Report of Meetings for 1S85. By Jas. Hardy. 39 



gers carted the captured fish across the country, and sometimes 

 sold them as cheap as twopence each. Eel- spearing still forms 

 an exciting sport at the Thrum. It was a pretty sight to witness 

 the evolutions of a flock of Starlings previous to their roosting 

 on a tree in a field above Eothbury. Pied Wagtails are very 

 numerous by the Coquet-side. Conferva rivularis in the limpid 

 water was as common here, as it was in the deep rocky pools 

 about Blindburn in the upper reaches of the river. It is called 

 " Ladies' Soap," and the girls wash their hands with it as such. 

 Asplenium Ruta-muraria is as abundant as ever on Eothbury 

 Bridge. 



June 25th. Favoured with a bright day after the rain and 

 escorted by the Eev. A. Scott, author of the new useful " Guide " 

 to the Antiquities in the Eothbury district, and Mr Dixon, a 

 tour was made round the Simonside Hills. We went by Whitton 

 farm and Quarrel gate : at the former there is a very thick- 

 walled farm-house of the olden style : Quarrel gate represents 

 the " Quarle-yate," where Whitton provided two men to watch, 

 when the country in 1549 was patrolled night and day as a pre- 

 caution against the inroads of reiving Scots or their thievish 

 allies from neighbouring dales. The quarry that gives name to 

 the gate is there still. A male Eedstart that we disturbed dis- 

 played its gay plumage as it stole out from the wall-sides in its 

 restless feverish manner : and the Corn-crake's rasping voice 

 arose from the meadows. We were crossing the Glebe, and 

 looked up into Whitton dean with its sheets of blooming haw- 

 thorn, which has been unusually rich this year and productive 

 of great crops of haws. The Fairies dwelt here in the days of 

 yore, and doubtless they do still if people believed in them. 

 Above and across the dean was the High Head farm, which gave 

 the name of Hi Hevett (heafod the head) to the rivulet, as far 

 back as 1275. The moor and boggy ground rising in front 

 spotted with birches is called Birky Hill. An entomologist could 

 not select better ground for his search ; but this and very much 

 other promising ground in this quarter of Northumberland has 

 never been subjected to close scrutiny. An entomologist at least 

 requires to be much more than a casual visitant. Eeaching the 

 moors we first inspected a double monumental mound near a 

 wall-side, and then crossed to some grassy slopes where some pits 

 for the extraction of lead ore had once been excavated. Frag- 

 ments of sulphate of barytes or heavy spar which accompanied 



