33.
Dfctoda Ibtetorie of the
Counties of Englanb
EDITED BY WILLIAM PAGE, F.S.A.
A HISTORY OF
DURHAM
VOLUME I
THE
/ICTORIA HISTORY
OF THE COUNTIES
OF ENGLAND ^)'
DURHAM
LONDON
ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE
AND COMPANY LIMITED
This History ts issued to Subscribers only
By Archibald Constable & Company Limited
and printed by Eyre & Spottiswoode
H.M. Printers, London
INSCRIBED
TO THE MEMORY OF
HER LATE MAJESTY
QUEEN VICTORIA
WHO GRACIOUSLY GAVE
THE TITLE TO AND
ACCEPTED THE
DEDICATION OF
THIS HISTORY
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
OF THE VICTORIA HISTORY
His GRACE THE LORD ARCH-
BISHOP OP CANTERBURY
His GRACE THE DUKE OP
BEDFORD, K.G.
President of the Zoological Society
His GRACE THE DUKE OP DEVON-
SHIRE, K.G.
Chancellor of the University of Cam-
bridge
His GRACE THE DUKE OP
RUTLAND, K.G.
His GRACE THE DUKE OP
PORTLAND, K.G.
His GRACE THE DUKE OP
ARGYLL, K.T.
THE RT. HON. THE EARL op
ROSEBERY, K.G., K.T.
THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF
COVENTRY
President of At Royal Agricultural
Society
THE RT. HON. THE VISCOUNT
DILLON
Latf President of the Society of
Antiquaries
THE RT. HON. THE LORD LISTER
Late President of the Royal Society
THE RT. Hon. THE LORD
ALVERSTONE, G.C.M.G.
Lord Chief Justice
THE HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD,
M.P.
SIR FREDERICK POLLOCK, BART.,
LL.D., F.S.A., ETC.
SIR JOHN EVANS, K.C.B., D.C.L.,
LL.D., F.R.S., ETC.
SIR EDWARD MAUNDE THOMP-
SON, K.C.B., D.C.L., LL.D.,
F.S.A., ETC.
Director of the British Museum
SIR CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM,
K.C.B., F.R.S., F.S.A.
President of the Royal Geographical
Society
SIR HENRY C. MAXWELL-LYTE,
K.C.B., M.A., F.S.A., ETC.
Keeper of the Public Records
COL. SIR]. FARQUHARSON, K.C.B.
SIR Jos. HOOKER, G.C.S.I., M.D.,
D.C.L., F.R.S., ETC.
SIR ARCHIBALD GEIKIE, LL.D.,
F.R.S., ETC.
REV. J. CHARLES Cox, LL.D.,
F.S.A., ETC.
LIONEL Cusr, M.V.O., M.A.,
F.S.A., ETC.
Director of tbi National Portrait
Gallery
CHARLES H. FIRTH, M.A., LL.D.
Regius Professor of Modern History,
Oxford
ALBERT C. L. G. GUNTHER.M.A.,
M.D., F.R.S., PH.D.
l^ate President of the Linnean Society
F. HAVERPIELD, M.A., LL.D.,
F.S.A.
COL. DUNCAN A. JOHNSTON, C.B.,
R.E.
Late Director General of the Ordnance
Survey
PROF. E. RAY LANKESTER, M.A.,
F.R.S., ETC.
Dirtttor of the Natural History
Museum, South Kensington
REGINALD L. POOLE, M.A.
University Lecturer in Diflomaric,
Oxftrd
J. HORACE ROUND, M.A., LL.D.
WALTER RYE
W. H. ST. JOHN HOPE, M.A.
Assktant Secretary of tbt Society of
Antiquariei
Among the original members of
the Council were
THE LATE MARQUESS OP SALISBURY
THE LATE DR. MANDELL
CREIGHTON, BISHOP OP LONDON
THE LATE DR. STUBBS, BISHOP
OF OXFORD
THE LATE LORD ACTON
THE LATE SIR WILLIAM FLOWER
and
THE LATE PROFESSOR F. YORK
POWELL
General Editor \V HUM* PACE, F.S.A.
GENERAL ADVERTISEMENT
The VICTORIA HISTORY of the Counties of England is a National Historic Survey
which, under the direction of a large staff comprising the foremost students in science, history,
and archaeology, is designed to record the history of every county of England in detail. This
work was, by gracious permission, dedicated to Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, who gave it
her own name. It is the endeavour of all who are associated with the undertaking to make it
a worthy and permanent monument to her memory.
Rich as every county of England is in materials for local history, there has hitherto been
no attempt made to bring all these materials together into a coherent form.
Although from the seventeenth century down to quite recent times numerous county
histories have been issued, they are very unequal in merit ; the best of them are very rare
and costly ; most of them are imperfect and many are now out of date. Moreover, they were
the work of one or two isolated scholars, who, however scholarly, could not possibly deal
adequately with all the varied subjects which go to the making of a county history.
VII
In the VICTORIA HISTORY each county is not the labour of one or two men, but of many,
for the work is treated scientifically, and in order to embody in it all that modern scholarship
can contribute, a system of co-operation between experts and local students is applied, whereby
the history acquires a completeness and definite authority hitherto lacking in similar
undertakings.
The names of the distinguished men who have joined the Advisory Council are a
guarantee that the work represents the results of the latest discoveries in every department
of research, for the trend of modern thought insists upon the intelligent study of the past
and of the social, institutional, and political developments of national life. As these histories
are the first in which this object has been kept in view, and modern principles applied, it is
hoped that they will form a work of reference no less indispensable to the student than
welcome to the man of culture.
THE SCOPE OF THE WORK
The history of each county is complete in itself, and in each case its story is told from the
earliest times, commencing with the natural features and the flora and fauna. Thereafter
follow the antiquities, pre-Roman, Roman, and post-Roman ; ancient earthworks ; a new
translation and critical study of the Domesday Survey ; articles on political, ecclesiastical, social,
and economic history ; architecture, arts, industries, sport, etc. ; and topography. The greater
part of each history is devoted to a detailed description and history of each parish, containing
an account of the land and its owners from the Conquest to the present day. These manorial
histories are compiled from original documents in the national collections and from private
papers. A special feature is the wealth of illustrations afforded, for not only are buildings of
interest pictured, but the coats of arms of past and present landowners are given.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
It has always been, and still is, a reproach that England, with a collection of public
records greatly exceeding in extent and interest those of any other country in Europe, is yet
far behind her neighbours in the study of the genesis and growth of her national and local
institutions. Few Englishmen are probably aware that the national and local archives contain
for a period of 800 years in an almost unbroken chain of evidence, not only the political,
ecclesiastical, and constitutional history of the kingdom, but every detail of its financial and
social progress and the history of the land and its successive owners from generation to
generation. The neglect of our public and local records is no doubt largely due to the fact
that their interest and value is known to but a small number of people, and this again is
directly attributable to the absence in this country of any endowment for historical research.
The government of this country has too often left to private enterprise work which our con-
tinental neighbours entrust to a government department. It is not surprising, therefore, to find
that although an immense amount of work has been done by individual effort, the entire
absence of organization among the workers and the lack of intelligent direction has hitherto
robbed the results of much of their value.
In the VICTORIA HISTORY, for the first time, a serious attempt is made to utilize our
national and local muniments to the best advantage by carefully organizing and supervising
the researches required. Under the direction of the Records Committee a large staff of experts
has been engaged at the Public Record Office in calendaring those classes of records which are
fruitful in material for local history, and by a system of interchange of communication among
workers under the direct supervision of the general editor and sub-editors a mass of information
is sorted and assigned to its correct place, which would otherwise be impossible.
THE RECORDS COMMITTEE
SIR EDWARD MAUNDE THOMPSON, K.C.B. C. T. MARTIN, B.A., F.S.A.
SIR HENRY MAXWELL-LYTE, K.C.B. J. HORACE ROUND, M.A., LL.D.
W. J. HARDY, F.S.A. S. R. SCARGILL-BIRD, F.S.A.
F. MADAM, M.A. W. H. STEVENSON, M.A.
F. MAITLAND, M.A., F.S.A. G. F. WARNER, M.A., F.S.A.
viii
FAMILY HISTORY
Family History is, both in the Histories and in the supplementary genealogical volumes
of chart Pedigrees, dealt with by genealogical experts and in the modern spirit. Every effort
is made to secure accuracy of statement, and to avoid the insertion of those legendary
pedigrees which have in the past brought discredit on the subject. It has been pointed out
by the late Bishop of Oxford, a great master of historical research, that ' the expansion and
extension of genealogical study is a very remarkable feature of our own times,' that ' it is an
increasing pursuit both in America and in England,' and that it can render the historian most
useful service.
CARTOGRAPHY
In addition to a general map in several sections, each History contains Geological, Oro-
graphical, Botanical, Archaeological, and Domesday maps ; also maps illustrating the articles on
Ecclesiastical and Political Histories, and the sections dealing with Topography. The Series
contains many hundreds of maps in all.
ARCHITECTURE
A special feature in connexion with the Architecture is a scries of ground plans, many
of them coloured, showing the architectural history of castles, cathedrals, abbeys, and other
monastic foundations.
In order to secure the greatest possible accuracy, the descriptions of the Architecture,
ecclesiastical, military, and domestic, are under the supervision of Mr. C. R. PEERS, M.A.,
F.S.A., and a committee has been formed of the following students of architectural history
who are referred to as may be required concerning this department of the work :
ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE
J. BILSON, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. W. H. ST. JOHN HOPE, M.A.
R. BLOMFIELD, M.A., F.S.A., A.R.A. W. H. KNOWLES, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A.
HAROLD BRAK.SPEAR, F.S.A., A.R.I.B.A. J. T. MICKLETHWAITE, F.S.A.
PROF. BALDWIN BROWN, M.A. ROLAND PAUL, F.S.A.
ARTHUR S. FLOWER, F.S.A., A.R.I.B.A. J. HORACE ROUND, M.A., LL.D.
GEORGE E. Fox, M.A., F.S.A. PERCY G. STONE, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A.
J. A. GOTCH, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. THACKERAY TURNER.
GENEALOGICAL VOLUMES
The genealogical volumes contain the family history and detailed genealogies of such
houses as had at the end of the nineteenth century seats and landed estates, having enjoyed
the like in the male line since 1760, the first year of George III., together with an intro-
ductory section dealing with other principal families in each county.
IX
The general plan of Contents and the names among others of
those who are contributing articles and giving assistance are as
follows :
Natural History
Geology. CLEMENT REID, F.R.S., HORACE B. WOODWARD, F.R.S., and others
Palaeontology. R. L. LYDEKKER, F.R.S., etc.
/'Contributions by G. A. BOULENGER, F.R.S., H. N. DIXON, F.L.S., G. C. DRUCE, M.A.,
Flora I F.L.S., WALTER GARSTANG, M.A., F.L.S., HERBERT Goss, F.L.S., F.E.S., R. I. POCOCK,
Fauna j REV. T. R. R. STEBBING, M.A., F.R.S., etc., B. B. WOODWARD, F.G.S., F.R.M.S.,
\ etc., and other Specialists
Prehistoric Remains. SIR JOHN EVANS, K.C.B., D.C.L., LL.D., W. BOYD DAWKINS, D.Sc., LL.D.,
F.R.S, F.S.A., GEO. CLINCH, F.G.S., JOHN GARSTANG, M. A., B.Litt., F.S.A.,and others
Roman Remains. F. HAVERFIELD, M.A., LL.D., F.S.A.
Anglo-Saxon Remains. C. HERCULES READ, F.S.A. , REGINALD A. SMITH, B.A., F.S.A., and others
Domesday Book and other kindred Records. J. HORACE ROUND, M.A., LL.D., and other Specialists
Architecture. C. R. PEERS, M.A., F.S.A., W. H. ST. JOHN HOPE, M.A., and HAROLD BRAKSPEAR,
F.S.A., A.R.I.B.A.
Ecclesiastical History. R. L. POOLE, M.A., and others
Political History. PROF. C. H. FIRTH, M.A., LL.D., W. H. STEVENSON, M.A., J. HORACE ROUND,
M.A., LL.D., PROF. T. F. TOUT, M.A., PROF. JAMES TAIT, M.A., and A. F. POLLARD
History of Schools. A. F. LEACH, M.A., F.S.A.
Maritime History of Coast Counties. Prof. J. K. LAUGHTON, M.A., M. OPPENHEIM, and others
Topographical Accounts of Parishes and Manors. By Various Authorities
History of the Feudal Baronage. J. HORACE ROUND, M.A., LL.D., and OSWALD BARRON, F.S.A.
Agriculture. SIR ERNEST CLARKE, M.A., Sec. to the Royal Agricultural Society, and others
Forestry. JOHN NISBET, D.CEc., and others
Industries, Arts and Manufactures )
. ... > By Various Authorities
Social and Economic History )
Ancient and Modern Sport. E. D. CUMING and others
Hunting \
Shooting > By Various Authorities
Fishing, etc./
Cricket. HOME GORDON
Football. C. W. ALCOCK
FIGURE OF JONAS THE PROPHET EMBROIDERED ON BISHOP FRITHSTAN'S STOLE
(A.D. 909 TO 913) FOUND IN ST CUTHBERT'S COFFIN.
M'Lagan & dimming, Litho. Etlinr.
THE
VICTORIA HISTORY
OF THE COUNTY OF
DURHAM
EDITED BY
WILLIAM PAGE, F.S.A.
VOLUME ONE
LONDON
JAMES STREET
HAYMARKET
DA
670
, I
Counts Committee for Durbam
THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF DURHAM
Lord Lieutenant, Chairman
THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF STRATHMORE
AND KlNGHORNE
THE RT. REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF
DURHAM
THE RT. HON. THE LORD BARNARD
THE HON. FREDERICK W. LAMBTON, M.P.
THE HON. ARTHUR ELLIOT
SIR WILLIAM EDEN, BART.
SIR WILLIAM H. E. CHAYTOR, BART.
SIR HENRY S. M. HAVELOCK-ALLAN, BART.
SlR POWLETT C. J. MlLBANK, BART.
SIR CHARLES M. PALMER, BART.
SIR DAVID DALE, BART.
SIR LINDSAY WOOD, BART.
SIR JONATHAN BACKHOUSE, BART.
THE VERY REV. G. W. KITCHIN, D.D.,
F.S.A., Dean of Durham
THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR OF DURHAM
THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR OF JARROW-
ON-TYNE
CHARLES W. BELL, ESQ., D.L., J.P.
ROBERT CAMERON, ESQ., M.P.
LT.-COL. J. C. FiFE-CooKsoN, D.L., J.P.
THE REV. CANON FOWLER, D.C.L., F.S.A.
JOHN SCOTT Fox, ESQ., K.C.
THE REV. HENRY GEE, D.D., F.S.A.
THE REV. CANON GREENWELL, D.C.L.,
F.S.A.
ARTHUR HENDERSON, ESQ., M.P.
F. B. JEVONS, ESQ., D.Lrrr.
G. A. LEBOUR, ESQ., M.A., F.G.S.
WILLIAM G. MORANT, ESQ.
THE REV. CANON NORMAN, D.C.L., LL.D.,
F.R.S.
JOHN S. G. PEMBERTON, ESQ., M.P.
RALPH SIMEY, ESQ., D.L.
SAMUEL STOREY, ESQ., D.L., J.P.
THE REV. CANON TRISTRAM, D.D., LL.D.,
F.R.S.
VICTOR A. WILLIAMSON, ESQ., C.M.G., D.L.
JOHN WILSON, ESQ., M.P.
XIII
CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE
Dedication . ....
The Advisory Council of the Victoria History
General Advertisement ....
The Durham County Committee
Contents ......
List of Illustrations .....
Prefcce
Table of Abbreviations ....
Natural History
Geology
Paleontology .....
Botany ......
Zoology
Marine ......
Marine Molluscs ....
Non-Marine Molluscs
Insects
Spiders
Crustaceans .....
Fishes
Reptiles and Batrachians .
Birds . . .
Mammals .....
Early Man
Anglo-Saxon Remains ....
The Contents of St. Cuthbert's Shrine
Introduction to the Boldon Book
Text of the Boldon Book
Ancient Earthworks ....
History of Schools .....
Index to the Boldon Book
By G. A. LEBOUR, M.A
By R. LYDEKKER, F.R.S., F.G.S., F.L.S.
By M. C. POTTER, M.A
By the Rev. A. M. NORMAN, D.C.L., LL.D.,
F.R.S., Hon. Canon of Durham
n n n
By B. B. WOODWARD, F.G.S., F.R.M.S.
By the Rev. W. J. WINGATB, and J. E. ROBSON,
F.E.S. (LepiJoptero)
By the late F. O. PICKARD-CAMBRIDCE, M.A. .
By the Rev. T. R. R. STBBBING, M.A., F.R.S.,
F.Z.S
By ALEXANDER MEEK, M.Sc., F.Z.S.
By E. LEONARD GILL, B.Sc
By the Rev. H. B. TRISTRAM, LL.D., F.R.S.,
Canon of Durham .....
By E. LEONARD GILL, B.Sc.
By the Rev. WM. GREENWHLL, D.C.L., F.R.S.,
F.S.A., Minor Canon of Durham, and
GEO. CLINCH, F.G.S
By CHARLES C. HODGES ....
By the Very Rev. G. W. KITCHIN, D.D.,
F.S.A., Dean of Durham ....
By G. T. LAPSLEY, M.A., PH.D. (Harvard) .
n n n
By I. CHALKLEY GOULD ....
By A. F. LEACH, M.A., F.S.A. .
PAGI
V
vii
vii
xiii
xv
xvii
xix
xxi
i
31
35
3
8?
90
93
'4'
150
1 68
'74
'75
191
199
211
59
3*7
343
365
4'S
xv
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Portion of Bishop Frithstan's Stole found in St. Cuthbert's Coffin ..... Frontispiece
Articles found in Heathery Burn Cave ..... .... 201
,, ............. 203
205
Drinking Cup from Sacriston : Bronze Rapier-blade from River
Tyne at Newcastle : Bronze Sword from River Tees opposite
Middlesbrough : Bronze Spear-head from River Tyne above
Newcastle : Bronze Rapier-blade from River Tyne at New-
full-page plate, facing 206
castle : Bronze Dagger from River Tyne above Newcastle :
Bronze Rapier-blade from River Wear at Claxheugh
Late Celtic Sword and Sheath found at Bannston, near Sadberge, co. Durham .... 209
Hartlepool Gravestones ......... full-page plate, facing 2 1 2
Iron Weapons found at Hurbuck, near Lanchester . . . . 214
Bishop Tidfirth's Stone from Monkwearmouth : Three Spear-\
heads from Darlington : Anglian Brooch from Darlington : I
Earthenware Vessel containing Coins from Hcworth: Brooch f " " "
or Buckle from East Boldon . . . . . )
Glass Vessel found at Castle Eden ,,,,216
Auckland : Parts of Cross-shaft ,,,,218
Aycliffe : Cross and Cross-shaft in Churchyard 220
St. Oswald's, Durham : Portion of a Cross-shaft . . . x
Billingham : Fragment of Gravestone, now in British Museum
Jarrow : Fragment of Cross-shaft in North Porch .
Durham : Coped Grave Cover in Cathedral Library . . >
Front and Back of Portions of Cross from the Chapter House, Durham . . . . .226
Fronts of Portions of Crosses from the Chapter House, Durham . . . . . .227
Back of Portion of Cross from the Chapter House, Durham . . . . . . .228
Portion of Cross-shaft from Gainford . . . . . . . . . . .230
Portion of Base Stone of Cross from Hurworth . . . . . . . . 2 33
Monkwearmouth: Gravestone of Herebericht ..... full-page plate, facing 234
Sockburn :
Portion of Cross-shaft . . |
Upper Part of Cross-shaft .
Stone with Two Warriors on Horseback/
Portions of Cross-shafts 238
Hog-backed Stones . ...... 240
Sundial at Darlington . .......... 240
Sundial at Pittington . ......... 240
St. Cuthbert's Coffin :
Outer Lid 2 43
Inner Lid. ... . .... 243
Fragments of Wood showing Arcading . . 243
Model Restored ; Grooves for Cross-pieces supporting the Inner Lid . . 144
Right Hand Side . *4S
Left Hand Side *45
Groove and Rebates ... 246
Head with Figures of St. Michael and St. Gabriel . . . . 247
Foot with Figures of Virgin and Child ..... ... 247
Iron Ring .... 248
Inscriptions on the Coffin ..... . . 249
xvii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
St. Cuthbert's Cross . , . . .) full-page plate, facing 254
St. Cuthbert's Comb . . . . j
St. Cuthbert's Portable Altar . . .\
Bracelet of Gold Thread and Silk found in
St. Cuthbert's Coffin . . . .> ..... 2 5 6
Portion of Maniple found in St. Cuthbert's I
Coffin ....... '
Portions of Bishop Frithstan's Stole . \
Ends of Bishop Frithstan's Stole . . . j- . . , . . 258
Bishop Frithstan's Maniple . . .)
Ancient Earthworks
Stockley Beck Camp, Brancepeth . . . . . , . , , . 347
Maiden Castle, Durham . . . . . . . . . . . -348
The Castles, North Bedburn ........... 349
Shackerton Hill, Heighington . . . . .... 349
Jarrow .... .......351
Lanchester . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Castle Steads,' Rowley Gillet ........... 352
Piercebridge . . . . . . . . . . , . -353
Castle Hill, Bishopton . . . . . . . . . . . -353
Durham Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . -354
Barnard Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . -355
Brancepeth ..... ........ 356
Shipley Moat, Hamsterley . . . . . . . . . . . -356
Holmside Hall, Lanchester. . . . . . . . . . , .356
Langley Hall, Lanchester . . . . . . . . . . -356
Castle Wood, Wolsingham . . . . . . . . . . . -356"
Bradley Hall, Wolsingham . . . . . . . . . . . -357
Dawdon Tower ............. 357
Low Dinsdale .............. 353
Summerhouse, Gainford . . . . . . . . . . . -358
Low Throston . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358
WardleyHall .............. 3S9
Ludworth Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . -359
Raby Castle .............. 359
Stockton Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . -359
Middle Friarside, Tanfield . . . . . . . . . . -359
Chapel Walls, Wolsingham ............ 360
Archdeacon Newton ............. 360
Cockfield ............. . 361
Park Pasture, Stanhope . . . . . . . . . . . .362
LIST OF MAPS
PAGE
Geological Map . . between xxvi, I
Orographical Map ............ 14, 25
Botanical Map. . . ,,34,35
Pre-Historical Map . ........ 198, 199
Anglo-Saxon Map . ... ,,210, 211
Ancient Earthworks Map . * A *.*
34 Z > 343
xviii
1
PREFACE
fact that the county of Durham was a palatinate, and there-
fore more than other counties a separate district, may be the
reason why it has been peculiarly fortunate in having attracted
men of culture and leisure to study its history seriously and
enthusiastically. Although he never attempted anything in the form of
a county history, George Allan, a solicitor of Darlington, during the latter
half of the eighteenth century collected and added to the manuscripts
which had been prepared by many earlier workers. This vast store of
material he freely placed at the disposal of historical students, thus
enabling them to give a thoroughness to their work which otherwise
could not probably have been attained. It was by this means that
William Hutchinson was able to write his History and Antiquities of the
County Palatine of Durham, the first volume of which appeared in 1785.
Hutchinson was a man of many parts, a lawyer, a politician, a play-
wright and a novelist, but his history is nevertheless good, and will
compare favourably in a few points with that of his rival Surtees.
Without doubt, however, the principal historian of the county was
Robert Surtees. From his boyhood Surtees was a student of history, and
conceived the idea of writing a history of his native county while an
undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford. He retired to his family seat
at Mainsforth in 1805, and there at the age of twenty-six began what
became his life's work. But The History and Antiquities of the County
Palatine of Durham was delayed on account of his health, and the first
volume was not published till 1816. Beyond the care and accuracy
which he gave to his task there is a quaint humour in his style of
writing, unusual in works of this nature, which adds a charm to what
otherwise might often prove dry reading. The attraction of this
quaint humour, exhibited as well in conversation as in writing, together
with a generous disposition, surrounded him with those congenial com-
panions and devoted friends who may be said to have founded a school of
local historical research which has attained a standard that has never been
reached elsewhere in this country. Among those influenced by this
movement occur the names of Rev. James Raine, Canon Raine, his son,
J. Hodgson Hinde, Sir Cuthbert Sharpe, W. H. D. LongstafF, Canon
Greenwell, and Canon Fowler. Surtees died in February, 1834, leaving
the fourth volume of his history, which remained unpublished till 1840,
to be completed by his colleague, Rev. James Raine. Within a few
months of his death the Surtees Society, which has done so much to
XIX
PREFACE
elucidate the history of the north of England, was founded as a memorial
to him. The prime mover in the formation of this Society was Rev.
James Raine, D.C.L., author of The History and Antiquities of North
Durham, a most scholarly work relating to the detached parts of Durham
locally situated in Northumberland, the first part of which was issued in
1830, and the second in 1852. Raine was a man of great learning and
indefatigable industry, to whose works all historians of the north of
England are indebted. With such rivals as these it seems bold to com-
pete, but it may perhaps be claimed that the aims of the Victoria County
History differ in many respects from those of the existing county
histories.
The editor desires to express his thanks to Rev. Canon Greenwell,
for valuable advice and assistance ; to Rev. Dr. Gee, for help in many
ways ; to Dr. Kitchin, Dean of Durham, for the use of plates ; and to
the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Yorkshire Archaeological
Society, and the Surtees Society, for the use of blocks for illustrations.
XX
TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS
Abbrev. Plac. (Rec.
Com.)
Acts of P.C. . .
Add ......
Add. Chart. . .
Admir .....
AgarJe ....
Anct. Corresp. . .
Anct. D. (P.R.O.)
A 2420
Ann. Mon. . . .
Antiq .....
Arch
Arch. Cant.
Archd. Rec.
Archil
Assize R.
Aud. Off. .
Aug. Off. .
Ayloffe .
Bed
Beds
Berb . .
Bdle
B.M
Bodl. Lib. .
Boro
Brev. Reg. .
Brit
Buck
Bucks .
Cal
Camb
Cambr
Campb. Ch. . .
Cant
Cap
Carl
Cart. Antiq. R.
C.C.C. Camb. . .
Certiorari Bdles.
(Rolls Chap.)
Chan. Enr. Decree
R.
Chan. Proc. . .
Chant. Cert. . .
Chap. Ho. . . .
Charity Inq. . .
Chart. R. 20 Hen.
HI. pt. i. No. 10
Abbreviatio Placitorum (Re-
cord Commission)
Acts of Privy Council
Additional
Additional Charters
Admiralty
Agarde's Indices
Ancient Correspondence
Ancient Deeds(Public Record
Office) A 2420
Annales Monastic!
Antiquarian or Antiquaries
Appendix
Archzologia or Archaeological
Archzologia Cantiana
Archdeacons' Records
Architectural
Assize Rolls
Audit Office
Augmentation Office
Ayloffe's Calendars
Bedford
Bedfordshire
Berbhire
Bundle
British Museum
Bodley*s Library
Borough
Brcvia Regia
Britain, British, Britannia, etc.
Buckingham
Buckinghamshire
Calendar
Cambridgeshire or Cambridge
Cambria, Cambrian, Cam-
brensis, etc.
Campbell Charities
Canterbury
Chapter
Carlisle
Cartae Antiquae Rolls
Corpus Christi College, Cam-
bridge
Certiorari Bundles (Rolls
Chapel)
Chancery Enrolled Decree
Rolls
Chancery Proceedings
Chantry Certificates (or Cer-
tificates of Colleges and
Chantries)
Chapter House
Charity Inquisitions
Charter Roll, 20 Henry III.
part i. Number 10
Chartul
Chas
Ches
Chest
Ch. Gds. (Exch.
K.R.) . . .
Chich
Chron
Close ....
Co
Colch
Coll
Com
Com. Pleas
Conf. R. . . .
Co. Plac. . . .
Cornw
Corp
Cott
Ct. R
Ct. of Wards . .
Cumb
Cur. Reg. . . .
D
D. and C. . . .
De Bane. R. . .
Dec. and Ord . .
Dep. Keeper's Rep.
Derb
Devon ....
Dioc
Doc
Dods. MSS. . .
Dom. Bk. . . .
Dors
Duchy of Lane. .
Dur
East
Ecd
Eccl. Com. . .
Edw
Eliz
Engl
Engl. Hist. Rev. .
Enr
Epis. Reg. . . .
Esch. Enr. Accts. .
ExcerptaeRot.Fin.
(Rec. Cora.)
Exch. Dep. . .
Exch. K.B. . .
Exch. K.R. . .
Exch. L.T.R.
Chartulary
Charles
Cheshire
Chester
Church Goods (Exchequer
King's Remembrancer)
Chichester
Chronicle, Chronica, etc.
Close Roll
County
Colchester
Collections
Commission
Common Picas
Confirmation Rolls
County Placita
Cornwall
Corporation
Cotton or Cottonian
Court Rolls
Court of Wards
Cumberland
Curia Regis
Deed or Deeds
Dean and Chapter
De Banco Rolls
Decrees and Orders
Deputy Keeper's Reports
Derbyshire or Derby
Devonshire
Diocese
Documents
Dodsworth MSS.
Domesday Book
Dorsetshire
Duchy of Lancaster
Durham
Easter Term
Ecclesiastical
Ecclesiastical Commission
Edward
Elizabeth
England or English
English Historical Review
Enrolled or Enrolment
Episcopal Registers
Escheators Enrolled Accounts
Excerpta e Rotulis Finium
(Record Commission)
Exchequer Depositions
Exchequer King's Bench
Exchequer King's Remem-
brancer
Exchequer Lord Treasurer's
Remembrancer
XXI
TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS
Exch. of Pleas, Plea
R.
Exch. of Receipt .
Exch. Spec. Com. .
Feet of F. . . .
Feod. Accts. (Ct. of
Wards)
Feod. Surv. (Ct. of
Wards)
Feud. Aids . . .
fol
Foreign R. . . .
Forest Proc.
Exchequer of Pleas, Plea Roll
Exchequer of Receipt
Exchequer Special Commis-
Feet of Fines
Feodaries Accounts (Court of
Wards)
Feodaries Surveys (Court of
Wards)
Feudal Aids
Folio
Foreign Rolls
Forest Proceedings
Gaz Gazette or Gazetteer
Gen Genealogical, Genealogica,
etc.
Geo George
Glouc Gloucestershire or Gloucester
Guild Certif.(Chan.) Guild Certificates (Chancery)
Ric. II. Richard II.
Hants
Harl.
Hen.
Heref.
Hertf.
Herts
Hil. .
Hist.
Hist. MSS. Com.
Hosp.
Hund. R. . .
Hunt. . . .
Hunts .
Inq. a.q.d.
Inq. p.m.
Inst. . .
Invent. .
Ips. . .
Itin. . .
Journ. .
Lamb. Lib.
Lane.
L. and P.
VIII.
Lansd.
Ld. Rev. Rec.
Leic.
Le Neve's Ind.
Lib. . . .
Lich. . .
Line.
Lond.
Hen.
m.
Mem.
Hampshire
Harley or Harleian
Henry
Herefordshire or Hereford
Hertford
Hertfordshire
Hilary Term
History, Historical,Historian,
Historia, etc.
Historical MSS. Commission
Hospital
Hundred Rolls
Huntingdon
H untingdonshire
Inquisitions ad quod damn um
Inquisitions post mortem
Institute or Institution
Inventory or Inventories
Ipswich
Itinerary
James
Journal
Lambeth Library
Lancashire or Lancaster
Letters and Papers, Hen.
VIII.
Lansdowne
Land Revenue Records
Leicestershire or Leicester
Le Neve's Indices
Library
Lichfield
Lincolnshire or Lincoln
London
Membrane
Memorials
Memo. R. .
Mich
Midd
Mins. Accts.
Misc. Bks. (Exch.
K.R., Exch.
T.R. or Aug.
Off.)
Mon.
Monm. .
Mun.
Mus. . .
N. andQ. .
Norf. . .
Northampt.
Northants .
Northumb. .
Norw. .
Nott.
N.S.
Memoranda Rolls
Michaelmas Term
Middlesex
Ministers' Accounts
Miscellaneous Book (Ex-
chequer King's Remem-
brancer, Exchequer Trea-
sury of Receipt or Aug-
mentation Office)
Monastery, Monasticon
Monmouth
Muniments or Munimenta
Museum
Notes and Queries
Norfolk
Northampton
Northamptonshire
Northumberland
Norwich
Nottinghamshire or Notting-
ham
New Style
Off. Office
Orig. R. . . . Originalia Rolls
O.S Ordnance Survey
Oxf. Oxfordshire or Oxford
Palmer's Ind. .
Pal. of Chest. .
Pal. of Dur. .
Pal. of Lane. .
Par
Parl. . . .
Parl. R. . .
Parl. Surv. . .
Partic. for Gts.
Pat. . . .
P.C.C.
Pet. ...'..
Peterb .....
Phil .....
Pipe R .....
Plea R .....
Pop. Ret. . . .
Pope Nich. Tax.
(Rec. Com.)
P.R.O .....
Proc .....
Proc. Soc. Antiq. .
Pub.
R
Rec. . . .
Recov. R. . .
Rentals and Surv.
Rep
Rev
Ric. .
Page
Palmer's Indices
Palatinate of Chester
Palatinate of Durham
Palatinate of Lancaster
Parish, parochial, etc.
Parliament or Parliamentary
Parliament Rolls
Parliamentary Surveys
Particulars for Grants
Patent Roll or Letters Patent
Prerogative Court of Canter-
bury
Petition
Peterborough
Philip
Pipe Roll
Plea Rolls
Population Returns
Pope Nicholas' Taxation (Re-
cord Commission)
Pubic Record Office
Proceedings
Proceedings of the Society of
Antiquaries
Part
Publicationi
Roll
Records
Recovery Rolls
Rentals and Surveys
Report
Review
Richard
xxu
TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS
Roff. .... Rochester diocese
Rot. Cur. Reg. . Rotuli Curix Regis
Rut. . Rutland
Topog.
Sarum ....
Ser
Sess. R
Shrews
Shrops ....
Soc
Soc. Antiq. .
Somcrs
Somers. Ho.
S.P. Dom. . . .
Staff. ....
Star Chamb. Proc.
Stat
Steph
Subs. R. . . .
Suff.
SUIT
Suss
Surv. of Ch. Liv-
ings (Lamb.) or
(Chan.)
Salisbury diocese
Series
Sessions Rolls
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
Society
Society of Antiquaries
Somerset
Somerset House
State Papers Domestic
Staffordshire
Star Chamber Proceedings
Statute
Stephen
Subsidy Rolls
Suffolk
Surrey
Sussex
Surveys of Church Livings
(Lambeth) or (Chancery)
Trans.
Transl.
Treas.
Trin.
Topography or Topographi-
cal
Transactions
Translation
Treasury or Treasurer
Trinity Term
Univ University
Valor Eccl. (Rec. Valor Ecclesiasticus (Record
Com.) Commission)
Vet. Mon. . . . Vetusta Monumenta
V.C.H Victoria County History
Vic Victoria
vol Volume
Warw. .
Westm. .
Westmld.
Will. .
Wilts .
Winton.
Wore.
Warwickshire or Warwick
Westminster
Westmorland
William
Wiltshire
Winchester diocese
Worcestershire or Worcester
York* .... Yorkshire
XXIII
A HISTORY OF
DURHAM
HISTORY OF DURHAM
GEOLOC
THE VI CTORIA HI STORY
AL MAP.
BASED ON THE INDEX MAPS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
EXPLANATION OF COLOURING
Blown SanJ
Alluvium
TEES RA Y
County Boundary shown thus,
1UNT1ES OF ENGLAND
GEOLOGY
FROM the mouth of the Tyne to that of the Tees the county of
Durham is bounded by the sea, and the long coast-line is for the
most part one of fine and instructive cliff-sections. This coast-
line forms the broad base of the rough triangle in which the
county is shaped. The apex of this triangle is situated among the high
hills of the Pennine range to the west not far from Cross Fell. From
this point the northern boundary follows generally the valleys of the
Derwent, Stanley Burn and the Lower Tyne ; and the southern limit is
practically the River Tees from Crook Burn, near Caldron Snout, to the
sea. From the Pennine highlands to the coast about midway between
Tyne and Tees the valley of the Wear, somewhat irregular in its trend,
divides the entire area into two fairly equal portions, one northern and
one southern, whilst the tributaries of the three main rivers, most of
them deeply sculpturing the surface, afford numberless exposures by
means of which an insight into the rocky structure of the region may
be readily gained. Here, as elsewhere, it is this structure which has
determined the main topographical features. Thus the highest ground,
to the west, consists of the hard rocks of the Lower Carboniferous Series,
the comparatively low ground between Gateshead and the Aucklands is
occupied by the outcrops of the less resisting Coal Measures, and the
bold, though not very high, undulating country which fringes the coast
as far south as the Hartlepools is due to the remarkable development of
the Permian Magnesian Limestone in that district. The low, red-
soiled country between Darlington and Seaton Carew owes its soft out-
lines and striking colour to the easily crumbled salt-bearing strata of the
Upper Permian and Trias.
There are thus four topographical and geological regions in Dur-
ham equally distinct as to surface features and vegetation, as to their
stratigraphical constituents, and, one may add, also as to the chief occu-
pations which are followed within them. They may be briefly defined as
follows :
A. The Lower Carboniferous Region, including the upper vale of
Derwent as far as Shotley Bridge, Weardale as far as Witton-le-Wear,
and Teesdale as far as Piercebridge. This is the lead mining country.
