2 93 



YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS AT NORTH GRIMSTON. 



THOMAS SHEPPARD, F.G.S., 



Curator of the Municipal Museum at Hull; 

 Secretary of the Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists' Club, and of the 

 Geological Section of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. 



The 14th June was surely a well-chosen date for an examination 

 of the fauna and flora of the East Yorkshire wolds, but in 

 common with the absolute disregard which the Clerk of the 

 Weather appears to have had for seasonable warmth and cold 

 during - the last twelve months, middle June was more like mid- 

 April, and cold winds and sharp showers prevailed. Immediately 

 preceding the 14th there had been much rain, and even on the 

 early morning of that date threatening clouds hung overhead, 

 and probably had some influence on keeping some of the 

 members away. Notwithstanding this, however, there was a 

 very fair and representative attendance. 



On the previous occasion of the Union visiting this neigh- 

 bourhood the members had the advantage of the guidance of 

 Mr. S. Chadwick, who worked so well amongst the rocks and 

 quarries, and did so much towards forming a museum at Malton. 

 Mr. Chadwick is now in the Antipodes, and we were debarred 

 the pleasure of his presence this year. The Rev. E. M. Cole, 

 M.A. , F.G. S., of Wetwang, another geologist and antiquarian, 

 who probably knows the wolds as well as anyone, was to have 

 conducted the geological section, but unfortunately was pre- 

 vented at the last moment from attending. 



Mr. M. B. Slater, F.L.S., of Malton, a well-known figure at 

 the Union's field meetings, was on his native soil, a fact which 

 rendered his presence even more welcome than usual, were such 

 possible, and he was able to show the visitors many interesting 

 places. 



The district around North Grimston is a particularly happy 

 one for an excursion in which naturalists of so many different 

 interests are taking part. On the hills around are numerous 

 barrows and entrenchments and other evidences of the pre- 

 historic inhabitants of the area, who two thousand years ago, 

 and more, were ' naturalists ' of necessity ! Then the Romans 

 knew the neighbourhood well, and had several ' streets ' from 

 various parts, all centring in an important Roman camp, now 

 Malton. The chalk wolds, oolitic hills, dry valleys, and claye\ 

 flats not only afford a variety of material for the geologists to 



1902 September i. 



