Yorkshire Naturalists in Eskdale. 
323 
Stenus brunnipes Steph. 
Oxytelus tetracasinatus Block. 
Lesteva punctata Er. 
Adalia obliterata L. 
Meligethes ceneus F. 
Coninomus nodifer West. 
Atomaria atricapilla Steph. 
Typhcea fumata L. 
Chrysomela staphylea L. 
Phcedon tumidulus Germ. 
Crepidodera transversa Marsh. 
Rhinosimus planirostris L. 
Apion nigritaYse. 
A pion virens Hbst. 
Otiorhynchus picipes F. 
Strophosonius coryli F. 
Phyllobius argentatus L. 
Orchestes fagi L. 
Geology. — Mr. J. J. Burton writes: — The selection of the 
Glaisdale District for the August Bank Holiday excursion was 
not because of any special geological features, nevertheless 
the area visited was full of interest to students of solid geology 
and fluvial and glacial action. 
The little river Esk, dammed back by an invasion of the 
North Sea ice sheet, cut its way sometimes through the drift 
and sometimes through the solid Lias rocks during and after 
the period of ice recession, leaving a picturesque valley and 
several fine gorges. The high moorlands have been deeply 
indented by short lateral valleys, bare on the top except for 
moor flora, but the sides often clothed with luxuriant woods. 
On these steep slopes there are numerous exposures, and alum 
shale workings, as well as sandstone quarries, have artificially 
added to their number, although much is hidden beneath drift 
and talus. 
During the three days’ excursion the Upper Lias was well 
seen in the cliffs bordering the Esk between Egton and Glais- 
dale ; also at Sleights and at Falling Force. The Dogger was 
noted near Glaisdale, but was more closely examined in the 
ravine of Littlebeck, where appearances indicated its com- 
position as a calcareous sandstone with iron in some proportion. 
At Glaisdale there is a very singular narrow ridge of land 
running up from the river to the high ground, caused by the 
Glaisdale beck flowing into the Esk at a point where the latter 
stream makes a sharp curve, and the two streams form a very 
acute angle. On the sides of the winding cart track up this 
ridge the succession beds from the Lias through the Estuarines 
up to the Ellerbeck bed were fully exposed, and gave a good 
opportunity for close examination. The ridge ends on a 
plateau, on which are a series of shallow saucer-like pits 12 to 
15 feet in diameter, in close succession, and probably over 200 
in number, but owing to the covering of bracken, brambles and 
gorse, the number was not easy to estimate. The origin of these 
pits has been the cause of much speculation. The old ordnance 
survey gave them as a British village or settlement. A more 
critical generation threw doubts upon this belief of their age 
and purpose, and with dogmatic certainty assured us that they 
were merely Bell pits used for working ironstone. Similar 
pits, but differing entirely in arrangement, are found plentifully 
1914 Oct. 1 . 
