198 



The Naturalist. 



found, and specimens of the various species wete distributed. Mr. W. 

 Porster exhibited some interesting young plants of a variety of Scolopen- 

 drium milgare, which he had raised from the margins of the fronds of full 

 grown plants not producing spores, Mr. J, Cash finished the reading of 

 his interesting compilation of the letters and correspondence of Edward 

 Hobson. An essay on the genus Amblysteginm, in French, was presented 

 to the society by Mons. R. du Buysson, the author. Mr. Gr. A. Holt 

 recorded the finding of Gymnostomum tenue and Weissia mncronata at 

 Ashley, in Cheshire. 



Yorkshire Naturalists' tJNioisr. — Roche Abbey, May 8th, 1884. — 

 The opening of the excursion season of 1884 was a most unqualified 

 success. The district chosen was the very productive and picturesque 

 magnesian limestone district surrounding Maltby Commons and Roche 

 Abbey, with the beautiful Cistercian ruin as a rendezvous. There was a 

 very large attendance of members and associates, not only from the 

 neighbouring towns but from places so far distant as York, Leeds, and 

 Hull. The arrangements had been most efficiently made by the officers 

 of the Rotberham Society, to whom the Union stand much indebted. 

 The majority of the members drove in waggonettes from Rotherham to 

 Maltby. The Sheffield Naturalists' Club had made independent driving 

 arrangements, and joined the other parties at Bramley village. The 

 Doncaster members also drove direct to the place of meeting. Arrived 

 at Maltby, the members divided into two parties, one of them, under the 

 charge of the Rev. R. M. Norman, vicar of Maltby, and Mr. F. W. 

 Dickinson, the secretary of the Rotherham Society, and numbering about 

 a score, driving to Martin Beck, a wild jungly tract of country beyond 

 Tickhill. The other party, at the head of which were the Rev. W. T. 

 Travis, of Roche Abbey Mill, and Mr. S. H. Bennett, of Rotherham, 

 continued the drive a mile or two beyond Maltby, and then alighted for 

 the investigation of Maltby woods. Both parties subsequently made for 

 the Abbey, as did also a smaller one of three members which walked 

 down the valley and through Wood Lee Common to Roche Abbey, and 

 afterwards examined the valley of the Laughton stream. About 120 sat 

 down to tea, after which all the meetings, sectional and general, were 

 held in the open air, the true "Union weather" which prevailed ren- 

 dering this course of procedure an enjoyable one. At the general meeting 

 the chair was occupied by a vice-president, the Rev. W. C. Hey, M.A., 

 of York. The minutes of the Malham meeting having been taken as read, 

 the roll was called, and twenty societies were found to be represented, 

 viz : — Huddersfield, Heckmondwike, Barnsley, Wakefield, Elland-cum- 

 Greetland, Liversedge, Bradford (Naturalists'), Leeds (3), York (2), 

 Sheffield, Dewsbury, Hull, Halifax, Doncaster, Ukley, and Rotherham. 

 Of individual members, associates, and friends there were about 140 

 present during the day, including many of the more influential of the 

 Sheffield and Rotherham societies. The Kingston Field Club, Hull (54 

 members), was admitted into union, on the motion of Dr. J. A. Erskine- 



