32 
KIEIJ) .MEETINGS, 1950 
FIELD MEETINGS, 1950 
JUNE 25th to JULY 1st, 1950. ISLE OF MAN. 
Leader: Mr. Neil M.\thieson, J.P. 
On the evening of 24th June, 14 of the 16 members and friends who 
were attending tlie Meeting assembled in the Manx Museum at Douglas 
where those who had not already met him were introduced to our 
Leader, who outlined the excellent programme that had been arranged. 
Members were also made familiar with the topography of the island, 
and the principal geological and climatic features were explained to 
them by Mr. P. E. Humphreys. Through the generosity of the Manx 
iMuseum Trustees, Mr. B. R. S. Megaw, the Curator, made a room at 
the IMuseum available for members in which to meet in the evenings 
and to attend to their presses and specimens. Needless to say this room 
was much used and, for some of us who collected, it helped to make the 
week a particularly profitable one. 
The party left Douglas by coach on Sunday morning, 25th June, and 
in fine weather drove north along the coast road to Corrany, about 
three miles south of Ramsey. Here we were met by a keen local botanist, 
Mr. R. Howarth, whose great knowledge of the Isle and its plants helped 
not a little to make the week so successful. Whilst the day was spent ex- 
ploring the Ballaglass Glen, Mr. Howarth took the writer to the north 
of the Isle to prospect the ground for Wednesday’s visit to the Ayre. 
On Monday the weather was again fine, and the party set off across 
the island by way of Crosby and Kirkmichael for the Curragh, a most 
fascinating marshy area, reminding one in some respects of the Somerset 
peat moors. Before we had gone far, however, mechanical trouble with 
the coach caused a halt to be made neai- Crosby whilst another coach 
was sent from Douglas. The time, however, was not wasted, for Nitella 
upaca Ag., new to vice-county 71, was found in the nearby R. Greeba 
during the enforced wait. At Ballaugh Curragh we were joined by Mr. 
Howarth, who directed the party along a track leading through this wild 
and otherwise impenetrable country. An exotic air was added to the 
scene by the huge inflorescences of New Zealand hemp, PhormhiDL tenax 
J. R. & G. Forst., towering above the sedges and other native vegetation. 
It seems that the hemp was at one time tried as a commercial crop, but it 
was not a success and the project was abandoned. Many plants, how- 
ever, survived, and even gave the appearance of being able to hold their 
own and spread by seed unaided by man. The coach was joined the other 
side of the Curragh, and the party moved on to explore Sulby Curragh, 
an area which, though not far away, proved to be very different botani- 
cally. After an excellent tea in an hotel at Sulby, the party returned 
to Douglas for dinner and the evening’s work. 
On Tuesday, 27th, joined by the two remaining members, the south 
of the island was explored. The first stop was at Langness where the 
