68 president's address. 



along shady paths to the banks of the stream, which they fol- 

 lowed for several miles. The rest proceeded along the railway 

 to the bridge across the burn. A search was made for a small 

 mollusk which Mr. Howse had found thirty years before in-' 

 habiting some ivy-covered stone walls close by, and we had the 

 satisfaction of discovering that it was still breeding in the old 

 habitat. The shell is one of our small land Snails, Vertigo pusilla, 

 which is a rare local species. Passing the old mill the bed of 

 the romantic burn was followed. Here a nest of the common 

 Wren was artfully concealed among ivy-clad sandstone rocks, and 

 an exciting chase after a fine "Water Eat enlivened the scientific 

 proceedings of the little party. Above the mill a perfectly hori- 

 zontal stratum of limestone, Fell Top, forms the bed of the stream 

 for some distance. It is filled with stems of a large Encrinite 

 and many other interesting fossils. As we ascended the stream 

 the lower members of the Millstone Grit were visible in section 

 where the stream cuts the banks, till at a fine bend in the river, 

 known as Swallowships, a deep gorge having been cut through 

 a bed of coarse sandstone of great thickness, affords a passage 

 for the stream. A little south of Swallowships the lower beds 

 of the Coal Measures are brought in by an east and west fault, 

 which has thrown down the Millstone Grit to the south. 



All the early spring fiowers were in full bloom, and much time 

 was spent in admiration of the romantic banks of the burn, while 

 some deeply coloured purple fiowers of the Wood Anemone at- 

 tracted much interest and attention. Swallows and Sand Martins 

 fiew constantly past, as well as that singular bird the Water 

 Ousel, disturbed by the advanced party, who were hurrying on 

 ahead of us. Several spring migrants were observed, including 

 the Sandpiper, Pied Flycatcher, and Common Kedstart, which 

 had recently arrived on their breeding ground. Yipers were 

 looked for in vain, though sunshine and situation were both in- 

 viting. 



Very few of the rarer Perns occur in this locality, but some of 

 the members obtained specimens of the Oak Pern, once very 

 abundant, but now becoming rare in localities accessible to tour- 

 ists and pic-nic parties. Arrived at the Linnels Bridge we rested 



