04 Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 



particulars. We measured one of the antlers. It has six tines, 

 and is three feet long ; the circumference above the burr is 8 

 inches ; above the brow antler, 6 inches ; above the third, 5f 

 inches; and 5£ above the next. The brow antler is 11£ inches 

 long ; then at the top where the cup should be, the fourth is 1 

 foot 4 inches ; the oth is 1 foot 1A- inch ; and the sixth, 8 inches 

 in length. Where the dredge brought up the head there was a 

 complete mass of bones, which were supposed to have been the 

 remains of a herd, that had at one period been chased into the 

 Tyne by wolves and drowned. 



The garden-beans here were very much infested by Aphis Falos 

 vel Rumicis ; and at Whickham, in Mr Williamson's garden, the 

 foliage of a wall plum tree, that bore no fruit, was loaded with 

 Aphis Pmni — a species which I once in former years detected on 

 its native plant, Arundo Phragmitis, growing on the Tyneside 

 above Dunston. When feeding on the reed it has been called 

 Aphis Arundinis. The low-lying tract round Dunston used to 

 produce rather a large number of species of Aphides ; some of 

 them being distinct varieties. Several of these were described 

 or recorded by the late Francis Walker, F.L.S., from specimens 

 that I collected and forwarded to him, in the " Annals of Natural 

 History;" but there were several others which his papers failed 

 to reach. I see that he has noticed from this locality, Aphis 

 Galeopsidis, Kalt ; Aphis Rosarum, foliage of Rosa spinosissima ; 

 the locality for this, however, was the bents at South Shields ; 

 Aphis Rumicis, var. 29, from Galium Hollugo (described) ; Aphis 

 Lythri, 1st var. (described); Aphis Dianthi 11th var. on Urtica 

 urens (described). There are more recorded among my notes. 

 The Aphides are not a popular branch of study, distinctions 

 between some of the species not being very definite. 



WESTKUTHEE AMD WEDDERLIE. 



The fourth meeting of the Club for 1885 was held on 

 Wednesday, Juhy 2Gth, at AVestruther and Wedderlie. There 

 was a larger attendance than had been anticrpated for places so 

 remote and comparatively inaccessible. Fortunately the new 

 Eoad Acts are operating beneficially for opening up the county, 

 some of the ancient parish roads being now as suitable for 

 carriages as the royal highways of coaching times. The weather 

 was everything that was desirable. After breakfasting at the 

 White Swan Hotel, Duns, the party left in three vehicles for their 



