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YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS AT POCKLINQTON. 



PocKLiNGTON was the place selected for the 189th meeting- 

 of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union on August Bank Holiday 

 week-end. From this centre Allerthorpe Common, Barmby-on- 

 the-Moor, Nunburnholme, Warter, Millington, and the sur- 

 rounding dales were visited, whilst the evenings and early 

 mornings were profitably spent in examining- the many in- 

 teresting g-eological sections, woods, and lanes in the immediate 

 vicinity of the quaint market town in which the members made 

 their headquarters. 



On Saturday morning a start was made at Nunburnholme, 

 the home of the late F. O. Morris, the ' Selborne of the 

 North,' as some have styled him. The party called at the 

 Rectory, where the Rev. M. C. F. Morris showed the members 

 the principal features of interest in his church. A hard bed of 

 chalk appears to have been quarried for the purpose of erecting 

 the edifice, and an arch of this material — at least eight centuries 

 old — spoke well for the durability of this stone. Of particular 

 interest was a portion of a magnificent pre-Norman cross, upon 

 which various symbolical figures were carved. These caused 

 much speculation as to their significance. The road was 

 followed to the fish-pond at Warter, resplendent with the 

 yellow Water-lily. En route the geologists examined a section 

 in the Lower Lias, from which several characteristic fossils 

 were secured. In the brick-yard at Warter the well-known 

 section showing the red chalk resting- directly upon the Lower 

 Lias was seen, and by a small excavation which was made the 

 actual junction of the two beds was exposed. In this pit is the 

 greatest 'unconformity' known in East Yorkshire. 



On the following day the botanists visited Allerthorpe 

 Common. Several treasures were secured, the examination 

 of which occupied the members till a late hour in the evening. 

 The geologists went towards Yapham, and noted the exposures 

 in the superficial deposits in the g'ravel-pits which abound in 

 the district. In a sand-pit near Barmby-on-the-Moor the upper 

 portion of a fine Roman earthenware vessel was found. On the 

 edge of the Common were numerous circular pits in a field 

 which have been described by some as British pit dwellings. 

 Inquiries, however, proved that they were formerly used for 

 preparing flax. In a similar way, probably, other so-called 

 British pit-dwellings 'can be explained. Other items of anti- 

 quarian interest were noted. 



Naturalist, 



