THE NORTHUMBERLAND COAST IN SEPTEMBER 1 75 



mentioned above, as its plumage seemed appreciably darker 

 in hue. 



We now left the road and scrambled down to the beach, 

 through a small straggling plantation in which grows 

 abundantly the Sea-buckthorn ( Hippophce rha?nnoides), an 

 uncommon shrub of very local occurrence in this country. 



Our appearance on the shore put to flight many of the 

 birds, and the chorus of noises increased to a regular din as 

 Gulls, Redshanks, Curlews, and Peewits flew off to a safer 

 distance. 



In spite of the lateness of the season we found a few plants 

 still in flower here. The Sea Aster (Aster tripolium) grows 

 close down to the edge of the mud and still showed a few 

 purple and gold flowers. The higher banks were gay with 

 Yellow Ragwort (Senecio yacobcea), on nearly every plant of 

 which were feeding the beautiful black and gold caterpillars 

 of the Cinnabar Moth (Euchelia JacobcecB). The tall blue 

 spikes of Viper's Bugloss (Echhim viilgare) were beautiful to 

 look upon ; while the tall straight stems of Dyer's Rocket 

 (Reseda luieola), now nearly all in seed, showed traces of 

 departed glory. 



At this point we passed the remains of some ponds 

 surrounded by stone dykes, which had been fitted with sluice 

 gates. These had been originally built to provide suitable 

 quarters for the breeding of oysters. But the difficulties of 

 oyster-breeding were too great to be overcome, and in the end 

 the enterprise had to be given up. So now, except for a few 

 oysters put down each year to " fatten," the beds are occupied 

 by mussels, which are cultivated partly for food, but chiefly 

 for use as bait by the fishermen. 



Following the shore without further adventure we reached 

 the rocks below the Hamburgh Golf Links, and came in 

 touch with the salt sea waves at last, the sight of which was a 

 delightful contrast to the eye, after looking across the waste 

 of mud and sand. 



