52 Report of Meetings for 1887. By J. Hardy. 



Book of the Roman Wall, 1st Ed. p. 88.) As ready hewn stones, 

 they might possibly have been brought from some structure on 

 Middle Watling Street, which traverses part of the parish. 



After dinner, which was at Mr Martin's, Rose and Thistle Inn, 

 Mrs George Muirhead was proposed as a Lady Member. The 

 terms of the Memorial to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and 

 the Thorpe Trustees for efficient protection of the Birds on the 

 Fame Islands were adjusted by Capt. Norman and Mr Gr. H. 

 Thompson, and adopted. This was subsecpaently duly forwarded, 

 and favourable replies were received. New leaseholders now 

 hold the islands, by whom watchers are appointed to prevent 

 lawless depredations on the birds or their eggs. The heavy fines 

 imposed by the application of the AVild Birds' Protection Act 

 have also acted beneficially as a deterrent. 



The health of Mr John Nicholson, who was present, was pro- 

 posed by Dr Robertson, to which Mr Nicholson when replying 

 related how from a hint dropped by Canon Greenwell, that every 

 dressed piece of flint found in a field was valuable as a historical 

 exponent, he had been led to pay such close attention to flints, 

 that if they had been gold and silver, he would now by the 

 quantity he had amassed, be a wealthy man. In addition to those 

 described by Mr Dixon and figured in the Club's Hist. vol. x. pp. 

 •347-9, Plates vi and vn., he now exhibited a large bagful contain- 

 ing hundreds of examples, all picked up on Low Earnham. His 

 new series consisted of several large spear-heads and thumb- 

 flints, and knives fashioned out of thin slices, and numerous 

 fragments ; also he had got half of a stone-axe or celt. 



Dr Robertson had reported by letter that with Mr R. Burdon 

 Sanderson he had spent a day on Mr Sanderson's place, Davy- 

 shield, near Otterburn, in digging about some small stone circles 

 on the moors, and also opening some small burial cairns, but the 

 digging discovered nothing, all the cairns having at some previous 

 period been opened, and the larger slabs abstracted for building 

 purposes.* 



There were present at this meeting : — Rev. David Paul, Rox- 

 burgh, President ; James Hardy, Oldcambus, Secretary ; Revs. 

 R. H. Williamson, Whickham ; E. H. Adamson, Felling; Canon 



* Inquiry had been made in 1886 at Mr Burn, Alwinton, about one or 

 more large Red Deer Antlers found on his property. It is a long time 

 since they were got by a drainer when draining a meadow between his 

 house and Alwinton Tillage, and were broken in two, and the man got them 

 away. This is all that could be ascertained. 