B. The Coal Measure Region, including the lower portion of the
Derwent Valley, the whole of the Team Valley, and the valley of the
Wear from Witton-le-Wear, past Durham and Chester-le-Street to Clax-
heugh. This is the chief coal district.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
C. The Magnesian Limestone Region, between the last-named and
the sea and bounded on the south by an ill-defined line curving from a
little west of Darlington to the Hartlepools. Until about the middle of
last century this was a purely pastoral district, but now many collieries
have been opened out in it.
D. The Red Region, between the Lower Tees and the Magnesian
Limestone Region. This is the salt district.
TABLE OF STRATA IN DURHAM
Period
Recent
Formation
River Alluvium, Peat
Marine Alluvium .
Character of Material
Mud, silt, gravel, peat : border-
ing streams and in hollows
(old lakes)
Shingle, beach sand, blowing
sand, mud
Approximate
thickness
in feet
up to 30
up to 50
Old River Drift
Pleistocene
(Drift)
Old Marine Alluvium
Later Glacial Deposits
Older Glacial Deposits
Gravel, sand, loam, clay, etc.,
of ancient river terraces .
Raised beaches
Gravel, sand, ' leafy ' clays,
cave-earth (?)
Boulder clay, some rare thin
sands and gravels ....
up to 50
up to 30
up to 250
up to 200
Salt-Mea-
sures (Trias
above, Up-
per Permian
below)
Keuper Red Sandstones and
Marls passing downwards in-
to similar Permian Sandstones.
etc.
Mostly red rocks with deposits
of rock salt, gypsum, anhy-
drite, and thin magnesian
limestones towards the base
Magnesian Limestone
Marl Slate .
Often concretionary
Flaggy calcareous beds
fish remains
with
Permian
Yellow Sands (' Quicksands ') .
Generally yellow but some-
times dark-coloured, more or
less incoherent, water-bear-
ing sandstones ....
up to 800
up to 15
(usually 3)
up to 104
Carbonifer-
ous
Coal Measures : down to the
Hutton Seam inclusive
Coal Measures : down to the
Brockwell Seam inclusive
Lower Coal Measures or Gan-
nister Beds. Millstone Grit
Bernician or Carboniferous
Limestone Series
Basement beds (so-called) . .
Sandstones, shales, coals and
fire-clays
Sandstone, shales,' coals and
fire-clays
Sandstones, shales, few coals,
occasionally beds of 'gan-
nister,' sandstones, shales,
rare coals
Sandstones, shales, fire-clays, a
few thin coals, limestones .
Coarse breccia
together up
to 5,500
variable
Silurian
Exact horizon unknown (Stock-
dale Shales [?]) .
' Slate-pencil ' Shales
thickness
unknown
The scenery of these regions is as characteristic in each case as the
industries which each supports, and will be noted under separate heads
GEOLOGY
later. Here it will suffice to say that A is a treeless moorland tract in
which bogs and crags abound, B an area of wooded and, here and there,
gorge-like valleys or ' denes ' with good open arable land between them,
C a broad zone of grass-covered billowy down-like ground bounded by
a marked rounded scarp on its western side and by bold sea-cliffs to the
east, and D a thick-soiled ruddy quarter devoid of striking features.
It is needless to add that both A and B, and in a minor degree C
also, are now much disfigured by the mining operations which have been
for so long a time carried on within their limits.
SILURIAN SYSTEM
The most ancient deposits to be seen in the county probably, but
by no means certainly, belong to the Stockdale Shale group of the
Silurian System. Only the upturned edges of these beds are visible, and
that too only in a very small inlier laid bare by the erosive action of the
Upper Tees close to the fine basaltic crags of Cronkley Scar, above the
High Force, at the old Pencil Mill. Long ago the late Professor John
Phillips had noticed these rocks and had noted their resemblance to the
' Grauwacke ' of the older Palaeozoic formations, but without assigning
any geological date to them. 1 It was not however till 1875 that the
exposure was carefully studied by Messrs. Gunn, Clough and Dakyns, and
the approximate age of the strata ascertained.* The natives had for
centuries used the soft clay-slate of which the beds consist for slate-
pencils, and the name of the old mill standing by the river at the point
of their outcrop testifies to this. The uptilted position of the layers
and their denudation before the deposition of the lowest over-lying
Carboniferous material sufficiently prove the pre-Carboniferous age of
the pencil beds ; their lithological characters are those of the Stockdale
Shales as they occur in the Lake District. Some dykes of mica-trap
(minette) accompany them here as in their typical area of development,
and so far give confirmatory (though in the absence of fossils still incon-
clusive) evidence as to their age.
CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM
There are no Old Red Sandstone or Devonian rocks cropping out
in the county. The feebly developed brecciated deposits which occur
at and towards the base of the Carboniferous Series in the Pencil Mill
inlier already mentioned do not even represent the true basement beds of
the system, since they are merely the fragmental shore accumulations of
a portion of the Lower Carboniferous considerably younger and higher
than the oldest and lowest horizon of that period. This is a point not
always clearly understood. There is a base to the Carboniferous in Dur-
ham but it is not the base of the system. Of anything corresponding
to and truly contemporaneous with the chocolate-coloured breccias
which occur in pockets on the face of the Pennine escarpment not
Illustrations of the Geology of Yorkihire, pt. 2, 1836, p. 78.
1 nart. Joum. Geol. Sac. xxxiv. and Geol. Mag. (December 1 1), iv. 58, 59, 139, 140.
3
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
many miles to the west in Westmorland and Cumberland, between the
regularly bedded Roman Fell Series (Lower Carboniferous, beneath the
Scar Limestone Series) and the denuded older Palasozoic rocks, there is
here no trace. The Ordovician and Silurian rocks on which the Car-
boniferous were deposited stood out as islands during the earliest Car-
boniferous times, and pseudo-basal beach formations were formed at
several horizons at various stages in the gradual submergence and bury-
ing of the ancient sea-floor. It is some of these old shingle beaches
which have, naturally enough, been not unfrequently regarded as base-
ment beds.
Neither is the series of flaggy sandstones and quartzose conglomer-
ates known on the Pennine escarpment as the Roman Fell Series
continued into Durham. This thick set of beds thins away very
rapidly to the east, and wedges out before reaching the western
boundaries of the county.
From the lowest known Durham Carboniferous stratum to the Mill-
stone Grit division, the rocks exhibit the remarkable characters of the
Bernician Series. They consist of oft-repeated alternations of grits,
sandstones, shales, fire-clays and limestones, with a few (far fewer than
in Northumberland, though more than in Yorkshire) thin and gener-
ally inconstant coal seams of small commercial value. The nature of
the series is in fact intermediate between that of the Lower Carbon-
iferous rocks of Derbyshire and Yorkshire and that of the cor-
responding set of strata in Northumberland and Scotland. There are
here no huge thicknesses of limestone such as obtain in this stratigraphi-
cal division further south, thicknesses which there fully justify the term
c Mountain Limestone ' so often applied to it, a term quite inapplicable
to the thin layers of calcareous rock which represent them in Durham.
On the other hand the number of limestone beds is rather smaller and
their individual thickness rather greater (not their total thickness) than
in Northumberland. Indeed the entire group so closely resembles that
upper portion of the Carboniferous Limestone Series which, as it is
represented in the Yorkshire dales, goes by the name of ' Yoredale
Rocks ' that the Geological Survey have used that term to denote the
whole of the Lower Carboniferous strata of Durham beneath the Mill-
stone Grit. This is somewhat unfortunate, since only the upper portion
of these beds really corresponds to the typical Yoredales, the lower portion
representing the massive Scar limestones which form the base of Ingle-
borough, Pen-y-ghent, and the other great hills of the West Riding.
The thickness of the whole in Durham varies from about 1,100 to
1,250 feet, the series thickening gradually towards the north and north-
west, until in some parts of Northumberland it attains the enormous
thickness of 8,000 feet or, in places, even more. It is to be noted that
with increased total thickness in the direction stated there coincides an
increase in number of both limestones and coals, the former thinner, as a
rule, than in Durham, but the latter thicker and much more constant
so much so indeed as, in Northumberland and in a still greater degree in
4
GEOLOGY
Scotland, to give the value of a workable coalfield to the area occupied
by the Carboniferous Limestone or Bernician Series.
Although, as has been explained above, all the lower beds of this
important division are not to be seen cropping out at the surface in the
county, yet all have been proved within its boundaries by mining opera-
tions. Long before geologists had begun to survey the district scientifi-
cally the lead-miners had become familiar with every stratum between
the Millstone Grit and the floor of denuded Silurian and Ordovician
rocks. To each stratum a name had been given by them, and the
changing characters which they displayed from place to place had been
carefully observed and often recorded in the plans and sections connected
with the mines. It is to these early lead-miners, and more especially to
Mr. Westgarth Forster, who in 1817 gathered their observations and
his own in a complete and singularly able treatise, that we owe our first
knowledge of these strata. 1 About 120 well marked beds or sets of
beds are recognizable in the series, and have been measured over and over
again in countless shafts and levels. The best known and most char-
acteristic of these may now be enumerated, beginning with the lowest
and denoting them by the numbers used in Forster's classical section. Be-
fore proceeding, however, it will be well to state that special prominence
is given to the limestone beds, because, though by no means the thickest,
they are much the most constant and serve as datum lines of great value
in correlating the deposits present in one shaft or region with those found
in another. Besides it is in the limestone layers that the lead veins have
as a rule been found to be richest in ore.
No. 2 1 7. The Melmerby Scar Limestone. This, the thickest lime-
stone in the county, on an average 132 feet thick, comes nowhere
within it to the surface. It has been proved in several mine-shafts
however. It is the nearest approach to the true ' Mountain Limestone'
type to be found in Durham, but being only known underground it
cannot form * mountains ' in any true sense. Miners frequently call this
mass of limestone * the Great Limestone,' but as that name is given more
generally to another much better known horizon considerably higher
up this practice should not be adopted. This thick limestone is not
continued as a separate bed into Northumberland, but is there repre-
sented by shales and sandstones, and even by a few thin seams of coal
with occasional thin bands of limestone only.
After a small interval of shale and sandstone comes
No. 214. Robinson's Lime. A limestone 20 or 21 feet thick.
More shale and sandstone of no great thickness separates this from
No. 208. The Smiddy Limestone. About 3 1 feet thick or a few
inches more at its maximum.
Shale and sandstone again, then
No. 204. T6e Tenth or Little Limestone. The latter name may,
as in the case above referred to, lead to some confusion, as another
1 Treatitt of a Section oftht Strata from Nnofaitle-ufon-Tyne to the Mountain! t/Crou Fill Cumbir-
lanJ, by Wetgarth Forster.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
higher and better known bed is usually also known as the Little Lime-
stone. This one is about 1 8 feet thick.
Another group of shale and sandstone, then
No. 200. The Ninth or Jew Limestone. Amongst the lead-miners
an idea (without foundation in many cases) has long prevailed that
profitable mining could not be carried on beneath this bed. Several of
the most paying lead deposits have been worked to the west in lower
strata. The Jew Limestone is about 24 feet thick.
Some eight or nine alternations of shale and sandstone occur
beneath
No. 190. The Tyne-bottom Limestone. This is one of the best
known named limestones in the series, but the name has often been
misapplied. This is due to the fact that over a considerable tract of
country the bed properly so called lies next above the great sheet of
basalt known as the Great Whin Sill in the north of England and to
the consequent inference quite a mistaken one that the first limestone
above this intrusive and horizon-shifting mass of igneous rock must
everywhere be the same. Many miners still refuse to regard the Whin
Sill as intrusive because of the supposed constant position (as they think)
of the Tyne-bottom Limestone above it, arguing in a vicious circle
thus : The Tyne-bottom Limestone is next above the Whin Sill at A,
the limestone lying upon the Whin Sill at B or C must therefore be the
Tyne-bottom Limestone also, and the Whin Sill has therefore not
changed its horizon and is not intrusive. An instructive example of
bad logic and worse geology. That the lower courses of the lime-
stone are commonly baked, and the shales which often lie between it
and the basalt indurated into porcellanite or ' whetstone ' by the heat
of the once molten sheet, is evidence of intrusion which they do not
take into consideration. For some four miles the river South Tyne
runs upon this limestone, hence its name. In Durham it is one of the
lowest of the Bernician limestones to crop out at the surface ' to the
day,' as it is termed locally. It is usually about 24 feet thick. Shales
and sandstones follow as usual, then comes
No. 1 86. The Eighth or Single Post Limestone. This is a thin but
very constant bed, about 6 feet in thickness only. Single Post means
single course, i.e. the bed consists of one layer or course of limestone,
most of the thicker limestones comprising several posts individually
seldom so thick as this. The word * post,' as met with in records of
mining sections, more often means ' sandstone,' the latter word being
in practice very commonly omitted from the full description which
should be Sandstone Post or Freestone Post = Sandstone Bed or Course.
Next come shale and sandstone, then
No. 181. The Cockle-shell Limestone. A still thinner but well-
known bed, seldom exceeding 3 feet in thickness. It is usually full
of Productus giganteus, the ' cockle-shell ' of the miners, but though it
takes its name from this circumstance it must not be supposed that
this fossil is in any degree specially characteristic of this horizon. It is
6
GEOLOGY
found in varying abundance in every one of the limestone beds
enumerated.
The usual shale and sandstone interval is succeeded by
No. 1 69. The Sixth or Scar Limestone. This must not be con-
founded with the previously described No. 217, which sometimes is
also known as the * Scar Limestone,' the qualifying word ' Melmerby '
being omitted. It is an important horizon in the lead measures, since
many of the richest ore- deposits have been found associated with it.
There are within it three thin bands of shale (locally ' famp ' in the
lead districts only) which separate the limestone into three posts or
courses. As lead veins of small faulting capacity traverse this bed, the
ore is apt to extend in great horizontal lateral masses along the ' famp '
partings and to form those exceedingly valuable masses of ore known
amongst the lead-miners as ' flats.' Though only about 30 feet thick
this limestone has in many a mine yielded not only a thick vertical
main vein but a ' high,' a ' middle ' and a * low ' flat of thick ore
of great value in the days before Free Trade.
More shale and sandstone, and then
No. 1 66. The Fifth or Five-Tar d Limestone. Notwithstanding its
name, this bed is only 7 or 8 feet thick, and is not very constant at
that.
Shale and sandstone as before, then
No. 162. The Fourth or Three-Yard Limestone. True to its name
this bed is generally about 1 2 feet thick.
Shale and sandstone, with usually a good deal of clay ironstone
(formerly worked before foreign iron ore was imported on a large scale)
associated with the shale, then
No. 1 60. The Four-Fathom Limestone. This bed again justifies its
name, being about 24 feet thick on an average. Although not restricted
to this horizon, yet the large Foraminifer Saccammina carteri occurs in
such special abundance in it that the limestone is often spoken of as the
* Saccammina Limestone.' Long before the nature of the fossil was
recognized by the late Dr. H. B. Brady the miners and quarrymen knew
the band in the stone which is made up of the little spindle-shaped
tests as the ' spotted post,' though it must be added that they some-
times gave the same name to certain portions of other limestones with
' spots ' or sections due to other fossils, especially corals of the genera
Lithostrotion and Syringopora transversely cut. The Four-Fathom and
the other limestones above it are among those which are most obvious
and 'feature-making' in the upper dales of the Tees and Wear. They
appear as long continuous short-grass covered zones running across the
country and contrasting strikingly with the ranker vegetation on the
shales and sandstones between them. Sheep congregate specially on
these deep green bands ; houses, where possible, are built on them, and
when the snow melts it is from them that it is first completely cleared
a hint to house-builders and others that the conductivity for heat of a
rock is not an element to be neglected in selecting building sites.
7
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Shales, sandstones (often including a specially thick set of beds) and
a thin 3 foot thick limestone, No. 156, known as The Small Limestone
and very constant, bring us to
No. 153. T'he Great or Main Limestone ', the thickest (about 72
feet thick) and by far the most important of the higher (or true ' Yore-
dale ') limestones of the Bernician Series. As an ore-bearing horizon it
is second to none, and the same may be said of it as regards quarrying.
For centuries a large population has been supported by the work neces-
sitated by it, specially in the Stanhope district of Weardale. Between
Wolsingham and Frosterley this great calcareous formation is to be seen
dipping beneath the bed of the Wear, and its outcrop can be followed
thence for miles, forming a clear feature dotted with quarries as far as
the eye can reach both to the north and to the south. Considering
the extreme variability of most of the beds of limestone from the
midlands northwards the regular constancy of this horizon is remark-
able. It can be traced with certainty from west Yorkshire to north
Northumberland, and even, if recent correlations be accepted, to the
central valley of Scotland between the Forth and the Clyde. Its thick-
ness is greatest in the Durham area, from which it thins away south,
west and north. Whether it thickens or thins to the east it is not yet
possible to say, though the Chopwell boring, which will be referred to
again further on, seems to show that it will prove to thin away in that
direction likewise. Naturally so thick a limestone is made up of many
layers, and to these names have of course been given by the generations
of quarrymen who have been engaged in destroying them. The names
adopted in the Frosterley quarries are quaint and sometimes descriptive.
They are perhaps worth citing. They are as follows, in ascending
order :
(1) THE BOTTOM POST. This layer is frequently entirely made
up of the fossil Monticuliporid coral Chaetetes byperboreus.
(2) THE NEWCASTLE POST.
(3) THE JACK POST.
(4) THE YARD POST.
(5) WHALEY.
(6) STIFF DICK.
(7) DUN JIM.
(8) DUN KIT'S BASTARD. It may be noted that the term
' bastard ' in the sense of inferior or impure is common in the north in
connexion with workable stone.
(9) THE DUN KIT POST.
(10) THE FIVE THIN POSTS.
(n) THE BLACK BEDS. It is in this part of the Great Limestone
that the rich ' middle ' flat of lead ore occurs.
(12) THE TOMS or TWEE TOMS.
(13) THE THICK COCKLE POST.
(14) THE THIN COCKLE POST. These two fossiliferous courses are
perhaps the most valuable of the whole mass. One of them is full
8
GEOLOGY
of large horn-shaped corals of the Clisiophyllum type, and the other is
equally full of Productus giganteus, the largest of Brachiopod shells.
These layers are quarried, where the fossils are most crowded, for orna-
mental purposes, as the stone takes a good polish, and many are the
churches and other public buildings throughout the kingdom in which
the Stanhope and Frosterley marbles, as they are called, display their
beautifully preserved organic remains from the old Upper Bernician or
Yoredale sea.
(15) ELSIE.
(16) ROSE-MARY, or THE PEA POST. This layer is a mass of
Litbostrotion corals in their original position of growth. The sections of
the corallites are the ' peas.'
(17) THE MUCKY POSTS.
(18) CRABBY. A ' crabbed ' or difficult stone to work.
(19) TOBY GILES. And finally
(20) THE FINE POSTS.
The topmost portion of the Great Limestone is often irregularly
bedded, presenting the aspect of ellipsoidal blocks of stone with inter-
vening calcareous shale. This appearance may be due to what Mr. J. G.
Goodchild has called the * dwindling ' of the limestone, or its gradual
decay under the effect of solvents. To this structure is no doubt owing
the name of ' Tumbler Beds,' often given to this part of the formation,
the word c Tumbler ' meaning * boulder ' in the local dialect. The ex-
traordinary persistence of the Great Limestone makes it without excep-
tion the best and most convenient datum-line in the Lower Carboniferous
deposits of the north of England.
Sandstones and shales, together with a very thin and by no means
constant representative of what to the north and west is, under the name
of The Little Limestone Coal, perhaps the most continuous seam of coal in
Britain (as it certainly is the most constant of the Bernician seams,
stretching from the northernmost portions of Northumberland to the
Craven district), separate the Great from
No. 145. The Little or Second Limestone. This is the Little Lime-
stone proper referred to under No. 204. In it the lead veins have fre-
quently been found to yield very abundant ore, but it is a thin and, in
this county, not very regular bed.
Sandstones and shales, the last of these non-calcareous intervals,
lead to
No. 121. The Fell Top Limestone, a still thinner and more variable
limestone, sometimes duplicated by means of intercalated thin shales and
sandstones, and sometimes absent altogether (though in that case usually
represented by a calcareous shale full of ordinary limestone fossils, amongst
which trilobites are common). This is the highest marine limestone in
the Carboniferous Series of Durham ; and although the Geological Sur-
vey, owing to the necessity of carrying on lines of division decided on
further south, have been compelled to fix the upper boundary of the
Limestone Series a little above this horizon, there is no such necessity
i 9 2
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
here, and the Fell Top may well be taken as the obvious termination of
the Carboniferous Limestone or Bernician, the shaly beds immediately
following being grouped with the Millstone Grit.
Perhaps the most striking point in connexion with the Bernician
Beds as developed in Durham is the marked disappearance of the coals
which characterize them further to the north. This disappearance is
not however complete. One seam (which sometimes is represented by
two) has already been mentioned as occurring beneath No. 145, another
is sometimes found beneath the Fell Top Limestone (No. 121), but of no
value; and one beneath the Scar Limestone (No. 169). Indeed it is
clear that the many Bernician seams which crop out in west North-
umberland have a general tendency to thin away to the south-east, that
is towards Durham. It is, of course, possible that there may be a re-
crudescence of these seams beneath the Upper Carboniferous strata to
the east, but nothing but actual boring to very considerable depths can
prove whether this be so or not. Such rare borings bearing upon this
point as have been put down recently are decidedly in favour of a nega-
tive answer to this question. One at Sherburn, which went some way
beneath the Millstone Grit into the Upper Limestone horizons, struck
upon no seam approaching a workable thickness. The same result was
obtained by an extremely interesting and deeper boring put down in the
Chopwell Woods on the banks of the Derwent, and described by Mr.
J. B. Simpson in the ' Transactions of the North of. England Institute ot
Mining and Mechanical Engineers in 1902.'*
THE MILLSTONE GRIT AND COAL MEASURES
The middle division of the Carboniferous Series is a very marked and
well individualized one in the midlands. On following it towards the north
it loses much of its individuality, and this loss of specialization is accom-
panied by very considerable thinning. The coarse grits which form the
fine bold escarpments or ' edges ' of the Peak district of Derbyshire, or
the silicious scars of west Yorkshire, have not disappeared altogether in
Durham, but they have sadly dwindled both in coarseness of texture and
in the relative importance which these beds bear to the rest of the strata
associated with them. In fact the grits of the Millstone Grit in this
county are scarcely in any way different from many of those of the
Limestone Series below or of the Coal Measures above them. It is true
that grits and sandstones are still the predominant rocks, and that the
quartz grains of the grits are often found to have been augmented in
size by the addition to each grain of crystallographically orientated
secondary quartz. On the other hand the shales which intervene be-
tween the grits are absolutely identical with those of the great forma-
tions above and below, and no fossils have so far been met with which
can be said to characterize the division palasontologically. It may be
1 Published in the Transactions of that Society in 1904. It appears from this boring that several
limestone beds which, in south Northumberland, are intercalated between the Great and the Little
Limestones, persist in north Durham, as indeed might well have been expected.
10
GEOLOGY
asserted that had the Millstone Grit not been known and mapped in the
more southern counties, its representatives in Durham (and still less in
Northumberland) would probably not have been recognized as forming
a separate stratigraphical group. They would no doubt have been re-
garded simply as a set of rather coarse, irregular and variable gritty sand-
stones, with some shales and one or two thin local coal-seams, forming the
basal portion of the Coal Measures : as the introduction in fact to the huge
non-marine set of strata to which the term Coal Measures is properly
applied. However, as the division is generally recognized it is best to
retain it, bearing in mind the want of special features which is its only
noticeable, if negative, character. In Durham these beds, though no-
where more than 400 or 500 feet thick, and often much thinner, by
reason of the orographical features of the country occupy a considerable
area. The hills covered with heathery moorland, which rise between
the deep dales dug out of the Bernician rocks, are capped with this de-
based Millstone Grit, and much of the wild crag, ling and peat scenery
on these high grounds is due to the unyielding nature of these silicious
deposits. It should be stated however that in most of the geological
maps of this part of England published before the sheets of the Geolo-
gical Survey the area coloured as Millstone Grit is very much exaggerated,
partly owing to a real misconception as to the distribution of the strata,
but partly also to the fact that the older geologists were in the habit of
grouping a good deal of the Bernician Series (even including the Great
Limestone in some cases) under the appellation Millstone Grit.
After what has been said above it will be readily understood that
between the Millstone Grit and the overlying Coal Measures no violent
break is to be expected in this county. Not only is this the case, but it
can be truly said that none but a purely arbitrary and non-natural
boundary can be drawn between the two. One can go still further than
this and state that even such an arbitrary line of demarcation can scarcely
be drawn with any confidence. Thus it has repeatedly happened that
the writer has been called in by coal owners to decide whether in the
bore holes which they had put down below the known workable coal
seams of the Coal Measures the Millstone Grit had been reached or not,
and he has been quite unable to give more than a tentative and generally
a very doubtful opinion. There is in fact nothing but a perfect passage
between the two, a passage unmarked by any datum line recognizable
over any but the most limited areas. This-difficulty is intensified by the
entirely artificial divisions which, for mere convenience, have been usually
accepted in classifying the Coal Measures. These divisions are, as re-
gards the upper two, taken as including certain well-known coal seams,
and for the practical purposes of the miner this is no doubt a useful
arrangement. But the lowest division known as the Lower Coal Mea-
sures or Gannister Series though sufficiently limited at the top by this
method of classification, lacks any similar means of fixing its bottom
limit, as there are thereabouts no coal seams at all.
The Lower Coal Measures then (which must in no wise be con-
ii
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
founded with the beds grouped under that name in the Scottish coal-
fields, which are equivalent to the Bernician Series) as usually accepted
may be defined as comprising the 200 or 300 feet of strata which
graduate upwards from the perfectly similar rocks of the Millstone
Grit, and come to an end immediately beneath the well-known lowest
continuous and valuable coal-seam known as the Brockivell or Main Seam,
which is regarded as the bottom bed of the so-called Middle Coal
Measures.
These strata consist of sandstones, shales and a few sometimes work-
able but never quite constant coal-seams, together with ordinary fire-
clays accompanying such seams (or some of them), and a few beds, not
very continuous, of that hard white, compact, root-traversed and highly
silicious sandstone known as Gannister, and used for lining Bessemer
converters, etc. This singular rock is certainly more prevalent in these
beds than elsewhere in this region, but it is unfortunately by no
means restricted to them, as is the case in the Lower Coal Measures of
the Yorkshire and Lancashire coalfields for instance. Beds of the same
stone, sometimes quite as typical, are occasionally found in the Bernician
Series, where, here and there, they are even worked as Gannister, and
also in the higher Coal Measures, though to a less extent. Thus this
special deposit, though somewhat characteristic of the so-called Lower
Coal Measures (sufficiently so to justify the name Gannister Series,
sometimes applied to the division), can scarcely be used especially as it
occurs in non-continuous beds as a criterion of solid value. Again in
the more southern coalfields certain marine organisms of special types are
found which are restricted to some horizons in the Lower Coal Measures
and the Millstone Grit. This is not the case in Durham, though it is
possible, indeed probable, that further investigation may to some extent
put an end to this difficulty. This hope is held because in the adjoining
county of Northumberland casts of some of these fossils have been found
in these beds (in the neighbourhood of Stocksfield). More recently, in
shale cores from a deep bore in the Coal Measures in the north-
western portion of the Durham coalfield, from an horizon considerably
below that of the Brockwell seam, and either in the Lower Coal Mea-
sures or in the upper portion of the Millstone Grit, the writer detected
a small Productus^ a Discina and some annelid tubes allied to Serpulites.
These are of course marine fossils, but not specially of the kinds charac-
teristic of the Gannister Series of Yorkshire or Lancashire.
The entire thickness of the Coal Measures is on the average some-
thing under 2,000 feet, but it must be remembered that denudation has
removed an unknown series of beds from the upper portion and that the
original thickness of the whole was certainly greater, and in all proba-
bility much greater than this.
Just as in the Lower Carboniferous rocks the limestones are the
most persistent, and therefore, as datum lines, the most important beds,
so in the Coal Measures the thicker coal-seams are the deposits most to
be relied on in a survey of the strata. Insignificant individually as to
12
GEOLOGY
thickness when compared with the enormous mass of rapidly alternating
sandstones and shales with which they are interbedded, they are yet much
more constant than any of these, and the accurate knowledge of them
derived from the innumerable spots at which they are, or have been,
worked throughout the coalfield gives them a commanding position as
stratigraphical units such as no other deposits associated with them can
claim. It is not necessary here to enter into the interesting, and at the
present day rather controversial, question of the origin of coal generally,
especially as the seams of Durham are most of them of a kind which
does not give rise to much difference of opinion. With very few ex-
ceptions these seams, each provided with its regular seat-earth or 'under-
day' which is also almost in every case a fire-clay are obviously
accumulations of vegetable matter in low-lying swampy flats of great area,
and most of this vegetable matter is doubtless in its carbonized or coaly
state much in the place where it grew and flourished when living ; the
under-clays in which the strange tree-roots known as Sftgmarue are
found quite undisturbed representing the soil beneath the heaped up de-
cayed plant remains of the watery marsh. That these plants, some of
them gigantic in size, were chiefly allied to the club-mosses, horse-tails
and ferns of the present day is clear from the many well-preserved speci-
mens which not the coals themselves but the shales and other beds
accompanying the coals yield throughout the Coal Measures. The
animal remains which are also, though less often, found tell the same
tale. They are the exuviae of fishes whose rare recent allies inhabit
fresh or at least estuarine waters, of alligator-shaped amphibia fitted for
similar conditions, and of shells (chiefly bivalves) which apparently lived
the life of our river and pond mussels. Occasionally some of the animal
forms are consistent with existence in brackish waters, but instances of
frankly marine forms such as those which obtain in the Carboniferous
Limestone Series, though not absolutely unknown, are yet of great
rarity, and suggest, when they do occur, brief episodes only during which
quite occasional incursions of the sea may have invaded the delta-like
swamps.
The Durham coals are almost all of the ordinary or so-called ' bitu-
minous ' type and furnish some of the best examples of household, cok-
ing and gas coals known. A few deposits of cannel coal occur, but they
are all of very limited extent and small thickness. They moreover as
a rule form part of the ' bituminous ' seams, occurring usually towards
the upper portions of such seams over small areas. Microscopic exam-
ination shows that these sporadic cannel beds (which sometimes are
locally thick enough for working separately, and then yield gas of ex-
ceptional illuminating power) largely consist of minute freshwater alga?
which lived, presumably, in shallow pools dotted here and there upon
the surface of the forest swamps. True anthracite is not found in the
county, though as a trade term the use of the word ' anthracitic ' is not
unknown in prospectuses describing coals with a somewhat smaller pro-
portion of volatile matter than is usual in the common coals. Some-
13
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
times also the altered coal met with near intrusive dykes or sheets of
igneous rock is miscalled ' anthracite.'
It is a kind of impure stony coal, useless for industrial purposes, and
locally known as 'cindered coal' (a good descriptive name), but it is in
no sense anthracite. The amount of ' ash ' or non-coaly mineral mat-
ter of the ordinary Durham coals is small in quantity seldom indeed
more than the percentage of silica which the tissues of the coal-making
plants originally contained. In the cannel seams, especially towards
their outer limits (i.e. near the edges of the ancient ponds), the amount
of ash is often great, so much so that the cannels frequently pass later-
ally into shales (indurated and laminated mud). In the ' cindered coal'
above referred to the percentage of ash is also very large, which would
not be the case were these metamorphosed coals akin to true anthracite.
Before proceeding to enumerate the principal coal seams it will
be well to draw attention to the fact that the correlation of the seams
of one portion of the coalfield with those of another is often rendered
difficult by the frequent splitting up and reunion to which they are
subject. Mr. M. Walton Brown it was who first pointed out, by a
critical examination of all the evidence available a few years ago, how
all but universal is this division of the seams in the Great Northern
Coalfield. To this phenomenon, one which has not yet received a per-
fectly satisfactory explanation, it is largely due that the nomenclature
of the coal beds is so confusingly local and that there are so many
synonyms.
Most of the seams to be now mentioned, in ascending order, are
under 6 feet in thickness and not less than 2 ft. 6 in. Thinner seams,
unless of some special interest, are omitted.
Nos. i and 2 of the list are in the Lower Coal Measures, as above
defined, the rest are all in the so-called Middle and Upper Coal
Measures, divisions which, however convenient, are too empirical to be
recognized here.
No. i . The Marshall Green Seam. This coal lies only a little above
the Millstone Grit. It may be repeated that within the latter division
two or three thin and inconstant coals occur locally, but none of any
importance.
No. 2. The Victoria Seam. Known only in the western part of the
coalfield.
No. 3. The Brockiuell Seam, or Main Coal. This is a coal of con-
siderable value and, as before stated, is generally taken as the bottom bed
of the workable Coal Measures (i.e. the so-called Middle and Upper
Coal Measures). The term Main is unfortunately also applied to other
seams.
No. 4. The Three Quarter Seam. Not to be confounded with
No. 10.
No. 5. The Five Quarter Seam. In some parts of the field this is
known as the Busty seam, in others as the Lower Busty. Not the same
as No. 12.
GEOLOGY
No. 6. The Eallarat or Upper Busty Seam.
No. 7. The Hand Seam. A thin coal, not industrially valuable,
but very constant and useful as a datum horizon in attempting corre-
lations.
No. 8. The Stone Coat, or Tilley Seam.
No. 9. The Hodge, or Splint Seam. The term ' splint ' is applied
to a hard stony coal breaking up in flat slabs, and to some extent inter-
mediate between common coal and cannel. It is by no means restricted
to this horizon, many of the other coal seams containing bands of ' splint,'
some of which are persistent over considerable areas.
No. 10. The TCard^ Three Quarter, Harvey, Constantine, Beaumont,
Barlow Fell, or Towne ley Main Coal, or (in the Consett district) 'No. i '
Seam. This set of names is a good example of the troublesome no-
menclature of the Durham seams.
No. 1 1 . The Ruler Coal.
No. 12. The Hutton, Main, or Five Quarter Seam. This is prob-
ably the most famous of north country coal seams. It yields in different
districts the best household, the best coking, and the best gas coal. In
Northumberland it is known as the Loiv Main, and it is in its shaly
roof that the finest series of fish and amphibian remains have been
collected.
No. 13. The Brass Thill. Not the same as No. 16. 'Thill' in
the local dialect means the underclay, and * brass ' is marcasite or rhom-
bic iron pyrites. A coal with much sulphide of iron in it (pyrite or
marcasite) is said to be * brassy.'
No. 14. The Low Main Seam. This is not the Northumbrian
seam of that name. It is however, in part, the Hutton Seam of the Con-
sett district, a complicated bit of correlation due to the splitting up of
seams already referred to.
No. 15. The Maudlin Seam. In the Wallsend district, only sepa-
rated from Durham by the river Tyne, this is known as the Bensbam
Seam, and that name is sometimes also used for it in the neighbour-
hood of Gateshead, where, indeed, the village of Bensham is situated.
No. 1 6. The Main Coal (in the Pelton district near Chester-le-
Street) or Brass Thill (in the Consett district).
No. 17. The Hard Coal (of Pelton). This seam on the eastern
side of the coalfield and in the Consett district is known as the Five
Quarter Seam.
No. 1 8. The Shield Row Seam, or (in the Wearmouth district)
the Three Quarter Seam. This is the celebrated High Main Seam of
the Northumbrian side of the Tyne, from which the original ' Walls-
end ' coal was obtained close to the easterly termination of the Roman
wall.
No. 19. The Splint or Craw Coal. Not, of course, the same as
the much lower No. 9. The Coal Measures above this seam are de-
nuded away to what extent must always remain unknown to us.
It will be understood that the intervals between these nineteen
15
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
workable seams are made up of numberless sandstones, shales, fireclays,
and thin worthless coals. Owing however to the extreme variation in
thickness of these strata a variation which the continual splitting up
and reuniting of the coal seams necessarily implies no good purpose
can be served in a brief synopsis like the present by going into numerical
details respecting them. Suffice it to say that the sandstones vary from
the coarsest grit to the finest grained sandstone, from massive building
stone and material suitable for grindstones to roofing flags, from dark
brown to every shade of yellow, grey and occasionally to pure white ;
that the shales, locally known as * plate ' or ' metal,' vary also from
highly arenaceous clayey alternations (' grey beds ') to the finest laminated
unctuous bluish beds, and that they frequently contain concretionary
nodules and thin continuous bands of clay ironstone sufficiently rich in
carbonate of iron to pay handsomely for working in the old days ; and
that the underclays and other fireclays are usually excellent in quality as
material for refractory bricks or pottery.
THE PERMIAN SYSTEM
Overlying the denuded Coal Measures and some of the Lower Car-
boniferous rocks from close to the mouth of the Tyne near South Shields
to somewhere between the Hartlepools and the mouth of the Tees, and
therefore unconformable upon everything beneath them, come the Per-
mian Series of the north-eastern type, admirably displayed as regards its
thicker members in the coast section. It may be premised that these
north-eastern Permians are much more closely allied in aspect and
arrangement to the Permian or Dyas series of the continent than to the
much nearer representatives of that system in the north-west of England
on the opposite side of the Pennine range.
The lowest of the Permian beds on this side of England are better
shown in Durham than elsewhere, but they are not visible along the
coast in Durham, though excellently exposed in the Cullercoats and
Tynemouth cliffs in neighbouring Northumberland. They can however
be studied in many fairly good sections inland, along the foot of the
Permian escarpment, and still more fully by means of the many borings
and sinkings which in the Permian area pierce through them in order
to reach the Coal Measures which lie immediately beneath. These
Permian basement deposits are known as the "Yellow Sands.
