MR. B. AMSDEN S REPORT OF 



REPORT ON THE FIELD MEEINGS OF THE NATURAL 

 HISTORY SOCIETY FOR 1910. 



Read March 23RD, 1911, by Mr. B. Amsden, B.A., B.Sc, 



LL.B., Chairman of the Field Meetings Committee 



for 19 10. 



Ladies and Gentlemen. — I have pleasure in presenting 

 my report on our Field Meetings during the summer of 1910, 

 and in stating that this branch of the Society's work still 

 continues to flourish, though there is room for improvement in 

 the attendance at the meetings and the greater specialisation 

 of the work done. Nevertheless some good and original 

 work has been performed, and in any case the meetings have 

 afforded valuable opportunities for those who are desirous of 

 attaining a general all-round working knowledge of natural 

 history in the field before proceeding to specialise in any 

 particular branch. 



The First Field Meeting for the year was held on May 

 21st, a Saturday afternoon, when some iS members went to 

 Rowlands Gill Station, and under the guidance of Mr. R. 

 Adamson proceeded up the south side of the Derwent Valley, 

 crossing by the paper mill, and returning by the north side of 

 the stream. Although the early part of the day was heavy 

 and threatening, the weather improved as the time went on, 

 and the afternoon was bright and pleasant. The heavy rain 

 of the previous day had cleared away all traces of dust, and 

 showed the varied prospect of hill and dale, meadow, forest 

 and river, which the Derwent Valley affords, in the full 

 freshness and beauty of verdant spring. The time of the year 

 was too early to admit of a very large number of plants being 

 found, but about fifty species were collected, including the 

 wood and meadow geraniums, the wood stitchwort with 

 heart-shaped leaves peculiar to the north, and found here 

 and there in clumps on the banks of the Derwent where the 

 seed had been washed up by the flood ; and the bird-cherry, 



