Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Harcty. 35 



It is not adverse to trees rooting in it. Two oblong sods are 

 cut out of the turf, and a hole dug into which the young firs are 

 inserted, and the two sods are replaced to protect them. Plant- 

 ations formed in this waj', are rapidly springing up to shelter 

 the high bleak moors. 



Two or three years ago Sir William's pines were attacked by 

 numerous caterpillars, supposed to be those of the pine saw-fly 

 {Lophjrus pini,) which bared them considerably. The woods 

 previous to that were full of Chaffinches, but these were thinned 

 out by the severe winters, so that the ravages of the caterpillars 

 remained unchecked ; but they have ceased now. The Chaf- 

 finches have never been so numerous since. 



During the operations for covering the hillface with soil, some 

 extent of the rock on the high surface has been bared besides 

 what was previously exposed to atmospheric influences. Where 

 the flat rock has been unweathered the glaciation is very appar- 

 ent in the beautiful smoothening and parallel linear scratches, 

 left by the ice- sheet. The wonder here is the number of them, 

 as well as their perfection. They are most evident where two 

 divisions of rock meet along the line of the crack. The scratches 

 lie in the direction of the vale of the Coquet, which is here east 

 and west. With the rain that had fallen on and moistened, and 

 the random gleams of sunshine that brightened the numerous 

 patches of grey pavement, they might still be imagined as repre- 

 senting the scant remainders in their wane of the vast fields of 

 "thick-ribbed ice" that once enwrapt them, and before they 

 finally dissipated indelibly wrote upon the rock the story of their 

 mighty march during the era of intense cold. 



The only birds visible were grouse and moor-pipits ; but there 

 is no lack of bird choirs in the mornings and evenings in the 

 sheltered hollows by the stream sides. As we descended from 

 the summit we heard the voice of the "Thrum" afar off, and 

 saw it dashing down to keep up the ceaseless turmoil. The 

 noise varies according to the state of the weather, from a gentle 

 liquid hush to the murmur of a vexed sea-shore ; making music 

 that 



" Lulls the spirit, while it fills the mind." 



The surrounding cincture of dusky hills much enhances the 

 impressiveness of the scene. To quote the favourite naturalist 

 of our youth (Gilbert White) : 



