20 



The Natuealist. 



wliich are habitations for owls, jackdaws, swifts, and starlings. On 

 coming down we passed through the graveyard, which is surrounded 

 with very old trees, among them being two very old yews. There are 

 many ancient tombs, in one of which was a blackbird's nest containing 

 five eggs. On leaving the Abbey we recrossed the river Irthing by 

 some steps, and went up a beautiful glen which leads to Naworth 

 Castle. The banks of this glen are covered with trees, rare ferns, 

 and many choice plants. The water rushing down over the rock, 

 makes it a noted place for dippers, kingfishers, and graywagtails. 

 Naworth Castle once the feudal stronghold of the Dacres, and now 

 belonging to the Howards, is one of the most interesting monuments 

 of the feudal age that can be found in England. In it is some of the 

 most splendid tapestry I have seen, and some very fine paintings. 



May 29 : I had a walk on the old road to Carlisle, and collected 

 larvae of CJielonia caja^ and also took AntJiocharis cardamines and 

 Satyrus megcera. 



In the afternoon Mr. Parkin and I started for the Gelt, which is a 

 beautiful stream of water running into the Elder, and abounds with 

 trout and salmon. The scenery here is magnificent ; it rises from the 

 steep declivities of a wild and wooded ravine, which in one spot is 

 called the Riven Rock, and in some places its waters rush down 

 through deep ravines worn out in the red sandstone, which in some 

 places is so contracted that one can jump across. There are some 

 rare ferns, mosses, and many other plants of great beauty. We saw 

 plen ty of dippers and found one nest gray wagtails, and many of the 

 tits and warblers ; and we took Tephrosia hiundularia before we 

 reached the middle Gelt bridge, where is an old public house ; and 

 the line crosses over the valley by a very high viaduct. Here we 

 had a rest and refreshed ourselves, and then came back on the 

 opposite side of the river, where are some high cliffs, and over which 

 two young owls looked at us ; we got them down, finding them to 

 be tawny owls, Syrnium stridula. 



May 30 : I was so pleased with my last night's ramble, that I went 

 again up the Gelt and found it still as lovely as before. Butterflies 

 were flying in profusion. Pieris rapce, P. mpi, A. cardamines, S. 

 megcera, hibernated specimens of V. lo, the beautiful copper 

 C. Phlceas and H. sylvanus. I filled my boxes, and then went to 

 the middle of Gelt bridge to refresh the inner man. Here I saw a 

 puzzle to me at first, but on watching it with my field glass found 

 that it was a male pied flycatcher (Muscicapa atricapiUa). After 



