YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS AT FLAMBOROUGH HEAD. 



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and another species, Limax agrestis, L. lavis, L. maximus, Succinea pzrtris, Zonites 

 cellarius, Z. nitidulus, Z. aystdllinus, Z. fulvus, all from Dane's Dyke ; Helix 

 aspersa and v. exalbida from the old locality at Bridlington ; H. nemoralis in 

 various interesting varieties, including albolabiata, and H. cantiana from the same 

 place ; H. rnfescens, H. hispida and var. stibrufa, Dane's Dyke ; H. virgata and 

 H. caperata', Bridlington Cliffs ; Clausilia rugosa, Zua lubrica, and Caryckium 

 minimum, Dane's Dyke. 



For the Entomological section Mr. G. C. Dennis, York, secretary of the section, 

 stated that Eupithecia lariciata was the only lepidopteron of note that had been 

 reported, the rain having put a stop to entomological work. 



For the Botanical section its secretary, Mr. M. B. Slater, stated that the 

 district around Bridlington and the promontory of Flamborough is geologically on 

 the chalk, having on its surface a covering of boulder drift clay, the soil of which 

 is generally fertile, and around Bridlington well cultivated, the corn growing 

 luxuriantly in some places almost to the extreme edge of the sea cliff. Under such 

 circumstances it is fair to assume that many of the indigenous plants of the district 

 have been eradicated by cultivation. The wild ravine of Dane's Dyke affords, 

 however, a locality where the native plants may still be found, and the sea cliffs 

 also have their wild denizens — only such, however, as can bear the exposure to the 

 salt spray during the driving storms which occur at times on this coast. The 

 botanists confined their explorations mainly to Dane's Dyke and the coast cliffs. 

 A ramble, however, of four or five hours is quite inadequate to give more than a 

 general glance ac the vegetation then growing, and a more detailed list of the flora 

 of the district would require to be done by more permanently resident botanists. 

 During the few hours of the ramble 163 flowering plants were noted, including 6 

 Ferns and 3 Equisetums. The general character of the flora is similar to that of 

 limestone and chalk districts, with the addition of some few maritime plants not 

 often met with in more inland places. Vegetation is unusually late, the fact of the 

 common Hawthorn {Cratcegtis oxyacantha) being only in young bloom well indi- 

 cating the general lateness of the season. The plants seen in flower were mostly 

 late spring flowering kinds, very few of the summer flowering plants were met with. 

 The following list comprises a few of the most interesting of our native plants which 

 were seen: — Aquilegia vulgaris L., Cochlearia officinalis L., Spircea filipendula 

 L., Campanula glomerata L., Myositis sylvatica Ehrh., Plantago maritima L., 

 P. coronopus L., Armeria maritima Willd., the normal red-flowered form and 

 also a white-flowered form, Orchis morio L., O. mascula L., O. mactilata L., 

 Fritillaria meleagris L. The Rev. E. M. Cole noted a plant of Saxifraga granulata 

 which had been found at Towthorpe-on-the-Wokls, about 20 miles north-west of 

 Bridlington ; this locality is on the same chalk formation which extends to 

 Flamborough Head. 



For the Geological section, all the officers of which were present, its president, 

 Rev. E. M. Cole, M.A. (Wetwang), and its senior secretary, Mr. S. A. Adamson, 

 F.G.S. (Leeds), reported. The geological party had been during the day in charge 

 of Mr. Cole and of Mr. G. W. Lamplugh, who is so well known on account of his 

 researches in Yorkshire coast geology. The programme set out was ambitious, 

 extending from Bridlington along the coast to Flamborough Head, then along the 

 cliffs to Bempton, and inland to Bempton station, a total distance of about fourteen 

 miles, faithfully carried out, despite the heavy rain which fell at intervals. The 

 boulder clay of" Holderness has long been minutely studied by Mr. Lamplugh, and 

 his discoveries, particularly in the neighbourhood of Bridlington, have been so 

 valuable, that no work upon geology is complete without an account of them. It 

 has now been classified in four divisions, the top being, at present, correlated with 

 the Hessle clay, succeeded by the upper and lower purple clays, these overlying 

 the basement clay. In the last-named division occur those transported masses of 

 sand and clay full of mollusca, so well known to geologists as the ' Bridlington 

 Crag.' There are also beds of gravel, sand, or clay, parting the four divisions 

 named, which, no doubt, represent inter-glacial periods. A short distance along 

 the beach at Bridlington, Mr. Lamplugh pointed out in the cliffs a fine section 

 showing the upper and lower purple and basement clays ; here and there, in the 

 latter, occurred those fossiliferous patches already named. Proceeding farther, a 

 bed of inter-glacial clay on the beach was noted. Mr. Lamplugh also directed 



July 1886. 



