236 president's address. 



my Presidency, the interests of the Club, though I feared that 

 my duties as a clergyman, in the midst of a large population, 

 would not allow me to attend the Field Meetings as regularly as 

 I should be anxious to do. I have said this much, gentlemen — 

 perhaps too much — because I would ask your forbearance should 

 I not have been as constantly present among you during your 

 summer forages as some of you may have thought I ought to have 

 been, and as it was certainly my desire to be. "Without further 

 preface I will now proceed to fulfil that rule of the Club, which 

 directs, "that at the close of each year the President be requested 

 to favour the Club with an address, containing a written sum- 

 mary of its proceedings at the several Field Meetings, together 

 with such observations from himself as he may deem conducive 

 to the welfare of the Club, and the promotion of its objects ;" 

 but I must not commence this record of our proceedings until I 

 have first returned my sincere thanks to Dr. Embleton and Mr. 

 G. S. Brady for their kindness in having furnished me with an 

 account of those meetings in wbich I was myself unfortunately 

 prevented from taking part. 



The Fiesx Field Meeting of this year was held at Hartford 

 Bridge. On the 26th of May a large party, which, with the 

 additions subsequently made to it, was found to number no less 

 than eighty-seven members, left the Central Station by the 1*20 

 train for Plessey. From thence the road was taken to Blagdon, 

 the seat of Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bart., which is about two 

 miles from the station. Here the members rambled through the 

 grounds, garden, and hot-houses, and then walked to Stannington 

 Bridge. At this point leaving the road, we followed the course 

 of the winding Blyth to Hartford Bridge. The romantic and 

 wooded banks of the river were covered with a profusion of spring 

 flowers; and insects and birds seemed to be in as full enjoyment 

 of the delightfully warm sunny spring day as were their biped 

 brethren. Hartford Bridge was reached a little after five ; and 

 the hungry guests did ample justice to the tea which mine hosts 

 of the "Jolly Anglers" and "Bridge" Inns had provided for 

 them. After tea, as there was no room large enough to contain 



