Yorkshire Naturalists at Hariwod Dale. 



1 8s 



Flowering Plants. — Dr^ William G. Smith reports that the 

 selection of Scarborough as the centre for a Whitsuntide excur- 

 sion was a happy one. At few other seasons could there be 

 a finer display of tree colour than ws have had these past few 

 days on the well-wooded slopes of Harwood Dale and the Upper 

 Derwent. Apart from the aesthetic, the colouring showed at 

 once the chief trees which make up the various plantations, and 

 it was not hard to appreciate that forestry is undertaken in 

 earnest by the landowners. The ground vegetation of the 

 woods contributed more than the open pastures and moors at 

 this season. There was ample variety of spring flowers for the 

 beginner to do much profitable observation, while the masses ot 

 Bluebell, unfolding Fern, and Dog's Mercury, dotted with Prim-^ 

 roses and Wood Sorrel, raised many a conjecture as to cause. 

 Interesting plants like the Bird Nest Orchid [Xeottia), and the 

 parasitic Toothwort (LathrcBa) were also found. The plants 

 flowering in the open pasture were only the forerunners. In the 

 oolitic pastures especially was there promise of a fine variety of 

 species later on. The Moonwort Fern and the Adder's Tongue, 

 both fairly abundant were found unfolding their shoots. The 

 moors were the domain of 'glacial men,' and as they rushed 

 from moraine to valley and up again to the moor-top, the 

 botanist had scant opportunity for examining the vegetation 

 of the numerous valleys and ravines. Sphagman bogs were 

 numerous, as one found on sinking into them. The most 

 interesting feature of these was the scrub of Sweet Gale 

 [Myrica] which occurred in several of the valleys, notably in 

 Jugger Howe ; this plant is much more frequent in the moister 

 West than in the drier East of Britain. On the drier tracts of 

 Ling, could be seen patches of golden Needle Furze (Geriista 

 anglica), while seedlings of Birch, Willow, and Mountain Ash 

 were frequent almost up to the moor-top. The most interesting 

 plant of the moor was the Lesser Tway-blade (Listera cordata), 

 found by a working party of botanists, who carefully examined 

 one area. The display of Gorse on the dry slopes attracted 

 much attention, and its distribution as compared with the 

 Bracken formed a topic at the evening discussions. The visit 

 was too short, but suflficed to show that the district includes 

 much of interest to the botanist, not only inland but along the 

 coast, which the Y.N.U. for the present did not attempt. 



On each excursion the botanists were very ably led by Miss 

 Simpson, the energetic Secretary of the Scarborough Naturalists' 

 Society. 



1904 June 3. 



