476 REPORT ON FIELD MEETINGS 



The Fourth Field Meeting was held on August 23rd at 

 Howens Gill in County Durham, and was attended by a fair 

 number of members. Very much to my regret I was unable 

 to be present, but owing to the kindness of our secretary and 

 some other members I am able to give some account of the 

 day's proceedings. 



. Having arrived at Blackhill station, the party were met by 

 the Rev. Arthur Watts, F.G.S., Rector of Witton Gilbert, who 

 proved a most excellent guide, being an able geologist 

 thoroughly acquainted with the features of the surrounding 

 country. 



The day was fine, but the attendance of members small, 

 only seven setting off. Once clear of the railway and Consett 

 works, a beautiful view was opened out, the formation of the 

 land showing how, in former days, the course of the Derwent 

 was blocked by a glacier lower down, and dammed back into 

 a lake whose waters found their way through the now dry 

 Howens Gill, and joined the Wear probably near the Red Hills 

 near Durham. Borings recently made bear out this theory. 

 Here the bottom of the valley was found to be marly clay, 

 and the swampy soil proved to be a favoured spot for many 

 of the rarer plants dear to botanists. 



The course of Howens Gill was followed downwards, 

 and a point rather below the viaduct, where cliffs rise on one 

 side, is of interest to geologists, as showing with what force 

 the water must have flowed to cut itself so deep a bed — 

 probably some 270 feet or so below the surface of the 

 surrounding country. 



Soon the first feeder on the right bank, the Middlehead 

 burn, was reached. On its swampy banks the Spotted Orchis, 

 Large Red Rattle, and the rarer Marsh Cinquefoil were grow- 

 ing in abundance. At the Knitsley burn, the path through 

 the Beggar Bank Wood was followed. Here there is some 

 evidence to be seen of the former existence of another lake. 

 The only butterfly of the day — a tortoiseshell — was seen here ; 

 owing to the thickness of the leaf and the late season of 



