Anniversary Address. 139 



become so with us, if unmolested. I lately found a very fine 

 specimen of the Horned Owl, now becoming rare, which had 

 been wantonly shot. The Peregrine Ealcon, which used to 

 breed on the moors close by my residence, has disappeared for 

 many years. One of the pairs of Eavens which is still left in Nor- 

 thumberland, occasionally gratify us with their wild cry. But 

 even these have been driven from their time honoured nest, by 

 having their young ones shot in it. This destruction must not be 

 charged against naturalists ; it is mainly effected by the license 

 which is permitted to gamekeepers, to destroy every thing which 

 they may think proj^er to deem injui-ious to game. The enormous 

 increase of Eats and Eabbits, also, is greatly owing to the de- 

 struction of their active little enemies, the Weazels, by persons of 

 this class. Surely sometliing might be done to check this growing 

 evil. 



Allow me, in conclusion, to express my thanks to the Secretaries, 

 for the kind assistance which I have received from them ; and to 

 apologise to you, for having taxed your patience to such an un- 

 reasonable extent. May the Club flourish, and long continue to 

 realise the intentions of our Founder. The motto which he 

 selected, "maee ex tellits, et ftuoD tegit omnia, ccelum," indicates 

 a boundless range for investigation, in every part of which — to 

 use the words of a charming modern writer — '' The naturalist 

 acknowledges the finger mark of God, and wonders, and wor- 

 ships." 



Irmfcm pi0rg. 



By F. E. Wilson, Associate of the Eoyal Institution of Britis 

 Architects. 



" I ransacked for a theme of song, 

 Much, ancient chronicle and long." 



In the green shade of a deep-set vaUey on the banks of the river 

 Coquet, Osbertus Colutarius built Brinkburn Priory. The smoke 

 from the hospitable fires of the Priory must have mingled its fleecy 

 clouds with the boughs of outspreading trees ; and the sound of 

 the church bell must have reverberated thunderlike through their 

 intertwined branches, for, on both sides of the river, high banks, 

 crested with trees, rise steeply up to a great altitude and shut out 

 the world from the Priory, much as a convent gate shuts out the 

 world from its inmates. These banks are clothed mth one rich 



