president's address. 251 



The Third Field Meeting of the year was fixed for 

 Holy Island for the i8th of July, 1902, Absence in London 

 prevented me from being present, and I am indebted to Mr. 

 Adamson, one of your honorary secretaries, for the following 

 account of the day's proceedings. 



Some of the members began the day very early by 

 travelling with the train which leaves the Central- Station 

 at 6.20 a.m. Contingents followed by trains leaving at 8.20 

 and 9.30 a.m. During the day, which was of an exceedingly 

 propitious character, the Links, the Castle Rock and Heugh, 

 the fields and lanes, the sea shore, St. Cuthbert's Island, and 

 the loch and its shores were visited. The ornithologist, 

 botanist, geologist, conchologist, and entomologist were all 

 busily engaged in their several pursuits. The geological 

 formation of the Island consists of strata similar to that of 

 the mainland, viz.. Carboniferous Limestone. Red and white 

 sandstone and slate clay are associated with the limestone. 

 In walking over the shingly shores, stones and boulders of 

 porphyry, granite, greywacke, basalt, and sandstone were 

 seen. The picturesque portions — Castle Hill and the Heugh 

 — are due to huge upheavals of intrusive basalt. The coves 

 or caves have almost entirely disappeared on account of the 

 limestone industry. 



A list of the plants observed by the botanists will hereafter 

 be given, but a few remarks about the more characteristic 

 ones may not be out of place. The Hound's Tongue, grow- 

 ing in great profusion, was seen oftener in fruit than in bloom. 

 Its disagreeable smell prevents one from gathering it, although 

 its lurid red flowers look inviting. One of the Gromwells — 

 the oyster plant — prefers a solitary habitation on the shingly 

 beach within high water mark. It was in full bloom of large 

 beautiful purplish flowers. The fleshy and glaucous leaves 

 have an oyster-like flavour when chewed. The plant some- 

 times disappears, and after some years re-appears in the same 

 locality. The Common Bugloss with its bright blue flowers 

 and rough hispid leaves and stems is everywhere to be seen. 

 This plant seems to be visited by a great number of insects, 