They are not universally present, even in the county of Durham,
but where present they consist of highly false-bedded sandstones ranging
in colour from the bright yellow which gives them their name to red
on the one hand and (rarely) dark grey on the other. The grains of
sand of which the rock is chiefly made up are of moderate size or
quite coarse, but usually rounded after the manner of desert sand and
very unlike the angular unworn grains of ordinary grits. More often
than not these grains of sand are so incoherent as to crumble between
the fingers, but sometimes they are cemented more or less firmly by
carbonate of lime. Carbonate of lime has also frequently segregated in
16
GEOLOGY
nodular knobs or in anastomosing veins or ribs within the rock, thus
giving it a strange and unique appearance. Where this segregation
has taken place the sandstone is generally bleached, so that on a weathered
surface the knobs and ribs stand out in white upon the yellow back-
ground. There are no fossils of any kind in the Yellow Sands deposit,
and its place as a true member of the Permian system, which has more
than once in time past been disputed, depends more upon the uncon-
formity between it and the upturned denuded edges of the Carboniferous
upon which it rests, and upon its complete (though not always well dis-
played) conformity with the overlying fossil-bearing, and therefore
proven, Permian Marl Slate. It may be added that the unconformity
referred to is shown not only by the denudation of the coal-bearing
rocks before the deposition of the sands, but also by the fact that most
of the dislocations affecting the Coal Measures stop short at and do not
affect the Yellow Sands. These dislocations are thus pre-Permian faults.
A few other faults affect both systems and are therefore post-Permian,
though some of these (whose vertical throw or displacement is less in
the Permian than in the Carboniferous rocks) are both pre- and post-
Permian, an interesting fact proved in several cases in recent years.
The denuded floor upon which the sands lie is irregularly undulating,
and the sands fill up the hollows and are there thickest up to i oo feet
or thereabouts as a maximum becoming thin or being absent altogether
where the floor rises into diminutive hills. It is in the north and east
of the Permian area that the sands are most fully developed. In the
south and west they are either thin or wanting.
So loosely coherent a deposit is necessarily a first rate water-bearing
stratum, and we find accordingly that the Yellow Sands play an im-
portant and twofold part in that capacity a beneficent part so far as
water supply is concerned, though the water from this horizon is gener-
ally exceedingly hard, and sometimes, in the neighbourhood of the coast,
to a certain extent brackish a highly inconvenient and occasionally
dangerous part from the mining point of view, since shaft sinking
through the sands where they are full of water is always attended with
great expense and many difficulties, and has more than once given rise
to floodings which it has taxed the resources of engineering to the
utmost to cope with successfully.
The outcrop of the Yellow Sands is from the nature of the case
a narrow and an interrupted one, but where they are thick as at
Houghton-le-Spring, Newbottle, Ferryhill, Claxheugh, etc. good
sections can be examined, though none quite so good as those at Culler-
coats and Tynemouth in the neighbouring county.
The present writer has elsewhere given quite recently a very full
account of this member of the Durham Permian from which the fol-
lowing theoretical conclusions, agreeing in the main with the views of
the late Mr. Richard Howse, may be quoted :
The history of the beginnings of the Permian system in Northumberland and
Durham, such as it can be gathered from the facts already stated and from the details
i I? 3
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
with which this paper concludes [a collection of detailed sections], seems fairly ob-
vious.
(i) A mass of sand, probably chiefly derived from the waste of the Carboniferous
Sandstones which formed so large an area of the then land-surface to the west, occu-
pied a broad tract of coast from somewhere to the north of Hartley, in Northumber-
land, to Yorkshire and still farther south, narrower in the north than in the south.
This sand was a beach at the coast line and a desert of blowing dunes elsewhere.
Rivers, sluggish, and probably inconstant (changing their course as do the channels in
a delta), wound their way to the sea across this sandy tract, and added to the irregu-
larity of its surface. 1 The deposition of calcareous and magnesian mud in the thinly
bedded layers which betoken tranquil deposition followed, due partly to silting from
landwards and from tidal irruptions from seawards most probably in a chain of coastal
lagoons. This was accompanied by a downward movement of the coast line and the
gradual merging of the lagoons into the sea proper when the Magnesian Limestone,
with its curious fauna a marine fauna checked in its existence by the unfavourable
chemical composition of the Permian sea water to which the rock owes its dolomitic
character was deposited. This view is strongly confirmed by the occasional excep-
tions to the rule that the Marl-slate precedes the Magnesian Limestone proper which
already have been referred to, such exceptions (where limestone occurs beneath the
so-called Slate) being obviously the result of local accidental breaches of the bars sepa-
rating the lagoons from the sea.*
The Marl-slate referred to in this extract is the next Permian
division above the Yellow Sands. Whether the latter can in any real
sense be said to represent the much more largely developed Rotbliegendes
of the German Dyas may be regarded as doubtful in the absence of
palaeontological evidence. That the thin Marl-slate is the equivalent of
the Kupferscbiefer is however open to no doubt, although in this
country seldom more than a yard in thickness this formation of impure
calcareous slabby beds of grey or brownish colour contains a storehouse
of fossils which sufficiently attest its exact stratigraphical horizon.
Besides shells such as Nautilus freieslebeni, Lingula credneri, Discina konincki
and Myalina bnusmanni, and plants (imperfectly preserved but capable of
identification) such as Neuropteris Auttoniana, Gaulopteris (?) se/aginoides
and Polyspbonia (?) sternbergiana^ this deposit is a true fish bed and yields
extraordinarily perfect specimens, usually as entire individuals, of such
vertebrates as Palceoniscus, Dorypferus, Acentropus, Pygopterus, Acrolepis,
Crtlacanthus, Platysomus represented by many species, as well as
amphibians and some true reptiles such as Proterosaurus. In the
county it is at Claxheugh, Deaf Hill, Middridge near Shildon, Thickley,
and Ferryhill that some of the most remarkable specimens have been
found.
The next, and much the most fully developed division of the
Permian, following, with perfect conformity over the Marl Slate, is
the Magnesian Limestone, which in Britain is nowhere so thick or so
splendidly exposed for study as in the cliff sections of Durham and
i
i
1 The late Prof. A. H. Green was of opinion that the quicksands (that is, our Yellow Sands) are
the deltas of the streams which emptied themselves into the Permian inland sea (Geol. Mag. [1872],
ix. 101). The entire absence of fossil remains, the form of the grains, and the nature of the cross
bedding, seem to point rather to wind as the final distributor of the sand, though Prof. Green's view
may quite well be accepted for their first accumulation.
8 Trans. last. Mia. Engineeri, 1903.
18
GEOLOGY
in the numerous quarries inland. Its maximum thickness is about 800
feet, and this is attained beneath the red sandstones of Seaton Carew, as
proved by borings made at that place in 1888. Its minimum is in the
neighbourhood of Naughton, where it has been proved, also by boring,
to be less than 300 feet, but as there is a suspicion of the upper portion
of this formation having been denuded off at this spot this minimum
thickness is less certain than the maximum quoted. As the Marl Slate
is without doubt identical with the Kupf ers chief er so is the Magnesian
without doubt the equivalent of the continental Zechstein. Its curiously
stunted forms of peculiar marine fossils represented by many individuals
but comparatively few species are the same as those of the Zecbstein. Its
general but varying- dolomitic character, to which it owes its English
name, is the same ; and its position in the stratigraphical sequence is also
the same. In Durham however its lithological features are extremely
peculiar. Long after the limestone was deposited molecular movements
took place within the already consolidated rock which, in many places
and at many horizons, gave rise to a quite unique development of concre-
tionary structures. From the time of Sedgwick, who first described
them from a scientific point of view, to the present day when Dr. George
Abbott of Tunbridge Wells has spent the leisure intervals of many years
in studying and photographing them, the concretions referred to have
attracted and have puzzled geologists. They have been classified
according to their endlessly diversified forms, but the cause of so
much structural rearrangement in this formation has not yet been
clearly established. Professor E. J. Garwood has shown with regard
to the simpler spheroidal forms (which are known as the cannon ball
limestone) that these are due to the segregation towards centres of the
carbonate of lime previously existing in the rock, and not to the intro-
duction of that compound into the magnesian beds from without (this
latter was the so-called ' stalactitic theory ' of the late Mr. Richard
Howse), but it cannot be said that this, which is probably now admitted
by all, carries us very far. It is a theory accounting for the multi-
form character of the concretions, the ' honeycombed,' ' coralloid,'
' oolitic,' ' botryoidal,' ' egg and cup,' and others infinitely varied besides
the spheroids that is required, and this probably experiment only will in
time provide.
The Geological Survey in its maps has unfortunately not attempted
to divide the Magnesian Limestone. The task, owing to the extraordi-
nary variability of the rock now earthy, now flaggy, over and over
again concretionary in every conceivable form, now massive, now
cellular and now brecciated was no doubt a difficult one. No divi-
sions are shown in the maps. Nevertheless it is possible to arrive at
some fairly definite divisions in this curious formation, though we will
not go so far as to assert that the following scheme, propounded by the
late Mr. Howse, and the best known to us, can be regarded as anything
more than tentative. These proposed divisions are (in ascending
order) :
19
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
(1) Lower Group, consisting of
(a) a conglomerate at the base and
(b) compact limestone.
(2) Middle Group, consisting of
(c) shell limestone and
(a) cellular limestone.
(3) Upper Group, consisting of
(e) botryoidal limestone and
(/) upper yellow limestone.
It is better to have a classification such as this, confessedly open to
improvement but more useful, so far as it goes, than none at all.
One striking result of the changeable nature of the Magnesian
Limestone is, naturally enough, constant difference in the degree of
resistance which its component parts offer to denuding action both
mechanical and chemical, and, as a consequence of this, extraordinarily
diverse weathering features. Where hard and soft, crystalline and earthy,
calcareous rock is as it were commingled in a kind of omniform mosaic,
it is not surprising to find caverns, ravines, stacks, promontories of all
kinds to be the rule, and all such features are eminently characteristic of
the coast of Durham from South Shields to the Hartlepools. One of
these features is deserving of special mention. This is the occurrence in
some of the cliff sections and in some of the adjoining sea stacks
especially in Marsden Bay of ancient caverns, V-shaped, and evidently
at one time subterranean waterways (like those in the Mountain Limestone
of Craven), the roofs or vaults of which have in course of time collapsed,
filling the underground ravine with angular fragments of the overlying
limestone. These fragments, wholly unrounded, have at a subsequent
period been cemented together by secondary dolomitic matter, and now
appear as portions of a solid mass of breccia so solid that several have
resisted the waves and the weather better than the unbroken rock from
which the original caverns were eroded and now stand out as great sea
stacks on the beach. Such a mass is the fine stack known as Lot's
Wife near the well-known cave-drilled islet named Marsden Rock.
These peculiar breccias, the occasional formation of which even at the
present day gives rise to violent but of course quite local earth shakes, are
known as ' breccia gashes.'
THE RED BEDS OF SOUTH DURHAM OR SALT MEASURES
A great series of red coloured sandstones and clayey arenaceous
beds, miscalled ' marls,' follows immediately upon the topmost portion of
the massive Magnesian Limestone. Quite a thousand feet of these strata
are met with in south Durham, and form the floor on which the Pleis-
tocene or Drift deposits have been laid in that region. The latter more
often than not conceal the former to so great an extent that no very
certain line can be drawn to indicate their lower boundary. Roughly
it may be said that the Durham side of the Tees from the mouth of
20
GEOLOGY
that river to Darlington and north to Seaton Carew is made up of these
red rocks. Much is known of them however by means of the many
borings which, within the last twenty years, have been put down through
them in search of the valuable salt beds which they contain. The age
of the series has been the subject of some controversy, which need be
referred to here but briefly. That the lowest members of the series
(which nevertheless differ but slightly from the rest) are of Upper Per-
mian age has been held by several geologists because a few thin beds of
Magnesian Limestone occur in them similar in all respects to the main
mass of that formation below. The late Sir Andrew Ramsay, Mr. R.
Howse and the present writer took this view and were disposed to
include some of the red beds above these bands of dolomitic limestone as
well in the Permian System, including the lowest, at least, of the beds of
rock salt. Others, including Mr. H. Howell and the Geological Survey,
regard the whole of the red series as Triassic and since the Bunter or
Lower Trias has been shown by the Survey to thin out and disappear
some 20 miles or so to the south of the Tees as strata of Keuper age
(Upper Trias) overlapping the Bunter. The absence of well marked
unconformities and of any palaeontological evidence must probably
always leave the decision of these points doubtful, and it is therefore
safer, in our present state of knowledge, to adopt some descriptive non-
committal term, such as ' the Salt Measures,' to which no reasonable
exception can be taken. If the unconformity which it has been hinted
may possibly occur at Norton and account for the abnormal thin-
ness of the Magnesian Limestone there, should some day be proved,
then the Survey view will properly prevail and all the red beds above
the highest of the limestone bands be classed as Keuper.
The salt beds, one of which is from 60 to 100 feet thick, are
associated with many layers of gypsum and anhydrite (the latter being
known to the salt-borers as 'white stone'), and the mode of their occur-
rence is in all respects comparable to what obtains in the Triassic salt-
bearing series of Cheshire. They lie in the lower portion of the series,
and being composed of very soluble material they thin out gradually
before reaching the surface. Thus the further to the dip (that is to say,
the further away from the original outcrop) one bores for the salt the
more likely one is to find it and the thicker it will be. This is why the
bores through which the brine is extracted are all clustered close to the
Tees and why they are so deep. Attempts to tap the same beds where
this horizon approaches the surface have either failed altogether or have
only met with deposits so reduced in bulk as to be comparatively worth-
less. As is the case with most districts underlain by easily soluble
rocks, subsidences are not unknown in the Salt Measure area of Durham,
but fortunately the great depth of the salt-winnings has prevented the
actual workings from causing the dire effects which have followed such
undertakings elsewhere. The surface sinkings are here few and due
altogether to the natural solution and removal of salt or gypsum at no great
distance from the outcrop. The best known are curious depressions at
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Oxenhall near Darlington, known as the ' Hell Kettles.' These sink-
holes vary from 75 to 114 feet in diameter.
It is sufficiently clear that during the period of geological time
represented by these red beds the area now occupied by south Durham
was much in the conditions observable in the Salt Lake regions of Asia,
north-eastern Africa, or north-western America conditions of dwindling
inland sheets of water in an arid climate of evaporation, and of salt and
gypsum deposition such as the late Sir Andrew Ramsay showed many
years ago have so constantly accompanied the accumulation of red-hued
sandy strata.
THE IGNEOUS ROCKS
Most remarkable and, in all probability, with the exception of the
Minettes, oldest of the igneous rocks of Durham, is the famous Great
Whin Sill, which, though exposed within the county boundaries only in
the inlier between Middleton in Teesdale and Caldron Snout, is yet the
cause of perhaps the finest scenery in the county. This sill (sill means
a stratum simply in north country dialect) is a huge sheet of intrusive
basaltic rock strictly speaking, ' diabase ' -which is known from a few
miles south of Berwick to as far south as Lunedale in Yorkshire, a
distance of over 80 miles, and which crops out to the west of this
Durham inlier along many miles of the Pennine escarpment and more
especially at Highcup Nick. It possibly underlies the whole of the
county of Durham, though this will probably never be proved. So vast
an intrusive sheet is very exceptional unique indeed as regards Britain
in times later than those during which the much more ancient Dalradian
sills of Scotland were injected. In the Middleton inlier it lies very near
to the Ordovician and Silurian floor, upon which the Lower Carboni-
ferous rocks were laid down as has already been mentioned (see p. 3) ;
but it is well within the last named series and, although in many places
where its position has been ascertained with accuracy (as in mine shafts,
etc.) beyond the inlier, it is found to shift its horizon as much as even
1,000 feet in some cases (a sufficient proof of its intrusive character were
other convincing evidence lacking), yet it is always within the Carboniferous
Limestone Series. This important fact is not, however, enough to enable
one to say more as to the age of the Whin Sill than that it is younger than
the highest horizon to which it has risen. It is post-Carboniferous Lime-
stone probably (all but certainly so) ; it is possibly of Permian or even of
much later date. The thickness of the sill, considering its enormous area
of at least 400 square miles, is extraordinarily uniform, continuing for
long distances from 80 to 100 feet, though to the west sometimes much
thinner, and sometimes 150 feet or even more. It sometimes splits up
into two or even three sheets. In the Middleton tract it is a single sheet
and very thick, forming the magnificent columnar scars of Cronkley and
the waterfalls of High Force and Caldron Snout. At Stanhope in Wear-
dale, in which neighbourhood the main sill is met with in many lead
mines, an upper ' split ' or branch known as the Little Whin Sill crops
22
GEOLOGY
out among the limestones above the chief sheet. Notwithstanding the
changes of horizon, the baking and consequent metamorphism of the
shales and limestones above as well as beneath the Great Whin Sill
phenomena which render the contemporaneity of the sheet an impossi-
bility, it is strange that the lead miners as a rule still decline to regard it
as contemporaneous, and the bed of limestone which happens to be next
above it is always, by them, called the Tyne-bottom Limestone (see
p. 6), as has been mentioned before. Some very fine pectolite has been
found in joint cracks in the Whin Sill near Middleton.
The Cockfield or Bolam Dyke is, next to the Whin Sill, the most
remarkable mass of igneous rock in the county. It is a continuation of
the well known Cleveland Dyke, which to the south of the Tees is seen
cutting through the Jurassic rocks, and, though it does not every-
where come to the surface, it can be traced north-west beyond the
county boundaries as far as Armathwaite where it crosses the Eden
with a thickness of 54 feet. At Cockfield its thickness is very vari-
able, 15 to 66 feet. It is the longest known dyke in Britain, being
some 1 10 miles in length (and possibly nearly 200 miles). At Bolam
it spreads out laterally in the form of a sill baking coal seams and shales
above and below in the same manner as, elsewhere, it bakes and alters
them to right and left of its course. The stone of this dyke is often
known as * Old Roger ' on Tees-side.
The Hett Dyke runs across the coalfield from Quarrington Hill
(on the Magnesian Limestone escarpment) to Tudhoe and Hett. It
resembles the Whin Sill in composition, and is quite unlike the Cleve-
land Dyke petrologically. At Brancepeth, about 300 yards from a
branch of this dyke, coked or * cindered ' coal occurs over an area of
about 50 square yards. This is an unusual distance for contact meta-
morphism of this kind to be felt, but there is in north Durham a long
and broad zone running nearly across the coalfield several square miles
in area, where the coal generally has the appearance of having been
altered by * whinstone,' although no dyke or sheet can be pointed to as
the cause of this the coal is however rendered unsaleable by the change
it has undergone, whatever this may be due to. The Hett Dyke can
be seen near the confluence of the Bedburn Beck and the Wear, and
thence runs to Egglestone Moor.
The Hebburn Dyke runs from near Cleadon to the Tyne, which it
crosses at Hebburn. It is known in Northumberland as the Walker
Dyke. It may possibly be represented by the amazing number of
basaltic blocks on the sea-beach at Whitburn, but it is not actually seen
anywhere piercing Permian rocks.
There are a few other dykes in the county very similar in character
to the above. All these are probably of Tertiary age, though this
must always remain doubtful. All of them as well as the Whin Sill are
infinitely younger than the Minette d,ykes (mica-trap) which have
already been referred to (p. 3) as cutting through the older Palaeozoic
beds of Cronkley in Upper Teesdale.
23
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
THE PLEISTOCENE OR DRIFT DEPOSITS
From Upper Triassic times no geological period has left traces of
its deposits in Durham until the Pliocene or latest Tertiary ages had
passed away and the arctic cold of the great Ice Age had covered the
greater part of Britain with snow and ice, and had brought it to the
condition now prevailing in Greenland. To that Glacial time is due
the irregular but often thick cloak of Drift deposits that at the
present day conceals beneath it so many of the valleys and other
features which denudation had sculptured and eroded on the outcrops
of all the older formations so far enumerated and described in these
pages.
In this cold Pleistocene epoch all but some of the very highest
portions of the county in the west was, as we cannot but believe,
entirely smothered under an ice sheet which probably began as small
glaciers gliding down the upper dales, and gradually increased in size
until these merged into larger glaciers running from north to south
across the lower and eastern half of the region. At its maximum the
heights bare of ice formed but a small nunatdk or rocky island in the
Yad Moss area. Then, as the severity of the climate was relaxed, the
great complex sheet of ice melted away in its lower parts, and waned
until the original hill-land glaciers had returned to their original beds
and to their original insignificance. Finally, the last of the glaciers
dwindled and died out, leaving the country much as we see it now.
Traces of these successive changes are year by year being recognized
with the certainty due to constantly increasing knowledge, but it must
be admitted that a great deal more work is required in Durham before
anything like a final verdict can be given respecting the history of
all the difficult deposits grouped under the term ' Glacial.'
Concerning the lowest of these, the stiff clay studded with boulders
of which many are obviously foreigners that have reached their
present abiding place after much travel the clay known par excellence
as the Boulder Clay, there is not now much doubt. Few geologists see
in it, now, the material dropped into the sea from floating icebergs. It
is recognized by almost all as the equivalent of the Moraine profonde of
Swiss glaciers, i.e. as the ground-down mud interspersed with fallen
blocks which underlies moving ice on land. That this Boulder Clay
or ' Till ' sometimes attains a thickness of 200 feet or even more is
evidence enough of the enormous thickness of ice beneath which it was
accumulated. The polishing and grooving of the rock surface on which
the clay lies is also evidence enough of the movement by which the
vast muddy mass was urged over the subjacent floor, and the determina-
tion of the place of origin of the travelled stones within the clay yields
information as to the directions followed by the ice-currents in their
flow over the region. The innumerable pit-sections and boring-records
which are available as to the superficial deposits of the entire county,
whether in the coalfield or the leadfield, show how widespread is this
great Boulder Clay formation ; but they also show how rapidly it varies
24
HISTORY OF DURHAM
OROGRAF
THE VI CTORIA HI STORY
SAL MAP.
REFERENCE NOTE
M
KM to 2MK) <V
2000 I., -.'JM i i. -i
175O i.. ;IIIH>
UOO to IT.-.n i
ii. I.MMI I.. i
1000 u> IL-MI iwt
8OO to 1OW) IWt
60O to 8OO fret
4OO to BOO trrl
2OO In 4OO I..I
1OO to ZOO f'Mt
Sen I .. i . I to 100 tffl
S I -. 1 I,. ."
to eo (,!
BO in IL-II f
In-low 120
,.,r./ /'..,/
TEES ft A
)E COUNTIES OF ENGLAND
County Boundary tkoum taut*
GEOLOGY
in thickness from place to place, the thickest portions often within a few
yards of bare rock or of quite thin Drift. The six volumes of Borings
and Sinkings, published by the North of England Institute of Mining
and Mechanical Engineers, are full of valuable details bearing upon
the distribution of this oldest of the Glacial deposits.
All pre-Glacial valleys were necessarily choked up with this clay
and most of them are so still, the post-Glacial rivers not having by any
means always chosen to follow the ancient channels, and having often
preferred to wear down new valleys through virgin rock to digging
along their old courses through the stiff intractable material under which
they were buried. These concealed pre-Glacial valleys and there are
many of them are known as * washes,' and frequently present formid-
able barriers of barren ground to the miner between the denuded edges
of coal-seams. The best known of these washes or washouts is the
long one which, first recognizable high up the Wear valley near Witton-
le-Wear, follows more or less parallel to the present river (but rarely
coinciding with the actual tbaliveg now existing) to Durham city, half
of the market place in which is situated upon it ; thence to near
Chester-le-Street. Here instead of approximately following the present
river and its valley it turns abruptly to the north, actually crosses (as the
railway also does) the watershed between the Wear and the Tyne, and,
following the Team valley, reaches that of the Tyne 150 feet beneath
its bottom level. This pre-Glacial wash is filled with boulder clay and,
above that, with later clays, gravels, and sands which, in places, attain a
thickness of more than 300 feet. Similar ancient river courses similarly
hidden from view by Glacial infillings are numerous, and a number in
the north-eastern portion of the county have quite recently been care-
fully and successfully worked out with much skill and patience by
Dr. David Woolacott.
Above the Boulder Clay are vast thicknesses of sand and gravel,
as well as limited patches of laminated (locally, * leafy ') clays, which
are largely the result of the reasserting of the material of the older
clay and of silty accumulations in ice-dammed or moraine-dammed
lakes at the melting of the ice and after. There is no evidence
in Durham of any true Interglacial Period, these gravels and sands,
which are usually called the Upper Glacial gravels and sands, being
the final set of accumulations due to any phase of the reign of cold.
They can be excellently studied along the banks of the Derwent and
Wear, where numerous cuttings, both artificial and natural, expose
sections of great height and length. Exactly the same kinds of stones
are found in these loose deposits as in the Boulder Clay, but the
polished and scratched faces which they exhibit in the latter are as a
rule effaced by the rolling to which the blocks were subjected during
the dtbdcles of the later or melting stage.
It is clear from a study of the Drift of Durham that one great glacier-
sheet came from the Tyne valley and from north-west Northumberland
and swept due south across lower (or eastern) Durham towards the York-
i 25 4
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
shire plain and the foot of the Cleveland hills (which hills Prof. P. F.
Kendall has well shown were by no means altogether covered by the ice
sheets). It is also clear that another great glacier sheet came from
Westmorland along the pass of Stainmore (by Brough-under-Stainmore),
and followed roughly the trend of the Tees till it blended with the first-
named flow. It was this sheet from the west that brought down all the
huge blocks of unmistakable Shap Fell granite which are found all
along its course, by Barnard Castle, Darlington and thence to the coast
south of Tees from Redcar to Scarborough and Seamer. Thirdly,
smaller glacier-sheets pushed their way from the small highland nunatdh
in the Pennine west down the valley of the Wear and down many of the
smaller burn-dales between Derwent and Tees. These glaciers all carried
material to the greater sheet into which they fell on reaching the eastern
lower country, but this material was entirely of local origin, none as in
the case of the other and larger glaciers foreigners from great dis-
tances. Beyond this Captain Dwerryhouse has taught us by means of
Prof. P. Kendall's new and valuable criteria that as there were lakes held
up by the ice in the Glacial period among the Tabular hills in east
Yorkshire, so there were similar small lakes on the confines of Durham
at the same time in the highest ground free from ice to the west.
RAISED BEACHES, CAVE-EARTH, OLD PEAT DEPOSITS, ETC.
All newer than the Glacial Drift, but not always easy to place
correctly as to relative age among themselves, these accumulations now
claim attention.
Dr. Woolacott's researches have largely extended our knowledge of
the Durham raised beaches. Some of these occur at a height of 150
feet above present sea-level. It has been already mentioned that the
pre-Glacial valley of the Wear ran into the Tyne Valley at 150 feet be-
low the river i.e. below sea-level nearly, as the Tyne is there tidal. We
thus obtain an index to the probable maximum amount of vertical
movement to which north-east Durham, at any rate, was subjected in
Glacial and post-Glacial times. The land must have sunk at least 300
feet below the level at which it stood when the Team Wash began to
be filled in. This is obvious enough, but much careful gathering of ob-
servations, now actively going on, by competent men, requires to be
done before the details of the old history can with any confidence be
completed. At Cleadon, Marsden, Fulwell, Hendon and several other
places the raised beaches can be well seen and studied. It is worth
noting that besides common beach shells of living species, many chalk
flints have in recent years been found in these raised shore gravels.
There are not many cave-deposits in Durham, though the Magnesian
Limestone is so riddled with caverns. There are a few however, among
which those at Heathery Burn near Stanhope take the first place. The
cave here (now destroyed) was in the Carboniferous Limestone, and in 1 86 1
was found to contain remains of the otter, badger, goat, roebuck, hog,
26
GEOLOGY
horse and water-rat. Bones of man with others of dogs, rabbits, goats,
sheep, pigs and oxen were, in 1865, found in a Magnesian Limestone
cave close to Ryhope Pit. Human remains with edible shells and re-
mains of horse, cow, sheep, dog, pig or wild boar, red deer, roe, badger,
fox, yellow-breasted marten, weasel, hedgehog, mole, water-vole, kestrel
or merlin, gannet, great auk (now extinct) and other birds were found
in some old sea-caves also in Magnesian Limestone high above the present
sea-level at Whitburn Lizards in 1878.
Stone implements of neolithic type have occasionally been found
and are recorded in the Transactions of the local antiquarian societies,
but they do not appear to offer any points of special geological in-
terest.
So-called submerged forests, possibly, but not quite conclusively,
pointing in a less marked degree than the raised beaches, to earth-
movements in comparatively recent times, are observable at low tide at
Whitburn, and also at the Hartlepools, but more evidence is wanted in
both cases.
Under the head of recent deposits must be classed the beach-
material now in process of accumulation, the loam, sand and gravel of
the rivers forming alluvial flats or * haughs ' at the river-bends, and the
peat-bogs of the high moorland, some of which represent the sites of
lakes (possibly Glacial), but most of which are of later date.
APPENDIX
REFERENCES TO A FEW OF THE MORE USEFUL AUTHORITIES.
MAPS
Geological Map of Durham and Northumberland, by N. J. Winch, being part i. vol. iv,
Transactions of the Geological Society of London, 1 8 1 6.
Geological Map of Durham, by William Smith, London, 1824.
Geological Map of Northumberland and Durham, by George Tate, (printed 1867) in the
History of Alnwick, and also in New Flora of the two counties, published by the Natural
History Society of Northumberland and Durham in 1868.
Sketch-map of the Geology of Northumberland and Durham, by G. A. Lebour, 1886 and
Six-inch sheets of the Geological Survey (for the coalfield and part of the lead districts).
Also sections and one-inch sheets of the Geological Survey, complete.
BOOKS AND PAPERS (GENERAL)
' Observations on the Geology of Northumberland and Durham,' by N. J. Winch, Trans.
Geol. Soc.iv. i-ioi, 1816 (read 1814).
Synopsis of the Geology of Northumberland and Durham, by R. Howse and J. W. Kirkby, New-
castle-upon-Tyne, 1863 ; 'Geology' (of Northumberland and Durham), being chapter i.
of ' A New Flora ' of these counties (Nat. Hist. Trans, of Northumberland and Durham,
vol. ii. 1868) by G. Tate ; Geology of the Counties of England, article ' Durham,' by W.
J. Harrison, 1882.
Outlines of the Geology of Northumberland and Durham, by G. A. Lebour, London and New-
castle, 1886 and 1889.
1 Geology of Durham ' in Worden's Gazetteer of the County, 1891, by G. A. Lebour.
' Geology of England and Wales,' passim, by H. B. Woodward, London, 1887.
The Ancient Volcanoes of Great Britain^ by Sir A. Gcikic (for Whin Sill and Dykes), vol. ii.
London, 1897.
27
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
The Coal-fields of Great Britain, by E. Hull, ed. 4, London, 1 88 1.
The Geology of North-Eastern Durham, by D. Woolacott, Sunderland, 1897.
Industrial Resources of the Tyne, Wear, and Tees, ed. 2, 1864.
PAPERS
' Notes on the Fossil Remains of some Recent and Extinct Mammalia in the Counties of
Northumberland and Durham,' by R. Howse, Tyneside Nat. Field Club Trans, vol. v.
(1860-2).
' On the Raised Beaches on the North-East Coast of Yorkshire ' (refers to south Durham),
by Dr. W. Y. Veitch, Proc. Torksh. Geol. and Polytech. Soc. new ser. vol. viii.
(1883).
< On the Raised Beaches of the Durham Coast,' by David Woolacott, Proc. Univ. Durham
Phil. Soc. and Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and Durham, 1899-1904 (several papers).
' Preliminary Note on the Discovery of Old Sea-caves and a Raised Beach at Whitburn
Lizards,' by R. Howse, Nat. Hist. Trans, of Northumberland and Durham, vol. vii.
(1880).
' On the Heathery Burn Cave.' Notes by J. Elliot, Professor T. H. Huxley and Dr. C.
Carter Blake, Geologist, vol. v. (1862).
' Note on the Ryhope Cave,' by R. Kirkby and Professor G. S. Brady, Nat. Hist. Trans, of
Northumberland and Durham, vol. i. (1866).
' On Drift Coal in Durham,' by G. A. Lebour, Naturalist (ann. 1885).
' On the Wear and Team Wash Out,' by Nicholas Wood and E. F. Boyd, Trans. N. Engl.
Inst. Min. and Mechan. Engineers, vol. xiii. (1863).
' On the Glaciation of the Counties of Durham and Northumberland,' by R. Howse, Trans.
N. Engl. Inst. Min. and Mechan. Engineers, vol. xiii. (18634).
'The Salt Deposits of Durham,' Anon., Times, 26 December, 1882.
' Salt Working at Middlesborough,' Anon., Journ. Soc. of Arts, vol. xxxi j and ' Engineering,'
vol. xxxvi. (1883).
Middlesborough and District, 12 mo. Middlesborough (1881).
The Permian Formation in the North-East of England,' by E. Wilson, Midland Naturalist,
vol. iv. See also same author, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. for November 1888, W. J.
Bird in the Trans. Manchester Geol. Soc. for 1888, and H. H. Howell in the Geological
Magazine for January (vol. vii.) 1890. These papers refer to the age of the salt-bear-
ing beds.
' The Salt Deposits of Middlesborough and the mode of working them,' by T. Hugh Bell,
Proc. Cleveland Inst. of Engineers for 18823.
' Analyses of Magnesian Limestone,' by J. Browell and R. Kirkby, Trans. Tyneside Nat. Field
Club, 1866.
' On the Sinking of two Shafts at Marsden, etc.,' by J. Daglish, Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers,
vol. Ixxi. (1883).
' On the Occurrence of Sand-pipes in the Magnesian Limestone of Durham,' by R. Kirkby,
Geologist, vol. iii. (1860).
' On the Geological Relations and Internal Structure of the Magnesian Limestone, etc.,' by
Professor A. Sedgwick, Trans. Geol. Soc. ser. 2, vol. iii. (1835).
' On the Breccia-Gashes of the Durham Coast and some Recent Earth-shakes at Sunderland,'
by Professor G. A. Lebour, Trans. N. Engl. Inst. Min. and Mechan. Engineers, vol.
xxxiii. (1884), also Geol. Mag. (1885).
' Notes on the Permian System of Northumberland and Durham,' by R. Howse, Trans.
Tyneside Field Club (1838).
' Tabular View of the Permian Strata of the North-East of England,' by J. W. Kirkby and
E. Binney, Geologist, vol. vi. (1863).
' On the Magnesian Limestone of Durham,' by J. Daglish and G. B. Forster, Trans. N.
Engl. Inst. Min. and Mechan. Engineers, vol. xiii. (1864).
' The Marl Slate and Yellow Sands of Northumberland and Durham,' by Professor G. A.
Lebour, Trans. Inst. Min. Engineers, vol. xxiv. (1903).
' On the Origin and Mode of Formation of the Concretions in the Magnesian Limestone of
Durham,' by Professor E. J. Garwood, Geol. Mag. new ser. Dec. iii. vol. viii. (1891).
' On the Concretions of the Durham Magnesian Limestone,' by Dr. G. Abbott, Repts. Brit.
Association (18961901).
28
GEOLOGY
'On the Red Rocks of England of older date than the Trias,' by Sir Andrew Ramsay,
Quart. Journ. Geol. See. (1871).
Catalogue of the local Fossils in the Museum of the Natural History Society, by R. Howse,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1890).
' Note sur la geologic du Bassin houiller de Newcastle,' by A. Soubeyran, Annales des Mines,
ser. 8, t. i. (1882).
The Coal Seams of the Northumberland and Durham Coalfield, by J. B. Simpson (a compara-
tive chart of typical sections), 1877.
' A Synopsis of the Seams of Coal in the Newcastle District,' (the first real attempt at cor-
relation) by J. Buddie, Tram. Northumberland Nat. Hist. Sac. vol. i. (1831).
' Probability of finding Coal in the Bernician of Durham, etc., with an account of the
Chopwell Boring beneath the Brockwell Seam,' by J. B. Simpson, Trans. last. Min.
Engineers, vol. xxiv. (1904).
The Economy of a Coalfield (full of local geological details), by Dr. J. F. W. Johnston, Dur-
ham (1838).
A Productive Mountain Rock, The Great Limestone, etc. (a local pamphlet with much in-
formation), by W. M. Egglestone (circa 1882).
Observations to accompany a plan of Silver Band Lead Mines, by T. Sopwith, Newcastle
(185 ?).
4 On the term Bernician, etc.' See papers by Professor G. A. Lebour, Trans. N. Engl. Inst.
Min. and Mechan. Engineers, vol. xxv. (1876), and Geol. Mag. Dec. ii. vol. iv. (1877).
' On the Correlation of the Coal Seams of the Great Northern Coalfield,' by M. Walton
Brown, Trans. N. Engl. Inst. of Min. and Mechan. Engineers, vol. xxxix. (1890).
4 The Geological History of Tyne, Wear and Associated Streams,' by D. Woolacott, Proc.
Univ. of Durham Phil. Soc., vol. ii. (1903).
4 On the Dry Valleys and Glacial Lakes of the Country about the Source of the Tees, etc.',
by Captain Dwerry house, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. Iviii. (1902).
' Petrological Notes on some North of England Dykes,' by J. J. H. Teall, Quart. Journ.
Geol. Soc. vol. xl. (1884).
4 On the Contact-metamorphism of Dykes ' (refers to Durham dykes), by Sir Lowthian Bell,
Proc. Royal Soc. vol. xxiii. (1875).
4 On the Whin Sill in Northumberland,' by W. Topley and G. A. Lebour, Brit. Aim. Rept.
for 1873.
4 On the Limits of the Yoredale Series in the North of England,' by Professor G. A. Lebour,
Geol. Mag. Dec. ii. vol. ii. (1875).
