374 REV - J- M - HICKS REPORT OF 



Colburn, and thence along the high banks of the Swale to 

 Catterick Bridge, whence we wheel round for the homeward 

 road by Brompton. Here there is more arable land, but the 

 scarlet poppy, though appealing to the eye of the artist and 

 naturalist, is too prolific to be pleasing to the farmer. We were 

 fortunate in seeing the yellow wagtail sitting on a wall outside 

 the village. On our approach it wheeled round to the rails 

 opposite and back again, affording us a good view of its gay 

 plumage and graceful antics. On the river were the sandpipers 

 and martins hawking up and down, and by winding meadow 

 and wooded knolls, with constant changing views, were we led 

 back towards Easby — near which the comfrey and rose-bay 

 willow-herb were noted — to Richmond, where our pleasant 

 meeting ended. Mr. Beck kindly supplied the following list of 

 birds seen : — lesser whitethroat, greater whitethroat, willow 

 wren, tree pipit, pied, grey, and yellow wagtails, common sand- 

 piper, dipper, redshank — golden plover, wheatear, whinchat (to 

 which I can add the stonechat), snipe (drumming), tawny owl — 

 and others. 



We held our Fourth Meeting at Blackhill and Shotlev 

 Bridge on Saturday, July 13th, in which the Vale of Derwent 

 Field Club were invited to join. Leaving Newcastle at 10 a.m. 

 the party walked to Allansford and then through the woods by 

 the banks of the Derwent to the Sneap, and returned to 

 Allansford by the southern side of the river. The day was fine 

 and hot and we much enjoyed our walk, much of it being be- 

 neath the shade of the trees. No novelties were observed, but 

 much of interest was seen. The early summer flowers were 

 mostly over, but there were noticed between Blackhill and 

 Allansford the broad smooth-leaved willow herb, dovesfoot 

 cranesbill, jagged-leaved cranesbill, small St. John's wort, 

 cathartic flax, and three varieties of wild rose. Between 

 Allansford and the Sneap, spotted orchis in abundance, a few 

 butterfly orchis, herb-Paris, columbine (the latter I rather think 

 a garden escape ; it did not coincide with the columbine which 

 used to grow on the limestone at Ferryhill), honeysuckle, 



