184 pkesident's addhess. 



The Second Field Meeting was held in Upper Teesdale, on 

 Monday and Tuesday, 27th and 28th June, and was but thinly 

 attended. Most of those present at this meeting proceeded to the 

 High Force and Middleton on Saturday, thus avoiding the very 

 early start made by those who joined the excursion on Monday. 

 The first day's excursion was fixed for Cronkley Scar and High- 

 Cup Nick. The weather was excessively hot and dry, and had 

 been so for months, as was well testified by the vegetation every- 

 where, especially on the higher moors ; and, as a consequence, 

 many of the Teesdale rarities had disappeared, or nearly so, 

 with the long continued drought. Soon after the arrival of 

 conveyances from the first train at the High Force, the party 

 wended their way by the path leading through the woods to the 

 "Waterfall and river side. There was very little water in the 

 river, only what was derived from the permanent springs of the 

 higher grounds, and consequently only little at the Force, which 

 presented an appearance very different, quite the reverse of the 

 scene witnessed by the members on a former visit, when the 

 whole width of the river's bed was too narrow for the rolling 

 flood of water that was thrown over the falls, sending the spray 

 forty or fifty feet into the air. So there was no difficulty in 

 crossing the stream above the falls to the other bank. Walking 

 a mile leisurely by the river side we had the pleasure of seeing 

 some of the peculiar Teesdale flowers in full bloom. The Poten- 

 tilla fruticosa was in its glory, the Polygonum viviparum in fine 

 flower; the Butterfly and Sweet-smelling Orchids, and other 

 moisture-loving flowers, were in perfection, sheltered by trees 

 and nourished by night dews, which hung heavily along the 

 river bed at nightfall. Those of our party who were intent on 

 reaching High-Cup Nick, tired with the slow onward pace of 

 those intent on seeing and gathering every tiny flower, set off at 

 full pace for the Maize Beck, and after losing themselves on 

 the interminable fells for a long time, and after a hot laborious 

 walk at length reached the Nick, which under favourable weather 

 is one of the most surprising views in Teesdale. 



Cronkley Fells presented a rather bare, grey appearance under 

 the influence of the long drought, and most of the alpine flowers 



