president's address. 123 



oral appearance of ordinary ponds or pools. They aro situated 

 in a field near the road leading to Darlington. 



Many legendary tales have been narrated about the origin of 

 these remarkable "swallow-holes," and many lengthy papers 

 written concerning them which need not be quoted here. These 

 Kettles, or "swallow-holes," have no doubt had the same natural 

 origin as many others, especially those in the neighbourhood of 

 Ripon, which occur near the outcrop of the Triassic sandstones 

 resting on the subjacent Magnesian-limestone. The decomposing 

 and removal of salt, or the formation of gypsum from anhydrite 

 in these low-lying beds which, from their position, are subjected 

 to the action of a great supply of water, or the removal of loosed 

 marl beds through fissures in the rocks beneath, would under- 

 mine the surface and eventually cause extensive subsidences, as 

 we often see, in our own colliery district, when the props of shal- 

 low, old pit workings decay, and enormous " swallow-holes" are 

 formed by the falling in of the unsupported roof. Large swallow - 

 holes of this kind, and of a large size, were, in former times, 

 numerous on the highest part of JN'ewcastle Town Moor, caused 

 by the falling in of the unsupported roof of the old coal workings. 



The banks of the Tees at Croft are bordered, for the most part, 

 by a flat piece of country, excepting here and there where re- 

 mains of high-level beaches occur. Very few rock-sections are 

 exposed, the most remarkable being the outcrop of red sandstone 

 on which the buttresses of the Tees bridge are built, and small 

 sections near the Spa "Well. In other parts, a thick covering of 

 alluvial deposits hides all trace of the underlying Triassic sand- 

 stone. During the day's ramble only one small boulder of Shap- 

 fell Granite was observed, and that was placed at the corner of 

 a road near the station. 



The Second Meeting of this club was held at Kirkby Stephen 

 on the 24th, 25th, and 26th June. After lunching together at 

 head-quarters — the "King's Arms Hotel" — on their arrival, the 

 members present walked to Stenkrith Bridge to view the very 

 interesting " pot-holes" in the river Eden, where their formation 

 may be seen in every stage of progress. Thence by the river side 

 to Wharton Hall, once the seat of the notorious Duke of Wharton, 



