FIKLD MEETINGS FOR 1917 225 



purse, dog violet, wood violet, mountain violet, greater stitch- 

 w^ort, wood sorrel, gorse, bitter vetch, golden saxifrage, 

 bilberry, the red and the white dead-nettle, dog's mercury, 

 the field, the hairy and the great woodrush, and the primrose. 



Few birds were observed. The absence of thrushes was 

 attributed to the large number that perished in the severe 

 winter just past. Those seen included : willow warbler, 

 great tit, bluecap, jay, jackdaw, chaffinch, greenfinch. 



On one path a few nests were noticed of the red wood-ant ; 

 these and the bombardier beetles were the only insects specially 

 noted as showing activity at this date. 



It will be interesting for local naturalists to observe what 

 changes in flora and fauna may take place in Chopwell Woods, 

 as year by year they are reduced from rank disorder to well 

 regulated and trim silvicultural conditions, affecting large areas 

 closely covered with flourishing young trees of new species. 



Plf.ssy Woods, June 9th. 



This typical Northumbrian Dene, through which runs the 

 river Blyth, looked its best in the bright summer sunshine. 

 The foliage was very fine ; it had developed late, and was in 

 perfect condition. The floor of the woods was gay with the 

 flowers usually found in such a place. Here and there by the 

 waysides were in flower hawthorn, beaked-parsley, broom, 

 bedstraw, stitchwort, rose campion, etc. At Hartford Bridge, 

 pink hawthorn, lilac and Chili pine were seen. The most 

 striking thing of beauty was a few acres on which the trees 

 had been cut down three or four years ago, where the wild 

 hyacinths had developed lavishly. They were in full bloom 

 in the sunshine, a sheet of blue flame, picked out here and 

 there with a rose campion, and relieved by green ferns and 

 twigs of green foliage growing from the stools of the trees 

 that had been removed. In some other parts of the woods 

 wild garlic was in possession with its strong and unpleasant 

 odour. 



