Reports of Societies. 



47 



Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. — The last excursion of the season 

 took place in the East Riding on the 4th Sept. , and was well attended 

 by East Riding naturalists. The place fixed was Market Weighton for 

 the investigation of Londesborough Park, Holme Woods and Houghton 

 Moor. Besides numerous small parties three main routes were followed. 

 The botanists worked from Holme Station, by Houghton Moor to Sancton 

 and Market Weighton. Mr. Frank Parkinson conducted a numerous 

 party to Londesborough, the parks, gardens, fishponds and woods, thence 

 to Goodmanham and back by the Springwell Brook to the meeting place. 

 Mr. Matthew Foster of Sancton, one of the local secretaries, conducted 

 the geologists in a southward direction. The day was sunny and cloudless, 

 very fine and warm. The meetings were all held at the Londesborough 

 Arms Hotel. At the general meeting the Rev. William Fowler, M.A., 

 vice-president, occupied the chair. Eleven societies were found to be 

 represented, sixteen being absent. There was a good individual 

 attendance, about 70 or 80. The minutes were taken as read, for want 

 of time. The Hull Field Naturalists' Society was admitted into the 

 Union. Messrs. W. Hodgson and Jno. Key of Malton, Alfd. Harker and 

 B. Carlill of Hull, and Mr. Foster Parkinson of Market Weighton, were 

 thanked for becoming subscribers. Numerous donations to the library 

 from Messrs. G. T. Porritt, F.L.S. (Entomological Transactions for 1879, 

 &c.), Thos. Lister and Matthew Foster (two valuable MS. sections of the 

 East Riding oolitic rocks) were also acknowledged by a vote of thanks. 

 Thanks were also voted to Messrs. W. N. Cheesman and M. Foster, 

 the local secretaries ; to their coadjutors ; and to Messrs. J. Young, H. 

 Stourton, C. Langdale and Rev. J. Blow, for permission to visit their 

 estates, on the motion of Mr. J. T. Atkinson, F.G.S., of Selby, 

 seconded by Mr. E. Hunter, F.C.S., Goole. The Sectional Reports were 

 then given as follows : — Fifty species of cryptogamic plants were seen, 

 consisting of six species of vascular cryptogams, twenty-two mosses, six 

 lichens, two hepatics, and fourteen fungi. Among the latter were 

 Amanita pubescens, Lepiota procerus, Paxillus involutus, Lactariua 

 serifluus, Russula alutacea, R. emetica, R. nigricans, Polyporus perennis, 

 P. abietinus, and Boletus edulis. None of the other plants seen were 

 rare, the least common moss being Plagiothecium undulatum. Mr. 

 Matthew Foster, of Sancton, reported for Geological Section, as 

 follows : — Starting from Market Weighton on Sancton-road, the first 

 appearance of the oolite was found at Gofer Hill — a very thin bed, not 

 more than two feet, including its accompanying sandbed, overlying which 

 the red chalk was very conspicuous in the high road. At Sancton, on© 

 mile further, the sandbed appears as a stratified rock 36ft. in thickness ; 

 this bed lies in a fault, dipping to the south at an angle of about ten 

 degrees. The red chalk is seen on the top. Some large blocks of oolite 

 which had been taken from below the sandbed, were lying near ; out- 

 wardly they presented the usual appearance of the common oolite, but, 

 when broken, the centre is found to be a very hard compact blue stone. 



