PRESIDEJTT S ADDKESS. 109 



Two parties left iS'ewcastlc, the earlier by the 10.25, the later 

 by the 1.30 train to Killing-worth. The latter party had the 

 good fortune to fall in with Mr. E. C. Britten, manager of the 

 Gosforth Park Company, who spared no pains to make the visit 

 pleasant. Guiding us through the park, first he showed the 

 rooms of Old Gosforth House, 1757, the home of the Brandlings, 

 where the silken wall-hangings, richly moulded and frescoed 

 ceilings, mahogany and rosewood doors, old staircase, and espe- 

 cially a fine marble mantel -piece with groups of cherubs in high 

 relief blowing up the fire, were duly admired, and afterward?, 

 the best views of park, lake, and adjoining country, from the 

 grandstand. "We then broke up into little groups, wandering at 

 will,, by lake, through wood or park, listening to call of Cuckoo, 

 song of Blackbird, or cry of wildfowl, enjoying the sunshine and 

 returning evidences of life and activity, till evening called us by 

 various routes back to IS'ewcastle. The sedgy borders of the 

 little lake, the silver gleams of water through the gaps, and far 

 out in the shallow lake the white patches of Ranunculus aquatilis 

 satisfied the artistic eye, as did tlie presence of numerous wild- 

 fowl that of the Naturalist. Two couples of Tufted-ducks, two 

 Black -headed gulls in full plumage, many Blackbacks and hosts 

 of smaller birds were seen, whilst five Coots' nests were found, 

 two with birds sitting close, one with six, another four, and one 

 without eggs. As a breeding place Gosforth Lake is a diminu- 

 tive, and I fear degenerate representative of that olden paradise 

 of the IS^aturalist, Prestwick Car. The proprietor of the hotel 

 said he got last year from his domestic fowls 22,000 eggs. If 

 others copied him we should import fewer. At the keeper's 

 lodge 200 Pheasant chicks were seen. 



Our Second Field Meetii^g was in upper Teesdale, June 27th 

 and 28th. The first day eleven were present, the second four- 

 teen, and two happier or finer days would be hard to find. The 

 rendezvous was the High Force Inn, which was mostly reached 

 by brakes from Middleton. The first day, at 10 a.m., two 

 brakes took the whole party through Langdon Beck to West 

 Cow Green toll-bar, whence all walked over the fell to Cauldron 



