FIELD MEETINGS, 1950 
35 
party divided, some exploring the Langness peninsula whilst others 
worked the shore to the north past Derby Haven. Many sand-loving 
maritime species were found. We then visited Scarlet, one of the few 
places on the Isle of Man where the mountain limestone outcrops. Here, 
as might be expected, a number of plants, not seen hitherto, were ob- 
served. It was interesting to note how floristically poor the limestone 
flora of Scarlet is, and many species, which one might have expected to 
have found, were absent. The party then went to Cregneish, where a 
fine view of the Calf of Man was obtained. Here some left the coach 
to walk over Mull Hill to Port Erin whilst others went round by road. 
At Port Erin our Leader had arranged for the party to visit the 
Marine Biological Station. We were met by the Acting Director, Mr. J. 
R. Bruce, who, with the help of his staff, most kindly showed us round 
his Station and entertained us to tea, after which we returned to 
Douglas by coach, making a short stop to visit Rushen Abbey on the 
way. 
The same evening a reception was held jointly by the Manx Museum 
Trustees and the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 
of which our Leader was the President. Our Society was honoured by 
the presence at the reception of His Excellency, the Lieutenant- 
Governor, Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Bromet and Lady Bromet, to 
whom the members were presented. His Excellency, in a short address, 
to which the writer responded, welcomed the Society to the Isle of Man, 
and, later, Mr. D. E. Allen read a most interesting paper on the phyto 
geography of the Isle. 
In low cloud and driving rain the party left by coach on Wednesday 
morning for the Ayrelands of Kirk Bride. The coach took us to the 
lighthouse at the Point of Ayre. Undaunted by the rain, which had 
now turned to a steady drizzle, many of us set off to walk along the 
coast towards Smeale, whilst others botanized around the lighthouse 
and, later, went round by coach to join the walkers near Rue Point. 
The land to seaward of the old fixed dunes was quite remarkable in its 
paucity of flowering plants and the dominance of lichens, reminding 
one of the description of tundra in the geography books. The flora of 
the fixed dunes and the arable fields behind them was also studied, and 
a number of interesting plants were recorded. Later the sun came through 
and dried us before we foregathered at the Hydro near Ramsey, where 
Mr. Howarth most generously entertained us to tea. On the return 
journey members were shown one of the localities where the Manx cab- 
bage, Bhynchosinapis monensis (L.) Dandy, still grows. 
Thursday was a real soaker! We went by coach to the Niarbyl, on 
the west 'coast a few miles south of Peel. Here we met the full force 
of a south-west gale, and whilst the conditions were far from ideal for 
botanizing, the party walked along the rugged cliffs, where the rain was 
blown up at one from below, and down to the shore where the fury of the 
sea was seen in all its magnificent grandeur. We ate our lunch in a cafe 
at the Niarbyl, after which we drove to Glen Maye. Here the wooded 
glen, which runs down to the sea, afforded the party considerable shelter 
