308 
Yorkshire Natural History 200 Years Ago. 
by Mr. Slingsby about the year 1620,’ and the stinking or 
surpher (sic) well, and others, were described under the head 
of Knaresborough — then a not unimportant place. Knares- 
borough legitimately boasted its Dropping well, ‘ the most 
famous of the petrifying wells in England.’ 
• Even Leeds had four important medicinal springs, one 
of which was more or less appropriately termed ‘ High Dam,’ 
and near another was kept the Ducking Stool, which doubt- 
less, had something to do with its ‘ virtues surpassing all the 
rest ! ’ 
Scarborough had its Spaw-Well, the waters of which 
had a pleasant acid taste from the Vitriol, and an ‘ inky 
smell.’ At Scarborough there were ‘ no Walks nor publick 
diversions.’ 
There was also a spring of waters on the top of Roseberry 
Topping, which was good for diseased eyes. Even Beverley 
had its spaw on Swinemoor, the waters of which killed ‘ Scar- 
butick scurf.’ and helped the King’s evil ! 
There are early references to the quarries for Alum, Jet, 
" Copperas.’ etc. There are quaint remarks on Whitby fossils. 
Near Whitby the air was so strong on one part that wild 
geese dropped down dead in attempting to fly through it, 
quite probably ‘ to the great Amazement of all Beholders.’ 
The reference to the stocking of Pool Semur (Semmer- 
water) with crayfish from the south of England, by Sir 
Christopher Medcalfe, is also of interest, especially as the 
species still exists in that sheet of water, as was proved on 
a recent excursion of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. 
The first section is headed ‘ The Natural History of the 
West Riding,’ and occupies pages 444-448. ‘ The Natural 
History of the East Riding ’ occupies pages 569-571, and ‘ The 
Natural History of the [North] Riding,’ pages 642-649. 
In this last section is a list of ‘ Plants growing wild 
and plentiful in this County, but rarely, or not at all in most 
others.’ 
This is in the North Riding chapter, and follows on the 
general natural history notes without any break whatever, 
though the list is obviously intended to refer to the county as 
a whole. This list of flowering plants and mosses — and even 
sea-weeds — is a particularly early one, and is probably based 
on the works published a few years previously by Ray. the 
naturalist. 
T. S. 
The following is a copy of the title of this section of the 
work : — 
Naturalist. 
