277 



YORKSHIRE AND WESTMORLAND NATURALISTS 

 AT SEDBERGH. 



The sixty-eighth meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union was 

 held at Sedbergh for the investigation of the Howgill Fells, Cautley 

 Spout, the Crook of Lune, and the valleys of the Lune and Rawthey, 

 and took place on the Bank-holiday Monday, which this year 

 happened on the ist day of August. The Kendal Natural History 

 Society had cordially accepted the Union's invitation to participate 

 in the excursion, and, being represented by several of their ablest 

 members, the Yorkshiremen present benefited much by the 

 skilled knowledge and genial companionship of their friends from 

 over the border, amongst whom were the Rev. G. Crewdson, presi- 

 dent, and Mr. J. Severs, secretary of the Kendal Society, together 

 with Messrs. J. A. Martindale, George Stabler, and John Watson. 

 On this occasion it was not a case of fighting between York- 

 shiremen and Westmorland men such as took place this summer 

 when the latter were perambulating a disputed boundary, but of keen 

 em^ulation and friendly co-operation in the work of the day. Several 

 of the best workers of the Union were present, and the botanical 

 section was in unusually strong force. Three parties were formed, 

 all of which started from the market-place at about 9.30 a.m. One 

 party was mainly composed of geologists, whose line of route lay to 

 the south of the Rawthey, and who were under the leadership of 

 Mr. J. W. Davis, F.G.S. Another party was in charge of Mr. John 

 Handley, of Briggflatts, near Sedbergh, and its special object was to 

 see and gather Meum athainanticum, which grows in Howgill. A 

 wagonette was filled and driven to Beckhouses, and on the farmer, 

 Mr. J. Fawcett, being asked if they might go into his field and get 

 some of it, he said 'Yes, if ye'll go roond be't yet an' net breck 

 t'hedge,' which was agreed to very meekly. The plant was in fruit 

 and growing on a bank in large quantities. In the hedge very near 

 it was noticed Hypericu7n dubium. On returning was got a Hieraciiim^ 

 about which some difference of opinion was expressed ; it turned out 

 to be H. crocatum, not noticed before, and which made the tenth 

 kind of Hieracium noted in the locality, and H. ccesiufu has been 

 seen since, which makes eleven. Near Crosdale Beck one of the 

 party saw Rosa spinosissi?na, quite new to the district and passed 

 many a time by the local botanists. The party then followed that 

 ■under Mr. Thompson's leadership, who had walked to Cautley Spout, 

 but as most of them had climbed what is known as the Spout 

 Tongue and returned to Sedbergh over the hills, we only saw a few 

 ardent admirers of mosses and fichens who were still diligent in their 



•Sept. 1887. 



