PKESIDEJSTt's ADDliESS. ICo 



by the marauding crowds of invaders to whose visits these border 

 districts were peculiarly liable. Though nothing very rare was 

 observed in this now often-visited locality, yet the fineness of the 

 weather, an unusual feature during the year, made this day's 

 outing most enjoyable. Leaving Bellingham at eight o'clock, 

 the party soon were scattered at the different stations on the 

 route to Newcastle. 



The weather for some time previous to the date fixed for the 

 FoTJETH Field Meeting had been most unpropitious, and as a 

 consequence only three members left Newcastle by the early 

 train, and two of these had travelled by a still earlier train from 

 Sunderland. On the way two more fi'iends joined, but our 

 muster at the inn at Grreenhead was so small, compared with more 

 favourable visits, that we had some difficulty in our endeavour 

 to make the landlady believe that we represented the Tyneside 

 Club; but at length breakfast was brought in, which we enjoyed, 

 notwithstanding the heavy downpour of rain which came on after 

 our arrival at Greenhead. We visited the neat little country 

 church, restored by the thoughtful benevolence of the late Edward 

 Joicey, Esq., of Blenkinsopp Hall. The weather ameliorating 

 a start was made up hill for the crags, the camp at Cservoran 

 being left for finer weather. On our way up the slope we ob- 

 served a fine uncovered piece of the basalt smoothly glaciated 

 and covered with very fine striae. Eeaching the wall at the 

 edge of the cliff, we followed it step by step up and down over 

 the Mne Mcks, sheltering ourselves occasionally among the 

 crags and wild flowers as the showers drifted past. The face 

 of the Wall Town Crag was searched most diligently for the 

 Parsley Fern, but only two specimens were seen where formerly 

 this local fern was very abundant. Though the roots of this 

 plant are carried away by hundreds and thousands they all die 

 down after a few months' attempt at cultivation, and even if the 

 cultivation is successful for a few years, still the plants gradually 

 grow weaker and less able to bear the close atmosphere of fern- 

 ery, rockery, or greenhouse. All the plants in short removed 

 from their native haunts die a longer or shorter lingering death, 



