48 S BErORT ON FIELD MEETINGS 



attractions of the place. Next morning in due time we set 

 forth on our work of exploration, going in the first instance to 

 Thorpe Arch Park, in which by the kind permission of Mr. 

 T. W. B. Matthews we were at liberty to roam at will. 



The river Wharfe runs through the park, and we found its 

 banks plentifully adorned with the Knotted Figwort and 

 Hemp Agrimony luxuriating in so favourable a situation. 

 Continuing the path to the margin of the river, we were soon 

 confronted on the opposite side of the river with a bold escarp- 

 ment of yellow limestone known as the Jackdaw Crag, which 

 forms one of the items of geological interest in this district; 

 and here may be mentioned the occurrence of a river terrace, 

 situated on the south side of the Wharfe near to Boston Spa. 

 This is raised about 50 feet above the stream, showing that 

 formerly it ran at a much higher level. Continuing our walk 

 through the park, we finally reached the Flint Mill, near which 

 we obtained the somewhat rare plant Leopard's Bane, then in 

 flower. Leaving the park here, we made our way to the small 

 country town of Wetherby for the purpose of visiting a habitat 

 of the Bee Orchid {Ophrys apifera\ a spot where I had 

 gathered it on a former visit. It flowers early in June, so we 

 were unable to trace it. We found another very interesting 

 member of the order, namely Orchis pyramidalis, growing 

 plentifully in company with Campanula glonierata. This 

 orchid is notable for its densely crowded spikes of brilliant 

 crimson flowers, and for the remarkable two-fold movement of 

 its poUinia, necessitated by the divided stigmatic surface of its 

 pistil. This we were able to verify by experiment. Darwin, 

 describing this wonderful contrivance to secure cross fertiliza- 

 tion, said, " In no other plant, or indeed in hardly any animal, 

 can adaptations of one part to another, and of the whole to 

 other organized beings widely remote in the scale of Nature, 

 be named more perfect than those presented by the Pyramidal 

 Orchid." 



Unfortunately our operations for the day were cut short by 

 heavy showers of rain, so we returned to our headquarters in 

 the late afternoon. 



