president's address. 271 



neither of its Yorkshire habitats can boast of its having survived 

 the assaults of collectors and florists. Mr. Baker, in his 'Tlora," 

 speaks of it as '^ now vre fear nearly extirpated" in Castle Eden 

 Dene, quoting my grandfather as his authority for its having 

 been in that place, and this, mark, about one hundred years ago. 

 Its complete vindication to a place amongst our indigenous flowers 

 is now established. I have ventured to bring it under your no- 

 tice as it may interest some of our Club. I have by me a dried 

 specimen of one I gathered in 1876." 



In the kingdom of Botany no discoveries have this year been 

 made by the members of the Club ; nor have they been more suc- 

 cessful in the search for Fossils, either vegetable or animal. 



Under the head of Antiquities it must be noticed that our late 

 President, the Eev. Dr. Hooppell, has been engaged in prosecu- 

 ting important and successful researches among the buried ruins 

 of the Eoman Station at Binchester (Yinovium), near Bishop 

 Auckland ; the results of which he communicated, in Lectures, 

 illustrated by coloured drawings, to the Literary and Philosophi- 

 cal Society of N'ewcastle and to the Bishop Auckland Mechanics' 

 Institute, in February last. 



The First Evening Meeting of the two Societies, namely, the 

 Natural History Society and the Tyneside Field Club, was held 

 in the Museum of the former, on the 4th of March, Mr. Joseph 

 Blacklock in the chair. There was a considerable attendance of 

 members. The Eev. W. Howchin, F.G.S., read a i)aper entitled 

 ' ' Notes of a Find of Prehistoric Implements in Allendale, with 

 Notices of similar Finds in the surrounding District." This will 

 duly appear in our Transactions. 



A hearty vote of thanks was given to the reverend gentleman 

 for his interesting communication, which has opened out to us a 

 new field of antiquarian research in relation to the ancient in- 

 habitants of our district. No doubt further investigations will 

 show that other parts of our northern counties are also ricli in 

 ancient British remains. 



The Second Joint Evening Meeting was held on ]\[onday, April 

 21st, at half -past seven, in the Museum, the President of the 



