214 



NATURALISTS AT SADDLEWORTH. 



Mr. W. H. Pearson and Mr. F. Bower had collected the following 

 Hepatics, most of which are common : Diplophyllum albicans^ 

 Scapania imdtilata^ Cephalozia bicuspidata^ C. divaricata^ Chiloscyphus 

 polyanthus^ Kantia arguta, and Pellia epiphylla, all at Uppermill, and 

 JiingermaJiia riparia at Saddleworth. 



For the Geological Section, Mr. Councillor Nield, of Oldham, 

 gave an address on the geological features of the district, after 

 which Mr. S. A. Adamson, F.G.S., secretary, the only officer of 

 the Section present, said that the objects of the excursion may 

 be briefly stated to have comprised chiefly, a personal observation 

 of the continuation of the great Pennine anticlinal which runs 

 directly down the Saddleworth Valley; a more extended idea of 

 the powers of denudation in carving out the deep valleys and 

 creating the rugged escarpments on every hand ; and a practical 

 acquaintance with the Lower Millstone Grits and Upper Yoredales. 

 These, happily, were all obtained, constituting the day one of the 

 highest value in field work. The section had also the inestimable 

 privilege of being conducted by thoroughly practical and experienced 

 leaders in the persons of Mr. Watts, F.G.S., manager to the Oldham 

 Corporation AVater Works, who had prepared horizontal and vertical 

 sections of the rocks met with, and Mr. Councillor Neild, of Oldham, 

 one of the ablest lieutenants of Prof. Wilhamson, F.R.S., in his 

 discoveries of fossil plants. 



The geologists alighted at Diggle Station, were there received by 

 Mr. Nield, and lost no time in making the ascent of the dark and 

 lofty hill, right before them, known as Harrop Edge. This is capped 

 like Diggle Edge, Millstone Edge, the Noddle, and other adjacent 

 hills, with the Kinderscout Grit. On the road, a little above the 

 Preston's Arms, a halt was made, when a comprehensive view of the 

 beautiful scenery of the Saddlew^orth Valley was obtained. The fine 

 escarpments of Diggle and Millstone Edges bounded the view on the 

 north east, whilst directly in front, on the other side of the valley, 

 stretched the lofty plateaux of the grit moorlands, in places i,8oo to 

 1,900 ft. in height, extending southwards into Cheshire, and broken 

 only by the picturesque valley of Greenfield. 



Mr. Watts here met the party, and with the aid of his carefully 

 prepared contour map, gave very practical instruction in the physical 

 geography of the district. On Harrop Edge being crossed, a descent 

 was made in the direction of the ancient village of Castleshaw, where 

 Mr. Watts showed the party the site of an old Roman camp, and 

 also the direction of the Roman road which crossed the hills of 

 Standedge from Slack to it. The party had been passing over the 

 Upper Yoredale Shales on the slopes of the descent, thence arriving 



Naturalist, 



