150 



THE NATURALIST. 



High Wycombe Natural History Society. 

 — On Saturday, August 26th, the members 

 met for a field day, having chosen Hollow 

 Lane for the purpose of exploration. Mr. 

 Britten pointed out many of the floral 

 beauties, and gave some interesting infor- 

 mation concerning their names and reputed 

 medicinal properties. Although many 

 rarities have not boen found in the lane, 

 the great profusion of flowers has attracted 

 the notice of all who have rambled in it ; 

 the mulleins in particular being numerous 

 and very fine, both Verhascmn nigrum and 

 v. Thapsus. The hedges are just begin- 

 ning to revel in all their autumn luxuri- 

 ance and beauty, the various colored fruits 

 of the Mealy Guelder Rose, Viburnum 

 Lantana, the Dogwood, Cornus sanguinea, 

 the Black Bryony, Tamus communis, the 

 Eed Bryony, Bryonia cliolcia, the roses and 

 the brambles all contributing their share. 

 A paper on the origin of Hollow Lane, 

 which had been prepared by the secretary, 

 was read by Mr. E. J. Payne at the request 

 of the writer, who was suffering from a 

 severe cold, A short discussion then took 

 place, and a vote of thanks was accorded 

 to the writer of the paper, and after 

 judging for themselves on the facts ad- 

 vanced by personal observation, the mem- 

 bers separated, expressing themselves 

 much pleased with the ramble, and regret- 

 ting that more had not availed themselves 

 of it. 



Richmond and North Riding Naturalists* 

 Field Club. — On Thursday, August 17th, 

 the naembers of this Club to the number 

 of about sixty held a Field Meeting at 

 Bishop Auckland, and by the kind permis- 

 sion of Messrs. Stobart and Co. paid a visit 

 to the Newton Cap Colliery near Bishop 

 Auckland. Special carriages having been 

 engaged, the party, of whom several were 

 ladies left Richmond by the nine o'clock 

 train reaching Bishop Auckland at eleven 

 o'clock. After a brief stay at the Fleece 



Hotel, the party moved oft' for the colliery 

 situate about a mile from the town ; the 

 ladies having preceded the rest in an open 

 carriage. On approaching the place there 

 were evident signs of holiday making, a 

 number of the employes being put off" work 

 for the occasion ; a royal salute of twenty- 

 one guns was fired off, flags were displayed, 

 one of which declared Welcome to our 

 Yorkshire friends," another the words 

 ' ' The Works of Nature lead the mind to 

 Nature's God." After some little delay in 

 arranging the attire, the descent took 

 place under the able gTiidance of Mr. 

 Lishman, the surveyor and agent. The 

 " main" coal, the seam worked at Newton 

 Cap Colliery is some 360 feet from the sur- 

 face and the machinery for the descent is 

 of the most perfect description, the shaft 

 being large and the cages capable af accom- 

 modating eight or ten persons. In a short 

 time the descent of the whole party was 

 accomplished and being ushered into the 

 Drawing Room," a chamber at the foot 

 of the shaft which had been whitewashed 

 and seated, the visitors were each provided 

 with a candle ; they then divided into three 

 parties each party having a conductor and 

 visiting a different part of the pit — the 

 ladies travelling along the cuttings in the 

 small wood waggons used in these pits 

 called " tubs" ; (several new waggons 

 having been made for the occasion, ) these 

 were drawn by the most tractable of 

 ponies which seem to know every yard of 

 the way ; in many places the head room 

 was so scanty — scarcely four feet high — 

 that the occupants of the waggons had to 

 stoop to avoid coming in contact with 

 the ceiling. After staying some time at 

 that portion of the pit where the men were 

 hewing the coal, the party commenced a 

 return and in due course arrived at the 

 bottom of the shaft. One subject of 

 remark during the journey, was the pure 

 state of the atmosphere, the Davy lamp 

 not being necessary in this pit, which is 

 entirely attributable to the efficient state 

 of arrangements for ventilation. The fur- 



