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YORKSHIRE AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 

 NATURALISTS AT ANSTON STONES. 



The opening of the excursion season of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union was 

 fixed for the extreme southern corner of the county, close to the borders of 

 Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. An invitation to participate in the excursion 

 was accepted by the Committee of the Nottingham Naturalists. There was 

 consequently a large gathering of naturalists from both counties upon the platforms 

 of the little station of Kiveton Park (on the M. S. & L. line between Sheffield and 

 Worksop), early in the forenoon of Thursday the 30th of April. The weather was 

 brilliantly fine and all that could be desired. The district appointed for 

 investigation by the main body of excursionists was the valley of the little stream 

 called 'The Stones Dyke,' which runs past Anston Stones and Lindrick 

 Common to Shireoaks — where it enters the county of Nottingham. Other mem- 

 bers went in an opposite direction and investigated the extensive sheets of water at 

 Harthill and other places, and the Yorkshire portion of Whitwell Wood. The 

 Chesterfield Canal was explored by some of the conchologists, and the route taken 

 by the geologists is described in the report of that section. All parties converged 

 upon Shireoaks Station, from which they drove or took train to Worksop, where 

 tea was served and the meetings were held at the Lion Hotel. 



Tea having been despatched and the usual sectional meetings held, the general 

 meeting was opened at 6.30 p.m. The chair was, in the absence of the president, 

 occupied by one of the Union's most valued ex-presidents, Dr. H. Clifton Sorby, 

 F.R.S., of Sheffield. There was a very large attendance, 125 sitting down to tea, 

 including the Nottinghamshire members. The Yorkshiremen present represented 

 the eleven societies of Barnsley, Bradford (Nat. Soc), Dewsbury, Doncaster, 

 Heckmondwike, Leeds (three societies), Rotherham, Sheffield, and York. The 

 minutes having from pressure of time been taken as read, several new members 

 were announced, including Messrs. J. A. Brooke, J. P., of Fenay Hall near 

 Huddersfield ; Arnold Thos. Watson, of Sheffield; and Joseph Whitaker, F.Z.S., 

 of Rainworth Lodge near Mansfield, Notts. Dr. Handford, president of the 

 Nottingham Naturalists, then proposed a vote of thanks to the Duke of Leeds for 

 permission to visit his estates, and to the various leaders of parties, namely, Messrs. 

 Marriott .Hall, F. Brittain, S. H. Bennett, F. W. Dickinson, B. Sturges Dodd, 

 Holmes, T. Carrington, F.G.S., and C. Tylden- Wright, F.G.S. This was 

 seconded by Mr. W. Denison Roebuck, F.L.S,, and carried unanimously. Mr. F. 

 Brittain responded. The reports of the various sections were then taken. 



In Vertebrate Zoology, Mr. F. W. Dickinson reported, in the absence of the 

 officers of the section. In this section the chief feature of the day's work 

 was the observations made on the avifauna of the district, which is naturally rich in 

 woodland species. In all 54 species were recorded. The date of the excursion 

 was particularly favourable for noting the recently-arrived summer visitors, and of 

 these no less than 21 species were observed, including the Nightingale, Redstart, 

 Whinchat, Wood Wren, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Yellow 

 Wagtail, Cuckoo, Swift, Turtle Dove, Corn Crake, and Blackheaded Gull. Of 

 resident birds, of which the list included 33 species, may be mentioned the 

 Hawfinch, Reed Bunting, Jay, Kingfisher, Moorhen, Coot, and Wild Duck. A 

 few of the commoner mammals and fishes completed the list. 



Mr. B. Sturges Dodd of Nottingham reported on behalf of the Conchological 

 section. Several conchologists had explored the district during the day, including 

 himself, Messrs. Ernest Dufty and W. Gain of Tuxford, Notts ; the Rev. Hilderic 

 Friend, M.A., F.L.S. , of Worksop; Mr. John Emmet, F.L.S. , of Boston Spa 

 (secretary of the section) ; and Mr. W. Denison Roebuck, F.L.S. The result was 

 that 37 species had been found, being 17 water shells, 3 slugs, and 17 land shells. 

 The conchologists had been very successful, for Achatina acicula had been found 

 near Kiveton Park by Mr. Emmet, after a close and determined search for it ; and 

 Mr. Roebuck had taken several specimens of Vertigo mimitissinia in the locality 

 which had been indicated by Mr. Pickard of Mansfield, its discoverer there. 

 Investigation of the canal, both at Kiveton Park and at Shireoaks, had yielded 

 SphcBriiiui rivicola (one), S. lacustre (one, dead), S. corneitju (plentiful), Fisidmm 



Naturalist, 



