president's address. ' 287 



the Sunderland and South Shields Water Company on Lizard 

 Hill. The coast at Marsden is undergoing a somewhat rapid 

 disintegration, several detached pinnacles having succumbed to 

 the action of the waves during the last few years : the " Velvet 

 Beds," however, and the " Rock" itself remain without any ap- 

 preciable change. Before five o'clock, the hour appointed for 

 tea, a porcine savour was distinctly perceptible even at the fur- 

 ther end of the beach, and as where the carcase is, there surely 

 will the eagles be gathered together, it needed not ring of bell 

 or beat of gong to collect our scattered forces for the wonted 

 attack upon Miss Allen's ham and eggs — an attack not relin- 

 quished until, sated with slaughter, 



" From the charge we drew 

 As mountain waves from wasted lands 

 Sweep back to ocean blue." 



The only formal business transacted at this meeting was the 

 election of three new members. Mr. E. C. Robson followed with 

 some interesting and humourous remarks on the unusual abun- 

 dance of the "turnip-fly" during the past season, wishing that 

 some means could be devised of destroying these noxious insects. 

 Mr. Abbes drew attention to the good already effected in our 

 district by the act for the preservation of sea birds, and expressed 

 a hope that some similar measures would soon be taken in the 

 interest of smaller birds. Possibly the newly imposed tax on 

 fire-arms may have a beneficial effect in this direction ; and the 

 ladies might certainly give a little help if they could be induced 

 to forego such additions to their dress as birds' wings, humming- 

 birds, and other ornaments involving wholesale slaughter. 

 Meantime Mr. Courthorpe, in his recently published work, the 

 "Paradise of Birds," has put with admirable humour the case 

 of the birds versus man, and except that his book cannot pos- 

 sibly reach the class who chiefly need its influence, one might 

 expect great good from it. What can be better than this ? 



Hopeful and bold, progressive from his birth, 

 Man through all quarters of productive earth 

 Advanced his posts : he sowed the shore with crops, 

 Turned mountain-summits into turnip-tops, 



