318 Yorkshire Naturalists at Filey. 
Votes of thanks were accorded to the Vicar, who occupied the chair, 
and to Mr. J. W. Stather, who had so ably carried out the local arrange- 
ments. Eight new members were elected. The Union had the pleasure 
of welcoming, as a visitor from overseas, Mr. John Sheppard, a Past 
President of the Microscopical Society of Victoria. 
Geology (J. W. Stather). — -Leaving the train at Speeton, a small 
but energetic party of geologists, including two ladies, made the best 
of their way down to the sea shore. Crossing the belt of hummocky 
drift, marking the terminal moraine of the great ice-field once filling 
the basin of the North Sea, and approaching the edge of the cliff, a 
charming and extensive view of Filey Bay and the adjacent coast-line 
was obtained . To the north across the broad sandy bay marking the out- 
crop of the Kimmeridge Clay, could be seen the stubborn reef of Filey Brig ; 
the Middle Oolites adjacent being deeply covered with massive boulder 
clay, and beyond, the series of flat-topped nabs and hills, capped with the 
Lower Calcareous Grit, which characterises the Scarborough district ; 
while turning to the south, the lofty and precipitous cliffs of Buckton, 
Bempton and the headland of Flamborough, were seen in fine perspective. 
Making a leisurely descent by the grassy slopes of the Speeton 
undercliff, the shore was reached at a point where the Red Chalk (Hun- 
stanton Limestone) occurs in situ at the base of the big chalk cliffs. 
Specimens of the characteristic fossil Belemnitella minimus were collected 
from this bed. After a short interval for lunch, the walk which had now 
become a scramble, was continued along the beach, covered with coarse 
shingle and big blocks of chalk from the cliffs which towered above. 
The next half hour was undoubtedly difficult going, but the party 
persevered until, a few hundred yards beyond ‘ Crow Shoot,’ a patch 
of shore was reached entirely free from detritus, making it possible to 
examine the solid geology of the beach from the foot of the cliffs right 
down to the sea. Standing there and looking towards the cliff, a clean 
vertical, and unbroken section of Upper Cretaceous rock could be seen, 
•at least 350 feet in height. As much time as possible was spent in this 
locality, collecting fossils, and noting the character and succession of 
the various beds, but much more could have been done had time permitted. 
On the return journey a brief visit was paid to the jaculum beds of the 
Speeton clay. 
Flowering Plants (A. I. Burnley). — The flowering plants of the 
Filey Cliffs have already been described in The Naturalist by Dr. W. G. 
Smith, who gave fairly full descriptions of the arrangement of the 
plants in the ponds on the Flat Cliff, and by Mr. J. F. Robinson in 
connexion with the visit at Whitsuntide, 1914. Nearly all the plants 
mentioned by Mr. Robinson in the circular issued for this meeting were 
seen . 
Geranium sanguineum is flourishing exceedingly well and seems more 
abundant than ever in ‘ Primrose Valley.' The same may be said of 
Saw-wort. 
Genista tinctoria, a plant occurring very sparingly within a radius of 
twenty miles of Scarborough, was fairly common. 
A special feature is the occurrence on the Boulder Clay of limestone- 
loving plants. The same feature has been noted immediately to the 
north and to the south of Scarborough. The beautiful Spiraea filipendula 
and Agrimony are examples. Since 1914, specimens of the Bee Orchis 
have been found in the valley, but it was too late to see any on this 
occasion. 
Rosa omissa Desegl. was noted in the upper part of the valley, and 
Rosa spinosissima on the Flat Cliff. 
In the ‘ Bog -bean Pond ’ were more specimens of Ranunculus Lingua 
than in 1914, but the plants looked unhealthy. East Riding botanists 
can see this plant in abundance in a pond near Cayton Station. Both 
bur -reeds were at their best in the pond farthest south and Scarborough 
Naturalist 
