189 



THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION 

 AT ASKERN. 



The opening meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union for the season was 

 again held in the Doncaster district, Askern Spa being the rendezvous, on Thurs- 

 day, the 20th May. Meteorological conditions were not very propitious, much of 

 the country proposed for investigation being flooded, a consequence of the exces- 

 sive rainfall of the previous week or two ; and rain falling at times on the day itself. 

 Notwithstanding this, fifteen societies were represented, the Union being especially 

 well supported by its South Yorkshire constituents. Permission had been kindly 

 granted by the landowners of the district, including Captain Anne, Burghwallis 

 Hall, Messrs. F. Bacon Frank, Campsall Hall, G. B. C. Yarborough, Camps Mount, 

 P. S. Neville, Skelbrooke Park, and E. Ripley, Owston Hall, for members to visit 

 their estates. It had been intended to investigate two lines of route, but the mem- 

 bers, on assembling at 10 a.m. at Askern Station, finding that one of them was 

 almost entirely submerged, united upon the one which included the higher ground — 

 viz., by way of Campsall Park, Camps Mount, and Burghwallis, and thence to 

 Askern. In this they had the benefit of the guidance of the Rev. F. H. Allen, Vicar 

 of Moss, himself an accomplished microscopist. Mr. F. Bacon Frank did the 

 members the honour to show a personal interest in their investigations in his park 

 at Campsall, and Captain Anne in his at Burghwallis. 



The tea and meetings were held at the Swan Hotel, Askern, at an earlier hour 

 than that mentioned in the circular, to enable members to leave by the earlier trains. 

 The chair of the general meeting was occupied by the Rev. Wm, Fowler, M.A., 

 of Liversedge, an ex-president, iu the absence of the president, Dr. Dallinger, 

 whose health did not permit him to face the inclemency of the weather. The 

 minutes having been taken as read, the list of societies was read over, when it was 

 found that the following were represented : — Barnsley, Dewsbury, Doncaster, 

 Elland-cum-Greetland, Leeds (3), Liversedge, Malton, Rotherham, Scarborough, 

 Sheffield, Wakefield, York, and the Practical Naturalists' Society, the individual 

 attendance being about thirty or forty. The following new members were then 

 elected: — Rev. E. H. Smart, Kirby-in-Cleveland, and Captain Anne, Burghwallis 

 Flail, Doncaster. A vote of thanks to the gentlemen who had given permission 

 for the Union to visit their estates, and to Rev. F. H. Allen for acting as 

 guide, was then adopted, on the motion of Messrs. Turner and Emmet. The 

 Sectional Reports were then taken. 



In the absence of the officers of the Vertebrate section, Mr. Leonard Gaunt, of 

 Farsley, reported that but very few observations had been made, and these not of great 

 moment, he being the only member of the section present. As regards the mammalia, 

 the only species noted was the Mole, although it was reported that the Water Shrew 

 had again occurred after an absence of eight or nine years. Of birds 31 species 

 were noted, 12 summer visitants and 19 residents. The former were the Willow 

 Wren, Redstart, Tree Pipit, Swallow, House and Sand Martins, Swift, Chiffchaff, 

 Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, and Whinchat. The residents 

 were the Rook (breeding, young fledged), Carrion Crow, Starling (nesting), Black- 

 bird (nesting), Song Thrush (nesting), Missel Thrush, Great and Blue Tits, Wren, 

 Hedge Sparrow (nesting), Redbreast (nesting), Goldfinch (nesting), Chaffinch, 

 Yellowhammer, House Sparrow, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, and Pied Wagtail. A 

 Gull was observed, mobbed by Rooks. Of amphibians and fishes were noted two 

 each — the Frog, Toad, Pike, and Eel. Mr. Gaunt added that he had been 

 informed that the Little Grebe had been caught this year, and the Rev. W. Fowler 

 that the nest of the Song Thrush had been noticed on the ground in Campsall 

 Park during the day. 



For the Conchological section Mr. John Emmet, F.L.S., one of its secretaries, 

 reported that the section had done fairly well, although the season was early and 

 the weather not very agreeable. In all, 35 species and one good variety had been 

 collected. The 13 water shells, most of which were obtained by searching the 

 heaps of debris by the ditch-sides, were Sphcerium cornewn, Bythinia icnlaculata, 

 Planorbis complanatus, P. carinatus, Limncea peregra var. ovala, L. auriczu'aria, 

 all plentiful in ditches about Campsall, a few each of Valvata piscinalis and 

 Limncea tnincahda and one of Planorbis albns with them ; Unio tumidus and 



June 1886. 



