480 EEPORT ON FIELD MEETINGS 



The party were now taken in charge by Dr. Woolacott, who 

 had kindly consented to point out the geological features of 

 the coast. As we proceeded southwards along the shore a 

 series of faults and whinstone dykes were clearly shown. A 

 very interesting instance of a dyke of whin which has not 

 reached the surface of the ground but terminates in the sand- 

 stone, is well exposed on the cliff side. The fine bands of 

 small fossil shells known as mussel bands were also examined ; 

 and the curious formation of stone called cone-in-cone was 

 well seen near St. Mary's Island. 



The tide being low, the Island was visited, and the 

 beds of boulder clay, with many well scratched boulders in 

 situ on the mainland opposite examined ; until the now rapidly 

 failing light of the late autumn evening warned us that it was 

 time to make for Monkseaton station, and so brought one of 

 our most interesting day's outings to a close. 



Hearty thanks were given to Dr. Woolacott for his able 

 exposition, which added so much to the interest of the day. 



Owing to the season of the year but few plants of interest 

 were seen, nor was the ground chiefly travelled a likely spot, 

 being for the most part on the sea beach with a bare cliff 

 behind it ; nor beyond a few of the commoner gulls and the 

 every-day sparrow and starling were birds much in evidence. 



So ended the season of 1907, which I venture to think can 

 fairly be claimed to have been a very successful one. The 

 Field Meetings were on the whole well attended; but as I 

 have hinted earlier on, I believe that these expeditions might 

 be made more useful and interesting still if a somewhat more 

 definite programme were drawn up of the chief objects to be 

 looked for each day, and some expert in one of the various 

 branches of natural science were to be present to explain 

 these to those of our members who wish for such knowledge, 

 but whose time does not permit them to slowly find out all 

 these things for themselves ; at any rate it might serve to 

 teach the pleasure and interest to be obtained by a systematic 

 study of some one branch of natural history. 



