1938 - The Vasculum

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of the old iron rails still attached to the stone sleepers were seen, in 15 ft.
lengths without fishplates; the stone sleepers are 2 ft. square. This portion of
the railway was disused in 1856, and is now quite overgrown with
brambles, etc., in places looking very like one of the old pack-horse roads.
The old building which once housed a stationary winding engine to work
the incline was also visited. A 99 year old notice warning trespassers and
some very old weigh notes were exhibited.
Mr. R. H. Sargent spoke of having seen the pupa of a Small White
butterfly on the leaves of a book standing on some book- shelves.
Oct. 12th.-This was the opening meeting of the Autumn Session.
Mr. J. E. Ruxton gave a lecture entitled "Off the Beaten Track in
Argyllshire," in which he gave a most interesting account of a trip to the
neighbourhood of Loch Awe, mainly for the purpose of bird study and
photography. The Red-throated Diver and the Black-throated Diver were
among the birds photographed in their nesting haunts; very beautiful slides
of these and of ancient castles and other historic places were shown.
Mr. E. W. Markham reported having heard Redwings during the
week-end.
Oct. 19th.-A lecture entitled "The Pruning and Care of Trees," by
Mr. J. W. Watson, who fully explained the proper method of pruning both
timber and ornamental trees, illustrating wrong methods by means of
lantern slides and specimens. He also mentioned that trees 30 or 40 feet in
height could be transplanted and thrive afterwards, and spoke of the danger
of driving nails into and fastening wire round trees.
Oct. 26th.-Mr. J. B. Nicholson reported on a walk through
Billybank Woods, Richmond (V.C. 65) on Saturday, October 9th, in which
18 members took part. The object was fungus hunting, but owing to the
very dry state of the woods very few were found. However, 32 species were
collected on the outskirts and in adjacent fields; about half of these were
"rusts." A large quantity. of Polygonum Bistorta was seen in a field on the
Reeth Road in full flower.