32 Report of Meetings for 1879, by James Hardy. 



are the initials T. A., above tbe date 1713. Alnmoutli is 

 prettily seated in a nook by the sea-shore, and enjoys the 

 immunity of clean grassy sea-banks, adapted either for golfing, 

 there being two or three golf clubs here, or for a promenade ; a 

 long expanse of silver sand ; a clean tidal basin ; and an exten- 

 sive prospect from the heights above. The usual sea-side plants 

 were found on the shore. Aster TripoUum was noticed in the salt 

 marshes ; Sagina maritima on the links, and Major Cadogan 

 pointed out a peculiar pale-coloured cricoid variety of Galium 

 verum, which is a sea-side form. The caterpillars of Sphinx Qalii 

 occur on this part of the coast. The southern view from the 

 station of the artillery battery was rather obscured by haze. 

 Out to sea the lagging smoke of passing steamers hung in 

 blurred masses, which one might fancy to be distant islands 

 partially obscured in fog. The northern prospect was more dis- 

 tinct. Not far off was Foxton Hall, recently tenanted by Mr 

 Bennet. It may be mentioned that the Duke of Bedford, in a 

 visit paid not long since to the north country, came to see the 

 last residence of his faithful steward. Seaton, more inland, 

 appeared next ; and then the clustered fishing village of 

 Boulmer, with its red-tiled and blue-slated roofs picturesquely 

 intermixed. Still more remote were the Howick woods, dark in 

 the morning light. Cultivated fields intervened. Flocks of 

 lapwings and starlings, and numerous larks, were observed to be 

 active. The sea was calm, the day was iDerfection, natxire 

 smiled, the mind felt at ease. The farmers, constantly brooding 

 over the previous dismal weather, almost envied us, and said 

 " we were favoured." 



The breakfast was in the Schooner Inn. Here there were a 

 number of stuffed birds, the" rarest being the Polish Swan 

 ( Cygnus immutabilis), which was shot in the Aln close at hand, at 

 a time when the severity of the past winter had induced a small 

 flock of these birds to seek shelter on this part of the coast. Mr 

 Cadogan mentioned that he had recently got a stone implement 

 from the Simonside hills, near the camp there. Mr Dickson, of 

 Sea-bank House, sent a good specimen of Sirex Gigas, a rare 

 wasp-like hymenopterous fly, which he had lately captured ; also 

 ;x pencil sketch of a fleshy light green caterpillar of one of the 

 Sphingides, with a sharp thorn-like spike on its head, which fell 

 from a beech tree, when he was angling. 



