309 



NATURAL HISTORY OF RUNSWICK. 



The two hundred and seventeenth meeting of the York- 

 shire Xaturahsts' Union was held at Runswick, on Saturday, 

 July loth. and was well attended. The geologists, with Mr. 

 J. J. Burton, F.G.S., as their guide, had a profitable day on the 

 Liassic shale between Runswick and Kettleness. The botanists 

 had the advantage of the leadership of Dr. W. G. Smith (Edin- 

 burgh), Dr. T. W. Woodhead, Mr. P. Fox Lee, and Mr. C. A. 

 Cheetham, and in addition to mapping the vegetation features 

 of the area, were successful in securing some interesting plants. 



The general meeting was held under the chairmanship of 

 Mr. J. J. Burton, at which the reports of the sectional officers 

 were presented. Three new members were elected. The mem- 

 bers passed a vote of S3"mpathy with the relatives of the late 

 Lord Ripon. His lordship had been a member of the Union 

 since its formation, and always took a keen interest in its work. 



The following reports have since been received : — 



Mr. J. J. Burton, F.G.S., writes : — ' The geologists had a 

 good field dsiy in a portion of the coast, which gives favourable 

 opportunities for close inspection of the sections of Lias shewn 

 in the cliffs between Runswick Bay and Kettleness point. 

 The bay at Runswick is the mouth of an ancient pre-glacial 

 valley through which a stream of considerable importance 

 must have found its way to the sea. It is now completely 

 blocked with boulder clay, and only a few streams of minor 

 importance have cut into it. .Boring operations in the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood have shewn that this boulder clay 

 deposit extends inland so as to connect up this choked valley 

 with the drainage system of the large stream which has cut its 

 way through the rocks, and formed the ravine at Staithes, 

 where it enters the sea. It is one of the numerous cases in 

 Cleveland where the blocking up of the old river valleys by ice 

 has permanently changed the course of the rivers which once 

 ran through them. The beds of some of the streams flowing 

 through the boulder clay in the bay were examined, and shewed 

 a surprising number of erratics. Many of these were from the 

 Cheviots. Teesdale whinstone and large blocks of limestone 

 were very numerous ; so also were Shap Fell granites. One 

 of the latter blocks measured roughly 4 feet by 3 feet by 2 feet 

 9 inches. Many other far-travelled boulders were noticed, 

 but the identity of some was not clearly established. 



1909 Sep. I. 