The 4 Whinsill ' of Teesdale as an Assimilator of Surrounding Beds, by A. C. Clough, Quart.
Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxxv. (1880).
4 On the Intrusion of the Whin Sill,' by David Burns, Trans. N. Engl. Inst. of Min. and
Mechan. Engineers, vol. xxvii. (1878).
4 On the Igneous Rocks of Durham, etc.,' Professor A. Sedgwick, Tram. Geol. Soc. vol. iii.
ser. 2 (1826-8), and Trans. Cambridge Phil. Soc. vol. ii. (1822).
4 Petrology of the Great Whin Sill,' by J. J. H. Teall, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xl.
(1884) ; and Proc. Geol. Assoc. for 1886. In the first of these papers a bibliography of
the Whin Sill is given.
4 On the Intrusive Character of the Whin Sill In Northumberland ' (gives references to
previous literature and relates also to Durham), by W. Topley and G. A. Lebour,
Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxxiii. (1877).
' On the Whin Sill,' by W. Hutton, Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. of Northumberland and Durham,
vol. ii. (1832). A very curious paper in which all the observations are excellent and
the inferences wrong.
29
PALAEONTOLOGY
Within the limits of the county of Durham vertebrate remains are chiefly confined to two groups
of strata widely sundered in geological time, namely to modern, Prehistoric and apparently Pleistocene
deposits on the one hand, and to those of Permian and Carboniferous age on the other. Needless
to say, the fossils from the Palaeozoic formations largely outweigh in point of interest those from the
superficial deposits, and among the former the most important are those from the Permian, which
include several forms first described on the evidence of Durham specimens, and some of which are
at present unknown beyond the limits of that county. Nevertheless, the remains from the super-
ficial formations are by no means lacking in interest, the most noticeable being those of the lynx,
the elk, and the great auk. No vertebrate remains have been obtained from the Trias of the
county, this formation being, as usual, unfossiliferous.
The great historian of the fossil vertebrates of the county is Mr. Richard Howse, whose
Catalogue of the Local Fossils in the Museum of the Natural History Society of Northumber-
land, Durham, and Newcastle-on-Tyne, 1 has been of the greatest assistance in the compilation
of the present account.
Apart from the bones of various species of domesticated mammals, such as the dog, goat, and
horse, disinterred during the excavation of Roman camps, the most modern vertebrate fossils
discovered in the county appear to be those from estuarine silts or old lake-beds, belonging
apparently cither to the Historic or the Prehistoric epochs. Among such remains, Mr. Howse
records those of the red deer (Cervus elaphus) from silt eighteen feet below the surface in Jarrow
Dock and Cobble Dene Dock, as well as from the silt of the bed of the Tyne ; similar remains
being also recorded from West Hartlepool, North Bailey, and from Durham itself. Of the roe
(Capreolus capreolus) antlers have been found in the Roman camps. More interest attaches to the
remains of the elk (A Ices alces) from beneath the peat at Hartlepool, and at Mainsforth, near Sedgefield,*
since remains of this animal are very rare in Britain, where they appear to be quite unknown in
deposits which can be definitely assigned to the Pleistocene epoch. The wild ox, or aurochs (Bos
taunts primigenius) has left its remains in the silt of Jarrow Dock, as well as in that of the Tyne, and
beneath peat in various localities in the county ; and bones of the domesticated Celtic shorthorn
the miscalled Bos longifrtms are likewise reported from Jarrow and Hartlepool. Remains of the
wild boar (Sus scrofa ferus) have been met with in river-silt, as well as in Roman stations, and a
skull is recorded from North Bailey. Boars' tusks, together with remains of the dog, the badger,
and the Celtic shorthorn, have also been obtained from the cave at Heathery Burn, near Stanhope,
in Weardale, which was explored by Canon Greenwell, and yielded implements of the bronze
period.
Much greater interest attaches to the remains of the great auk (Aha, or Plautus, impennis)
discovered in cave-deposits at Marsden, in the Cleadon Hills, and described in 1880 by Mr. Howse.*
Up to the year 1890, at any rate, these were the only remains of this bird discovered in England.
They were associated with those of man, the badger (Melts melts), the fox (Pulpes vulpes), and other
species.
Next in order may be considered the remains from fissures in the Mountain Limestone at
Teesdale, which may or may not be approximately of the same age as the ordinary cavern-bones
from other parts of the country. By far the most interesting of these belong to the lynx (Felis
[Lynx] lynx), a species known elsewhere in Britain only from the Yew-Tree Cave, Pleasley Vale,
on the borders of Derbyshire and Nottingham. These have been described by the late
Mr. William Davies. 4 Other mammals of which the remains have been found at Teesdale include
the wild cat (Felis catus), the wolf (Cants lupus), the fox, the otter (Lutra lutra), the roe, the red
deer, the wild boar, and the horse. The exploration of the Teesdale fissure by the late Messrs.
1 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and Durham, x. 227 (1889).
s Sec Woodward and Sherborn Brit. Fuss. Penetrate, p. 312 ; Chirdon Burn, North Tync, where an
antler of this species has been obtained, it here said to be in Durham, instead of Northumberland.
8 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and Durham, vii. 361.
* Geel. Mag. (z) vii. 346 (1880).
3 1
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Backhouse also yielded remains of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus). Few other vertebrate remains
appear to have been recorded from the superficial deposits of the county. The local Natural History
Society's Museum possesses, however, a skeleton of the extinct Irish deer (Cervus giganteus), or miscalled
Irish elk obtained in the winter of 1855-56 in peat under a thick deposit of brick-earth at South
Shields ; a pair of antlers of the same species has also been obtained from an ancient forest-deposit at
the mouth of the Tees,* at Snook Point, which is now in the Durham University Museum ; and a
second pair was dug up at Nab Hill so long ago as 1840.* Probably these may be assigned to the
Prehistoric epoch. Remains of the wild boar from South Shields may have come from the same
layer.
Finally, a fragment of a tusk, five inches in circumference, found in the excavation of the
West Hartlepool Docks, is stated to be the only evidence of the former existence of the mammoth
or hairy elephant (Elephas primigenius) within the limits of the county. 8 This specimen was
preserved in the Athenaeum at West Hartlepool. Mr. Howse regards it as being of Prehistoric
age but it should apparently be referred rather to the antecedent Pleistocene epoch.
Passing on to the fossils of the Paleozoic epoch, the first that claim attention are five species
of enamel-scaled, or ganoid, fishes from the Upper Magnesian Limestone of the Permian series
from Fulwell Hill and Marsden Bay, first brought to notice in 1862 and again in 1864 by
Mr. ]. W. Kirkby. At first all were referred to the family Palteoniscidee, one to the genus
Acrolepis, and the others to Pal<eoniscus itself. As regards the first genus, subsequent investigations
have confirmed the original determination, but the reference of the others to Paltsoniscus has proved
erroneous, for not only are they distinct from that genus, but they also belong to quite another
family group the Semionotidis in place of the Palcsoniscidte ; being, in fact, near allies of the well-
known Mesozoic genera Lepidotus and Dapedius. Accordingly, in 1877 they were referred by
Dr. R. H. Traquair * to a new genus, under the name of Acentrophorus, which is thus typified by
Durham specimens.
The discovery of these fishes is recorded by Mr. Kirkby in the following words :
'The fossils were first noticed by the workmen in August 1861 in a newly-opened quarry
belonging to Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bart., at Fulwell, about a mile and a half to the north of
Sunderland ; and my attention was almost immediately drawn to them by Mr. Harry Abbs, of the
latter town
' The quarry referred to is situated on the northern slope of Fulwell Hill, and is not far dis-
tant from another more extensive and much older quarry belonging to the same proprietor. In
these quarries, as well as in others on the same hill more to the west, the Magnesian Limestone is
largely worked for lime-burning, as it has been in the older quarries for the last sixty years or
more. During the whole of that period, up to 1861, no traces of any organic remains had ever
been found in the limestone of this hill. But about the time named, or a little before, it became
necessary, in order to keep the new quarry at its proper level, to cut through some underlying beds
(brought up by an anticlinal) which had never yet been cut through, owing to the unvendible quality
of the limestone ; and it was in working these lower and inferior strata that the great bulk of the
fossil fish were discovered, most of them having been found in one bed, or zone of beds, of lime-
stone ; there nevertheless being several instances of their occurrence both above and below that
horizon.
' Soon after their discovery in the new quarry, another on the same anticlinal brought up the
equivalent strata in the old quarry, about half a furlong to the south ; and it was not long before the
same fossils were met with there, besides other species that the first locality had not yielded.
' The same fish-bed would appear also to extend considerably to the north-east ; for I have
obtained the tail-half of a small fish from a stratum of limestone in Marsden Bay, occupying the
same stratigraphical position as the Fulwell fish-bed.'
Three forms of these Fulwell fishes were respectively named by Mr. Kirkby Paltsoniscus variant,
P. abbsi, and P. altus ; names which in 1877 became changed to Acentrophorus variant, A. abbsi, and
A. altus. Another type was provisionally assigned to Palaoniscus angustus of Agassiz, an imperfectly
known fish of uncertain affinity. 8 Finally the fish originally identified by Mr. Kirkby with Acrolepis
sedgwicki (an identification subsequently cancelled by its author) was eventually named by Mr. Howse
Acrolepis kirkbyi. According to Dr. Smith Woodward,* it is allied to A. sedgwicki, but its affinities
and right to specific distinction are not clear.
Following the divisions adopted by local geologists, the next zone of the Permian formation
from which vertebrate fossils have been obtained is the so-called Lower Limestone, the Compact
Limestone of Sedgwick, which forms in most places a conspicuous plateau, or ' step,' in the Permian
escarpment. An extremely interesting, although unfortunately very imperfect, specimen from this
1 Trans. Tyneside Nat. Field Club, v. 1 14. 8 Ibid. in.
8 Ibid. * Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. joncvii. 565.
6 See Woodward, Cat. Fois. Fish. Brit. Mus. ii. 447. Ibid. 504.
32
PALEONTOLOGY
horizon is a split slabof yellow limestone showing the skeletonof the trunk and part of the skull of a four-
limbed air-breathing vertebrate, for which the name Lepidotosaurus duffi has been proposed by Messrs.
Hancock and Howsc. 1 The slab with the skeleton itself is preserved in the local Natural History
Society's Museum at N,cwcastle-on-Tyne, and the counterpart, displaying the impression of the
same, in the British Museum. The specimen was obtained in 1867 from a quarry at Middridge,
near Bishop's Auckland. By its describers Lepidotosaurus was referred to the primarval salamanders,
a group technically known as Labyrinthodontia or Stegocephalia, and typically characterised by the
complete roofing of the skull, the sculpturing of the cranial bones and of those forming the
characteristic chest-shield, the complex internal structure of the teeth, and the presence of an armour of
bony scales on the lower surface of the body. Such scales are present in the Middridge skeleton, and
serve to indicate that the original determination is probably correct, although, from the imperfect
condition of the specimen, the exact serial position of the genus cannot be determined.
The fishes of the Lower Magnesian Limestone of the county appear to be two in number,
Palaoniscus freitsltbeni and Platyumiu gibbesus, the two genera to which they belong respectively
typifying the families PaUeoniscid* and Platytamatldte. Both families belong to the enamel-scaled
group ; the members of the former being characterised, among other features, by their slender
herring-like shape, while those of the latter are deeper-bodied, rhomboidal fishes, more like a John
Dory in contour. Both species occur typically in the Kupferschiefer, or Upper Permian, of
Thuringia. Of P. Jreieslebeni the Durham examples from the Lower Limestone were obtained at
Down Hill, near Boldon, Houghton-lc-Spring ; while those of P. gibbosus came from Pallion Quarry,
near Sundcrland.*
Next in order comes the Marlslate the equivalent of the German Kupferschiefer which,
although a very thin and local deposit in the county, has yielded some very interesting fossils.
The most important, perhaps, of these are two slabs from Middridge, now preserved in the
Museum at Newcastle, each of which displays a portion of the skeleton of a reptile of the size of a
large lizard. These specimens were described and figured by Messrs. Hancock and Howse,* by
whom the one was referred to Protorosaurus * sfeneri, a primitive reptile from the German Kupfer-
schiefer, while the other was made the type of a second species of the same genus, with the title of
P. huxleyi. The Protorosauridte form an extremely generalised group of early reptiles whose nearest
existing representative is to be found in the New Zealand tuatera (Sphenodon functatut), which
typifies the order Rhynchocephalia. At present, they are the earliest known members of the
reptilian class. Two species, P. speneri and P. lincki, are known from the Continent, the first of
which is, as above stated, recorded from Durham. P. huxleyi is unknown elsewhere than in
Durham.
Fish-remains from the Marlslate of the county are much more numerous. Among these,
mention may first be made of the widely spread primitive shark known as Janassa bituminosa,
typically from the German Kupferschiefer, but of which teeth have been discovered at Middridge.
These teeth, as in other representatives of the Petalodontidte, formed a pavement when arranged in
the mouth ; the number of rows of principal teeth in this particular genus being three. From the
evidence of Durham and Northumberland specimens, Messrs. Hancock and Howse ' formulated a
scheme of the mode of arrangement of the teeth, from which they were led to believe that Janassa
was a ray. Their interpretation was, however, shown by the late Professor K. von Zittel to be
incorrect. Another shark, Wodnika althausl (also known as W. itriatula), belonging to the same
family (Cestraciontid<e) as the existing Port Jackson shark, is recorded by Mr. Howse from the Marlslate
of East Thickley Quarry. The species, which is the only member of its genus, is typically from the
Kupferschiefer of Thuringia; and the genus is distinguished from the Port Jackson shark (Cistracion)
by all the teeth, which are large size, being of a crushing type, and by the small number of those
in the front of the jaws. Although the species is included in Messrs. Woodward and Sherborn's
British Foiiil Vertebrates, it is not given as British in the Catalogue of Fossil Fishes in the British
Museum.* Of the enamel-scaled, or ganoid, fishes from the Durham Marlslate, the first is
Ctelacantbus granulatus t the typical representative of a genus and species founded by Agassiz on a
specimen (now in the British Museum) from Fcrryhill, but likewise known from Fulwell Hill and
Middridge, and also occurring in the Thuringian Kupferschiefer. The genus belongs to a separate
family (Calacanthidtt) of fringe-firmed ganoids, now represented by the bichers and the reed-fish of
the African rivers. The specimen from Ferryhill described in 1850 by Sir Philip Egerton as a
distinct species under the name of C. caudalis is now ascertained to pertain to an immature example
of C. granulatus.
1 Nat. Hilt. Trans. Northumb. and Durham, IT. p. 219, pt. viii, and Qyart. Jour*. Geol. Sot. xxvi. 556,
pt. 38 (1870). * Vide Howse, Nat. Hist. Traai. Nortbumb. and Durham, x. 247.
Stuart. "Jour*. Geol. Soe. nvi. 565, pis. 39 and 40 (1870).
The name (as was usual at that time) is spelt Proteniaurui.
Ann. Mag. Nat. Htit. (4) v. 47 (1870). i. 248.
i 33 5
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Of ganoids with a more normal, or, rather, more specialised, type of fin, our first representation
is Pygopterus humboldti, a member of the family Palteonisctdte first described on the evidence of
specimens from the continental Kupferschiefer, but subsequently identified from the Marlslatc of
Middridge and Ferryhill. A specimen from the latter locality was regarded by Sir P. Egerton as
representing a distinct species, P. latus ; but its peculiarities in shape appear to be due to the effects
of crush. 1 This fish has also been called P. mandibularis. To the same family belongs PaUeoniscus
freieslebeni, already mentioned under the heading of the Lower Magnesian Limestone, which also
occurs in the Marlslate of Ferryhill, Middridge, and East Thickley. A second species of the same
genus, P. longissimuS) was named on the evidence of a specimen from the Clarence Railway cutting,
near Mainsforth, in the present county, and also occurs at Ferryhill and Middridge. The type
specimen is in the Museum at Newcastle-on-Tyne, but the counterpart is in the collection of the
British Museum. A third species, P. macrophthalmus, also typically from Durham, occurs at Ferry-
hill and Middridge ; the type specimen (a nearly complete fish) being in the Museum of the
Geological Society of London. The so-called P. elegam appears to be a synonym of P. freieslebeni.
To the same family belongs the genus jfcrolepis, already referred to when treating of the fishes of the
Lower Magnesian Limestone. It is typified by A. sedgwicki, first described from Middridge, and also
occurring at Ferryhill ; the continental A, asper being apparently referable to the same species. A
second species, A. exsculpta, typically from the German Kupferschiefer, is also recorded from the
Marlslate of Middridge and Fulwell Waterworks.
The family Platysomatidte, the members of which, as already said, are distinguished from the
Palieoniscidte by their shorter and deeper bodies, are represented in the Marlslate of the county by at
least two, and possibly by three, species. The first of these is Globulodus macrurus, a genus and
species typically from the German Kupferschiefer differing from the better known Mesolepis of the
Coal Measures by the dentition. This fish occurs both at Middridge and Ferryhill. Of the typical
genus Platysomus, the aforesaid P. gibbosus (also known as P. striatus) occurs at the two localities
last named.
Perhaps the most remarkable of all the Marlstone fishes is the one described from the German
Kupferschiefer as Dorypterus hojffmanni y of which the serial position is still problematical. According
to Messrs. Hancock and Howse, by whom they were described, four examples of this singular fish
have been discovered at Middridge, two in 1865 and two in 1869 ; all four being in the Newcastle
Museum. The genus takes its name from the presence of a sword-like dorsal fin, recalling in form
(although not in structure) the back-fin of a killer-whale. Dr. Smith Woodward * observes that :
' This fish still requires satisfactory elucidation, but it is evidently related to the Platysomatidte, as indicated
by the great development of the azygous [unpaired] fin-supports, which are sometimes, at least in
part, mistaken for dermal structures. So far as the absence of flank-scales is concerned, Dorypterus
bears the same relation to the typical Platysomatidts as Phanerosteon with respect to the typical
Palaoniscida'
Lastly, in the family Semlonotidte we have a species of the genus Acentrophorus, already referred
to under the heading of the Lower Magnesian Limestone, in the Marlstone of the county. This
species, A. glaphyrus, was named by Agassiz on the evidence of a Durham specimen preserved in the
York Museum. It differs from the type species by the conspicuous serration of the scales. There
are specimens of this fish from Middridge and Ferryhill in the collection of the British Museum.
Although remains of fishes are far from uncommon in the Northumberland Coal Measures,
few appear to be recorded from the Carboniferous rocks of Durham, none being mentioned by
Mr. Howse in his catalogue of the collection in the Newcastle Museum. The present writer has,
however, been informed by a local authority that such remains are quite common in the Durham
Coal Measures, more especially in the shaley layer capping the Hutton seam. They have never
yet been collected systematically, although they are probably quite as numerous as in the hard main
shale at Newsham, Northumberland (which is the same bed as the Hutton seam), where they were
assiduously collected by the late Mr. Atthey.
One species of fossil fish, the primitive pavement-toothed shark Petalodus acumtnatus, is recorded
from the Upper Carboniferous Limestone of the county by Dr. A. Smith Woodward in the
Catalogue of Fossil Fishes in the British Museum.* Since, moreover, in the same work* the widely
spread fringe-finned ganoid Megalichthys hibberti is stated to be known from all the English Coal-fields,
its remains probably occur within the limits of the county under consideration.
1 See Cat. Toss. Fish. Brit. Mia. ii. 474.
8 Cat. Fois. Fish. Brit. Mus. ii. 550. i. 43. * ii. 380.
HISTORY OF DURHAM
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THE VICTORIA HISTORY
DISTRICTS.
LIST OF BOTANICAL DISTRICTS -
Based on the River Basins
I. Dirwent
U. Wear
HI. 7
'HE COUNTIES OF ENGLAND
BOTANY
GENERAL PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF THE COUNTY WITH
RELATION TO THE FLORA
I
^HE physical features of Durham, which embrace a wide range of
altitude, exercise an important influence upon climatic conditions,
and together with the different geological strata tend to produce
an extremely rich and varied flora. A glance at the Orographical
Map will show the general configuration and boundaries of the county.
The zones of altitude extend through three of the six zones into
which H. C. Watson, in his work on Botanical Geography, divides the
surface of the county ; these corresponding to his mid-agrarian, super-
agrarian, and infer-arctic zones. Following Baker's scheme these may be
described as the Lower, Middle, and Upper Zones, the Lower including
the heights up to 900 feet, the Middle those between 900 feet and
1, 800 feet, and the Upper the heights beyond that level.
At the western extremity of the county, where its width contracts
to only I o miles, the two great river systems take their rise, this neck of
land embracing the whole of the Wear watershed, and half of the tract
drained by the Tees. The latter has its actual source in Cumberland,
rising east of Cross Fell (2,900 feet) some few miles west of the district,
and enters the county at a high moorland region 1,600 feet above sea-
level. This is a wild, desolate expanse, which northwards, beyond the
Crookburn, extends into a series of lofty ridges of similar character,
presenting the most mountainous aspect of the whole county. These
high grassy and heathery peaks sweep boldly round the head of the dales,
the most elevated points from south to north including Viewing Hill
(2,097 feet), Highfield (2,322 feet), Burnhope Seat (2,546 feet), Dead-
stones (2,326 feet), Knoutberry Hill (2,195 feet), Nag's Head (2, 207 feet),
and Kilhope Law (2,206 feet), which last commands the extreme north-
west of the county. From this eminence a fine view is obtained over the
Cheviots and Allenheads in the Northumberland border. On the southern
flank of Burnhope Seat is found the weird-looking tract of Yad Moss, a
wild expanse of peat, covered with a very scanty vegetation and broken
up by deep rifts cut in the black peat to its foundation of shaley sandstone,
indicating in a remarkable manner the great force of the western gales.
A succession of peaks of gradually declining altitude form undulating
ranges of hills proceeding eastwards, one of which, north of the Wear,
forms the watershed between that river and the country drained by the
35
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Allen and the Derwent. South of the Wear rises another high, heather-
covered ridge, the principal peaks of which are Chapel Fell Top
(2,294 feet) and Fendrith Hill (2,284 feet) ; this separates the valleys of
the Tees and the Wear, and the whole then gradually slopes away through
undulating moorland and wide-stretching commons down to the fertile
plains below. Altogether, there are fully twenty peaks which ascend
into the Upper Zone. The 900 feet contour line forming the lower limit
of the Middle Zone enters the county from the north, near Blanchland,
and follows the trend of the Derwent as far east as Cold Rowley, where it
bends sharply to the south, passing over the Wear valley near Wolsing-
ham, and extending thence as far as Egglestone. From this point the
contour line extends westwards up the Tees valley to Winch Bridge, and
up the Wear valley it reaches nearly to St. John's Chapel. This forms,
roughly, the boundary of the very high moorland region.
On the upper slopes of these hills or ' fells ' the ground is often
very wet and boggy, and deep holes, the sides of which are covered with
ferns, mosses, and liverworts, may prove a dangerous pitfall for the
unwary. Spongy patches of bog-moss (Sphagnunt) and Polytricbum, the
ling (Calluna vu/garis), heather (Erica T'etralix), the wind grass (Alra
flexuosa) with its graceful panicles supported on tall red stems, the fescue
(Festuca ovina), Juncus squarrosus, Carex stellulata, the waving, feathery
tufts of the mat-grass (Nardus sfricfa), sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum
odoratum), bent-grass (Agrostis vu/garis), and the hard fern (Lomaria
Spicant) cover the summit with a coarse vegetation, among which the
marsh violet (Viola pa/us fris), the dainty little Potentilla tormentilla, and
Galium saxatile are freely scattered. The white, fluffy heads of the cotton-
grass (Eriopborum vaginatum) also appear conspicuously, and the knout-
berry (Rubus chamcemorus), with its large, beautiful white flower and
raspberry-like fruit, as well as the bilberry (Vaccinium Myrtillis), the
whortleberry (V. Vitis-idced), and the crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) are
generally abundantly distributed. Such is a description of the plants
found in the Upper Zone of Burnhope Seat, and it may be taken as
typical of the other higher hills of similar character, as well as many of
those at a lower altitude possessing the same features. The upper part
of the Middle Zone does not materially differ from the lower part of the
Upper Zone, and in this belt very commonly occur such plants as the
sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), the butterwort (Pinguicula vu/garis), the
marsh willow-herb (Epilobium palustre), the starry saxifrage (Saxifraga
stellaris], the bog stitch wort (Stellaria u/iginosa), the lesser spearwort
(Ranuncu/usjtammu/a),andthe marsh speedwell (Veronica scutellatd] ; these
extend also into the lower Middle Zone and even to the coast-line.
The wide extent of these peaty, heather-covered moors, with their
prevailing vegetation, is due to the prevalence of sandstones and shales,
which thickly overlie the main limestone formation. The mountain
limestone constitutes a large part of Upper Teesdale and Weardale, but
it presents few of the characteristics so strikingly represented in the West
Riding of Yorkshire. The calcareous strata crop out chiefly in the dales,
36
BOTANY
and in place of precipitous scars the characteristic 'hopes' form a more
special feature. These branch out from the main dales and are narrower
valleys or ravines cut in the mountain sides by the burns or tributaries of
the main stream. In Kilhope, Welhope, Ireshope, and Burnhope the
main limestone crops out along the edge of the fells at from about
1,650 feet to i, 800 feet, and reaches an elevation of 1,800 feet in Bleak
Law. On the steep banks of Langdon Dale lines of limestone cliff stand
out conspicuously, reaching a height of 2,100 feet in Highfield above
the Grasshill lead-mines, from which it gradually declines towards
Newbiggin Moor. Here the limestone is exposed at 1,500 feet ; from
this point it rapidly descends, and at Egglestone is lost at a height of some
500 feet, disappearing also about the same elevation below Frosterley, on
the Wear.
Many plants generally associated with the lowlands attain in the
Weardale ' hopes ' and in Harwood Dale an unusually high altitude,
and many reach their maximum limit in these limestone dales. Equisetum
palustre and Nephrodium dilatatum ascend to 2,100 feet on Highfield, and
the tway-blade (Listera ovata) to 1,950 feet in Harwood Dale. The
whitlow grass (Erophila vu/garis), the prickly shield-fern (Aspidium
acu/eatum), and the brittle bladder-fern (Cystopteris fragilis) are found at
i, 800 feet on Kilhope and Bleak Law. On the southern slope of Kilhope
Law the moon wort (Botrycbium Lunaria), Gentiana Amarella, the lady's
mantle (Alcbemilla vulgaris), and the water cress (Nasturtium officinale)
are interesting plants found at an elevation of 1,600 feet. Among other
plants peculiar to the limestone the following may be specially mentioned
at high elevations : in Harwood Dale the moor-grass (Sesleria caerulia),
the hairy rock-cress (Arabis Airsuta), Scabiosa columbaria, and the oat-
grass (Avena pratensis) ; the vernal sandwort (Arenaria verna], frequent
throughout the lead country on old lead-mine rubbish ; the stone black-
berry (Rubus saxatile) and the rock rose (Helianthemum vu/gare) rejoicing
in the dry, exposed, rocky surfaces in Burnhope ; on Falcon Glints the
carline thistle (Car/inavu/garis),the mountain melic-grass (Me/icanutans),
the spring gentian (Gentiana verna), and the smaller-flowered species
(G. Amarella) blooming later in the autumn, as well as the kidney vetch
(Anthyllis vulneraria) ascending to the plateau on Widdy Bank Fell. The
peculiarly rare yellow saxifrage (Saxffraga birculus) grows in two places
in Ireshope at an altitude between 1,200 feet and 1,500 feet. This is a
greatly prized Durham species, being known in only two other localities
in England north-west Yorkshire and Westmorland, and it is a plant
by no means easy to find. There are one or two stations in Scotland.
The alpine penny-cress (Tblaspi alpestre) shows a curious preference for
the lead-mines throughout the district. The cranberry (Vaccimum Oxy-
coccus) is abundant on all the higher Teesdale and Weardale moors,
while the rare bog whortleberry (V. uliginosum) is found only sparingly
among the turfy bogs. The alpine variety of the scurvy grass (Cochlearia
officinalis) is also very frequent, and is carried down into the low country
along the streams. Several species of club-moss (Lycopodium) are widely
37
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
distributed amongst the moors. L. c/avatum, alpinum, and Selago are
the most readily detected. Selaginella Selaginoides is frequent along the
stream-sides amongst the hills, but its habit renders it very inconspicuous,
and it may be easily overlooked without careful search.
In all the higher moorlands of Derwent Vale, as well as Teesdale
and Weardale, abundant evidence of extinct forest vegetation may be met
with. The remains of roots, both of oak and birch, are found, in situ,
deeply buried in the peat, while fallen trunks and branches of birch
project freely wherever the peat is exposed. Thick deposits of hazel
nuts occur in the beds of peat moss by the sides of the Burnhope Burn,
above Wearhead. The oak must certainly be considered truly indigenous
in Durham, for enormous trunks and branches are also dug out of all the
peat mosses not situated at a great elevation above the river levels. It is
well known that at no very remote period vast forests occupied the
northern shores of the Wear, which were inhabited by large herds of
deer. This has been thoroughly established by the discovery of many
animal and vegetable remains during dredging operations undertaken to
remove the accumulation of many centuries' tidal deposits, drift, and
debris obstructing the river about 2 miles west of Sunderland. 1 From a
depth of 10 feet below the bed of the river there were dredged up the
trunks and branches of trees, chiefly magnificent specimens of oaks, and
large quantities of the antlers of red deer, remarkable for their size and
good preservation. 2 The forest formerly existing in Upper Teesdale was
also the haunt of red deer, and it is chronicled that on Rood Day, 1673,
above 400 deer were destroyed by a severe storm of snow. Winch
observes that ' On the elevated moors between Blanchland, at the head of
the Derwent, and Wolsingham, on the river Wear, . . . the roots
and trunks of very large pines (Pinus syhestris) are seen protruding from
the black peat moss, being exposed to view by the water of these bogs
having drained off and left the peat bare ; but this tree is no longer indi-
genous with us. It may be worthy of remark that the Scotch fir does
not at this day attain the size of these ancient pines, though planted
in similar situations, even though the young trees be protected and the
plantations situated at a lower level.'
In the upper parts of the ' dales ' many of the cultivated plants
1 An account of the Ancient Remains found in the bed of the Wear at Claxheugh, contributed
to the Transactions of the TynesUe Naturalists' Field Club, 1858-60, by F. H. Johnson, M.D.
8 An old Saxon poem, referred to the Danish-Saxon period preceding the Conquest, gives a
description of the Wear which helps us to realize the existence of an ancient sylvan vegetation very
different from any known at the present day (Hickes' Anglo-Saxon Grammar}.
' A river of rapid waves ;
And there live in it
Fishes of various kinds,
Mingling with the floods ;
And there grow
Great forests ;
There live in the recesses
Wild animals of many sorts;
In the deep vallies
Deer innumerable.'
38
BOTANY
attain a high limit of successful cultivation. It is, however, very incon-
siderable compared to the elevation at which agriculture flourished in
former times. In many places over the wild moors the land can be seen
to have been furrowed by the plough at a height at which it is quite
impossible for corn crops to be obtained at the present day. In 1825
Winch mentions that oats then only grew at some 2,000 feet 1 above sea-
level, wheat at about half that altitude, and barley and rye at stations
between these two. In Baker's Flora (1868), the greatest height given for
the oat in Weardale is 1,340 feet, for barley 1,000 feet, and for wheat
750 feet ; but at the present time much of this arable land is laid down
for permanent pasture, and the height at which the oat is cultivated is
apparently now reduced to about 800 feet. Above the zone of cereal
cultivation and reaching to the rough vegetation of the moors are rich old
pastures mown annually for hay, in which the useful agricultural grasses
and meadow herbage flourish most luxuriantly. The handsome purple
heads of the melancholy thistle (Carduus beterophyllus) are often a striking
feature among them, and everywhere in these upland pastures there is an
abundance of the mountain pansy (Viola lutea) in all varieties, from the
beautiful dark purple to pale mauve, almost white, and yellow. In the
damper spots with coarser herbage these meadows in the spring are a
blaze of yellow with brilliant masses of the marsh marigold (Caltba
palustris) and globe flowers (Trollius europceus). The bird's-eye primrose
(Primula farinosa), an exquisitely scented and delicately tinted flower,
is also commonly distributed among the more marshy places. The
boundary between the different types of vegetation is determined not so
much by altitudes as by such conditions as soil, drainage, aspect, etc.
For example, on the flanks of Kilhope Law, rich natural pastures are
found at an elevation of 1,700 feet, but in Burnhope this sinks down to
about 1,400 feet. The truth of this reflection is also exemplified by the
unusually high region in which regularly inhabited houses are found in
Durham. One farmhouse in Highfield above the lead-mines stands at
2,000 feet above sea-level, and Clough House on Kilhope Law is occu-
pied at 1,700 feet. Even approaching this high altitude, around the
farmhouses small gardens are common in which potatoes, rhubarb,
turnips and cabbages, onions, gooseberries, strawberries, and even a few
roses can be grown with success. In favourable situations on the hill-
sides at an altitude of 1,600 feet plantations of beech (Fagus sylvatica],
spruce (Abies exce/sa), larch (Larix europcea)^ and Scotch fir (Pinus
sy/vestris), withstand the weather and form valuable woods ; the syca-
more (Acer pseudoplatanus) also attains a fair size. The hazel (Cory/us
Avellana] and alder (Alnus glutinosa] scarcely reach this altitude, and
oaks (Quercus Robur) of stunted growth are only met with at a slightly
lower level. The common elm (U/mus campestris) y which flourishes as
a large tree on the western side of the Pennine range, is not indigenous
north of the Tees, and even when planted in sheltered situations does not
attain any considerable size. The wych elm (U/mus montana)^ however,
1 It is probable that Winch has here somewhat over-estimated the altitude.
39
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
is truly indigenous, and is everywhere abundant in the hedgerows,
though now scarcely ascending above 1,200 feet.
The scenery of Upper Teesdale with its sub-alpine heights is
peculiarly grand and striking. The great basaltic Whin Sill here
attains a thickness of over 200 feet, and gives a wild and picturesque
character to the landscape. At Cauldron Snout the river thunders
through a deep narrow gorge in a fine rush of turbulent waters, forming
one of the grandest waterfalls in Britain. None other approaches its
fall of 100 feet upon a stream of such volume. Huge fallen boulders
and sharp-edged basaltic cliffs form a rugged background ; all around is
desolation : not a tree or any sign of habitation interrupts the waste
of dreary moorland. A variety of the alpine willow-herb (Epilobium
anagallidifoliuni) is an interesting plant found close to Cauldron Snout,
and a rare species of sedge (Carex rigida) should be specially noted here.
The purple marsh-cinquefoil (Gomarum palustre) also occurs on the
swamps near at hand. From a short distance above Cauldron Snout
commence low banks of a curious white granular limestone which
extend eastwards along the back of Widdy Bank Fell. The main basaltic
rock formation, with this coarse * sugar limestone ' which here overlies
it, provides a botanical district quite exceptionally rich in rare and
peculiarly Montane species. It is not possible to find in Great Britain
any piece of ground of similar area which produces so many extremely
rare plants as Widdy Bank Fell. The side of this hill towards the
river is faced by. precipitous basaltic cliffs known as the Falcon Clints,
which extend in jagged, irregular outline for some two miles down the
stream. From the other side of the hill over the beds of ' sugar lime-
stone' flow several streams in three directions east, west, and south-east.
The following rare plants are mentioned by Baker as occurring upon
the crags and the banks of these streams, within an area of four square
miles :
Viola arenaria. Hieracium iricum. Asplenium viride.
Arenaria uliginosa. pallidum. Woodsia ilvensis.
Thalictrum alpinum. anglicum. Polypodium calcareum.
Draba incana. Gentiana verna. Equisetum variegatum.
Potentilla alpestris. Arbutus Uva-ursi. Poa Parnellii.
Sedum purpureum. Bartsia alpina. Galium sylvestre.
villosum. Kobresia caricina. Tofieldia palustris.
Saxifraga aizoides. Juncus triglumis. Scirpus pauciflorus.
stellaris. Carex capillaris. Armeria maritima.
hypnoides. Sesleria caerulca. Primula farinosa.
Galium boreale. Cryptogramme crispa.
Cronkley Fell presents a bold front on the Yorkshire side of the river ;
it rises perpendicularly, repeating precisely the same physical features
as its opposite neighbour, and many of the rarities just enumerated
are common to both grounds. The Upper Teesdale district generally
should be considered to include both the Yorkshire and Durham borders,
and many of the very rare plants are quite peculiar to this special region.
Near Barnard Castle and Rokeby and further eastwards along the banks
of the Tees the delightful woods on both sides of the river are also
40
BOTANY
charmingly productive of a similar rich sylvan flora. It should be
mentioned that Arenaria uliginosa is a plant only found on the Durham
border on Widdy Bank, and it has no other locality in Great Britain.
Potentilla fruticosa, with its characteristic bushy growth and pretty yellow
flowers, which grows abundantly lower down the stream by the Whet-
stone Sill, is found also plentifully on Cronkley Scar, but is known in no
other locality in England except sparingly in Cumberland and West-
morland. This Whetstone Sill, a flat piece of ground where Langdon
Beck and Harwood Beck unite with the main stream a mile above High
Force, is a famous botanical ground. Here are first seen the rare species
of hawkweed, Hieracium crocatum, got&icum, and corymbosum, and the
tea-leaved willow (Salix phylicifolia) also grows here. The very rare
spring gentian, the lovely deep blue Gentiana verna of the Swiss
mountains, is to be gathered in plenty about Widdy Bank Fell and in
many places on the high limestone pastures. At High Force, five miles
below Cauldron Snout the river again contracts into a very narrow
channel between high basaltic cliffs, and the water leaps over a precipice
with a sheer fall of 70 feet. Birch, beech, elm, and alders spring from
the fissures of the dark, smooth-faced cliffs of basalt, and magnificent
groups of remarkably fine spruce trees above help to complete a striking
picture, with the purple heather-clad fell commanding the background.
