290 President's address. 



path, led above the Loftus old alum works to the highest part 

 above Eockcliff, and along the edge of precipitous cliffs, vs^hich 

 went sheer down more than 500 feet. The highest part of Rock- 

 cliff is estimated at 680 feet, but the coast edge is somewhat 

 less. It was easy to distinguish, from above, the thick yellowish 

 beds of the Lower Oolite which here covers the Upper and 

 Middle Lias, the latter having been worked formerly for iron- 

 stone nodules, and the former for alum shale. The debris left 

 at the foot of the cliffs forms enormous heaps, which would no 

 doubt repay the search of the fossil collector. The alum works 

 have now been abandoned, both at Loftus and Boulby, and the 

 buildings are fast falling into decay. The view s from the highest 

 part of the cliff were panoramic, and novel to most of the party. 

 The extensive sea view, with its steamers, much diminished in 

 size from this lofty headland ; the range of the coast, north and 

 south ; and the mass of the Cleveland hills, formed scenes long 

 to be remembered. 



Erom Boulby we quickly descended to Staithes, and entered 

 that secluded fishing hamlet by a road leading down the side of 

 the steep bank of the Eousby Beck, which flows into the sea 

 through a deep-cliff cutting or chasm. "We arrived punctually 

 at the Black Lion Inn in time for a comfortable dinner. After- 

 wards we strolled through this quaint village, to fraternise for 

 a time with the hardy men who call Staithes their home, but 

 who really live more on the open sea than on land. Independent 

 and outspoken men they are, temperate, and truthful and trust- 

 worthy ; and thoroughly inured to hard labour and frugal fare 

 from their earliest years ; but sharp in selling fish and making a 

 bargain, but quite willing to sell as many fossils as they had at 

 a moderate price. After completing a few bargains of this kind, 

 we were obliged to proceed to the train, travelling through the 

 richly -wooded valleys which lie within and are sheltered by the 

 lofty coast line of North-East Yorkshire to Middlesbrough and 

 !N"ewcastle. 



The Sixth and iast Field Meeting of the year took place 

 at Seaton Delaval and Blyth, on Monday, October 6th. The 



