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THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION 

 AT PICKERING. 



The sixty-fourth meeting was planned for the investigation of that small section 

 of the beautiful and charmingly picturesquely-wooded ravine known as Newtondale, 

 which extends from Levisham to Pickering, with a field of somewhat more general 

 scope for the geologists, who extended their peregrinations to the Hole of Horcum. 

 Nearly all the members having reached Pickering about n.o a.m., the bulk at 

 once proceeded to Levisham, which was the starting point for both the lines of 

 routes which had been planned. One of them was geological, in charge of the 

 Rev. E. Maule Cole, M.A.. who conducted his party to the Hole of Horcum. The 

 other party was smaller in number, and its members satisfied themselves with 

 working leisurely down the valley to Pickering. At the stated time all had reached 

 the Black Swan Hotel in that town. After tea and sectional meetings, the evening 

 was so pleasant and the time before the departure of trains so ample, that the 

 general meeting, albeit held at the hour stated in the programme, was shortened 

 by its being restricted to the necessary routine business and the taking as read of 

 the usual reports of sections. 



The chair at the general meeting was occupied by the Rev. E. Maule 

 Cole, M.A., one of the vice-presidents. The minutes having as usual been taken 

 as read, the Rev. G. H. Lightfoot, Vicar of Pickering, and Mr. Robert Clark, of 

 that place, were duly elected members. The roll-call showed that the 50 or 60 

 persons who were present were representative of 13 societies, viz.: — Beverley, 

 Bradford (3), Driffield, Hull (Field Naturalists' Society), Leeds (3), Malton, Scar- 

 borough, Cleveland (Middlesbrough), and Harrogate. The thanks of the Union 

 to the Rev. E. M. Cole, Mr. John Braim, and Mr. Robert Clark, for their efficient 

 guidance during the clay, were proposed by Mr. W. Hodgson, of Malton, seconded 

 by Mr. J. T. Milow, of Scarborough, and unanimously voted. Mr. Cole replied, 

 after which it was resolved to take the Sectional Reports as read, on the motion of 

 Mr. J. E. Bedford, Leeds, seconded by Mr. W. West, Bradford, and the rest of 

 the evening was profitably employed in continuing and adding to the day's records. 



The work of the Vertebrate section had been mainly done by two energetic 

 Leeds ornithologists, Mr. W. Cecil Scott and Mr. Walter Booth, and, in the 

 absence of the sectional officers, the report was prepared by them. In all 

 53 species of birds were noted, 37 residents and 16 summer visitants. The list 

 was as follows : — Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, Dipper, Missel 

 Thrush, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Hedge Sparrow, Robin, Redstart, Stonechat 

 (reported by Mr. R. Clark, not seen by the reporters), Whinchat, Sedge Warbler, 

 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Wood and Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Wren, 

 Great, Blue, and Longtailed Tits, Pied and Grey Wagtails, Tree and Meadow 

 Pipits, Skylark, Common and Yellow Buntings. Chaffinch, blouse Sparrow, Green- 

 finch, Linnet, Bullfinch, Starling, Carrion Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie, Jay, 

 Swallow, Martin, Sand Martin, Swift, Ringdove, Pheasant, Red Grouse, Partridge, 

 Golden Plover, Lapwing, Common Snipe, Landrail, and Moorhen. Of these 

 the Yellow-hammer (with three eggs), House Martin, and Wren were found 

 breeding. No observations appear to have been made on the mammals, reptiles,, 

 or fishes, beyond the occurrence of the Frog, Toad, tadpoles of Newts, and 

 Trout. 



Although none of the officers of the Conchological section were present, it was 

 nevertheless strongly represented, and the results of the day's work were very satis- 

 factory, three forms of unusual rarity being turned up, and a fair total list placed 

 on record for a district hitherto quite neglected. The collectors on the ground in- 

 cluded Messrs. Baker Hudson and Wm. Coates, of Middlesbrough, Wra. Denison 

 Roebuck, F.L.S., of Leeds, and H. T. Soppitt. of Bradford. The day's search 

 was directed to Newtondale, from Levisham to a point called Farwath Bridge, 

 and the evening's work to Pickering Castle Hill. The total list included 8 slugs, 

 21 land shells, and 6 water shells, altogether 35 species, in addition to which were 

 noted 8 named varieties. It is as follows: — Pimdhtm pusillum (F. ), Planorbis 

 spirorbis (F. ), and monst. scalaris (a very good specimen, found by Mr. B. Hudson 

 in a ditch near Farwath Bridge), Limncva peregra v. ovata (Pickering Beck at 



Sept. 1886. 