Weird forms of junipers make a conspicuous feature here and for some
distance up the stream along the strath, among the fallen boulders. Here
again Potentilla fruticosa grows abundantly, and extends as far down as
Middleton, where the basalt comes to an end. Many of the rarer plants
of the Widdy Bank plateau get carried down by the stream to a much
lower level, and the luxuriant woods which extend for a considerable
distance below High Force thus continue to furnish many rare floral
beauties dispersed along the rocky banks of the stream. The lily of the
valley (Convallaria majalis) and the herb-paris (Paris quadrifolia) hide in
the cool recesses of the woods near High Force, and the autumn-flowering
crocus (Colchicum autumnale) is a specially rare plant appearing opposite
Egglestone. On approaching High Force the upper part of Teesdale
loses its distinctively wild moorland character, and plantations of spruce
and firs with other well-grown trees appear, giving a much more
cultivated aspect. Extensive fir-plantations reach to the top of the moor
at Egglestone ; the rare marsh orchid (Ma/axis paludosa) has a well-
established home on the banks of the Egglesburn, and the cordate
tway-blade (Listera cordata) may also be found near the same spot.
Below Egglestone the Tees valley, and below Wolsingham the Wear
valley, gradually widen as these rivers emerge from the highlands of the
western parts of the county and flow through the less elevated central
regions. The high fells still extending between these points and further
north now rapidly decline in level. A sinuous line from Barnard Castle
through Witton-le-Wear to Wolsingham and then northwards indicates
roughly the boundary east of which the coal measures are met with,
overlaid for the most part with boulder clay. The principal collieries
i 41 6
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
fall within the drainage tract of the Wear, and in the Auckland valley
several very rich mines are worked. Thick seams of coal and the
fossilized remains of plants found in the carboniferous formation furnish
evidence of a luxuriant vegetation during this period. The fronds of
many species of ferns, fragments of the stems of Ca/amifes, Lepidodendron,
Ptcea, Pinites, Sigilaria, and Stigmaria are among the commonest forms
met with in abundance in a good state of preservation.
As the moors diminish in extent they are replaced by pasture and
arable land. The general vegetation presents few features calling for
special remark. The rivers flow for the most part through deeply
excavated banks, and the many beautiful ravines and denes in which
shade plants love to shelter are characteristic of the whole county. The
country is richly wooded, and the numerous well-timbered parks, such as
Raby, Winyard, Ravensworth, and Gibside, boast some specially fine
trees. Large woods have been planted in some localities, chiefly of
Scotch pine and larch. A geological formation which has a marked
influence upon the character of the vegetation is the magnesian lime-
stone. Speaking generally, this occupies a triangular area eastwards of a
line from Shields to Piercebridge, and extending thence as far as the
coast, where it ends abruptly in a broken outline of outstanding cliffs.
The highest escarpment lies to the west. Between Sedgefield and
Darlington the general altitude attains some 300 feet, forming the
watershed of the Skerne, a river rising further northwards in the
magnesian limestone hills, near Trimdon, here reaching a height of
606 feet, their greatest elevation. The Skerne first flows eastwards, but
suddenly turns south-westwards at Hurworth, some six miles from the
sea, to follow a winding, sluggish course through Darlington, finally
joining the Tees at Croft. A large flat tract of country, consisting for
the most part of beds of red sandstone overlaid with boulder clay,
occupies this south-eastern part of Durham from Sedgefield to Hartle-
pool, and southward to the Tees. The ponds, ditches, and slowly
running streams of this district furnish very favourable stations for aquatic
plants. Morden, Bradbury, and Preston Carrs, through which the
Skerne flows, occupy the site of a former lake, now since the drainage
forming a large extent of peaty soil somewhat resembling the fens of
the eastern counties. Here, especially along the banks of the Skerne,
and around Billingham and Norton, the ditches abound in water plants,
among which may be specially mentioned the common meadow rue
(ffhalictrum flavum), the great spearwort (Ranunculus lingua), the water
crowfoot (R. fluitans), the shining pond-weed (Potamogeton lucens), the
mare's-tail (Hippuris vulgaris], the water milfoil (Myriophyllum verticil-
latuni), the glaucous stitch wort (Stellaria g/auca), and the bur-marigold
(Bidens tripartita). The following are quite special to these localities,
and are not known in the neighbouring county of Northumberland : the
frog-bit (Hydrocharis Morsus-ran<z) , the mud wort (Limosella aquatica),
the small creeping persicaria (Polygonum minus], the arrow-head (Sagtttaria
sagittifolia), the great water dock (Rumex bydrolapatbum), the flowering
42
BOTANY
rush (Butomus umbellatus], and the water violet (Hottonia fa/usfris).
The last occurs also near Durham and Sunderland, and finds here its
most northern limit. The Hell Kettles, a remarkable series of large
deep ponds surrounded by boggy ground and overgrown with rushes and
sedges, is a botanical region worthy of note. Here grows the sedge
(CladiumMariscus), so valuable in the eastern counties for thatching; and,
among other rarities, Juncus obtusifolia, Carex stricta, the bladderwort
(Utricularia vu/garis), the mealy guelder-rose (Viburnum lantana), and
the rough stonewort (Cbara bispida), all denote the peculiar features of
a fen vegetation. Iris fcetidissima is a very rare plant found in the damp
woods. The flora of the magnesian limestone district is in great
contrast to that of the boulder clay and the coal-measures. The warmer,
better-drained soil supports again the lime-loving plants, and the special
limestone species of the west are thus once more freely met with in
the east, with the addition of some nine species which are confined to
the magnesian formation. These are the perennial flax (Linum perenne),
the bearded St. John's wort (Hypericum monfanum), the sainfoin (Ono-
brycbis satrva), the woolly-headed thistle (Carduus eriophorus), the privet
(Ligustrum vu/gare), the dwarf orchis (Orchis usfu/afa), the bee orchis
(Opbrys apifera)) the fly orchis (0. muscifera), and the upright brome-
grass (Bromus erectus). The low hills to the east are intersected by
picturesque denes and ravines, in the upper part often so confined as to
be impassable, and gradually widening as they approach the shore. A
rich flora of shade-loving plants clothes the sides and floors of these denes,
and many rare species luxuriate under the protection of the sylvan
vegetation. Castle Eden Dene, the most considerable and beautiful of
them all, is especially noteworthy as sheltering a much prized orchid
peculiar to the limestone, the lady's slipper (Cypripedium Calceolus]^
which was once plentifully distributed there, but now requires very
careful preservation to save it from extirpation. Some of the rare
orchids mentioned above, as well as the narrow-leaved helleborine
(Cephalantbera ensifolia), are found in the deep recesses of this and other
denes of the magnesian limestone.
The coast line of Durham, some forty-five miles in length, lies wholly
between the mouths of the rivers Tyne and Tees. Steep grassy slopes
alternate with magnesian limestone cliffs, which at Marsden and north
of Hartlepool stand out in bold rugged outline; desolate sand dunes
stretch along the shore towards the Tees mouth, and are succeeded by
salt marshes near Middlesbrough. A long coast line of such varied
character is peculiarly favourable for maritime vegetation, and the
different physical formations support each their special plant-associations.
South of the Tyne lies an open stretch of sand bordered by grass-covered
slopes ; here in former days were deposited large heaps of ballast from
the vessels entering the Tyne. Similar ballast heaps are to be found at
Sunderland and Hartlepool. Baker's list includes more than 150 species
of plants which have been thus introduced, but he states that it rarely
happens that any of these ballast introductions ripen seed and spring up
43
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
a second time, and so when fresh importations cease they rapidly
disappear. Baker considers that the wild mignonette (Reseda lutea),
the wall rocket (Sinapis tenuifolia], the wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa),
and three or four Cbenopodiacea, are all that are likely to have been
introduced in this manner. The sand dunes are covered with the grass-
like associations of sand-binding plants specially adapted for this situation
by their deep roots and creeping rhizomes. Chief amongst these may
be mentioned the sea-reed (Ammopbila a rundinacea) , the rushy wheat-
grass (Triticum junceum), and 7". acutum, the sea lyme-grass (Elymus
arenarius), the sea-barley (Hordeum maritimum), the sea hard-grass
(Lepturus filiformis), the creeping fescue-grass (Festuca rubra), the
hemlock stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium), and the three species of sea
sedges Carex arenaria, C. extensa, and C. distant. A more varied flora is
found upon the steep grassy slopes with a wet argillaceous subsoil.
Here many plants which are well represented in the vegetation of the
upper dales are found in abundance. The graceful ' grass of Parnassus '
(Parnassia palustris) and the glossy yellowish-green rosettes of the
butterwort (Pinguicula vu/garis) may be found growing equally well near
the Black Hall Rocks and at Langdon Beck. The wild thyme (Tbymus
Serpyllum), the seaside plantain (Plantago maritima), and many others, are
also similarly distributed. The great water horsetail (Equisetum
maximum] and Gentiana Amarella are again characteristic plants found
plentifully here and at a considerable distance inland. Just above the
tidal limits some of the most characteristic maritime plants found are : the
sea-rocket (Cakile maritima), the beet (Beta maritima), the sea-purslane
(Honkeneja peploides], the sea-holly (Eryngium maritimum), the hound's-
tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), and the red goose-foot (Cbenopodium
rubrum). The yellow horned poppy (Glaucium luteum] was once plentiful
near Seaton Carew, but it is feared that it is now extinct. Peculiar
to the salt marshes are the sea-starwort (Aster tripolium), the seaside
arrow-grass (Triglocbin maritimum), the sea-blite (Suceda maritima), and
the shrubby sea-purslane (Obione portulacoides). On the limestone cliffs,
the sea spleenwort (Asplenium marinum) must be specially mentioned,
but it now grows only in the more inaccessible situations.
The district coming within the drainage tract of the Derwent
extends to the north of the county. The hills are chiefly composed of
millstone grit overlying the carboniferous limestone strata, and in the
upper part have much the same undulating heathery character as the
fells already considered on the west. The sandstone, however, appears
more dominant, and the moors consequently are more thickly clothed
with heather, the ling (Calluna vu/garis) and Erica cinerea being the
most abundant species. The brilliant purple of the heather on these
vast sweeps of moorland, and in the spring the perfect blaze of yellow
broom, produce an impression of vivid glowing colour which is not
readily effaced. The common bracken (Pteris aquilina) everywhere adds
its wealth of orange-coloured fronds in autumn. The mountain buckler
fern (Nephrodium Oreopteris) grows in great profusion, and sometimes
44
BOTANY
clothes the hillsides to the exclusion of all others (Featherstonhaugh), and
the hard fern (Lomaria Spicanf) is also especially plentiful in the hilly
districts and on the edges of the moors. At Edmondbyers may be seen
growing the rare little pink flower Erinus afyinus, which so curiously
springs up about the Roman camps. It is supposed to have been
brought by Spanish legions, and has thus long survived the old Roman
occupation. The limestone is exposed in the bed of the Derwent below
Muggleswick, and here the river has carved a deep channel through
precipitous banks, and winds in and out through a most romantic and
picturesquely wooded retreat locally known as the Sneep. The coal-
measures here also first make their appearance, and extend through the
lower part of the valley to the mouth of the river. Over a considerable
portion of the intervening country, however, thick beds of sand and
gravel occur resting upon the boulder clay. This formation results in
numerous landslips along the course of the stream, and thousands of tons
of ballast have been laid down to counteract the constant undermining of
the base of the hills. The Broad Oak Hills are composed of this sand
and gravel upon a bed of clay, and as far down as Winlaton can be seen
a mass of boulder clay and gravelly drift forming what is known as
Winlaton Mill 'scaurs.' Below the Sneep the Vale of Derwent
becomes very richly wooded. It possesses large tracts of native wood-
land, chief among which may be mentioned the extensive Crown lands
of Chopwell, where in former days oak was grown for the Royal Navy.
In the sheltered denes the oak fern (Polypodium Dryopteris) grows profusely,
often thickly covering the damp bank sides with its fragile, tender green
fronds. The lovely delicate beech fern (P. Pbegopteris) is also widely
distributed in the valley, selecting wet mossy rocks and places within
reach of the waterfalls, where its slender creeping rhizomes can spread
themselves over the moist surface. Many of the rarer ferns which once
grew luxuriantly have been almost exterminated by ruthless collectors.
The royal fern (Osmunda regatis), for example, was formerly abundant,
but has now no native haunt on the Derwent. Though not possessing
many specially rare species, the flora is very rich, and most of the
ordinary woodland plants are represented in profusion. The fine large
purple flowers of the wood crane's bill (Geranium syhaticuni) produce a
lovely effect in masses in the woods, and the foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
is abundantly dispersed, though it becomes scarce north of the Tyne.
The daffodil (Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus] grows wild in some of the moist
woods, and the rare maiden-pink (Diantbus deltoides) in the hilly pastures
in the neighbourhood of Shotley Bridge. The woods everywhere are
very favourable to fungus flora, those near Medomsley especially possessing
innumerable species. The encroachment of paper mills, ironworks, and
collieries has destroyed many good plant stations, and below Swalwell
the country gives place to a manufacturing district, extending to the
Tyne, of no further interest to the botanist.
45
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
NOTES ON THE BOTANICAL DISTRICTS
The botanical districts, which are based upon the river basins, are: the Wear, the Tees,
and the Derwent.
THE WEAR DISTRICT
The drainage tract of the Wear comprises fully one half of the total area of the county,
including the main central portion from east to west. The river rises in the highlands of
the west, its actual source being the small Scraith Burn issuing from the head of Burnhope
Seat, the highest point in the county. At its junction with another burn descending the
eastern slope of Deadstones the stream becomes known as the Burnhope Burn, which,
flowing rapidly over a very rocky bed and fed by many little tributaries from the mountain
sides, soon gathers force and volume. Above Wearhead (1,100 feet) this unites with
Kilhope and Welhope burns to form the Wear, which has now attained a very considerable
size. Westwards of this point extends the region of wildest moorland vegetation. The
flora characteristic of the summits has already been described. Rubus chamtemorus is plenti-
fully distributed on all the high peaks, but is seldom found lower than 1,500 feet. On the
banks by the streams high up in the hills the wild thyme (Thymus Serpyllum) spreads its
fragrance everywhere ; and Linum catharticum, Euphrasia officinalis, Polygala vulgaris, Sagina
apetala, S. nodosa, Hypericum pulchrum, and Galium saxatile are freely present on the drier
grassy places. Along the more marshy sides of the streams Sedum villosum, with its pretty
little purplish star-like flowers, Stellaria uliginosa, Saxifraga stellaris, Triglochin palustre, and
Montia fontana, are noteworthy ; while Veronica scutellata, Lychnis floscuculi, Cochlearia
officinalis, Ranunculus flammula, and Viola palustris are commonly distributed in the same
situations. The swamps abound in species of Juncus and Carex, with here and there the
purple flowers of the marsh orchis (0. latifolia] appearing among them. Patches of the
pale green rosettes of Pinguicula vulgaris are frequently to be seen, as well as Pedicularis
palustris and Drosera rotundifolia. By the brooksides, up to a height of about 1,300 feet,
the rich alluvial land left by the stream forms fine natural pastures in which many varieties
of grasses and nearly all the common flowers of the English meadows are represented in
profusion. An abundance of the beautiful purple and yellow pansy, Viola lutea, is a
special feature of these upland meadows, and it extends also to the sandy shores near
Frosterley, being carried down to the lower reaches of the stream. In the undrained
pastures the abundance of Trollius europeeus and Caltha palustris provides a wealth of golden
colour ; the frog orchis (Habenaria viridis) is scattered everywhere, and Polygonum viviparum
is not unfrequent ; Achillea ptarmica also occurs, and Anemone nemorosa sparingly. Primula
farinosa grows freely in the marshy places. At Burnhope there is a curious out-crop of black
coaly-looking shale where grow quantities of the sweet-scented Myrrhis odorata. Close by
the cliff is a natural wood of Betula, Corylus y Salix, and Pyrus aucuparia. In the under-
growth are found Pyrola minor, Trifolium medium, Lathyrus tuberosus, Crepis hieracioides, and
Hieracium gothicum and tridentatum.
The numerous ' hopes,' which shelter many a rare species, are specially characteristic of
Weardale. These branch out in all directions from the main valley, extending into the upper
heights of the hills. To the west are Kilhope, Welhope, Burnhope, and Ireshope ; on the
south, Swinhope, Westernhope, and Bollihope ; while in a northerly direction the more
considerable are Stanhope, Rookhope, and Middlehope. Taxus baccata is truly wild in
several places in the district. Botrychium Lunaria, Lycopodium clavatum, L. alpinum and
L. Selago are plants to be noted in the higher localities. Asplenium viride grows very
abundantly by the burns in Harthope and Ireshope, A. Trichomanes ascending to the scars of
Bleak Law. Some very picturesque limestone cliffs known as Clint's Crags form an
interesting feature in the upper part of Ireshope. Here Epilobium angustifolium appears in
great profusion, the rocks being enriched with masses of its spikes of purple flowers ; the
marshes in the neighbourhood are a station for the specially rare yellow Saxifraga hirculus.
Selaginella Selaginoides is found in abundance, and patches of the fragrant orchid, Habenaria
conopsea. The honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) may also be seen growing freely at this
height. Many valuable old lead mines exist in the district, for which Arenaria verna and
Thlaspi alpestre have a special predilection ; a variety of the latter, T. occitanum, is found
north of the stream below Eastgate and by the Grasshill lead mines.
At St. John's Chapel the country becomes less wild and begins to assume a more
46
BOTANY
pastoral beauty. Between here and Westgate Rubus villicaulis, R. infestus, Lycium barbarum,
and Impatient balsamifera may be found. The river is here fairly broad, and as the valley
descends it widens considerably towards Stanhope, six miles eastward of St. John's Chapel.
High gritstone moors, for the most part clothed with heather, extend on either side of the
valley as far as Wolsingham. Stanhope Common lies upwards of 1,000 feet above the
town, which itself is some 670 feet above sea-level. It is a large extent of moorland lying
on the Millstone Grit above the limestone, which crops out on the hillsides at about 800
to 900 feet. The appearance of the gritstone marks very sharply the boundary between the
moor and cultivated ground, the house and walled intakes terminating abruptly at the junction
of this strata with the limestone. Heather refuses to grow on the limestone formation, and
the vivid green, grassy slopes of the latter thickly covered with trees are in strong contrast to
the sudden appearance of the wild, barren-looking heath, and serve to illustrate very strikingly
the different character of the two soils. Calluna vulgaris forms the main mass of the
vegetation of the moor, among which are interspersed Emfetrum nigrum, Vaccimum Myrtillus,
Festuca ovina, "Juncus squarrosus, and the procumbent Galium saxatile. In the damper spots
are Sphagnum and Polytrichum communis, while the reindeer moss (Cladonia rangiferina) is
frequently to be seen. Bollihope Burn enters the main stream near Frosterley, and in the
lower part of the glen through which it flows the last outcrop of the limestone is exposed
to view in the fine cliffs of Bishopley Crag. Festuca sylvatica, a rare plant in Durham,
grows in Bollihope Dene, and F. rubra, usually associated with sandy shores, ascends to
750 feet on Bollihope Moor. Bushes of yellow broom and furze (Cytisus scopariut and
Ulex europieus) brighten the rocky shores of the river ; and in the shady woods which now
border its banks arc beautiful masses of sweet cicely, Myosotis syhestris, the sweetly odorous
Atperula odorata, and other woodland forms, including Arum maculatum and Orchis mascula.
At Wolsingham the Waskerley Beck flows into the Wear from the north, and a little lower
down above Witton-le-Wear the Bedburn, with its many tributaries, enters it on the south.
Scutellaria minor is plentiful on the Wolsingham moors, and other notable plants known in
the same neighbourhood above Shull are the rare Malaxis paludosa, Dianthus deltoides, and
D. Armeria, the latter springing up after the ling has been burnt/ Trientalis europaa and
Convallaria majalis exist in Shull woods.
From high up in the moors near the Tees a considerable stream runs through the
Auckland valley and joins the Wear at Bishop Auckland. Here the main river, which
has hitherto taken a course to the south-east, turns sharply northwards, and then continues in a
north-easterly direction with many a devious turn till it finally reaches the sea at Sunderland.
On the left bank the tributaries of the Deerness and the Browney drain a large extent of
moorish coal country. Bryonia dioica is not uncommon about Bishop Auckland, and the
rare Gagea lutea is found in the woods in this locality. Calamintha Nefeta should be noted
on the banks of the Wear near Durham, and Atropa belladonna (the deadly nightshade), as
well as the very rare Colcbicum autumnale in the damp meadows. Leaving Brancepeth Park
on its western slope the Wear passes directly through the city of Durham, which occupies
a magnificent site on the edge of the moorland, and flows through richly wooded banks past
the ruins of Finchale Abbey and the stately parks and castles of Lumley and Lambton.
In the flat country and low-lying woods below Durham some of the more interesting plants
are the wild daffodil (Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus), Neottia Nidus-avis, Rosa arvensis, Melica
nutans, Astragalus glycyphyllos, and Limosella aquatica. For the last four miles the river cuts
through the magnesian limestone eastwards to the sea.
The largest area of magnesian limestone is included in this drainage tract. Numerous
denes extend into the heart of the range, opening out more widely to the sea. The
most extensive is the very beautiful dene of Castle Eden, well known to botanists as a
station for the now very rare Cypripedium Calceolus. Taxus baccata flourishes luxuriantly
here, and introductions, such as Larix leptolepis and Rosa rugosa, have found a congenial home.
These sheltered denes of the magnesian limestone afford favourable conditions for the
growth of many orchidaceous plants ; among the more remarkable species scattered generally
in these situations are Neottia Nidus-avis, Epipactis palustris, Cephalanthera ensifolia, and Ophrys
muscifera. Ligustrum vulgare, Cornus sanguinea, and Lithospermum officinale are truly wild in
these denes, and among other plants worthy of mention are Hypericum mmtanum, Lactuca
muralis, Erigeron acris, Inula Helenium, Petasitis fragrans, Equisetum maximum, Paris quadrifolia,
Scohpendrium vulgare, Daphne /aureola, and Campanula latifolia. Primula farinosa is frequent
about the streams that issue from the magnesian limestone. Dispersed all along the coast
are Orchis ustulata, O. pyramidalis and Ophrys apifera.
47
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
THE TEES DISTRICT
The Tees, rising in Cumberland on the slopes of Cross Fell, first enters Durham at its
junction with the Crookburn Beck which flows southwards from Yad Moss. It continues a
fairly level course for some miles, spreading into a still expanse of water forming the Weel,
in which are found Potamogeton rufescens and an abundance of Ranunculus peltatus. Immediately
below this, at Cauldron Snout, the river contracts into a narrow channel and, falling to a depth
of 100 feet, tumbles over a series of rocky ledges. Rushing through a deepening basaltic
gorge by a succession of cataracts the turbulent waters at last emerge from the narrow chasm,
and by a final leap broaden out, fan-like, into a torrent of boiling foam. The Maze Beck
enters just below the Snout, and then the stream flows swiftly over a very rocky bed, taking
an irregular winding course to the sea. Beyond the Weel extends a bare, desolate waste of
moors with not a tree to be seen, these heights being a part of the main limestone formation.
Carex rigida and Epiloblum alpinum are rare plants growing here. On Bleak Law, at an
elevation of 1,800 feet, occur Draba incana, Erophila vulgarity Asplenium viride and Cystopteris
fragilis. On Widdy Bank Fell a special abundance of very rare plants is found, among them
Gentiana verna, Arenarla uliginosa, Thalictrum alpinum, Potentilla alpestris, Viola arenaria, and
Carex capillaris. On the north side the fell appears as a rounded sloping hill, the summit
covered with heather. Heather clothes also the steep cliffs which face the Tees and which
terminate to the south-west by perpendicular basaltic crags known as the Falcon Glints.
Among the talus of sharp rocks some of the familiar plants which it is interesting to observe
have established themselves are : Oxalis acetosella, Geranium Robertianum and lucidum, Asplenium
Adiantum-nigrum, Pteris aquilina and Polypodium vulgare ; the rare Saxifraga aizoides and
hypnoides and Sedum telephium are also plentifully seen. Juniper bushes cling to the crevices
of the basaltic columns with here and there a solitary mountain ash, while Solidago virgaurea,
Teucrium Scorodonia, Fragraria vesca, Corylus Avellana, Sanguisorba officinale, Digitalis purpurea
and Campanula rotundifolia find a home among the rocks and heather. On these clints also
many special species appear, such as Woodsia ilvensis, Aspidium Lonchitis, Potentilla alpestris,
Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, Juncus triglumis, Kobresia caricina, Hieracium iricum, H. anglicum and
H. pallidum. To these may be added others, all noteworthy, growing on the banks of the
various streams which flow outwards from Widdy Bank Fell, such as Bartsia alpina, Sedum
villosum, Saxifraga stellaris, Galium boreale, G. Sylvestre, Sesleria carulia, Cryptogramme crispa, Poly-
podium calcareum, Equisetum variegatum, Poa Parnellii, Tofieldla palustris and Scirpus pauciflorus,
Armeria maritima is found plentifully on one of the little streams running from the sugar
limestone.
This upper drainage tract of the Tees is separated into two distinct dales, the one
formed by the Tees itself and the other by the Harwood Beck running almost parallel with
it from north to south. Langdon Beck flows in the same direction through a narrower valley
to the west, and taking a south-easterly turn joins Harwood Beck at Langdon Bridge. Their
united streams flowing southwards meet with the Tees about a mile above High Force. At
this meeting of the waters on the flat piece of ground known as the Whetstone Sill Potentilla
fruticosa, an extremely rare plant, grows most luxuriantly. The peculiarly rare Bartsia alpina
grows here too, but most abundantly a little higher up by the Whey Sike, and from the Widdy
Bank streams it is carried down to Harwood Beck. Habenaria albida is found plentifully
near the same point, as well as Hieracium gothicum, corymbosum, and crocatum, all rare species,
extending also for some distance down the stream. It is difficult to tread anywhere hereabouts
without finding a profusion of Gentiana Amarella. In Harwood Dale numerous species of
the commoner lowland plants ascend to a considerable altitude. To give a few instances :
Lychnis diurna, Geranium sylvaticum, Spiraa ulmaria, Ajuga reptans, and Briza media, are found
on the limestone scars at an elevation of 1,650 feet; Pedicularis palustris and Plantago media
attain a limit of 1,700 feet, Poa trivialis 1,800 feet, while Listera ovata, Rumex crispus,
Achillea ptarmica, and Apargia hispida reach a limit of 1,950 feet. Trollius europaus and
Caltha palustris form a very conspicuous feature of Teesdale, spreading themselves in quantity
over the whole valley above High Force. The deep blue Swiss gentian (Gentiana verna) is
abundantly distributed in several places, Fendrith Hill, Widdy Bank Fell, and above Cauldron
Snout being favourite localities of this lovely flower. Primula farinosa also grows in plenty
in the marshy places, especially about Langdon Dale. The very rare faccinium uliginosum
occurs sparingly on the boggy parts of the moor above High Force, and in the drier more
sandy ground jasione montana has established a home.
From Cauldron Snout to the head of High Force the river declines in level 430 feet,
and then rushes in a great sheet of foam over a precipice some 78 feet high, forming a very
48
BOTANY
beautiful waterfall. Perpendicular rocks line the sides of the stream for some distance, and
the banks are still craggy and precipitous almost as far down as Middleton. The river
receives four feeders from the north between High Force and Egglestone the burns of
Ettersgill, Bowlees, Hudshope, and Egglesburn, in the first of which there is a pretty little
waterfall called Hell Cleft. Saxifraga aizoides appears again on the rocks towards High
Force, and some other of the rarer plants on Widdy Bank are carried down as far as
Eggleston, a distance of some seven miles. Hieracium anglicum, H. iricum, Potentilla alpestris
and Thalictrum alpinum descend to Winch Bridge, a favourite station for some of the stray
plants from the heights of Falcon Glints ; the rare horsetail, Equisetum umbrosum, is found as
low as Middleton, and Saxifraga stellaria reaches to Eggleston. The flora beyond this point
is of a more ordinary woodland type. Aquilegia vulgaris should be noted truly wild in the
vicinity of Middleton, and Pyrus Aria at Winch Bridge. The woods near High Force
contain a very rich vegetation. A great wealth of many-coloured lichens clothes the black
smooth rocks and trunks of the trees, masses of the curious green lichen, Usnea barbata,
depend from many of the branches, and a rich fungus-flora is found in the damp, decaying
undergrowth. The wild raspberry (Rubus ideeus) is common, and the lily of the valley
(Convallaria majalis) is plentiful in the shade of the woods, as well as Paris quadrifolia, Myosotis
sylvestris, and the large Campanula latifolia. Below High Force the valley descends rapidly
and soon becomes well-wooded, though still girdled by the high ridges of Newbiggin
(2,215 feet), Middleton (1,990 feet), and Eggleston (1,590 feet) moors. A stream rising
north of Barnard Castle on the edge of the moors at Langley Dale flows through Raby to
Staindrop, where it is joined by one flowing through Streatlam Park, and their united waters
enter the main river near Gainford, a station for Turritis glabra. The limestone reappears
below Barnard Castle, and fine cliffs border the Tees for some miles. Rumex aquaticus is an
uncommon northern plant descending the dale from Widdy Bank to Barnard Castle ; it is also
recorded at Piercebridge (Wheldon).
From Piercebridge, where the magnesian limestone commences, right to the Tees
mouth, the river traverses flat low country through which flow many sluggish tributaries.
It follows a very winding course, and between Croft and Dinsdale twists and turns in truly
serpentine fashion. The damp woods in this district provide many specially rare plants,
among which may be mentioned Colchicum autumnale, Iris faetidissima, Ophrys apifera,
O. muscifera, Orchis ustulata, Allium scorodoprasum, and Ruscus aculeatus. Other noticeable
plants in the locality are : Chrnopodium glaucum, Spireea Filipendula, Stachys ambigua, Euonymus
europteus, Trifolium fragiferum y Bryonia dioica, Hypericum Androseemum, Linum perenne, and
Symphytum officinale and Rhamnus catharticus, both rare in the county. Viola odora is frequent
in the woods. The slowly running streams and ditches of this flat country furnish an
abundance of aquatic plants, a number of which have already been mentioned in connection
with the Skerne and Morden Carrs. The becks in the neighbourhood of Stockton, Norton,
Billingham, and Greatham also provide good stations for such plants. Sparganium ramosum,
S. simplex, Typba latifolia, T. angustifolia, (Enanthe phellandrium, Zannicbellia palustris,
Nasturtium sylvestre, N. terrestre, Samolus valerandi, Potamogeton plantagineus, P. densus, and
P. gramineus are among those not given previously. In the salt marshes at the mouth of the
Tees and salt-water ditches along the coast are : Otime portulacoides, Aster tripolium, Statice
linunium, Ranunculus Baudotii, Artemisia maritima, Salicornia herbacea, Sueda maritima, Atrip/ex
littoralis, Triglochin maritimum t Ruppia maritima, Agrostis alba, Juncus maritima, y. compressuf,
Scirpus rufits, glaums, and maritimus. To the previous list of plants growing on the sand-dunes
the following may be added ; Clause maritima, Armeria maritima, Plantago coronopus, Atrip/ex
portulacoides, A. Babingtonii, Glyceria distorts, G. procumbens, G. loliacea, Thalictrum minus,
Seneberia coronopus, and Salsola Kali. Growing in the sea are the two monocotyledonous plants,
Zastera marina and Z. nana.
THE DERWENT DISTRICT
For the greater part of its course the Derwent forms the northern limit of the
county, only a small area to the north-east extending the boundary along the Stanley Burn
to the Tyne at Wylam. The river takes its rise by two branches, the Knucton Burn on
the south and the Beldon Burn on the north. The latter rises beyond the county limit
near to Allenheads, the high ridge of Knucton Edge which separates the two streams
forming the western confines of the district. At the head of Knucton Burn the ridge attains
a height of 1,833 ^ eet > alu ' from this a range of high fells extends for several miles due
east to Bolt's Law, which has an elevation of 1,772 feet. Some interesting plants may be
1 49 7
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
found on the banks of the Beldon and Knucton Burns, such as Salix laurina, S. nigricans,
Narthecium ossifragum, Galium boreale, Saxifraga stellaris, and S. aizoldes. Vicia cracca and
Oxalis acetosella are common lowland plants ascending to 1,500 feet, nearly to the
source of the Knucton Burn. A little lower down, at Bay Bridge, Bolt's Burn joins the
main stream. At this height, for the distance of a mile along the side of the Derwent,
extends a narrow belt of pasture land and dense wood. A fine profusion of the mountain
pansy, Viola lutta, is again met with here. The high ground above Blanchland and
Edmondbyers provides some of the rarest plants in the district. 1 Vaccinmm Oxycoccus and
Rubus cbamatmorus occur, though not very plentifully, as well as Bartsia alpina, Apium
graveolens, Parnassia palustris, Anagallis tenella, and Malaxis paludosa. In the woods at
Roughside are Carduu$ beteropkyllus, Pyrola media, and Trientalis europ<ea. Among orchi-
daceous plants the butterfly orchis (Habenaria bifolia), H. albida, H. viridis, Orchis latifolia,
Gymnadenia conopsea, and Epipacth latifolia are all to be found in the locality. The next
important stream to be received is the Burnhope Burn, which, taking its rise in Bolt's
Law, drains Muggleswick Common and the valley between Edmondbyers and Muggles-
wick. The woods in this neighbourhood are a very profitable botanical hunting ground,
the seam of mountain limestone which appears here supporting plants favouring this
formation. Ligustrum vulgare, plentiful on the magnesian limestone of the coast and
indigenous only on calcareous ground, is to be found in these woods. Primula farinosa
grows in several localities hereabouts, and Listera cordata on the Muggleswick Moors.
Some little distance lower down, the Hyshope Burn and the Horsleyhope Burn, both
issuing from the fells above Muggleswick, unite to pour their waters into the main stream.
It is near this point that the main limestone appears in the bed of the Derwent. The
tortuous windings of the river here traverse the picturesquely wooded district of the Sneep,
where Neottia Nidus-avis may be found growing among the rich humus of the rotting
leaves.
Turning north the stream now leaves the vast sweep of moorland behind and proceeds
for nearly the whole of its further course through a piece of country of great sylvan
beauty. On the high ground on the east bank the collieries and iron-works which have
sprung up have laid waste a considerable area, and the paper-mills, which pollute the stream
in the beautiful neighbourhood of Shotley Bridge, may have affected some plant stations.
The somewhat rare Dianthus de/toides, however, is still found in the hilly pastures near
Shotley Bridge [its only other locality in the district being a pasture field near Edmond-
byers (Featherstonhaugh)] and Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus grows wild in considerable quantity
at Allansford, as well as Aquilegia vulgaris. Orobancbe major is frequently found in this
neighbourhood parasitic upon the broom. The many species of ferns which grow so
luxuriantly in the shady woods of the Derwent are treated separately, and few of the numerous
woodland plants merit special mention. A deep rose-coloured variety of Anemone nemorosa,
the tint of which remains permanent under cultivation, is found in a wood near Shotley
(Featherstonhaugh). Some uncommon plants are met with in Gibside Woods. The lily
of the valley (Convallaria majalis) and Carduus heterophyllus may be mentioned as growing
here, the latter also to be found in several places on the banks of the Derwent.
Considerable tracts of land in the district are occupied by flourishing plantations, fine
belts of fir trees predominating in the upper reaches of the valley. The most extensive
natural woods are those of Chopwell and Gibside. Axwell Park, approaching within a
mile of Derwenthaugh where the river flows into the Tyne, also contains some magnificent
beeches ; the white water-lily (Nymphaa alba) grows in a pond in the park, and Stachys
ambigua is a plant worth mentioning which finds a home there. A species of horsetail,
Equhetum byemale, rare in the county, may be found in the boggy woods on the banks of the
stream in its lower reaches. On the west side of the river, and parallel with it, a small
stream runs through a wooded dene to the Tyne at Blaydon. On the east side the
Team drains the coal country south of Newcastle, the finely timbered park at Ravens-
worth forming a pleasant feature on its banks. Many interesting plants were once known
in the vicinity of Gateshead, south of the Tyne Selaginella Se/aginoides, for example, on
Gateshead Fell but they are long since exterminated, the stations being built over or
destroyed by the smoky, deleterious atmosphere. All plant-life in close proximity to the
Tyne is now injuriously affected by the manufactories and chemical works on its banks.
1 Most of the species here enumerated are recorded by the Rev. W. Featherstonhaugh.
Transactions of the Vale of Derwent Naturalists' field Club, iv.
50
BOTANY
A LIST OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS OF DURHAM
OBSERVATIONS
The order and nomenclature of the following list are those of
Sir J. D. Hooker's Student's flora of the British Islands, 3rd Edition,
1884. The numbers after the specific names refer to the zones of
altitude. The authorities made use of in this account are the admirable
Flora of Northumberland and Durham, by Baker and Tate, 1 and Winch's
Essay on the Geographical Distribution of Plants through the counties of
Northumberland, Cumberland and Durham (1825), together with the
author's own observations. The list of flowering plants and ferns is that
of Baker's Flora ; the species marked * are added from a list by Mr. J.
A. Wheldon. Mr. W. Ingham, B.A., has been kind enough to contri-
bute the sections on Mosses and Liverworts, and the Rev. W. Johnson
that on the Lichens.
