1>keside:nt's addkess. 3 



He sees thee, and calls to his gloomy train, 

 The sleet, and the snoAv, and the wind, and the rain. 

 And they shrink away, and they flee in fear, 

 When thy merry step draws near. 



The woods were gaily decked with, the primrose, the violet, 

 the anemone, and the ranunculus. The yellow catkins. of the 

 various species of willow added to the charm, and the more ob- 

 servant explorer viewed with delight the small, but exquisitely 

 beautiful, bright scarlet stigmas of the common hazel. The great 

 feature, however, was the show of primroses and violets. At 

 places the hedgerows were completely covered with their bloom, 

 which, lit up with a clear spring sky, made a picture so alluring, 

 that even the reticent could not refrain from extolling the beauties 

 of our wild flowers. Several of the geologists left the park ear- 

 lier than the majority of the party, with the object of examining 

 the Gosforth Colliery pit heap, and were fortunate in obtaining 

 some Coal-Measure fossils. 



An excellent tea was provided by Mrs. Eutter, of the Brand- 

 ling Yilla Inn, near Gosforth Station, from whence the party 

 returned to l^ewcastle shortly after seven o'clock. A most en- 

 joyable afternoon was spent, to which Mr. Smith's kindness in 

 permitting free access to the whole of his park, grounds, and 

 gardens very materially conduced, and which was duly acknow- 

 ledged by the members in a hearty vote of thanks. Eleven new 

 members, three of whom were ladies, were elected. 



The Second Field Meeti:ng was held at the Fame Islands, on 

 Whit Monday, the 5th of June. In consequence of the death of 

 my dear and much revered father, I was unable to be present. 

 I am indebted to our estimable Junior Secretary, Mr. Edwin 

 Dodds, for the following particulars relating to this excursion. 



Notwithstanding the early hour of starting, and the threaten- 

 ing aspect of the sky, nearly fifty members assembled and left 

 the Central Railway Station, Newcastle, by the north mail, at 6.8 

 o'clock A.M. Alighting at Chathill Station, a pleasant walk of 

 about four and a half miles brought the party to North Sunder- 

 land, where breakfast was obtained at the AVhite Swan Inu, the 



