REPORT OF FIELD MEETINGS 167 



and a few Pearl-tops. Many stranded jellyfish were to be 

 seen scattered about the shore. They appeared to consist of 

 two or three varieties, but time was too short to distinguish 

 the kinds of these glassy looking masses. 



Coming to a large bay a little distance to the north of 

 Alnmouth, I was greatly surprised to see such a large number 

 of immense boulders strewn therein, and consisting chiefly of 

 basalt, sandstones of the Millstone Grit, and Carboniferous 

 Limestone. It was while sitting on one of these large boulders 

 eating my third luncheon that I took a few minutes to watch 

 the sea-birds chattering noisily as they were shifting their 

 quarters owing to the flowing tide. Among them I noticed 

 the Kittiwake, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black- 

 backed Gull, Black-headed Gull and Common Duck. Curlews 

 were seen several times as I neared Alnmouth. 



I greatly regretted the want of time to inspect the pebbles a 

 little more closely, as they form a most interesting and in- 

 structive chapter in Nature's book. Just a glance at them 

 showed them to be great travellers, as I saw pebbles 

 of granite, chalk, Magnesian Limestone, jet. Carboniferous 

 Limestone, flint, quartz, porphyry, greensand, felspar and 

 coal. 



After luncheon we still had plenty of time on hand, so it 

 was decided to follow the coast to Warkworth. Crossing the 

 water by the ferryboat, we spent some time in searching the 

 swampy mouth of the Aln for marsh plants. Here I called 

 the attention of the party to a few late blooms of one of the 

 rarities of the outing, viz., the Sea Aster (Aster Tripolium). 

 This plant, together with its near relation, the Goldilocks 

 Aster of the limestone cliffs on the west coast, may be said to 

 be our only British Asters. Then there was a great abundance 

 of Sea Samphire (in fruit) in this salt marsh. This plant 

 also is of very rare occurrence in northern England. 



As the rain now began to fall freely, the journey to Wark- 

 worth, which otherwise would have been very enjoyable, was 

 rather an unpleasant and irksome one ; and excepting a 