LIST OF FLOWERING PLANTS
DICOTYLEDONES.
RANUNCULACE.*
Thalictrum alpinum, L. 2
minus, L. I
flexuosum, Reich. I
flavum, L. I
Anemone nemorosa, L. I, 2
Adonis autumnalis, L. Alien, i
Myosurus minimus, L. I
Ranunculus heterophyllus, Fries. I, 2
marinus, Fries., var. Baudotii, Godr.
fluitans, Lamk. i
hederaceus, L. I
lingua, L. I
flammula, L. I, 2
auricomus, L. i, 2
sceleratus, L. I
acris, L. i, 2, 3
repens, L. i, 2, 3
bulbosus, L. 1,2
arvensis, L. I
ficaria, L. I, 2
parviflorus, L. I
Caltha palustris, L. i,
Trollius europaeus, L.
Helleborus fcetidus, L.
viridis, L. I
Aquilegia vulgaris, L.
Delphinium Ajacis, L.
BERBERIDE^
Berberis vulgaris, L. 1
NYMPHAACE.*
Nuphar luteum, Sm. i
PAPAVERACEVE
2,3
[, 2,
Alien.
PAPAVERACEJB (continued)
Papaver dubium, L. Colonist. I
rhoeas, L. Colonist, i
somniferum, L. Alien, i
Chelidonium majus, L. I
Glaucium luteum, Scop, i
FUMARIACEJE
Fumaria capreolata, L. Colonist. I
sub-sp. *conrusa, Jord.
var. Borsei, Jord.
pallidiflora, Jord.
officinalis, L. Colonist. I
Corydalis claviculata, DC. I
CRUCIFER/E
Cheiranthus Cheiri, L. Alien, i
Nasturtium officinale, R. Br. I, 2, 3
sylvestre, R. Br. i
palustre, DC. i
Barbarea vulgaris, R. Br. i
praecox, R. Br. Alien. I
Arabis hirsuta, R. Br. i, 2
perfoliata, Lamk. i
Cardamine hirsuta, L. I, 2, 3
sub-sp. flexuosa, With.
pratensis, L. i, 2, 3
ainara, L. I
Sisymbrium thaliana, Hook, i, 2
Sophia, L. i
officinale, Scop. I
alliaria, Scop. I
Hesperis matronalis, L. Alien. I
Brassica campestris, L.
sub-sp. rapa, L. Colonist. I, 2,
napus, L. Colonist. I, 2
nigra, L. Colonist, i
sinapis, Visiani. Colonist, i, 2
alba, Boiss. Colonist, i, 2
3
3
Papaver hybridum, L. Colonist. I
argemone, L. Colonist, i
1 Natural Hiitorj Traniactimi of Northumberland and Durham, ii., 1867-68
51
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
CRUCIFER^; (continued)
Diplotaxis tenuifolia, DC. i
Draba incana, L. 2
Erophila vulgaris, DC. i, 2
Cochlearia officinalis, L. i, 2, 3
sub-sp. alpina, Wats.
danica, L.
anglica, L. i
Capsella Bursa-Pastoris, Moench. i, 2
Senebiera coronopus, Poiret. I
didyma, Pers. Alien.
Lepidium latifolium, L. I
campestre, R. Br. i
sub-sp. Smithii, Hook. I
Thlaspi arvense, L. i
alpestre, L. I, 2, 3
var. sylvestre, Jord.
occitanum, Jord.
Cakile maritima, Scop, i
Raphanus Raphanistrum, L. I, 2
RESEDACE-flE
Reseda Luteola, L. I
lutea, L. i
CISTINE.S:
Helianthemum vulgare, L. I, 2, 3
VIOLACE^E
Viola palustris, L. i, 2, 3
odorata, L. i
hirta, L. i
canina, L. I
sylvatica, Fries. I, 2, 3
arenaria, DC. 2
tricolor, L. i, 2
sub-sp. Lutea, Huds. i, 2, 3
POLYGALE.S
Poly gala vulgaris, L. I, 2, 3
CARYOPHYLLE^
Dianthus Armeria, L. I
deltoides, L. I
Saponaria officinalis, L. I
Silene maritima, With, i, 2
Cucubalus, Wibel. i
noctiflora, L. I
Lychnis Flos-cuculi, L. i, 2, 3
diurna, Sibth. i, 2
vespertina, Sibth. i
Githago segetum, Desf. i, 2
Cerastium quaternellum, Fenzl. i
tetrandrum, Curtis, i
semidecandrum, L. i
glomeratum, Thuill. i, 2
triviale, Link, i, 2, 3
arvense, L. i
Stellaria nemorum, L. i, 2
*aquatica, Scop.
media, Vill. i, 2, 3
Holostea, L. i, 2
palustris, Ehrh. i
CARYOPHYIXEJE (continued]
Stellaria graminea, L. I, 2
uliginosa, Murr. I, 2, 3
Arenaria verna, L. i, 2, 3
uliginosa, Schl. 2
trinervis, L. i
serpyllifolia, L. i
peploides, L. i
Sagina apetala, L. i
sub-sp. maritima, Don. i
procumbens, L. i, 2, 3
nodosa, E. Mey. i, 2, 3
Spergula arvensis, L. i
Spergularia rubra, Pers. i
salina, Presl. i
media, Pers. i
PoRTULACE/E
Montia fontana, L. I, 2, 3
var. rivularis, Gmel.
HYPERICTNE.S
Hypericum Androsaemum, L. I
perforatum, L. i
quadrangulum, L. i, 2
humifusum, L. 1,2
pulchrum, L. i, 2
hirsutum, L. i
montanum, L. i
calycinum, L. Alien
MALVACE.S:
Malva sylvestris, L. I
rotundifolia, L. i
moschata, L. i
TILIACE.S:
Tilia vulgaris, Hayne. I
LINE.S:
Linum perenne, L. I
catharticum, L. i, 2
GERANIACEJE
Geranium sanguineum, L. i
sylvaticum, L. i, 2
pratense, L. i, 2
molle, L. 1,2
pusillum, L. i
columbinum, L. i
dissectum, L. i
Robertianum, L. i, 2
phsum, L. Alien, i
lucidum, L. i, 2
Erodium cicutarium, Sm. i
Oxalis acetosella, L. i, 2, 3
Il.ICINE.ff:
Ilex Aquifolium, L. i
EMPETRACE^E
Empetrum nigrum, L. I, 2, 3
CELASTRINE^
Euonymus europaeus, L. i
BOTANY
RHAMNE*
Rhamnus catharticus, L. I
SAPINDACE*
Acer campestre, L. i
pseudo-platanus, L. i, 2
LEGUMINOS.*
Genista tinctoria, L. i
- anglica, L. i
Ulex europasus, L. i, 2
nanus, L. sub. sp. Gallii, Planch, i
Cytisus scoparius, Link, i, 2
Ononis spinosa, L. i, 2
antiquorum, L. i
Medicago sativa, L. Alien
lupulina, L. 1,2
*falcata, L.
Melilotus officinalis, Desr. i
Trifolium arvense, L. i
pratense, L. I, 2, 3
medium, L. i, 2
striatum, L. i
scabrum, L. i
- repens, L. i, 2, 3
fragiferum, L. i
procumbens, L. i
dubium, Sibth. i
filiforme, L. i
Anthyllis vulneraria, L. i, 2
Lotus corniculatus, L. i, 2
var. major, Scop, i, 2
Astragalus glycyphyllos, L. i
hypoglottis, L. i
Ornithopus perpusillus, L. i
Onobrychis sativa, Lam. i
Vicia hirsuta, Koch, i
tetrasperma, Koch, i
Cracca, L. i, 2
sylvatica, L. i
sepium, L. i
sativa, L. 1,2
lathyroides, L. i
Lathy rus pratensis, L. i, 2
- macrorrhizus, Wimm. i, 2
ROSACE.*
Prunus communis, Huds. i
Avium, L. i, 2
padus, L. i, 2
Spirasa Ulmaria, L. 1,2
Filipendula, L. i
- salicifolia, L. Alien, i
Rubus Chamatmorus, L. 2, 3
saxatilis, L. i, 2
- Iii.rus, L. I, 2
fruticosus, L.
sub-sp. suberectus, And. i, 2
var. plicatus, Weihe
sub-sp. Rhamnifolius (cordyfolius,
Weihc). i
corylifolius, Sm. i
53
ROSACE.* (continued)
Rubus fruticosus (continued)
sub-sp. csesius, L. i
discolor, Weihe. i
leucostachys, Sm. i
villicaulis, Weihe. i
umbrosus, Arrh. i
radula, Weihe. i
Kochleri, Weihe. i
var. infestus, Weihe. i
pallidus, Weihe. i
Geum urbanum, L. i, 2
rivale, L. i, 2, 3
var. *intermedium, Ehrh.
Fragraria vesca, L. 1,2
Potentilla fruticosa, L. i, 2
comarum, L. i, 2, 3
tormentilla, Nesl. i, 2, 3
anserina, L. i, 2
reptans, L. i
rragrariastrum, Ehrh. i, 2
salisburgensis, Haenke. i, 2
argentea, L. i
Alchemilla arvensis, Lam. i
yulgaris, L. i, 2, 3
Agrimonia Eupatoria, L. i
Poterium sanguisorba, L. i
officinale, Hook, i, 2
Rosa spinosissima, L. i, 2
villosa, L. i, 2
sub-sp. tomentosum, Sm. i, 2
rubiginosa, L. i
canina, L. i, 2
var. lutetiana, Leman.
dumalis, Bechst.
,, urbica, Leman.
dumetorum, Thuill.
Borreri, Woods, i
involuta, Sm. i
var. sabini, Woods, i
Robertsoni, Baker, i
arvensis, Huds. r
hibernica, Smith, i
var. cordifolia, Baker, i
Pyrus Malus, L. i, 2
Aria, Sm. i
var. rupicola, Syme
Aucuparia, Ga:rtn. i, 2
Cratzgus oxyacantha, L. i, 2
sub-sp. monogyna, Jacq.
SAXIFRAGE*
Saxifraga stellaris, L. I, 2, 3
- Hirculus, L. 2
aizoides, L. i, 2
tridactylites, L. i
granulata, L. i, 2
- hypnoides, L. 2, 3
Chrysosplenium alternifolium, L. i 2
oppositifolium, L. i, 2, 3
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
SAXIFRAGES (continued)
Parnassia palustris, L. I, 2
Ribes grossularia, L. I
alpinum, L. I
rubrum, L. i, 2
var. petraeum, Sra.
nigrum, L. I
CRASSULACEJE
Sedum telephium, L. I, 2
var. purpureum, Tausch. 2
villosum, L. 1,2
album, L. I, Alien
acre, L. i, 2
rupestre, Huds. Alien
reflexum, L. Alien
Sempervivum tectorum. Alien
DROSERACES
Drosera rotundifolia, L. I, 2
HALORAGEJE
Hippuris vulgaris, L. I
Myriophyllum verticillatum, L. I
spicatum, L. I
Callitriche, verna, L. I, 2
sub-sp. platycarpa Kutz. i, 2
pedunculata, DC. I, 2
LYTHRARIE/E
Lythrum salicaria, L. I
Peplis portula, L. I
ONAGRARIE.S:
Epilobium angustifolium, L. i, 2
hirsutum, L. I
parviflorum, Schreb. i, 2
montanum, L. i, 2
roseum, Schreb. Alien. I
palustre, L. I, 2
obscurum, Schreb. i, 2
alsinefolium, Vill. i, 2, 3
anagallidifolium, Lam. 2, 3
Circaea lutetiana, L. I
CUCURBITACES
Bryonia dioica, L. I
UMBELLIFERJE
Hydrocotyle vulgaris, L. i
Eryngium maritimum, L. i
Sanicula europaea, L. I
Conium maculatum, L. I
Smyrnium olusatrum, L. I
Bupleurum rotundifolium, L. i
tenuissimum, L. I
Apium graveolens, L. i
nodiflorum, Reich, i
inundatum, Reich, i
Carum Carui, L. Alien, i
petroselinum, Benth. Alien
Sium angustifolium, L. I
./Egopodium podagraria, L. 1,2
Pimpinella saxifraga, L. 1,2
major, Huds. I
UMBELLIFER^E (continued)
Conopodium denudatum, Koch, i, 2, 3
Myrrhis odorata, Scop. I, 2
Scandix pecten-Veneris, L. Colonist. 1,2
Chaerophyllum temulum, L. i
Anthriscus vulgaris, Pers. i
sylvestris, Hoffm. i, 2, 3
sub-sp. cerefolium, Hoffm.
*Fceniculum officinale, All.
CEnanthe fistulosa, L. I
Lachenalii, Gmel. I
crocata, L. I
phellandrium, Lam. I
./Ethusa Cynapium, L. I
Silaus pratensis, Bess, i
Angelica sylvestris, L. 1,2
Peucedanium ostruthium, Koch. Alien
sativum, Benth. i
Heracleum Sphondylium, L. i, 2
Daucus carota, L. I
Caucalis daucoides, L. Colonist.
anthriscus, Huds. I, 2
nodosa, Scop. I
ARALIACES
Hedera Helix, L. I, 2
CORNACES
Cornus sanguinea, L. i
CAPRIFOLIACES
Viburnum Lantana, L. Alien
Opulus, L. i, 2
Sambucus Ebulus, L. i
nigra, L. I
Adoxa Moschatellina, L.
Lonicera Periclymenum, L. I, 2
Xylosteum, L. Alien
RUBIACEJE
Galium verum, L. i, 2
Cruciata, Scop, i, 2
palustre, L. i, 2, 3
uliginosum, L. 1,2
saxatile, L. i, 2, 3
sylvestre, Poll. I, 2
Mollugo, L. I
sub-sp. *erectum, Huds.
boreale, L. I, 2
Aparine, L. I, 2
tricorne, With, i
Asperula odorata, L. I, 2
Sherardia arvensis, L, I
VALERIANE-ffi:
Valeriana dioica, L. i, 2, 3
officinalis, L. I, 2
Valerianella olitoria, Mcench. I
dentata, Poll, i
DIPSACES
Dipsacus sylvestris, L. I
Scabiosa succisa, L. I, 2
Columbaria, L. I, 2
arvensis, L. i
54
BOTANY
COMPOSITE
Eupatorium cannnbinum, L.
Aster tripolium, L. I
Erigeron acre, L. I
Bellis perennis, L. I, 2, 3
Solidago Virgaurea, L. I, 2
Inula Helenium, L. I
Pulicaria dysenterica, Gaert. I
Gnaphalium sylvaticum, L. i
uliginosum, L. I
Antennaria dioica, Br. I, 2
Filagogermanica, L. Colonist. I
minima, Fries. I
Bidens cernua, L. I
tripartita, L. I
Anthemis arvensis, L. Colonist. I
Cotula, L. Colonist, i
nobilis, L. I
Achillea Ptarmica, L. I, 2, 3
Millefolium, L. I, 2, 3
Matricaria Chamomilla, L. I
inodora, L. I
var. maritima, L. I
Chrysanthemum segetum, L. Colonist
Leucanthemum, L. I, 2
Parthenium, Pers. I
Tanacetum vulgare, L. I
Artemisia vulgaris, L. I, 2
Absinthium, L. I, 2
maritima, L. I
Petasites vulgaris, Desf. I
Tussilago Farfara, L. I, 2, 3
Doronicum Pardalianches, L. Alien
Senecio vulgaris, L. I, 2
sylvaticus, L. I
viscosus, L. I
Jacobsea, L. i, 2
eruczfolius, L. I
aquaticus, Huds. I, 2
Arctium Lappa, L. I
sub-sp. minus, Schk. I, 2
Carlina vulgaris, L. I, 2
Centaurea nigra, L. I, 2
Scabiosa, L. i
Cyanus, L. Colonist. I
solstitialis, L. Alien
Serratula tinctoria, L. I
Carduus nutans, L. i
crispus, L. I, 2
pycnocephalus, Jacq. I
Cnicus lanceolatus, Hoffrn. i, 2
eriophorus, Hoffm. i, 2
arvensis, HofFm. i, 2, 3
sub-sp. *setosus, Bess.
palustris, Hoffrn. I, 2
heterophyllus, Willd. i, 2
Onopordium Acanthium, L. Alien
Cichorium Intybus, L. I
Lapsana communis, L. I, 2
Picris hieracioides, L. I
COMPOSITE (continued)
Picris echioides, L. I
Crepis virens, L. I
taraxaci folia, Thuill. I
hieracioides, Waldst. & Kit. I, 2
paludosa, Mcench. i, 2, 3
Hieracium Pilosella, L. I, 2, 3
Anglicum, Fries. I, 2
sub-sp. Iricum, Fries. I, 2
murorum, L. I, 2
sub-sp. cxsium, Fries. I, 2
sub-sp. pallidum, Fries, i, 2
sylvaticum, Sm. I, 2, 3
sub-sp. gothicum, Fries. I, 2
sub-sp. tridentatum, Fries. I, 2
prenanthoides, Vill. I
umbellatum, L. I
crocatum, Fries. I, 2
sub-sp. corymbosum, Fries. I, 2
boreale, Fries. I, 2
Hypochceris radicata, L. I, 2
Leontodon hirtus, L. I
hispidus, L. I, 2, 3
autumnal is, L. I, 2, 3
Taraxacum officinale, Web. I, 2, 3
var. palustre, DC.
var. laevigatum, DC.
Lactuca virosa, L. i
muralis, Fresen. I
Sonchus arvensis, L. I
oleraceus, L. I
sub-sp. asper, HofFm.
Tragopogon pratensis, L. I, 2
CAMPANULACE.S
Jasione montana, L. I, 2
Campanula rotund i folia, L. I, 2, 3
Rapunculus, L. Alien, i
latifolia, L. i, 2
rapunculoides, L. Alien
glomerata, L. I
Specularia hybrida, DC. Colonist
Vaccinium Myrtillus, L. i, 2, 3
uliginosum, L. I, 2, 3
Vitis-idsea, L. I, 2, 3
Oxycoccus, L. I, 2, 3
Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, Spreng. i, 2
Erica Tetralix, L. I, 2, 3
cinerea, L. I, 2
Calluna vulgaris, Salis. I, 2, 3
Pyrola minor, L. I, 2
media, Suz. I
rotundifolia, L. I
PLUMBAGINEJE
Armeria vulgaris, Willd. i, 2
Statice limonium, L. I
PRIMULACE.*
Primula vulgaris, Huds. I, 2
var. "caulescens.
55
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
PRIMULACEJE (continued)
Primula veris, L. i, 2
farinosa, L. I, 2
Lysimachia vulgaris, L. I
nemorum, L. I, 2, 3
Nummularia, L. i
Trientalis europsea, L. I, 2
Glaux maritima, L. I
Anagallis arvensis, L. Colonist. I
var. caerulea, Sm. Colonist. I
tenella, L. I
Hottonia palustris, L. I
Samolus valerandi, L. I
OLEACE.S:
Ligustrum vulgare, L. I
Fraxinus excelsior, L. I, 2
APOCYNACE^E
Vinca minor, L. Alien
major, L. Alien
GENTIANE.S
Erythraea Centaurium, Pers. I
Gentiana campestris, L. i, 2
Amarella, L. i, 2
verna, L. 2
Menyanthes trifoliata, L. I
BORAGINE.S:
Echium vulgare, L. I
Symphytum officinale, L. I
Lithospermum officinale, L. I
arvense, L. I
Myosotis palustris, With. I
sub-sp. repens, Don. i, 2, 3
csespitosa, Schultz. i
sylvatica, Ehrh. I, 2
arvensis, Hoffm. I, 2
collina, Hoffm. i
versicolor, Reichb. I, 2
Cynoglossum officinale, L. I
CONVOLVULACEJE
Convolvulus arvensis, L. I
sepium, L. I
Soldanella, L. i
Cuscuta Epithymum, Murr., var. trifiolii,
Bab. Colonist
SoLANACE.ffi
Hyoscyamus niger, L, I
Solanum Dulcamara, L. I
nigrum, L. Colonist. I
Atropa Belladonna, L. I
Lycium barbarum, L. Colonist. I, 2
Pl.ANTAGINE.ffi
Plantago major, L. I, 2, 3
media, L. I, 2
lanceolata, L. i, 2, 3
maritima, L. I, 2
Coronopus, L. I
SCROPHULARINE^
Verbascum Thapsus, L. I
I,
2
ti
1,2,
3
i
,2
L
1,2,
3
i
i
> 2
L. i, 2, 3
i
I. 2.
I, 2
SCROPHULARINE.S: (continued)
Linaria cymbalaria, Mill. Alien
vulgaris, Mill. I
minor, Desf. i
Antirrhinum majus, L. Alien
Scrophularia nodosa, L. I, 2
aquatica, L. I
Mimulus luteus, L. Alien
Limosella aquatica, L. I
Digitalis purpurea, L. I, 2
Veronica agrestis, L. Colonist, i, 2
sub-sp. polita, Fries. Colonist. I
Buxbaumii, Ten. Colonist, i
hederifolia, L. I
arvensis, L,
serpyllifolia, L.
officinalis, L.
Chamaedrys, L.
Montana, L.
scutellata, L.
Beccabunga, L.
Anagallis, L.
Bartsia alpina, L. 2
odontites, Huds. I, 2
Euphrasia officinalis, L. i, 2, 3
Rhinanthus Crista-galli, L.
sub-sp. major, Ehrh. i
Pedicularis palustris, L. I, 2
sylvatica, L. 1,2
Melampyrum pratense, L.
sylvaticum, L. i
Lathrasa squamaria, L. I
OROBANCHEJE
Orobanche major, L. I
elatior, Sutt. I
LENTIBULARINE./E
Pinguicula vulgaris, L. i, 2, 3
Utricularia vulgaris, L. i
VERBENACE./E
Verbena officinalis, L. i
LABIATE
Mentha rotundifolia, L. i
viridis, L. i
piperita, L. I
sativa, L.
sub-sp. gentilis, L.
rubra, Sm.
gracilis, Sm., var. cardiaca,
Baker
aquatica, L. i
arvensis, L. i
pulegium, L. I
Origanum vulgare, L. I, 2
Thymus Serpyllum, L. 1,2,3
Calamintha nepeta, Clairv. i
clinopodium, Benth. i, 2
Acinos, Clairv. I
Nepeta Cataria, L. I
Brunella vulgaris, L. I, 2, 3
BOTANY
LABIATE (continued)
Scutellaria galericulata, L. I
minor, L. I
Marrubium vulgare, L. I
Stachys sylvatica, L. 1,2
ambigua, Sm. i, 2
palustris, L. I, 2
arvensis, L. Colonist. I
Betonica, Benth. I, 2
Galeopsis, Ladanum, L. I
dubia, Leers. I
Tetrahit, L. Colonist
sub-sp. speciosa, Miller. I
Lamium purpureum, L. i, 2, 3
sub-sp. hybridum, Vill.
amplexicaule, L. I
album, L. I
Ballota nigra, L. I
var. ruderalis, Fries.
Teucrium Scorodonia, L. 1,2
Ajuga reptans, L. I, 2
ILLECEBRACE^
Scleranthus annuus, L. I
CHENOPODIACEJE
Chenopodium Vulvaria, L. I
album, L. i
urbicum, L. Colonist
murale, L. Colonist
rubrum, L. I
glaucum, L. I
Bonus-Henricus, L. I, 2
Beta maritima, L. i
Atriplex patula, L. I
var. angusti folia, Sm.
sub-sp. Hastata, L. I
Babingtonii, Woods. I
littoralis, L. i
laciniata, Woods. I
portulacoides, L. I
Salicornia hcrbacea, L. I
Salsola Kali, L. I
Sueda maritima, Dumort. I
POLYGONACE.*
Polygonum Bistorta, L. 1,2
viviparum, L. I, 2
amphibium, L. I
lapathifolium, L. I
Persicaria, L. I, 2
Hydropiper, L. I
minus, Huds. I
aviculare, L. i, 2
Raii, Bab. i
Convolvulus, L. Colonist. I
Rumex obtusifolius, L. I, 2
acutus, L. 1,2
maritimus, L. I
crispus, L. i, 2, 3
sanguincus, L. I
conglomerate, Murr. I
POLYGONACE^ (continued)
Rumex Hydrolapathum, Huds. I
aquatic us, L. I, 2
Acetosa, L. i, 2, 3
Acetosella, L. i, 2
THYMEL.JEACE.*
Daphne Laureola, L. I
Mezereum, L.
EUPHORBIACEJE
Euphorbia Helioscopia, L. I
Peplus, L. Colonist. I
exigua, L. Colonist, i
Lathyris, L. i
Mercurialis perennis, L. 1 , 2
annua, L. I
URTICACE^
Ulmus montana, Sm. I, 2
suberosa, Ehrh. i
Urtica urens, L. I, 2
dioica, L. i, 2, 3
Parietaria officinalis, L. I
Humulus Lupulus, L. i
CUPULIFEILK
Betuk alba, L. I, 2
sub-sp. glutinosa, Fries.
Alnus glutinosa, Gaertn. i, 2
Quercus Robur, L. 1,2
var. sessiliflora, Salisb.
intermedia, D. Don.
Fagus sylvatica, L. I, 2
Corylus Avellana, L. 1,2
Carpinus Betulus, L. Colonist
SAUOMUI
Populus alba, L. i
sub-sp. canescens, Sm. I
tremula, L. I, 2
Salix triandra, L. I
pentandra, L. I, 2
fragilis, L. i, 2
alba, L. i
var. cxrulea, Sm.
vitellina, L.
Caprea, L. i, 2
aurita, L. i, 2
sub-sp. cinerea, L. I, 2
repens, L. i, 2
nigricans, Fries. I, 2
var. rupestris, Sm.
Andersoniana, Sm.
hirta, Sm.
phylicifolia, L. 1,2
laurina, Sm. I, 2
viminalis, L. 1,2
Smithiana, Willd. I, 2
purpurea, L. i, 2
var. Helix, L.
rubra, Huds. I
57 8
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
CERATOPHYLLE-ffi
Ceratophyllum demersum, L. I
GYMNOSPERMjE
CONIFERS
Pinus sylvestris, L. I, 2
Juniperus communis, L. I, 2
Taxus baccata, L. I
MONOCOTYLEDONES
HYDROCHARIDEJE
Hydrocharis Morsus-Ranae, L. I
Elodea canadensis, Michx. I
ORCHIDE.S:
Malaxis paludosa, Sw. i, 2
Neottia Nidus-avis, L. I
Listera ovata, Br. i, 2, 3
cordata, Br. I, 2, 3
Epipactis latifolia, Sw. I
palustris, Sw. I
Cephalanthera ensifolia, Rich. I
Orchis mascula, L. I
latifolia, L. I, 2
maculata, L. i, 2
Morio, L. i
ustulata, L. I
pyramidalis, L. I
Ophrys apifera, Huds. I
- muscifera, Huds. I
Habenaria conopsea, Benth. I, 2
albida, Br. I, 2
viridis, Br. i, 2
bifolia, Br. i
sub-sp. Chlorantha, Bab. I, 2
Cypripedium Calceolus, L. I
IRIDE.S:
Iris Pseudacorus, L. I
fcetidissima, L. I
AMARYLLIDE/E
Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus, L. I
biflorus, Curt. Alien. I
DlOSCORE-ffi
Tamus communis, L. I
LILIACEVE
Ruscus aculeatus, L. Alien. I
Convallaria majalis, L. I, 2
Allium vineale, L. I
Scorodoprasum, L. I
Schoenoprasum, L. I
oleraceum, L. i
ursinum, L. i, 2
Scilla nutans, L. I, 2
Ornithogallum nutans, L. Alien. I
Tulipa sylvestris, L. Alien. I
Gagea lutea, Ker. I
Colchicum autumnale, L. I
Narthecium ossifragum, L. i, 2
LILIACEJE (continued)
Tofieldia palustris, Huds. I
Paris quadrifolia, L. I, 2
JUNCE.S:
Juncus effusus, L. I, 2, 3
var. conglomeratus, L. I, 2
glaucus, Ehrh. I, 2
maritimus, Sm. i
triglumis, L. 2
castaneus, Sm. Alien
squarrosus, L. I, 2, 3
compressus, Jacq. I
obtusiflorus, Ehrh. i
articulatis, L. I, 2
sub-sp. supinus, Moench. I, 2, 3
lamprocarpus Ehrh.
bufonius, L. i, 2
LUZULA
maxima, DC. i, 2, 3
vernalis, DC. I, 2
campestris, Willd. I, 2, 3
var. erecta, Desv. 2, 3
TYPHACE/E
Sparganium ramosum, Huds. i
simplex, Huds. I
natans, L. I
Typha latifolia, L. I
angustifolia, L. I
AROIDEJE
Arum maculatum, L. I
LEMNACE^
Lemna minor, L. i
trisulca, L. I
AUSMACEJE
Alisma Plantago, L. i
ranunculoides, L. I
Sagittaria sagittifolia, L. I
Butomus umbellatus, L. I
NAIADACEJE
Triglochin palustre, L. i, 2, 3
maritimum, L. I
Potamogeton natans, L. i
polygonifolius, Pourr. i, 2
plantagineus, Du Croz. i
rufescens, Schrad. i, 2
heterophyllus, Schreb. I
lucens, L. I
perfoliatus, L. I
crispus, L. i
densus, L. i
zosterifolius, Schum. I
pusillus, L. I
pectinatus, L. i
Ruppia maritima, L. I
Zannichellia palustris, L. I
Zostera marina, L. I
nana, Roth, i
I. 2.
BOTANY
I, 2
CYPERACEJE
Eleocharis palustris, Br. I
sub. sp. uniglumis, Link. I
multicaulis, Sm. I
acicularis, Sm. I
Scirpus lacustris, L. I
sub-sp. tabernaemontani, Gincl.
maritimus, L. i
sylvaticus, L. i
setaceus, L. I
- fluitans, L. I
caespitosus, L. I
pauciflorus, Lightf. I
Caricis, Retz. I, 2
rufus, Wahlb. I
Eriophorum vaginatum, L. I, 2, 3
polystachion, L. I, 2, 3
sub-sp. latifolium, Hoppe.
Rhynchospora alba, Vahl. I
Schcenus nigricans, L. I
Cladium Mariscus, L. i
Kobresia caricina, Willd. 2
Carex pulicaris, L. I, 2
dioica, L. I, 2
disticha, Huds. I
arcnaria, L. I
paniculate, L. I
muricata, L. I
vulpina, L. I
cchinata, Murr. I, 2, 3
remota, L. i
leporina, L. I, 2
canescens, L. i, 2
rigida, Good. 2, 3
acuta, L. I
stricta, Good. I
Goodenovii, J. Gay.
glauca, Murr. I, 2, 3
pallescens, L. I, 2
panicea, L. I, 2, 3
capillaris, L. 2
pendula, Huds. I
praecox, Jacq. 2
pilulifera, L. I, 2
hirta, L. I, 2
cxtensa, Good. I
- flava, L. i, 2
distans, L. I
sub-sp. fulva, Good.
binervis, Sm. i, 2
sylvatica, Huds. I
vesicaria, L. I
ampullacea, Good.
riparia, Curt. I
paludosa, Good. I
1,2, 3
I, 2
I, 2
GRAMINEJE
Phalaris canaricnsis, L. Alien.
arundinacea, L. I 2
GRAMINEJE (continuetf)
Anthoxanthum odoratum, L.
1,2,3
Alopecurus agrestis, L. Colonist
pratensis, L. i, 2, 3
geniculatus, L. I, 2, 3
Millium efiusum, L. I
Phleum pratense, L. I, 2
arenarium, L. I
Agrostis canina, L. I, 2
vulgaris, With. I, 2, 3
alba, L. I
Calamagrostis epigeios, Roth. I
Apera Spica-venti, Beauv. Colonist
Ammophila arundinacea, Host, i
Aira caryophyllea, L. I
praecox, L. I, 2
Deschampsia flexuosa, Trin. I, 2, 3
caespitosa, Beauv. i, 2, 3
Holcus lanatus, L. I, 2
T- mollis, L. I, 2
Trisetum flavescens, Beauv. i, 2
Avena fatua, L. Colonist. I
strigosa, Schreb. Colonist. I, 2
pratensis, L. i, 2
pubescens, Huds. I, 2, 3
Arrhenatherum avenaceum, Beauv.
var. bulbosum, Lindl.
Triodia decumbens, Beauv. i, 2.
Phragmites communis, Trin. I
Sesleria caerulea, Scop. I, 2
Cynosurus cristatus, L. i, 2, 3
Koeleria cristata, Pers. I, 2
Molinia caerulea, Mcench. i, 2
Catabrosa aquatica, Beauv. I
Melica nutans, L. 1,2
uniflora, Retz. i, 2
Dactylis glomerata, L. I, 2
Briza media, L. 1,2
Poa annua, L. i, 2, 3
pratensis, L. I, 2, 3
compressa, L. I
trivialis, L. I, 2, 3
nemoralis, L. I, 2
var. Parnellii, Bab.
Glyceria aquatica, Sm. I
fluitans, Br. I, 2
var. plicata, Fr. I
maritima, Wahlb. I
distans, Wahlb. I
procumbens, Dumort. I
Festuca elatior, L. 1,2
pratensis, Huds. I, 2
gigantea, Vill. I
sylvatica, Vill. I
ovina, L. I, 2, 3
sub-sp. duriuscula, L. I, 2, 3
sub. sp. rubra, L. I
var. *arenaria, Osb.
uniglumis, Sol. I
rigida, Kth. I
59
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
GRAMINEJE (continued) GRAMINE.S: (continued)
Festuca loliacea, Huds. i Agropyrum repens, Beauv. i, 2
Bromus asper, Murr. i, 2 var. littorale, Reichb.
erectus, Huds. I sub-sp. acutum, R. & S. I
sterilis, L. i junceum, Beauv. I
mollis, L. I, 2 Lepturus filiformis, Trin. i
secalinus, L. Colonist Nardus stricta, L. I, 2, 3
commutatus, Schrab. I Hordeum sylvaticum, Huds. i
Brachypodium sylvaticum, R. & S. I, 2 pratense, Huds. i
Lolium perenne, L. i, 2 murinum, L. I
temulentum, L. Colonist maritimum, With. I
Agropyrum caninum, Beauv. i, 2 Elymus arenarius, L. I
CRYPTOGAMS
FERNS AND FERN ALLIES
The family of the Vascular Cryptogams is well represented in
this county ; eighteen out of the twenty-five genera are known, and these
comprise rather more than half the British species. The shady denes,
together with the great extent of limestone scars and grits, furnish
suitable conditions under which flourish many species of ferns. Of the
ferns proper several are worthy of special notice. The royal fern
(Osmunda regalis) at one time grew luxuriantly on the banks of the
Derwent and in other parts of the county, but it has been sadly uprooted
by enterprising gardeners and tourists, and has now nearly disappeared.
Woodsia ihensis, a peculiarly rare plant recorded from Falcon Glints,
it is feared is now almost extinct. Except in Westmorland it has no
other locality in England. The rare parsley fern (Cryptogramme crispd] has
a wide range, growing in profusion on the basaltic crags near Holwick
below High Force, and very generally on rocks of the millstone grit,
ascending to 2,000 feet on Stangend Rig. Near Stanhope and also
in the Derwent valley it may still be found. The oak fern (Polypodium
Dryopteris) and the beech fern (P. Pbegopteris) grow sparingly in Castle
Eden Dene, and ascend to 1,500 feet in the Vale of Derwent. Here these
delicately beautiful forms flourish most luxuriantly, and in favourite haunts
clothe the damp banks with a dense dwarf forest of tender green. Three
species of the buckler fern (Nephrodium) N. Oreopferis, the male fern (N.
Fi/ix-mas), and N. dilatatum are commonly met with ; while the fourth,
N. spinulosum, is only recorded from Walridge Fell. The mountain buckler-
fern (N. Oreopteris) is very plentiful in all the hilly districts, growing most
luxuriantly in the higher ranges of the Derwent valley, where N. dilatatum
is also found in beautiful profusion in the Muggleswick Woods. The
rare hay-scented buckler-fern (N. amulum) is found sparingly in the upper
part of the Derwent district (Featherstonhaugh). The rare crested
buckler-fern (N. cristatum) occurs very locally at Edmondbyers (Feather-
stonhaugh). The lady fern (Athyrium Filix-fcemina) , with its two
varieties rhcetlcum and mo//e, is common among the woods and rocks.
The limestone species of Asplenium, the wall rue (A. Ruta-muraria), the
black spleenwort (A. A diantum-nigrum) , and the maidenhair spleenwort
(A. Trichomanes) are frequent on the scars. The green spleenwort
60
BOTANY
(A. i)iride) is found on Falcon Glints and abundantly in Harthope and
Ireshope in Weardale. The sea spleenwort (A. marinum), once plentiful
on the magnesian limestone cliffs, is now only to be found in the most
inaccessible places. The brittle-bladder fern (Cystopterisfragilis) grows at
Castle Eden Dene, and flourishes wherever sufficient moisture can be
obtained on the limestone rocks in the upper valleys of the county.
The hard fern (Lomaria Spicant) is very widely distributed, and especially
abundant on the hills and edges of the moors, ascending to the highest
points. The moonwort (Botrychium Lunaria) cannot be said to be rare in
Durham. The writer has found it at an altitude of 1,700 feet on the
flanks of Kilhope Law, and it may frequently be noted in Burnhope,
Rookhope, and Langdon Dale. The adder's-tongue (Ophioglossum
vulgdtum) is also widely distributed, ascending to 1,300 feet, where the
writer found well-grown specimens near the black shales in Burnhope.
Among the Equisetacea (horse-tails) eight species are recorded.
