FIELD MEETINGS FOR 1910 207 



July 24th. — Beaumont Water and Yetholm : — 

 Water-hen, goldfinch. 

 Willow-leaved spiraea, mimulus (in great quantity). 



The Fifth Field Meeting for 1910 was held on Wednes- 

 day, the 7th September, as an excursion to the Northumbrian 

 Lakes, walking from Bardon Mill Station on the line to 

 Carlisle. The sky was overcast, and a cold north-easterly 

 wind blowing, but the weather improved as the day went on, 

 and there was an entire absence of rain. The lakes were 

 reached by a winding road gradually ascending from theTyne 

 valley past the hill of Barcombe, on which is an ancient 

 British camp and several quarries from which* the Romans 

 obtained much of the stone to build the Wall ; and lower still 

 the green-clad slope on which may still be seen the ancient 

 station of Vindolana, now known as Chesterholm. Then, 

 still ascending, the military road constructed by General 

 Wade was crossed, and finally the bold crest topped by the 

 Roman Wall was reached. During this climb of some four 

 miles the usual autumn roadside flowers were noticed in pro- 

 fusion, such as knapweed, ragwort, sheep's scabious, and 

 devil's-bit scabious ; the latter being especially noticeable for 

 the number of abnormal growths or sports obtained. Eye- 

 bright was found in quantity and of large size, and the 

 members interested in fungi collected many specimens, in- 

 cluding an umbrella-full of the horse-mushroom. 



The excursion was not devoid of interest to the ornitho- 

 logists of the party, as curlews, wheatears and lapwings were 

 seen in some number, also a whinchat or two, with some of 

 the herring gulls which are said to breed at the lakes, and a 

 stray visitor in the shape of a heron. 



After inspecting the magnificent example of a Roman camp 

 at Borcovicus or Housesteads, the party proceeded along the 

 top of the Wall westward, having a grand view of the Brownlee, 

 Greenlee and Crag Loughs, with Simonside and the Cheviots 

 in the far distance. These lakes are said to be full of trout, 



