4 Wiih the Yorkshire Naturalists r 



the adolescentula decepta, whose special function may be 

 described as vara spe allicere. " Yo look wairm," said the 

 specimen. ''No wonder 1' said a naturalist. "Well," 

 added the specimen, " I ha gotten summut in a bottle 'ere, 

 wad yo loike to sup." "Yes, yes," eagerly answered a 

 dczan naturalists. " Well then," replied the adoles- 

 centula, " noan on yo shall hev a drop " — and she 

 went on her way rejoicing. So on we tramped across 

 the moor, looking out for the game-keepers who 

 were looking out for us ; knowing it was near the 

 " twelfth of August," and knowing, too, that some of 

 our party had been turned back in attempting a moor 

 on which it was known were some specimens of the 

 rare Malaxis paludosa. S)on we came in sight, far cff, 

 sleeping silently, nestling amid hills where the heavens 

 kiss the earth, of the town of Oldham, with its tall 

 mill chimneys, its grey church tower, and its hazy 

 canopy of soft smoke. We gave it a passing glance, 

 as not belonging to us, because Lancashire, to York- 

 shire naturalists is (on these occasions) forbidden ground. 

 So we passed on, leaving S^ddleworth Church to the 

 left, and making towards Digs:le. Mr. Hirst shewed 

 US en route the effects of denudation in modern times 

 — the best instance in this neighbourhood. The cattle 

 tracks which have had to be made higher and higher 

 as the denudation has proceeded were distinctly visible, 

 as were also some other interesting features about the 

 stream which is still carrying on its denuding work. Near 

 this spot, too, Mr. Hirst pointed out to us, far away across 

 t he valley, an ancient "verge of the salt sea fl lod." High 

 up the mountain there, fifteen hundred feet above the pre- 

 sent sea level, was once the ocean, with its tides, its 

 beach, its shells (which are still there), and almost every- 

 thing just ae it is at Blackpool at present, except that then 

 there were no bathing machines, or donkeys, or lodging- 

 hcuse keepers, or nigger minstrels. 



We then struggled across fields, climbed over walls, and 

 at last reached Diggle Mill (where is the largest water- 

 wheel in England). In the stream hard by Mr. Hobkirk 

 came across a rather rare moss, the Hypnum cordifolium ; 

 and others amused themselves with the echo at the outlet 

 of the reservoir. We proceeded along South Clough, where 

 are cart-loads of fossils in the shale, chiefly of worm 

 tracks. About here, too, Mr. J. Dore found several beau- 

 tiful specimens of the white heath, a by no means com- 

 mon plant in the neighbourhood. South Clough had to 

 be ascended by leaps from rock to rock, and from stone to 

 stone. It is a magnificent cleft in Diggle Moss, down 

 which the white waters merrily leap. Here we rested a 

 while and drank of the cool stream, and enjoyed "cur 

 'baeca" to the music of the summer torrent's gentle dash. 

 It was a rest well earned, and what with the splendour of 