The beautiful Equisetum maximum is not uncommon in the woods on the
river banks, descending to the cliffs of magnesian limestone near Black-
hall Rocks, and in Castle Eden Dene it forms a veritable forest of green
umbrageous growth. E. arvense, commonly known as the 'paddock pipe/
is freely dispersed, and gives rise to considerable trouble by reason of its
long, creeping rhizomes entering and blocking up the deep field drains.
The graceful E. sylvaticum ascends to 1,600 feet in Harwood, and is met
with in all the damp woods. E. variegatum, E. Jimosum, and E. palustre,
are also widespread, the latter reaching 2,100 feet on Highfield ; E.
byemale occurs more generally on the lower ground in boggy woods.
Of the Lycopodiacea (club-mosses) the three species of Lycopodium
the stag's-horn moss (L. c/avatum), L. alpinum, and L. Selago are found on
the highest fells, while the tiny Selaginilla Selaginoides grows commonly in
the upper parts of Weardale and Teesdale, and at one time found a home
on Gateshead Fell.
LIST OF FERNS AND FERN ALLIES
ORDER FILICES
Tribe II. Polypodieai.
Pteris aquilina, L.
Cryptogramme crispa, Br.
Lomaria Spicant, Desv.
Asplenium Ruta-muraria, L.
Trichomanes, L.
viride, Huds.
marinum, L.
Adiantum-nigrum, L.
Athyrium Filix-fcemina, Bernh.
var. molle, Roth.
rhzticum, Roth.
Scolopendrium vulgarc, Sm.
Woodsia ilvensis, Br.
Cystopteris fragilis, Bernh.
Aspidium Lonchitis, Sw.
aculeatum, Sw.
angulare, Willd.
Nephrodium Filix-mas, Rich.
ORDER FILICES (continued)
Nephrodium cristatum.
spinulosum, Desv.
dilatatum, Desv.
a-mulum, Baker.
Oreopteris, Desv.
Polypodium vulgare, L.
Phegopteris, L.
Dryopteris, L.
calcareum, Sm.
Tribe III. Osmundae.
Osmunda regalis, L.
Tribe IV. Ophioglone<e.
Ophioglossum vulgatum, L.
Botrychium Lunaria, Sw.
ORDER EQUISETACE.*
Equisetum arvense, L.
maximum, Lamk.
pratensc, Elirh.
61
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
ORDER EQUISETACEJE (continued)
Equisetum sylvaticum, L.
palustre, L.
limosum, L.
hyemale, L.
variegatum, Schleich.
ORDER LYCOPODIACEJE
Lycopodium clavatum, L.
alpinum, L.
Selago, L.
ORDER SELAGINELLACE^E.
Selaginella Selaginoides, Gray.
MOSSES (Musct)
The county is peculiarly rich in these plants, owing to its abundant
moisture and shade, and to its wonderfully varied surface.
Two parts of the county have been particularly well worked for
mosses. These are Teesdale and Weardale. There is a good list of
workers in the former interesting dale, and some very rare plants have
been found.
Other parts of the county have been dealt with only casually, and the
mosses found appear in the appended list.
The rarer and more interesting are located as follows :
Pylaisia polyantha^ discovered about Darlington as a British plant in
1833 (Backhouse), is not so rare in Durham as elsewhere. It has been
found chiefly on old hawthorn at Gainford, Coniscliffe, Mowden Lane,
Walworth, and also on stones at Walworth (Barnes).
At Winston Bridge on the Durham side grows the very rare moss
Anomodon longifolius. Here also are Earbula sinuosa, Pottia Heimit, Tor tula
papillosa, Mnium stellare, Fissidens crasstpes, TLurbynchium crassineruium
in fruit, Eurhynchium tenellum, and Plagiothecium depression.
At Piercebridge are found Pottia intermedia and Tortula angustata.
The interesting Orthotrichum pollens grows near Darlington, and the
pretty little Orthotrichum stramineum at Gainford and Winch Bridge.
If we now proceed to the Tees mouth we find the flat golden tufts
of Tortula ruraliformis all along the sand hills among the stunted grass,
but in the flat sandy tracts at Snook Point we have a series of maritime
mosses of particular interest. They are Eryum calophyllum, Bryum
Warneum, Eryum /acustre, and Sivartzia inclinata, all of which also grow
on Coatham Marshes across the river mouth. One plant of this associa-
tion growing at Coatham, viz., Bryum Marratii, has not yet been found in
Durham, but is likely to occur. On the banks of the Tees we find
an abundance of mosses from Barnard Castle to the High Force, both on
the walls and rocks and on the trees by the roadside, the chief ones on the
trees being Orthotrichum Lyellii and Orthotrichum affine. Eryum uliginosum
grows by the roadside all the way from Barnard Castle to the High Force
Inn (Spruce). At Winch Bridge occur Mnium stellare and Orthotrichum
stramineum, and below the bridge Hypnum Sommerfeltii. At the High
Force among the basaltic rocks are Orthotrichum rupestre, Eartramia
Ha/leriana, Ceratodon conicus, Hypnum incurvatum, Trichostomum tenuirosfre,
and Cynodontium Eruntoni; and on the river bank close by the two varieties
plumulosum and plumosum of Hypnum unct'nafum, both in fruit. In the
small plantation close by the High Force are Ulota crispu/a, Antitrichia
curtipendula, Orthotrichum pulchellum, and Ulota Bruchii, the last being the
62
BOTANY
plant recorded (Spruce) as abundant in Upper Teesdale under the name
of Ulota Drummondii. There is considerable evidence now that U/ofa
Bruchii-wzs mistaken for Ulota Drummondii^ which was not well understood
in former times (Dixon). On a small patch of boggy ground close by
this plantation and growing amongst tall grasses and shrubs are some
interesting bog mosses (Sphagna), the rarest being Sphagnum Girgensobnii,
vars. commune and hygropbilum (Horrell).
Proceeding along the road up the river we soon reach the large
mountain Widdy Bank Fell, which supports a wealth of rare mosses
probably unsurpassed anywhere else in England. By a stone on the fell
the pretty Dicranella beteromalla var. sericea fruits freely, although
invariably barren elsewhere. On the boggy slope of the fell is an
abundance of Catoscopium nigritum, associated with what is usually a
high alpine moss, var. compactum of Bryum pendulum. Close by grows the
rare and golden-coloured moss Hypnum lycopodioides, and the interesting
Cinclidium stygium. On the top of the fell, growing among bog mosses
(Sphagna) , is the very rare Campy lopus setiformis ; but the rarest moss in
the British Isles is found here, the only habitat. This is Tetraplodon
Wormskioldii, first found in 1870 (Slater), but undetermined until refound
in 1901 (Horrell and Jones). This is a moss of the arctic regions, but
the Teesdale plant is conspicuous for the large size of its leaves, these
being considerably longer and wider than in a specimen collected in
Lapland (Schimper). Widdy Bank Fell is exceedingly rich in forms of
bog moss (Sphagna), there being nearly twenty-eight species and eighty-
one varieties on this fell alone (Horrell). The rarest of these are
Sphagnum Girgensohnii, S. Russowit, S. Warnstorjii, S. quinquefarium, S. molle,
S. teres, S. parvifolium, S. imbricatum, and S. medium. Of these the usually
rare S. imbricatum, S. Russoivii and S. medium occur in great abundance
and luxuriance (Horrell). In boggy land near the Cauldron Snout are
great mounds of S. imbricatum, and S. fuscum, which have been noticed
there for twenty or more years (Horrell).
At the foot of Widdy Bank and on the banks of the Tees are
Hypnum Patientia, and Cynodontium polycarpum var. laxirete, the latter
known only elsewhere from Glenlyon, Perthshire.
Proceeding now to the fine vertical cliffs of basalt called Falcon
Clints, which form the edge of the Widdy Bank on the left bank of the
Tees, we find in the chinks and on the ledges of rock a wonderful
association of rare mosses. The genus Rhabdoweisia has here all its three
species represented,yirgV7#, denticulata, and crenulata. The genus fPeist'ais
represented by torti/is, crispata, and several varieties of rupestris, including
the new variety affinis. The beautiful vivid green Bryum Mildeanum is
here, as also Dicranum falcatum, Pterogonium gracile, Cylindrothecium con-
cinnum, Tricbostomum nitidum, Diphyscium foliosum var. acutifolium, Hedivigia
ciliata, Andreaea petropbila var. acuminata, and Funaria Templetoni. On
limestone rocks above the clints is Hylocomium rugosum, and at the foot
of the clints Arcbidium alter nifolium. Curving round these clints up the
river we reach the Cauldron Snout, where the hitherto still, deep waters
63
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
of the Tees plunge over an immense cliff of basalt. This is the home
of Zygodon lapponicus in the fissures of the rocks, of the very rare and
delicate Bryum concinnatum, of Tetrapbis Broivniana on the underside of
stones, and again of Catoscopium nigritum.
Returning from Cauldron Snout over the flat top of Widdy Bank
we reach a small pool supporting an exceedingly large form of Hypnum
giganteum associated with the equally fine Hypnum revohens var. Cossoni
forma falcata.
We now reach Langdon Beck, and among the calcareous drift of
this river valley is the very rare and minute moss Amblystegium Sprucei.
Other rare mosses occur in this valley. On the top of the road into
Weardale is a small bog supporting two rare plants, the bog moss Sphag-
num Gravetii, and the Harpidium, Hypnum exannulatum var. purpurascens.
Descending the Weardale road we reach Ireshope Burn, containing
many mosses, the chief being the minute Seligeria Doniana, and Seligeria
pusilla growing on its limestone clints, and Hypnum flliclnum var. gracilescens,
Weisla rupestris var. intermedia, and Eurhynchium pumilum close by. In a
pool near this burn float large masses of Hypnum exannulatum var. steno-
pbyllum.
Our next stream, Burnhope Burn, is of particular interest to the
bryologist. At its side in a spring is Pbilonotis adpressa in fruit, the only
place in England for this. Deeply imbedded in the gravelly drift of its
bank are Dichodontium pellucidum vars. compactum and fagimontanum, and
Weisia viridula var. densifolia. On the large boulders in the upper part
of the stream are huge masses of Hypnum ochraceum, and on the walls
near it is an abundance of Barbula recurvifolia. By the side of Kilhope
Burn are the rare mosses Weisia crispata, Bryum pallescens, Amblystegium
Juratzkanum and Hypnum fluitans var. ova/e. Ascending the Kilhope
road to the top of Burnhope Seat, we again meet with Cylindrothecium
concinnum, and on the top of the Seat is a massive growth of Hypnum
fluitans v&r.falcatum fruiting by a pool.
Weardale is remarkable for the abundance of fruit on the mosses.
Bryum pallens and Pbilonotis fontana are crowded with fruit on the
gravelly drift by the burns. On the side of Sedling Burn is a huge mass
of boulder clay covered with a brown carpet of capsules of a very tall
and compact growth of Pbilonotis fontana, associated with a very tall and
compact growth of Dicranella varia.
LIST OF MOSSES
Sphagnum fimbriatum, Wils.
Girgensohnii, Russ.
var. commune, Russ.
cristatum, Russ.
hygrophilum, Russ.
stachyodes, Russ.
xerophilum, Russ.
Russowii, Warnst.
var. flavescens, Russ.
poecilum, Russ.
rhodochroum, Russ.
Sphagnum Russowii, Warnst. (continued)
var. virescens, Russ.
Warnstorfii, Russ.
var. purpurascens, Russ.
versicolor, Russ.
viride, Russ.
rubellum, Wils.
var. flavum, C. Jens.
pallescens, Warnst.
purpurascens, Warnst.
rubrum, Grav.
64
BOTANY
Sphagnum rubellum, Wils. (continued)
var. versicolor, Russ.
viride, Warnst.
fuscum, Klinggr.
var. fuscescens, Warnst.
pallescens, Russ.
acutifolium, R. & W.
var. chlorinum, Warnst.
flavo-rubellum, Warnst.
fusco-virescens, Warnst.
griseum, Warnst.
obscurum, Warnst.
pallescens, Warnst.
purpurascens, Warnst.
roseum, Warnst.
rubrum, Warnst.
versicolor, Warnst.
viride, Warnst.
quinquefarium, Warnst.
var. fusco-flavum, Warnst.
w pallescens, Warnst.
roseum, Warnst.
virescens, Warnst.
subnitens, R. & W.
var. flavescens, Warnst.
flavo-rubellum, Warnst.
obscurum, Warnst.
pallescens, Warnst.
purpurascens, Schlicph
w versicolor, Warnst.
violascens, Warnst.
virescens, Warnst.
molle, Sulliv.
squarrosum, Pers.
var. spectabile, Russ.
teres, Angstr.
var. imbricatum, Warnst.
squarrosulum, Warnst.
subsquarrosum, Warnst.
cuspidatum, R. & W.
var. falcatum, Russ.
plumosum, N. & H.
submersum, Schimp.
recurvum, R. & W.
var. amblyphyllum, Warnst.
mucronatum, Warnst.
parvifolium, Warnst.
molluscum, Bruch
compactum, DC.
var. imbricatum, Warnst.
subsquarrosum, Warnst.
inundatum, Warnst.
Gravetii, Warnst.
rufescens, Warnst.
imbricatum, Russ.
var. cristatum, Warnst.
sublaeve, Warnst.
cymbifolium, Warnst.
var. fusco-flavescens, Russ.
glaucescens, Warnst.
Sphagnum cymbifolium, Warnst. (font.']
var. pallescens, Warnst.
papillosum, Lindb.
var. normale, Warnst.
sublaeve, Limpr.
medium, Limpr.
var. glaucescens, Russ.
obscurum, Warnst.
purpurascens, Warnst.
roseo-pallescens, Warnst.
roseum, Warnst.
versicolor, Warnst.
Andreaea petrophila, Ehrh.
var. acuminata, Schimp.
alpina, Sm.
Rothii, W. & M.
var. falcata, Ldb.
crassinervia, Bruch.
Tetraphis pellucida, Hedw.
Browniana, Grev.
Catharinea undulata, W. & M.
Polytrichum urnigerum, L.
alpinum, L.
Polytrichum piliferum, Schreb.
form osum, Hedw.
commune, L.
Diphyscium foliosum, Mohr.
var. acutifolium, Ldb.
Archidium alternifolium, Schimp.
Ditrichum flexicaule, Hpe.
var. densum, Braithw.
Swartzia montana, Ldb.
inclinata, Ehrh.
Seligeria Doniana, C. M.
pusilla, B. & S.
Ceratodon purpureus, Brid.
conic us, Ldb.
Rhabdoweisia denticulata, B. & S.
crenulata, Jameson.
ftigax, B. & S.
Cynodontium Bruntoni, B. & S.
polycarpum var. laxirete, Dixon
Dichodontium pellucidum, Schimp.
var. /3 fagimontanum, Schimp.
8 compactum, Schimp.
flavescens, Ldb.
Dicranella heteromalla, Schimp.
var. 8 sericea, Schimp.
secunda, Ldb.
- rufescens, Schimp.
varia, Schimp.
var. y tenella, Schimp.
Schreberi, Schimp.
squarrosa, Schimp.
Blindia acuta, B. & S.
Dicranoweisia cirrata, Ldb.
Campylopus flexuosus, Brid.
var. paradoxus, Husn.
setifolius, Wils.
atrovirens, De Not.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Campylopus pyriformis, Brid.
Dicranum falcatum, Hedw.
Bonjeani, De Not.
scoparium, Hedw.
var. 8 spadiceum, Boul.
fuscescens, Turn.
var. 8 flexicaule, Wils.
Leucobryum glaucum, Schimp.
Fissidens viridulus, Wahl.
bryoides, Hedw.
crassipes, Wils.
osmundoides, Hedw.
adiantoides, Hedw.
decipiens, De Not.
taxifolius, Hedw.
Grimmia apocarpa, Hedw.
var. ft rivularis, W. & M.
y gracilis, W. & M.
8 alpicola, H. & T.
e pumila, Schimp.
- funalis, Schimp.
- torquata, Hornsch.
- pulvinata, Sm.
- orbicularis, Bruch.
- trichophylla, Grev.
Doniana, Sm.
- patens, B. & S.
Rhacomitrium aciculare, Brid.
protensum, Braun.
fasciculare, Brid.
sudeticum, B. & S.
heterostichum, Brid.
var. gracilescens, B. & S.
lanuginosum, Brid.
canescens, Brid.
var. B. ericoides, B. & S.
Hedwigia ciliata, Ehrh.
Pottia truncatula, Ldb.
intermedia, Fiirnr.
Heimii, Fiirnr.
lanceolata, C. M.
Tortula rigida, Schrad.
ambigua, Augstr.
aloides, De Not.
muralis, Hedw.
subulata, Hedw.
angustata, Wils.
mutica, Ldb.
intermedia, Berk.
ruralis, Ehrh.
ruraliformis, Dixon
papillosa, Wils.
Barbula lurida, Ldb.
rubella, Mitt.
var. ruberrima, Braithw.
dentata, Braithw.
tophacea, Mitt.
fallax, Hedw.
var. brevifolia, Schultz.
recurvifolia, Schimp.
Barbula spadicea, Mitt.
rigidula, Mitt.
cylindrica, Schimp.
sinuosa, Braithw.
revoluta, Brid.
convoluta, Hedw.
unguiculata, Hedw.
Weisia tortilis, C. M.
microstoma, C. M.
viridula, Hedw.
var. densifolia, B. & S.
crispata, C. M.
tenuis, C. M.
rupestris, C. M.
var. intermedia, Limpr.
stelligera, Bry. Eur.
compacta, Schimp.
rigida, Schimp.
affinis, Ingham
humilis, Ingham
curvirostris, C. M.
var. commutata, Dixon
Weisia verticillata, Brid.
Trichostomum tenuirostre, Ldb.
var. Holtii, Dixon
nitidum, Schimp.
tortuosum, Dixon
var. fragili folium, Dixon
Cinclidotus fontinaloides, P.B.
Encalypta ciliata, Hoffm.
streptocarpa, Hedw.
Ancectangium compactum, Schwg.
Zygodon lapponicus, B. & S.
Mougeotii, B. & S.
viridissimus, R. Br.
Ulota Bruchii, Hornsch.
crispa, Brid.
var. crispula, Hamm.
intermedia, Dixon.
phyllantha, Brid.
Orthotrichum rupestre, Schleich.
anomalum, var. saxatile, Milde.
cupulatum, Hoffm.
var. nudum, Braithw.
- Lyellii, H. & T.
affine, Schrad.
var. fastigiatum, Htib.
rivulare, Turn.
stramineum, Hornsch.
pallens, Bruch.
pulchellum, Sm.
diaphanum, Schrad.
Splachnum sphaericum, L.
Tetraplodon mnioides, B. & S.
Wormskioldii, Lindb.
Funaria ericetorum, Dixon
hygrometrica, Sibth.
Amblyodon dealbatus, P.B.
Meesia trichoides, Spr.
66
BOTANY
Aulacomnium palustre, Schwgr.
var. imhricatum B. & S.
androgynum, Schwgr.
Catoscopium nigritum, Brid.
Bartramia CEderi, Sw.
- ithyphylla, Brid.
- pom i form is, Hedw.
var. crispa, B. & S.
Halleriana, Hedw.
Philonotis fontana, Brid.
var. pumila, Dixon
adpressa, Ferg.
calcarea, Schimp.
Breutelia arcuata, Schimp.
Webera cruda, Schwgr.
- nutans, Hedw.
- annotina, Schwgr.
carnea, Schimp.
- albicans, Schimp.
Plagiobryum Zierii, Ldb.
Hryum filiforme, Dicks.
- concinnatum, Spruce
- pendulum, Schimp.
var. com pac turn, Schimp.
- Warneum, Bland
- calophyllum, R. Br.
- lacustre, Brid.
- inclinatum, Bland
- uliginosum, B. & S.
- pal lens, Sw.
- turbinatum, Schwgr.
- bimum, Schreb.
var. cuspidatum, Bry. Eur.
- pseudo-triquetrum, Schwgr.
- pallescens, Schleich.
var. contextum, Hornsch.
intermedium, Brid.
- caespiticium, L.
- capillare, L.
alpinum, Huds.
- Mildeanum, Jur.
- argenteum, L.
Mnium affine, Bland
var. elatum, B. & S.
- cuspidatum, Hedw.
- rostratum, Schrad.
- u mlu hit um, L.
- hornum, L.
- serratum, Schrad.
- stellare, Reich.
- punctatum, L.
- subglobosum, B. & S.
Cinclidium stygium, Sw.
Fontinalis antipyretica, L.
Neckera crispa, Hedw.
- complanata, HQbn.
Homalia trichomanoides, Brid.
Leucodon sciuroides, Schwgr.
Pterogonium gracile, Sw.
Antitrichia curtipendula, Brid.
Porotrichum alopecurum, Mitt.
Leskea polycarpa, Ehrh.
Anomodon longifolius, Hartm.
viticulosus, H. & T.
Heterocladium heteroptenun, B. & S.
Pseudoleskea catenulata, B. & S.
Thuidium tamariscinum, B. & S.
Climacium dendroides, W. & M.
Cylindrothecium concinnum, Schimp.
Pylaisia polyantha, B. & S.
Orthothecium intricatum, B. & S.
Isothecium myurum, Brid.
Pleuropus sericeus, Dixon
Camptothecium lutescens, Schimp.
Brachythecium rutabulum, B. & S.
rivulare, B. & S.
var. latifolium, Husn.
Brachythecium velutinum, B. & S.
populeum, B. & S.
plumosum, B. & S.
purum, Dixon
Hyocomium flagellare, B. & S.
Eurhynchium piliferum, B. & S.
crassinervium, B. & S.
praelongum, B. & S.
Swartzii, Hobk.
pumilum, Schimp.
tenellum, Milde.
myosuroides, Schimp.
striarum, B. & S.
rusciforme, Milde.
var. atlanticum, Brid.
Plagiothecium depressum, Dixon
pulchellum, B. & S.
denticulatum, B. & S.
sylvaticum, B. & S.
undulatum, B. &c S.
Amblystegium Sprucei, B. & S.
serpens, B. & S.
Juratzkanum, Schimp.
irriguum, B. & S.
fluviatilc, B. & S.
filicinum, De Not.
var. elatum, Schimp.
gracilescens, Schimp.
Hypnum riparium, L.
var. longi folium, Schimp.
stellatum, Schreb.
var. protensum, B. & S.
chrysophyllum, Brid.
var. erectum, Bagn.
- lycopodioides, Schwgr.
- fluitans, L.
var. falcatum, Schimp.
ovale, Ren.
exannulatum, GOmb.
var. purpurascens, Schimp.
pinnatum, Boul., forma ste-
nophylloides, Ren.
stenophyllum, Hobk.
67
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Hypnum uncinatum, Hedw. Hypnum palustre, L.
var. plumulosum, Schimp. var. subsphaericarpon, B. & S.
plumosum, Schimp. eugyrium, Schimp.
revolvens, Sw. ochraceum, Turn.
var. Cossoni, Ren, forma falcata, Ren. scorpioides, L.
commutatum, Hedw. stramineum, Dicks.
falcatum, Brid. cordifolium, Hedw.
var. gracilescens, Schimp. giganteum, Schimp.
incurvatum, Schrad. sarmentosum, Wahl.
cupressiforme, L. cuspidatum, L.
var. resupinatum, Schimp. Schreberi, Willd.
filiforme, Brid. Hylocomium splendens, B. & S.
ericetorum, B. & S. loreum, B. & S.
tectorum, Brid. squarrosum, B. & S.
Patientiae, Ldb. triquetrum, B. & S.
molluscum, Hedw. rugosum, De Not.
var. condensatum, Schimp.
LIVERWORTS (Hepatic*)
The liverworts (Hepatica?) have received only scant attention com-
pared with the mosses, although there is evidence from the plants that
have been found that the county is rich in them. The appended list is
very incomplete, but is offered as a nucleus for future workers with these
interesting and beautiful plants.
The rare ones are located as follows : Lejeunea serpyllifolia var.
cavifolia occurs on the basaltic rock ledges of Falcon Glints, and Lejeunea
calcarea forms minute patches on the limestone clints of Ireshope Burn.
By the riverside near the High Force grows Porella rivularis. Near
the basaltic blocks scattered on the slope of Widdy Bank Fell are
Blepbarozia ciliaris and Lepidozia setacea.
At the base of the High Force is a very rare hepatic, Hygrobiella
laxifolia, very scarce in quantity. Of the genus Scapania there are two
very rare species not recorded from any other part of England. These are
Scapania rosacea, imbedded in the sandy drift by the river side below
the High Force, and Scapania subalpina var. undulifolia, in the gravelly
detritus by the side of the Weardale road leading into Langdon Beck.
Another member, Scapania aequiloba, grows on the Falcon Clints as well
as on the slopes of Widdy Bank Fell, but in the latter case usually
mixed with mosses, such as Trichostomum tortuosum. The rare Scapania
intermedia also grows on the slopes of Widdy Bank, associated with the
equally rare Eucalyx obovata.
By the side of Ireshope Burn we find Chiloscypbus polyantbos, asso-
ciated with Jungermania riparia, and on the limestone clints is the minute
and delicate Blepbarostoma trie hopby Hum. On Widdy Bank is found
Mylia Taylori, which is also of very fine growth on the top of Burnhope
Seat, associated with the moss Hypnum jiuitans v&r.falcatum. The variety
heterophylla of Plagiochila asplenioides grows by Burnhope Burn, and the
variety majus, of yellow colour, by the waterfall at Burtree Ford.
Plagiocbila spinulosa grows both at the High Force and at Cauldron
68
BOTANY
Snout. The flaccid and dark-coloured "Jungermania cordifolia may be
found by the waterfall at Burtree Ford, on the bank of Ireshope Burn,
and at the High Force. Jungermania Floerkii grows on the top of
Burnhope Seat, on Widdy Bank Fell, and on the top of the Weardale
road leading into Langdon Beck. Of this genus Jungermania barbata is
the characteristic species on the gravelly drift by Burnhope Burn, and
Jungermania bantriensis occurs in great abundance below Winch Bridge
in Teesdale. With Lepidozia setacea on Widdy Bank is associated
Jungermania porpbyroleuca in fruit. Of the genus Euca/yx, one member,
obovata, has been noted above, and the other member, byalina, grows on
the moorland by the side of Sedling Burn ; Nardia compressa occurs in
wet places by Burnhope Burn, in darkish masses. Pallavicinia Lyelli has
been recorded from the Durham side of the Tees (Spruce). Mixed
with the mosses Cinclidlum stygium and Amblyodon dealbatus on the slope
of Widdy Bank grows the var. angustior of Aneura pinguis. The soft
hairy masses of Metzgeria pubescens grow on the vertical limestone
cliffs of Ireshope Burn and also at Cowshill. On the saccharoidal
limestone of Falcon Glints are large green flat patches of Cbomiocarpon
quadratus.
In Weardale a striking feature in the rills and ditches by the road-
sides, especially the Kilhope road, is the great abundance of the hepatic
Scapania undulata, whose masses almost choke up these waterways with
their glassy green-looking foliage.
LIST OF HEPATIC^
Frullania tamarisci (L.) Plagiochila asplenioides (L.)
dilatata (L.) var. heterophylla, Nees
Lejeunea serpyllifolia (Dicks) Dillenii, Tayl.
var. cavifolia, Lindb. spinulosa (Dicks)
calcarca, Lib. Jungermania cordifolia, Hook.
Radula complanata (L.) riparia, Tayl.
Porella platyphylla (L.) inflata, Huds.
rivularis, Nees. Floerkii, Web. & Mohr.
Blepharozia ciliaris (L.) barbata, Schmid
Blepharostoma trichophyllum (Dill.) Lyoni, Tayl.
Lepidozia setacea (Web.) porphyroleuca, Nees
Kantia trichomanis (L.) bantriensis, Hook.
Cephalozia bicuspidata (L.) crenulata, Sm.
Odontoschisma sphagni (Dicks) Eucalyx hyalina, Lyell
Hygrobiella laxifolia (Hook.) obovata (Nees)
Scapania resupinata (Dill., L.) Nardia compressa (Hook.)
subalpina var. undulifolia, Gottsche scalaris (Schracl)
aequiloba (Schwoege) Marsupella emarginata, Ehrh.
nemorosa (L.) Pallavicinia Lyellii (Hook.)
intermedia, Husn. Aneura multinda (L.)
undulata (L.) pinguis (L.)
- purpurea (Dill.), Carr. var. angustior
- rosacea (Cord a) Metzgeria pubescens (Schrank)
Diplophyllum albicans (L.) furcata (L.)
Lophocolea bidentata (L.) Marchantia polymorpha, L.
Chiloscyphus polyanthos (L.) Conocephalus conicus, L.
Mylia Taylori (Hook.) Chomiocarpon quadratus (Scop.)
69
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
LICHENS (Licbenes)
The lichen-flora of a given district under changing conditions
furnishes evidence to the observant mind that it does not nourish its
life as other plants do. If it did so we should naturally expect that
the lichens would hold their own with their fellows, subject, of
course, to the ordinary changes which come alike to all vegetable
forms. But it is not so. The lichen will disappear from a spot,
and more especially the frondose or foliaceous forms, without any
observable change in the other vegetation around it, and that from
a pollution of the atmosphere which is not sufficient to affect those
plants which nourish themselves from the soil or matrix of growth.
I had an opportunity of giving an illustrative case of this kind from
the county of Durham, 1 where lichens spoken of by Mr. Winch as
flourishing in Gibside Woods many years before had utterly perished
killed by the fumes from the Tyneside some miles away.
It is fortunate, therefore, that the lichen-flora of Durham county
was fairly well worked before the large development of its present
coal and iron industries. Nearly 200 species and varieties of lichens
are recorded in Winch's Flora of Northumberland and Durham as having
been gathered in the county. I also catalogued in 1887, in the
Natural History Society's Transactions, Northumberland and Durham, Mr.
Winch's lichens in the museum, Newcastle-on-Tyne ; but this was
only a partial list, as a number of his lichens with other of his
herbaria are in the possession of the Linnean Society.
As a county, Durham had and still possesses an extensive lichen-
growth. The physical features of the country are various and
favourable. Its eastern seaboard, of course, is poor in results, but its
sub-alpine elevations westward and north-west are good. Limited in
its outcrop of rock, the limestone predominates in its highest parts
crossed and broken by the basalt. The best lichen districts in the
county are the river valleys of the Derwent, the Tees, and the
Wear. The last two, with elevations margining the upper reaches of
the valleys, and the fells enclosing the river sources, are excellent
hunting grounds for the botanist generally as well as the lichenologist ;
and these districts are the least affected by any deleterious atmospheric
elements carried by the wind.
The previous workers in this humble branch of botanical science
in Durham were Nathaniel John Winch,* Mr. Robertson, and the
Rev. John Harriman, of Egglestone, Teesdale. By his careful
observations and exertions, Mr. Harriman contributed largely to the
knowledge and extension of our northern lichenology. He discovered
a number of new species. One of these, Urceolaria diacapsis, Ach.,
he found near Barnard Castle. A micro-diagnosis of this beautiful
1 Science Gossip, 1879.
* He was a native of Newcastle, a zealous student of nature, and a distinguished botanist ; well
known in the north of England by the Botanist's Guide to Northumberland and Durham and his Flora of the
same counties, published in the Transactions of the Natural History Society, Newcastle-on-Tyne. 1832.
7
BOTANY
lichen, made in 1887, showed that it was not an Urceo/aria, but a
Lecidea. I pointed out to Dr. Nylander, Paris, that it should be named
Lecidea diacapsis, and this decision he confirmed. At Dr. Nylander's
request I searched and re-searched carefully what he termed * the
classic ground ' of this lichen, but did not succeed in re-finding it.
Mudd's Manual of British Lichens likewise contains notices of
lichens from Teesdale, where he personally did some collecting.
The following limited list is a selection from my own personal
gatherings of lichens in the county of Durham. Each species or
variety is either in my herbarium or has passed through my hands :
Sirosiphon mineatum, Hass.
Ephebe pubescens, Fr.
Collema pulposum, var. pulposulum, NyL
tenax, var. coronatum, Koerb.
limosum, Ach.
polycarpon, Schaer.
Leptogium biatorinum, Nyl.
Sphinctrina turbinata, Pers.
Pycnothelia papillaria, Duf.
Cladonia pityrea, f. denudata, Johns.
- Florkeana, f. bacillaris, Ach.
Clad ina sylvatica, f. scabrosa, Leight.
f. tenuis, Lamy.
uncialis, f. adunca, Ach.
Stereocaulon denudatum, Flk.
Evernia prunastri, var. stictocera, Ach.
Cetraria island ica, L.
- aculcata, f. acanthella, Ach.
Platysma triste, Web.
Platysma sxpincola, var. ulophylla, Ach.
Peltigera aphthosa, L.
rufescens, Mtlhi.
Solorina saccata, Ach.
spongiosa, Nyl.
Physcia parietina, f. cinerescens, Leight.
tenella, Scop.
Umbilicaria polyhirza, L.
Umbilicaria cylindrica, L.
var. tornata, Fr. fil.
Placodium decipiens, Arn.
sub-sp. P. tegularis, Nyl.
Ltcanora sambuci, Pers.
frustulosa, Dicks.
Parisiensis, Nyl.
atrynea, Ach.
galactina, f. dispersa, Pers.
sub-sp. L. dissipata, Nyl.
ochracea, Schaer.
Hageni, Ach.
syringea, Ach.
subcarnea, Ach.
intricata, Nyl.
expallens, Ach.
ventosa, L.
chalybxa, Schaer.
Pertusaria globulifera, Nyl.
Lecidea atrorufa, Dicks.
lucida, Ach.
parasema, var. rugulosa, Ach.
plana, Lahtn.
aroma tica, Sm.
caeruleonigricans, Lightf.
alboatra, Hoffm.
Endocarpon miniatum, L.
FRESHWATER ALG^E
It is much to be regretted that very little attention has been devoted
to the study of the freshwater alga? in Durham, as it offers a rich field
for investigation to those interested in this branch of botany. The
craggy ravines and upland glens of the highlands of Teesdale and Wear-
dale, and their rapid streams flowing over rough rocky beds of limestone,
sandstone, or basalt, especially, would well repay some exploration.
Owing to the variations of altitude and soil there appears to be a great
wealth of species and genera. It is only possible, however, to give a
very brief survey, chiefly from observations of the writer.
The Blue-green Algae (Cyanophyceee) are richly represented, the
humid atmosphere of the upper dales being especially favourable to such
genera as Nostoc, Lyngbya, and Gleocapsa, while the ponds and ditches are
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
the home of numerous species of Oscillarlece. Adhering to the sub-
merged stones, the gelatinous masses of Nostoc verrucosum are a noticeable
feature in some of the clear streams of the mountain limestone.
Among the Green Algae (Ghlorophycece) the Desmids appear to
be specially abundant, finding a most congenial habitat in the peaty
pools so frequent among the moors. Here also species of Spirogyra,
Zygnema, and Mesocarpus are among the commonest forms to be observed.
In damp situations the barks of the trees are green with Pleurococcus
vulgaris ; Prasiola crispa is found by the roadsides, and the terrestrial
species of Vaucheria may be met with almost everywhere. The aquatic
genera Ulothrix, Coleocbteta, CEdogonium, Cbtztophora, Cladopbora, and
Vaucheria are abundant; Enteromorpba intestinalis occurs in ditches at
Hartlepool, and Palmella cruenta is very common in the Sunderland
district (Brady). Clathrocystis ceruginosa and Physactis parvula have been
noted from the moat at Raby (Norman) and Tetraspora lubrica at Ryhope
(Brady). The beautiful Draparnaldia plumosa is not uncommon, and
grows plentifully on the high ground between Allansford and the
Sneep.
The Rhodophycecz, which make up such a large proportion of the
marine alga?, include only a few freshwater forms. In Durham the
two species of Batrachospermum, B. atrum and moniliforme, are common in
the streams of some of the hills and denes, and are also frequently met
with in the lower parts of the county. The green waving tufts of
Lemanea jluviatilis are found attached to the stones in the quieter parts
of the clear mountain streams, and Ghantransia chalybea clings closely to
the smooth surface of the rocks under the swiftly rushing water.
Among the Characeee^ the species of Nitella and Chara are widely
distributed. Chara hispida grows in great profusion in the Hell Kettles
at Croft, and C. flexilis and C. fcetida also occur plentifully in the
county.
MARINE ALG^E
The bleak rugged coast of Durham, exposed to the full fury of the
wind, and swept by the cold waters of the northern sea, is not favourable
to a luxuriant growth of seaweeds. There is an absence of rocky pools,
and few sheltered bays. The temperature of the water varies consider-
ably between the east and west coasts. On the east coast the sea
temperature is much lower than on the other parts of the British Isles.
For example, in August it only rises to 1 5 C., while on the south and
west coasts 20 C. is attained. In February a marine isothermal of only
5 C. extends from the Naze to the Frith of Forth, the other parts of
the coast being 5 C. warmer. It is not surprising, therefore, that the
oceanic vegetation is greatly superior on the western shores, but one
would hardly expect to find Durham inferior in number of species to
Northumberland, which is further north, and possesses still fewer natural
advantages of situation. The Northumberland region, however, presents
thirty-three species not found in Durham, while the latter has only
72
BOTANY
twenty which it may claim for its own, the remaining species being
common to both counties.
The following lists have been compiled from Brady's Catalogue of
Marine Algae of Northumberland and Durham ; Transactions of the Tyneside
Field Club, 1858-60, iv. The nomenclature is that of Holmes and
Batters.
Out of a total of 535 species excluding varieties of marine algae
which are found to grow upon the shores of the British Isles, only 136
are known upon the Durham coast. These are distributed among the
different orders as follows :
Total for British Isles. Total for Durham.
