president's address. 237 



Durham;"* such as Lavatera trimestris, Vicia Benghalensis, 

 Melilotus Ifessanensis, Lepidium sativum, Tordylium Syriacum, 

 GEnothera biennis, Claytonia perfoliata, etc., etc. 



Our first meeting was one of more than usual interest, and 

 left very agreeable memories behind it. 



The Second Field Meeting was at Ebchester and Chopwell 

 Woods, in the beautiful vale of the Derwent, on Friday, 13th 

 June. About sixty members were present, arriving by the Con- 

 sett Branch Eailway, a little after one o'clock. I was unfor- 

 tunately compelled to forego the pleasure of joining the party, 

 which I the more regretted as the district would have been new 

 to me, and I had not seen the ancient Roman Station of Vindo- 

 mora. Dr. Bruce, being guide, and in his special element, 

 everything interesting and noteworthy was sure to be well ex- 

 plained and illustrated. The outline of the Camp, I under- 

 stand, is still visible, enclosing an area of about four acres, 

 forming a square, each side of which is about 160 paces, the 

 north rampart being placed on the summit of a bold escarpment 

 above the river. The great Roman road, the Watling Street, 

 passes on the western side, leading from Corbridge, Corstopi- 

 tum, on the Tyne, ten miles to the north-west, to Lanchester, 

 Longovicum, six miles and a half further south, the two nearest 

 Roman stations. Within the ancient town itself, near the south- 

 west corner, stands the Christian church and churchyard, built, 

 no doubt, as Surtees says of that of Lanchester, of " Pagan 

 masonry," like the other buildings which obscure the site. 

 Several inscribed altars and mural monuments, taken hence, 

 have found a resting-place chiefly in the library of the Dean 

 and Chapter at Durham, but also at Minsteracrcs and Ushaw 

 Collcge.f A few lettered stones would be noticed, one over the 

 door of a beer-house, with a very indistinct inscription, a small 

 altar built into an outhouse attached to the vicarage dedicated 

 to Mars and the deity of " our Augustus;" another, recently 

 discovered in enlarging the churchyard, to Vitircs, or, the 



* Vol. II. New Series, p. :;0.1. 

 t See Dr. Brucc's " Lapldarium Septentrionnlo," p, 861, etc. 



