PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 397 



a fragment of a Saxon gable cross supposed to have belonged to 

 the earliest church. 



Leaving the town, with its two Pele Towers and its quaint 

 Market Cross, we wended our way in the direction of Dilston, 

 over the only bridge that resisted the great flood of 1771, and 

 we were fortunate, owing to the low state of the river bed, in 

 seeing the remains of the mediaeval bridge founded in 1235. 

 "We were kindly accorded admission to the charming grounds, 

 and were shown the Baronial Castle, erected by Sir Francis 

 Badcliffe, the initials E. B. and I. B. carved on the gateway 

 reminding us of that remarkable man and his wife Isabel. 

 Attention was next directed to the Domestic Chapel, where 

 members of this illustrious family were interred. After a glance 

 at the picturesque residence of Mr. "W. B. Beaumont, M.P., we 

 rambled on under the shade of Beech, Eir, and Birch trees, 

 charmed by the beauty of the foliage and the rushing sounds of 

 the Devil's "Water. Surrounded by ferns and wild flowers we 

 traversed the banks of the river to Dilston Mill, and after a 

 brisk walk through the plantation bordering the Tyne arrived 

 at the " Golden Lion," where a large party sat down to a well- 

 supplied dinner, after which two papers were read, viz. : — 

 1. " History of the Early Life of a Hedgehog," by Miss Abbs. 

 Communicated by Mr. John Hancock. 2. "List of Plants found 

 near "Wooler, at the Field Meeting in September, 1887, with 

 special remarks on the Corn Mildew, or Blight," by Brofessor 

 J. Batalha Beis. 



The following Natural History Notes on the Birds which fre- 

 quent the Hallington Beservoirs have been kindly contributed 

 by Mr. B. C. Hedley, Cheviot, Corbridge-on-Tyne : — 



The birds which frequent these reservoirs form a feature of 

 the highest possible interest. The Black-headed Gull (Larus 

 ridibundus), from being the most assertive in numbers as well as 

 noise, deserves notice in the first place. Some hundreds of them 

 breed on the island in East Hallington Beservoir each year. 

 A few stragglers appear about the middle of March, and every 

 one leaves within a week or two in the autumn. These birds 

 do an immense amount of good to the surrounding land, especially 



