204 MR. B. AMSDEN'S REPORT OF 



noticing the exposures of Permian sandstone in the south bank, 

 and of millstone grit and Yoredales in the river bed, especially 

 noteworthy for their very small inclination, and accounting for 

 the breadth and shallowness of the river. Very noticeable 

 too on the opposite bank, and inspected on the spot later in 

 the day, were the three successive river banks or terraces and 

 the large boulders of rhyolite and Shap granite borne hither 

 in the glacial period, and the smaller and more modern 

 rounded boulders in the river bed. Trout were visible in some 

 numbers, but the united bag of two local anglers for the whole 

 day had only produced one fine specimen of about a pound 

 weight, whose delicate and varied colouring defied the artist's 

 brush ; and another of the varied tragedies of animal life was 

 seen in the presence of the bodies of several dead dace on a 

 fiat and dry rock in the stream, having been captured and 

 thrown aside to make room for their noble cousins. They are 

 not only coarse of flesh and plentiful in bone, but are suspected 

 of feeding on the smaller trout. 



The usual June flowers were present in great abundance, 

 the banks being gay with red campion and ragged robin, 

 while orchids of various sorts were present in some abundance. 

 At one spot in the stream, the monkey flower ( ' Mimulus luteus) 

 was growing in a wild state, and this was interesting as show- 

 ing its naturalisation all over the country, some small streams 

 near Marlborough being practically blocked by it, as also in 

 Derbyshire, and even in industrial Lancashire. Specimens of 

 gromwell and the larger valerian were also found, whilst later 

 in the day a very large quantity of sweet cicely and meadow 

 geranium with escapes of Jacob's ladder were obtained. 



The party spent some time admiring the pretty village of 

 Gainford with its well kept gardens and fine old church, and 

 then after crossing the ferry, proceeded to view the old ruined 

 church of St. Lawrence at Barford. This was originally a long 

 aisleless nave and chancel, but later on the structure was cut 

 in half by a transverse wall and the nave turned into a priest's 

 house of ground and first floors, with a squint or hagioscope in 

 the lower south-east corner by the fire-place whence any one 



