was made at tlie Aysgarth excursion when 

 97 Mosses and 8 Hepatics were obtained, including some 20 rare 

 species, some of them being new records for the district. 



During tlie Kirkby Moorside excursion, July loth, 21 Mosses and 

 2 Hepatics were gathered, none of them in good condition on 

 ^"iccount of the dry season and all of general distribution. 



During the Pocklington excursion, September yth, Mr. J. J. 

 Marshall gathered on Allerthorpc Common a fine patch of the rare 

 Hepatic Fossouihroiiia dinnortieri Lindb., in very fine fruit and in 

 perfect condition. 



Mr. Chas. Crossland reports for Mycology that, owing to the 

 remarkably dry sunnner fungi have been rather scarce objects at most 

 of the meetings. At Askern few except microscopic species were 

 collected. At the excursion to Sawley Abbey there was a little 

 improvement, about 30, principally agarics, but not very rare, were 

 ^oted. At the Funo-us Forav held in the first week in September at 

 Bocklington, between 170 and 180 species were collected. Nothing, 

 however, particularly rare was noted except a specimen of Clavaria 

 crassa Britz. The interest for mycology has been well sustained in 

 some districts, especially about Hebden Bridge, from which place 

 niany interesting and rare species Intherto unrecorded for Yorkshire 

 and several that are new to Britain have been obtained recently. 



The Secretaries of the Geological Section have to report that 

 the work of the year has been of average interest and success. 

 The Aysgarth excursion was a rare treat for the geologists, as in 

 addition to the excellent secdons examined of the Lower Car- 

 boniferous rocks, the presence of Mr. J. G. Goodchild, F.G.S.,, 

 as leader, was an exceptional advantage. 



The Askern excursion gave opportunity for the exploration of 

 the Magnesian Limestone beds, but the absence of a local guide 

 considerably limited the work that could be done. 