Cyanophyceae ... 57 ... 5
Chlorophyceae . . . 98 . . .18
Phaeophyceae . . .144 . . -43
Rhodophyceae . . . 236 ... 70
No permanent habitat is known for the following species. They
have been found from time to time washed up by the sea on this coast,
and are therefore included in the list. It is most probable, however,
that they have been merely carried by oceanic currents to our shores.
Codium tomentosum, Stackh. Sargassum bacciferum, C. Ag.
Halurus equisetifolius, Kiitz. Cystoseira ericoides, C. Ag.
Gymnogongrus norvegicus, J. Ag. Himanthalia lorea, Lyngb.
Calliblepharis ciliata, Kiitz. Arthrocladus villosa, Duby.
Delesseria Hypoglossum, Lamx. Dictyopteris polypodioides, Lamx.
Polysiphonia byssoides, Grev. Dictyota dichotoma, Lamx.
LIST OF MARINE ALG-S
CYANOPHYC&*
Oscillariactte
Spirulina tenuissima, Kfltz.
Oscillaria Corallinae, Gom.
Rivulariacttg
Calothrix confervicola, C. Ag.
scopulorum, C. Ag.
Rivularia atra, Roth.
CHLOROPHYCEJE
Uhactte
Monostroma Grevillii, J. Ag.
Entcromorpha clathrata, J. Ag.
compressa, Grev.
Linza, J. Ag.
intestinalis, Link.
Ulva latissima, J. Ag.
Cladophoracett
Urospora flacca, Holm. & Batt.
Chaetomorpha crassa, Kutz.
Rhizoclonium riparium
tortuosum, Ktltz.
Cladophora utriculosa, Kdtz.
rupestris, KUtz.
grac ills, GriflF.
flexuosa, GrifiF.
fracta, Kfltz.
- arcta, KOtz.
laiiosa, Kutz.
CHLOROPHYCEA (continued)
Bryopiidacete
Bryopsis plumosa, C. Ag.
Codiaceee
Codium tomentosum, Stackh.
PHXOPHYCRX
Desmarestiaceee
Desmarestia viridis, Lamx.
aculeata, Lamx.
ligulata, Lamx.
Dictyoiiphonace<s
Dictyosiphon foeniculaceus, Grev.
Punctarlacete
Punctaria plantaginea, Grev.
Asperococcace<e
Asperococcus echinatus, Grev.
Ectocarpacttt
Streblonema velutinum, Thur.
Ectocarpus long i I rue t us, Harv.
patens, Holm. & Batt.
tomentosus, Lyngb.
Isthmoplea sphaerophora, Kjellm.
Pylaiella litoralis, Kjellm.
Artbrocladlactee
Arthrocladia villosa, Duby.
E/achtstacete
Elachista fucicola, Fries.
73
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
PHJEOPHYCE.S: (continued)
Sphacelariacets
Sphacelaria radicans, Harv.
cirrhosa, C. Ag.
fusca, Holm. & Batt.
Chaetopteris plumosa, Ktitz.
Cladostephus spongiosus, C. Ag.
verticillatus, C. Ag.
Halopteris filicina, Ktitz.
Stypocaulon scoparium, Ktltz.
Myrionemacets
Myrionema strangulans, Grev.
Gbordariacets
Chordaria flagelliformis, C. Ag.
Mesogloea vermiculata, Le Jol.
Castagnea virescens, Thur.
Leathesia difformis, Aresch.
Scytosiphonacees
Phyllitis Fascia, Ktitz.
Scytosiphon lomentarius, J, Ag.
Chordacete
Chorda Filum, Stackh.
Laminariacea
Laminaria saccharina, Lamx.
Phyllitis, Le Jol.
- digitata, Edm.
Alaria esculenta, Grev.
Fucacets
Fucus ceranoides, Linn.
vesiculosus, Linn.
- serratus, Linn.
Ascophyllum nodosum, Le Jol.
Pelvetia canaliculata, Dene & Thur.
Himanthalia lorea, Lyngb.
Halidrys siliquosa, Lyngb.
Cystoseira ericoides, C. Ag.
Tilopteridacets
Tilopteris Mertensii, Ktitz.
Dtctyotactte
Dictyopteris polypodioides, Lamx
RHODOPHYCE.S:
Porphyracets
Bangia fusco-purpurea, Lyngb.
Porphyra linearis, Grev.
laciniata, C. Ag.
Helmintbocladiacea
Chantransia Daviesii, Thur.
virgatula, Thur.
Helminthocladia purpurea, J. Ag.
GeKdiaceee
Gelidium corneum, Lamx.
Glgartinacece
Chondrus crispus, Stackh.
Gigartina mamillosa, J. Ag.
Phyllophora Brodiaei, J. Ag.
membranifolia, J. Ag.
Gymnogongrus norvegicus, J. Ag.
Ahnfeltia plicata, Fries.
RHODOPHYCEJE (continued)
Gigartinacea (continued)
Callophyllis laciniata, Kdtz.
Rhodophyllidacets
Cystoclonium purpurascens, Ktitz.
Catenella Opuntia, Grev.
Rhodophyllis bifida, Kutz.
Sphtsrococcacets
Calliblepharis ciliata, Kotz.
Rhodymeniacees
Rhodymenia palmetta, Grev.
Lomentaria articulata, Lyngb.
clavellosa, Gaill.
Plocamium coccineum, Lyngb.
Delesseriacea
Nitophyllum laceratum, Grev.
Delesseria alata, Lamx.
angustissima, Griff.
Hypoglossum, Lamx.
ruscifolia, Lamx.
sinuosa, Lamx.
sanguinea, Lamx.
Bonnemahoniacete
Bonnemaisonia asparagoides, C. Ag.
Rhodomelacets
Rhodomela subfusca, C. Ag.
lycopodioides, C. Ag.
Odonthalia dentata, Lyngb.
Laurencia pinnatifida, Lamx.
- caespitosa, Lamx.
Polysiphonia urceolata, Grev.
elongata, Grev.
violacea, Wyatt.
fibrillosa, Grev.
fastigiata, Grev.
atro-rubescens, Grev.
nigrescens, Grev.
parasitica, Grev.
byssoides, Grev.
Brodiaei, Grev.
Dasya coccinea, C. Ag.
Ceramiacets
Spermothamnion Turneri, Aresch.
Griffithsia corallina, C. Ag.
setacea, C. Ag.
Halurus equisetifolius, Ktitz.
Rhodochorton Rothii, Nag.
floridulum, Nag.
sparsum, Kjellm.
Callithamnion polyspermum, C. Ag.
Hookeri, C. Ag.
arbuscula, Lyngb.
tetragonum, C. Ag.
Plumaria elegans, Bonnem.
Ptilota plumosa, C. Ag.
Ceramium Deslongchampsii, Chaur.
diaphanum, Roth.
rubrum, C. Ag.
prolifera, J. Ag.
74
BOTANY
RHODOPHYCE* (continued) RHODOPHYCE^ (continued)
Ctramiacta (continued) Rhizophyllidaceee
Ceramium acanthonotum, Carm. Polyides rotundus, Grev.
Dumontiace* Corallinaceee
Dumontia filiformis, Grev. Melobesia verrucata, Lamx,
Dilsea cdulis, Stackh. Lithothamnion polymorphum, Aresch.
Nemastomacea Corallina officinalis, Linn.
Furcellaria fastigiata, Lamx. rubens, Ellis & Sol.
FUNGI
The investigation of the fungus flora of the county has unfortu-
nately been almost entirely neglected during recent years, and no list is
available, except that by Winch, published now nearly one hundred
years ago. 1 This list of some 250 species comprises chiefly those fungi
recognizable by the naked eye, and, as one would naturally expect at that
date, contains very slight reference to microscopic species. The old
nomenclature has been brought up to date, and the list given below
includes Winch's complete record, with the exception of some species of
which the determination remained doubtful, as well as additions from
the author's own observations. It probably does not represent one tithe
of the fungi to be found in the county, but it sufficiently indicates the
rich and varied flora which might be expected. Winch's observations
were very local, and largely confined to the woods on the banks of
the Derwent and the country around Darlington. The frequency with
which Medomsley occurs as a habitat shows that the woods in its
vicinity are remarkably prolific in genera and species belonging to this
group of plants.
The Hymenomycetes are represented by many species growing in
great profusion in the damp woody denes. The poisonous but very
beautiful fly mushroom (Amanita muscarius) may be found in the woods
at High Force ; and in the pastures in upper Teesdale the brilliant
red Hygropborus coccineus forms a conspicuous object in autumn. The
destructive parasite Armillaria mellea is widely distributed, and is respon-
sible for the downfall of many pines and fine old beeches. It may be
recognized in the R/bizomorfba-stzge by a thick black network under
the bark. Three rare species of Lactarius (L. zonarius, L. plumbeus,
and L. acris) are recorded. Marasmius oreades growing symbiotically
with the grasses produces the well-known * fairy rings ' in many
pastures. Various species of Cla-varia, among them C. fastigiata, C. coral-
loides, and the rarer C. ametbystina, are found in plenty, their pale coral-
like branches peeping forth freely from the moist rich humus beneath
the trees. On fallen logs, especially of oak, the timber-destroying fungus
Stereum birsutum is everywhere met with. The large bracket-shaped
fructifications of the Polyporaceee form striking features projecting from
the trunks and branches of trees. Two rare forms of Polyporus found
are P.fuscidulus and P. Vaillantii; P. squamosus,P. bispidus, etc., occur as
parasites on various trees, the latter being especially destructive to the
1 Batamifs Guide ttrougA the Countiet of Northumberland and Durham (1805-7).
75
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
ash. The large puff-balls Lycoperdon giganteum and L. ccelatum, the
somewhat rare Cynopballus caninus, and the Geasters, may be specially
mentioned among the Gasteromycetes. Five species of Geaster have
been recorded, none of which are common, and one, G. mammosum^ is
extremely rare.
In the large order Uredmacece (the rust-fungi) many species are
found accompanying their hosts through the various changes of altitude.
Thus Puccinia betonica preys upon the betony at its highest limit in
Burnhope, as well as near the coast, and similarly Mcidium tussilaginis is
found abundantly wherever the coltsfoot grows. The leaves of the wild
grasses and cereals are especially liable to the attacks of rust.
Among the Ascomycetes the species of faphrina cause the well-known
4 witches-brooms ' on the birch and cherry. The Erysipbacece are com-
mon as mildews upon the grasses and other plants. Nectria reveals its
presence by its small red pustules on decaying twigs, and as the destruc-
tive parasite associated with the canker of the ash, apple, and beech.
EpicbloS typhina^ with its bright orange stroma, is frequently to be observed
destroying the inflorescences of Dactylis glomerata and other grasses. The
small perithecia of various species of Spbceriaceee are especially common,
being present on nearly every decaying stalk. The black stroma tipped
with snowy white of Xylaria hypoxylon form conspicuous objects in most
woods in winter. Rbytisma acerinum betrays itself by the black blotches
to be seen on the sycamore leaves which are everywhere attacked by this
fungus. The dark-coloured gelatinous cups of Bulgaria inquinans cover
the bark of fallen oak branches. The larch-canker fungus (Dasyscypba
Willkommli) is frequent in the larch plantations, and threatens to render the
cultivation of this tree impossible for any useful purposes. The curious
little black tongues of Geoglossum glabrum are fairly common, springing up
freely in grassy places. The rare Peziza onotica known as the * orange-ear
peziza,' as well as P. me/asfoma, the black and red peziza, another rare
species, are found in the county, while the glowing crimson cups of
P. coccinea are common on decaying twigs. The species of Morcbella are
also prevalent in the woody districts, the edible form, M. escu/enta, being
not unfrequent.
Among the Mesomycetes some species of Usft'/ago, the smut of the
cereals, cause annually a large loss. Among the Phycomycetes may be
mentioned Gystopus candidus, the * white rust ' of cruciferous plants, growing
especially on Capsella bursa-pastoris ; Peronospora parasitica, a parasite often
associated with Gystopus candidus; and Pbytophthora infestans, the too well
known disease of the potato. The cruciferous crops are often devastated
by club-root (anbury) caused by Plasmodiophora brassicee^ one of the
Myxomycetes.
Rare species not already mentioned are : Agaricus petaloides, A.
borizontalis, A. sparfeus, A. gossypinus, Hygrophorus obrusseus, Cantharellus
cinereus, Merasmius fcetidus, Lentinus figrinus, Panus concbatus, Boletus
casfaneus, Trametes pint, Dcedalea confragosa, Thelephora biennis, Tremella
frondosa, and 1". vesicaria.
76
BOTANY
The nomenclature in the following list is that of Cooke's Handbook
of British Fungi.
LIST OF FUNGI
FAMILY I. HYMENOMYCBTES.
Order I. Agaracini
Genus i. Agaricus, L.
Sub-genus I. Amanita, Fr.
Agaricus mappa, Batsch.
muscarius, L.
rubescens, P.
Sub-genus II. Lcpiota, Fr.
Agaricus procerus, Scop.
cepcestipes, Sow.
granulosa, Batsch.
Sub-genus in. Armillaria, Fr.
Agaricus melleus, Vahl.
Sub-genus IV. Tricholoma, Fr.
Agaricus nictitans, Fr.
albus, Fr.
Sub-genus V. Clitocybe, Fr.
Agaricus vernicosus, Fr.
cxlorus, Bull.
candicans, Fr.
dealbatus, P.
opacus, With.
maximus, Fr.
infundibuliformis, Schasff.
cyathiformis, Fr.
hrumalis, Fr.
fragrans, Sow.
- laccatus, Scop.
Sub-genus VI. Pleurotus, Fr
Agaricus ulmarius, Bull.
ostreatus, Jacqu.
pctaloides, Bull.
tremulus, Schaeff.
septicus, Fr.
applicatus, Batsch.
Sub-genus VII. Collybia, Fr.
Agaricus radicatus, Relh.
velutipes, Curt.
dryophilus, Bull.
clavus, BulL
ocellatus, Fr.
Sub-genus VIII. Mycena, Fr.
Agaricus purus, P.
dissiliens, Fr.
filopes, Bull.
epipterygius, Scop.
corticola, Schum.
hiemalis, Osbeck.
Sub-genus IX. Omphalia, Fr.
Agaricus fibula, Bull.
Sub-genus XIII. Entoloma, Fr.
Agaricus sericeus, Bull.
Sub-genus XV. Claudopus, Smith
Agaricus variabilis, P.
Sub-genus XVII. Nolanea, Fr.
Agaricus pascuus, P.
FAMILY L HYMENOMYCBTES (continued)
Order I. Agaracini (continued)
Genus I. Agaricus, L. (continued)
Sub-genus XIX. Pholiota, Fr.
Agaricus praecox, P.
comosus, Fr.
squarrosus, Mflll.
Sub-genus XX. Hebeloma, Fr.
Agaricus pyriodorus, P.
rimosus, Bull.
geophyllus, Sow.
Sub-genus XXI. Flamula, Fr.
Agaricus inopus, Fr.
Sub-genus XXII. Crepidotus, Fr.
Agaricus mollis, Schaeff.
Sub-genus XXIII. Naucoria, Fr.
Agaricus horizontalis, Bull.
melinoides, Fr.
festiva, Fr.
Sub-genus XXIV. Galera, Fr.
Agaricus tener, Schasff.
hypnorum, Batsch.
Sub-genus XXVI. Psalliota, Fr.
Agaricus arvensis, Schaeff
Sub-genus XXVIH. Stropharia, Fr.
Agaricus aeruginosus, Curt.
stercorarius, Fr.
Sub-genus XXIX. Hypholoma, Fr.
Agaricus fascicularis, Hud.
Sub-genus XXX. Psilocybe, Fr.
Agaricus semilanceatus, Fr.
Sub-genus XXXI. Psathyra, Fr.
Agaricus gossypinus, Fr.
Sub-genus XXXIII. Panaeolus, Fr.
Agaricus separatus, L.
fimiputris, Bull
fimicola, Fr.
papilionaceus, Bull.
Genus 2. Coprinus, Fr.
Coprinus comatus, Fr.
atramentarius, Fr.
micaceus, Fr.
nycthemerus, Fr.
radiatus, Fr.
ephemerus, Fr.
Genus 3. Bolbitius, Fr.
Bolbitius fragilis, Fr.
titubans, Fr.
Genus 4. Cortinarius, Fr.
Sub-genus I. Phlegmacium, Fr.
Cortinarius turbinatus, Fr.
Sub-genus III. Inoloma, Fr.
Cortinarius violaceus, Fr.
Sub-genus IV. Dermocybe, Fr.
Cortinarius sanguineus, Fr.
77
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
FAMILY I. HYMENOMYCETES (continued}
Order I. Agaracini (continued)
Genus 4. Cortinarius, Fr. (continued)
Sub-genus V. Telamonia, Fr.
Cortinarius evernius, Fr.
hinnuleus, Fr.
Genus 5. Lepista, Smith
Lepista nuda, Bull.
cinerascens, Bull.
Genus 6. Paxillus, Fr.
Paxillus involutus, Fr.
Genus 7. Hygrophorus, Fr.
Hygrophorus eburneus, Fr.
- hypothejus, Fr.
- virgineus, Fr.
coccineus, Fr.
- puniceus, Fr.
- obrusseus, Fr.
- conicus, Fr.
psittacinus, Fr.
Genus 8. Gomphidius, Fr.
Gomphidius glutinosus, Fr.
Genus 9. Lactarius, Fr.
Lactarius torminosus, Fr.
zonarius, Fr.
blennius, Fr.
- plumbeus, Fr.
acris, Fr.
deliciosus, Fr.
chrysorrhaeus, Fr.
piperitus, Fr.
subdulcis, Fr.
vietus, Fr.
aurantiacus, Fr.
Genus 10. Russula, Fr.
Russula nigricans, Fr.
rubra, Fr.
Genus 1 1 . Cantharellus, Adams
Cantharellus, cibarius, Fr.
tubaeformis, Fr.
infundibuliformis, Fr.
cinereus, Fr.
muscigenus, Fr.
lobatus, Fr.
Genus 1 3. Marasmius, Fr.
Marasmius peronatus, Fr.
porreus, Fr.
oreades, Fr.
rotula, Fr.
fcetidus, Fr.
epiphyllus, Fr.
Genus 14. Lentinus, Fr.
Lentinus tigrinus, Fr.
flabelliformis, Fr.
Genus 15. Panus, Fr.
Panus conchatus, Fr.
stypticus, Fr.
Genus 17. Schizophyllum, Fr.
Schizophyllum commune, Fr.
FAMILY I. HYMENOMYCETES (continued)
Order I. Agaracini (continued)
Genus 1 8. Lenzites, Fr.
Lenzites betulina, Fr.
flaccida, Fr.
Order II. Polyporei
Genus 19. Boletus, Fr.
Boletus flavus, With.
piperitus, Bull.
chrysenteron, Fr.
edulis, Bull.
scaber, Fr.
cyanescens, Bull.
castaneus, Bull.
Genus 20. Polyporus
Polyporus fuscidulus, Fr.
perennis, Fr.
squamosus, Fr.
elegans, Fr.
sulfureus, Fr.
- heteroclitus, Fr.
caesius, Fr.
- hispidus, Fr.
cuticularis, Fr
betulinus, Fr.
ignarius, Fr.
ulmarius, Fr.
fraxineus, Fr.
variegatus, Fr.
annosus, Fr.
versicolor, Fr.
abietinus, Fr.
Vaillantii, Fr.
hybridus, Fr.
trabeus, Fr.
Genus 21. Trametes, Fr.
Trametes pini, Fr.
suaveolens, Fr.
odora, Fr.
Genus 22. Daedalea, Fr.
Daedalea quercina, P.
confragrosa, P.
unicolor, Fr.
Genus 23. Merulius, Fr.
Merulius corium, Fr.
lacrymans, Fr.
Genus 27. Fistulina, Bull.
Fistulina hepatica, Fr.
Order HI. Hydnei
Genus 28. Hydnum, L.
Hydnum repandum, L.
auriscalpium, L.
squalinum, Fr.
membranaceum, Bull.
Order IV, Auricularini
Genus 36. Craterellus, Fr.
Craterellus cornucopioides, Fr.
Genus 37. Thelephora, Fr.
Thelephora cristata, Fr.
BOTANY
FAMILY I. HVMENOMYCETES (continued)
Order IV. Auricularlni (continued)
Genus 37. Thelephora, Fr. (continued)
Thelephora anthocephala, Fr.
laciniata, Fr.
biennis, Fr.
Genus 38. Stcreum, Fr.
Stereum purpureum, Fr.
hirsutum, Fr.
spadiceum, Fr.
quercinum, Potter
Genus 39. Hymenochaste, Lev.
Hymenochsete rubiginosa, Lev.
Genus 40. Auricularia, Fr.
Auricularia mesenterica, Bull.
Genus 41. Corticium, Fr.
Corticium casruleum, Fr.
lactcum, Fr.
Order V. Clavariei
Genus 45. Clavaria, L.
Clavaria amethystina, Bull.
fastigiata, DC.
- muscoides, L.
- coralloides, L.
- rugosa, Bull.
- fusciformis, Sow.
- fragilis, Holmsk.
- pistillaris, L.
Genus 46. Calocera, Fr.
Calocera cornea, Fr.
Genus 47. Typhula, Fr.
Typhula erythropus, Fr.
phacorrhiza, Fr.
filiform is, Fr.
Genus 49. Tremella, Fr.
Tremella frondosa, Fr.
mesenterica, Retz.
vesicaria, Bull.
Genus Dacryomyces, Nees.
Dacryomyces chrysocomus, Tul.
FAMILY II. GASTEROMYCETES
Order VIII. Phalloidei
Genus 66. Phallus, Linn.
Phallus impudicus, Linn.
Cynophallus caninus, Fr.
Order IX. Trichogastret
Genus 67. Tulostoma, P.
Tulostoma mammosum, Fr.
Genus 68. Geaster, Mich.
Geaster coliformis, P.
Bryantii, Berk.
fornicatus, Fr.
limbatus, Fr.
mammosus, Chev.
Genus 69. Bovista, Dill.
Bovista nigrescens, P.
- plumbea, P.
Genus 70. Lycoperdon, Tourn.
Lycoperdon giganteum, Batsch.
FAMILY II. GASTEROMYCETES (continued)
Order IX. Trichogastres (continued)
Genus 70. Lycoperdon, Tourn. (cent.)
Lycoperdon pusillum, Fr.
- gemmatum, Fr.
pyriforme, Schxff.
Genus 71. Scleroderma, P.
Scleroderma vulgare, Fr.
verrucosum, Pers.
Order X. Myxogastres
Genus 74. Lycogala, Mich.
Lycogala epidendrum, Fr.
Genus 75. Reticularia, Bull.
Reticularia umbrina, Fr.
lycoperdon, Bull.
Genus 76. ^Ethalium, Link.
j^Ethalium vaporarium, Fr.
septicum, Fr.
Genus 79. Diderma, P.
Didcrma vernicosum, P.
Genus 85. Dichsea, Fr.
Dichaea elegans, Fr.
Genus 86. Stemonitis, Gled.
Stemonitis ferruginea, Ehrb.
typhoides, DC.
Genus 90. Arcyria, Hill.
Arcyria cinerea, Schum.
Genus 92. Trichia, Hall.
Trichia fallax, P.
nigripes, P.
turbinata, With.
varia, P.
Genus 94. Licea, Schrad.
Licea cylindrica, Fr.
Order XI. Nidu/ariacei, Tul.
Genus 96. Cyathus, Pers.
Cyathus vernicosus, DC.
Genus 97. Crucibulum, Tul.
Crucibulum vulgare, Tul.
Genus 99. Sphaerobolus, Tode.
Sphaerobolus stellatus, Tode.
FAMILY III. CONIOMYCETES
Order XII. Sphtsronemei
Genus 104. Phoma, Fr.
Phoma napo-brassicae, Rost.
Genus 125. Ascochyta, Lib.
Ascochyta metulispora, B. ct Br.
Genus 132. Asteroma, DC.
Asteroma rosae, DC.
Order XV. Pucciniai
Genus 167. Puccinia, Pers.
Puccinia graminis, Pers.
betonicae, DC.
sparsa, Cooke.
anemones, Pers.
epilobii, DC.
Order XVI. Cceomacel
Genus 171. Ustilago, Link.
Ustilago carbo, Tul.
79
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
FAMILY III. CONIOMYCETES (continued)
Order XVI. Ctsomacei (continued)
Genus 171. Ustilago, Link, (continued)
Ustilago hordei, Kell. et Swing.
avenae, Jensen
antherarum, Fr.
Genus 174. Urocystis, Rabh.
Urocystis agropyri, Preuss.
pompholygodes, Schlecht.
Genus 175. Uromyces, Lev.
Uromyces ficarias, Lev.
alchemillas, Pers.
Genus 176. Coleosporium, Lev.
Coleosporium tussilaginis, Lev.
Genus 177. Melampsora, Cast.
Melampsora salicina, Lev.
Genus 178. Cystopus, de Bary.
Cystopus candidus, Lev.
Genus 179. Uredo, Lev.
Uredo potentillarum, DC.
pustulata, P.
Genus 1 80. Trichobasis, Lev.
Trichobasis suaveolens, Lev.
Order XVII. faidiacei
Genus 184. ./Ecidium, Pers.
/Ecidium tragopogonis, Pers.
leucospermum, DC.
epilobii, D.C.
ranunculacearum, DC.
Order XIX. Stilbacei
Genus 195. Tubercularia, Tode.
Tubercularia persicina, Ditm.
Order XXI. Mucedines
Genus 230. Peronospora, de Bary.
Peronospora (Phytophthora) infestans,
Mont.
parasitica, Pers.
Genus 234. Polyactis, Link.
Polyactis cinerea, Berk.
Order XXII. Sepedoniei
Genus 256. Sepedonium, Link.
Sepedonium chrysospermum, Link.
Genus 257. Fusisporium, Link.
Fusisporium roseolum, Steph.
Order XXIV. Mucorini
Genus 266. Mucor, Mich.
Mucor mucedo, L.
Genus 267. Pilobolus, Tode.
Pilobolus crystallinus Tode.
roridus, Schum.
FAMILY VII. ASCOMYCETES
Order XXVll. Perhporiacei
Genus 277. Sphserotheca, Lev.
Sphaerotheca pannosa, Lev.
castagnei, Lev.
Genus 282. Erysiphe, Hedw.
Erysiphe graminis, DC.
Martii, Lk.
Genus 283. Chaetomium, Kze.
Chastomium elatum, Kze.
FAMILY VII. ASCOMYCETES (continued)
Order XXFII1. Ehellacei
Genus 286. Morchella, Dill.
Morchella esculenta, Pers.
semilibera, DC.
Genus 288. Helvella, Linn.
Helvella crispa, Fr.
elastica, Bull.
Genus 291. Spathularia, P.
Spathularia flavida, Pers.
Genus 292. Leotia, Hill.
Leotia lubrica, Pers.
Genus 294. Geoglossum, P.
Geoglossum glabrum, P.
Genus 296. Peziza, Linn.
Peziza macropus, Pers.
cochleata, Huds.
onotica, P.
aurantia, Fr.
humosa, Fr.
granulata, Bull
coccinea, Jacq.
melastoma, Sow.
hemispherica, Wigg.
scutellata, L.
stercorea, Pers.
virginea, Batsch.
bicolor, Bull
firma, Pers.
inflexa, Bolt.
cinerea, Batsch.
(Dasyscypha) Wilkommii, Wilk.
Genus 297. Helotium, Fr.
Helotium citrinum, Fr.
lenticulare, Fr.
serotinum, Fr.
Genus 304. Ascobolus, Tode.
Ascobolus furfuraceus, Pers.
Genus 305. Bulgaria, Fr.
Bulgaria inquinans, Fr.
sarcoides, Fr.
Genus 307. Stictis, Pers.
Stictis radiata, Pers.
Order XXX. Phacidiacei
Genus 320. Phacidium, Fr.
Phacidium coronatum, Fr.
Genus 322. Rhytisma Fr.
Rhytisma acerinum, Fr.
Genus 326. Colpoma, Wallr.
Colpoma quercinum, Wallr.
Genus 330. Stegia, Fr.
Stegia ilicis, Fr.
Order XXXI. Sphxriacei
Genus 332. Torrubia, Lev.
Torrubia militaris, Fr.
Genus 334. EpichloS, Fr.
Epicbloe typhina, Berk.
Genus 335. Hypocrea, Fr.
Hypocrea rufa, Fr.
80
BOTANY
FAMILY VII. ASCOMYCETES (continued)
Order XXXI. Sphteriacei (continued)
Genus 338. Nectria, Fr.
Nectria cinnabarina, Fr.
coccinea, Fr.
sanguinea, Fr.
Genus 339. Xylaria, Fr.
Xylaria hypoxylon, Grev.
Genus 340. Poronia, Fr.
Poronia punctata, Fr.
Genus 342. Ustulina, Tul.
Ustulina vulgaris, Tul.
Genus 343. Hypoxylon, Fr.
Hypoxylon multiforme, Fr.
ruscum, Fr.
concentricum, Grev.
coccineum, Bull.
FAMILY VII. ASCOMYCETES (continued)
Order XXXI. Sphteriacei (continued)
Genus 344. Nummularia, Tul.
Nummularia Bulliardi, Tul.
Genus 345. Eutype, Tul.
Eutype Acharii, Tul.
Genus 348. Dothidea, Fr.
Dothidea graminis, Fr.
Genus 349. Diatrype, Fr.
Diatrype disciformis, Fr.
bullata, Fr.
Genus 35 1. Valsa, Fr.
Valsa coronata, Fr.
Genus 356. Sphasria, Hall
Sphaeria ovina, Pers.
spermoides, Hoffm.
acuta, Moug.
81
ii
ZOOLOGY
MARINE ZOOLOGY
The investigations of marine zoologists of world-wide reputation
have been carried out on the coasts of Northumberland and Durham.
Such men were Joshua Alder and Albany Hancock. Contemporary
with these, though younger men, were Richard Howse (better known
as a geologist), Henry Brady, who studied the Foraminifera, and George
Hodge. All these are deceased, the last dying when he was quite
young. Others are still living, Canon A. M. Norman, Professor G. S.
Brady, and A. Meek, the last having, during the past three years, worked
perseveringly at some groups of the Crustacea and at the Fishes. On
the labours of all these and their publications, as well as on some hitherto
unrecorded observations, the lists here given of the various classes of the
marine fauna are based.
The Durham coast-line is most unfavourable for the life of shore
and shallow-water animals, since it is utterly devoid of sheltered bays,
and subject to the constant beating of the waves of a sea which is rarely
calm. The fauna of the North Sea has a decidedly boreal facies. Large
numbers of southern forms which are to be met with at the same
latitude on the western side of England being absent, while there is a
larger infusion of Scandinavian species.
The chief shore collecting ground of Alder, of Hancock, and of
others has been that situated just north of the mouth of the Tyne
(Cullercoats, Whitley, etc.) and separated from the coast of Durham by
only a few miles. It is probable therefore that all the species which
are known from these localities live also on the Durham coast, but direct
evidence of that fact being wanting, they are not here included in its
fauna ; and this applies not only to the animals found living between
tide-marks, but also to numerous small shells collected from shell-sand,
which shell-sand, however, may have been drifted either from the south
or from the north. On the other hand, species which have been
recorded as obtained from the fishing-boats at Cullercoats are included,
as it is quite as probable that they were brought in from the south as
from the north of that harbour ; and moreover it may be safely assumed
that at a distance from land the same animals, perhaps without exception,
would be found for some miles on both sides of the mouth of the
Tync.
83
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
FORAMINIFERA
' A Catalogue of the Recent Foraminifera of Northumberland and Durham,' by H. B.
Brady, F.R.S., etc., will be found in Trans. Nat. Hist. Sac. Northumberland and Durham, i.
(1867), 83-107, pi. xii. The list contains seventy-four forms, of which the following
fifty-eight have occurred off the Durham coast :
Cornuspira foRacea, Phil.
Bihculina ringens, Lamk.
depressa, d'Orb.
elongate, d'Orb.
Spirolocufina limbate, d'Orb.
planulata, Lamk.
cxcavata, d'Orb.
Trikculina trigonula, Lamk.
oblonga, Mont.
QuinjuelocuRna seminulum, Linn.
bicornis, W. and J.
secam, d'Orb.
subrotunda, Mont.
fasca, H. B. Bra.
Trocbammina inflate, Mont.
Reophax scorpiurus, Mont.
Haplopbragmium canariense,d'Orb.
ValvuRna fasca, Will.
Textularia variabilis, Will.
complexa, H. B. Bra.
Textularia pygmiea, d'Orb.
sagittttla, Defrance
trochus, d'Orb.
Bigeneraria digitate, d'Orb.
Verneuilina polystropba, Reuss
BuRmina pupoides, d'Orb.
aculeata, d'Orb.
marginata, d'Orb.
Lagana sulcata, W. and J.
Levis, Mont.
striate, Mont.
semistriata, Will.
gkbosa, Mont.
marginata, Mont.
squamosa, Mont.
caudate, d'Orb.
distorta, Par. and Jones
Nodosaria scalarit, Batsch.
pyrula, d'Orb.
communis, d'Orb.
faginufina legumem, Linn.
linearis, Mont.
Polymorphina lactea, W. and J.
compressa, d'Orb.
tubuhsa, d'Orb.
Uvigerina angulosa, Will.
Orbulina universa, d'Orb.
Globigerina bulloides, d'Orb.
Discorbina globularis, d'Orb.
rosacea, d'Orb.
PlanorbuRna mediterranea, d'Orb.
Truncatulina lobalula, Walker.
Rotalia beccarii, Linn.
Polystomella crisfa, Linn.
itriato-punctate. Fich. and
Moll.
Nonionina umbilicate, Mont.
depressula, W. and J.
scapba, Fich. and Moll.
PORIFERA (Sponges)
The following species are recorded in Bowerbank's Monograph of British Spongiadte from
off the Durham coast, in vol. iv. 1882 ; but the sponges have not been studied in the North
Sea, and very much remains to be done with respect to this class.
Hymeniacidon coccineus, Bow.
virgulatus, Bow. The type of a new species
Halichondria cyRndrica, Bow. The type of a new
species
panicea, Pall.
HaRchondria virgea, Bow. The type of a new species
Isodictya pygrntea, Bow.
facorum, Johns.
lurida, Bow.
Spongionella pulcbella, Sow.
CCELENTERATA (Jellyfish, Sea Anemones, etc.]
See Alder (J.) 'Catalogue of Zoophytes of Northumberland and Durham' (Trans. Tyneside
Nat. Field Club, vol. iii. 1857) and ' Supplement to Catalogue of the Zoophytes of Northumber-
land and Durham' (Trans. Tyneside Nat. Field Club, vol. v. 1863). Some additional species
will be found in papers by Mr. J. Alder and Canon A. M. Norman in Nat. Hist. Trans.
Northumberland and Durham, i. (1867), 4564. The nomenclature has been brought up to
the present time.
Clava multicauRs, ForskSl
Merona cornucopia, Norman
Coryne pusilla, Gaertner
Syncorjne sarsi, Loven
eximia, AUman
Gemmaria implexa, Alder
Dicoryne conferta, Alder
Bougainvillia ramosa, Van Beneden
Perigonimus repens, St. Wright
linearis, Alder
Atractylis arenosa, Alder
Eudendrium ramosum, Linn.
rameum, Pall.
capillare, Aid.
Hydractinia echinata, Fleming
Podocoryne areolata, Aid.
Corynopsis Alderi, Hodge
Corymorpha nutans, M. Sars
Tubularia indivisa, Linn.
larynx, Ell. and Sol.
simplex, Aid.
gracilis, Harvey
Clytia johnstoni, Aid.
ObeRa geniculata, Linn.
gelatinosa, Pall.
longissima, Pall.
dicbotoma, Linn.
Campanularia voIubiRs, Linn.
84
Campanularia, hincksii, Aid.
verticillate, Linn.
Jlexuosa, Hincks
neglecte, Aid.
raridenteta, Aid.
CampanuRna acuminata, Aid.
Cuspidella bumilis, Hincks
Salacia abietina, M. Sars
Filellum serf ens, Hass.
Halecium halecinum, Linn.
beanii, Johnst.
labrosum, Aid.
tenellum, Hincks
Jilifirme, Aid. (?)
MARINE ZOOLOGY
Haltcium muricatum, Ell. and Sol.
StrtuJaria fumila, Linn.
operculata, Linn.
- fibula, Ell. and Sol.
atietina, Linn.
polyzanias, Linn.
gayi, Lamx.
tricuspidata, Aid.
rugoia, Linn.
teneUa, Aid.
Dipbasia macea, Linn.
fallax, Johnst.
pinaster, Ell. and Sol.
tamariica, Linn.
Ilydrallmannia fiikata. Linn.
Selaginopiis Jusca, Johnst.
Thuiona argentea, Ell. and Sol.
Thuiaria cupressina, Ell. and Sol.
tbuia, Linn.
articulate, Pall.
Aglaophenia pluma, Linn.
Ptumularia pinnata, Lamk.
frutetcens, Lamk.
sitacea, Ellis
cathtrina, Johnst.
baUcioides, Aid.
echlnulata, Lamk.
Heteropyxis ramosa, Lamx.
Antennularia antennina, Linn.
Cyanea capillata, Linn.
imporcata, Norman
HaRclyitus auricula, Rathkc
Lucernaria campanulata, Lamx.
Alcyonium digitatum, Linn.
Pennatuta pbospborea, Linn.
y'trgularia mirabiRs, O. F. Mull.
Metridium ituile, Linn.
Sagartia pura, Aid.
= pelluicida. Aid.
troglodytes, Johnit.
PhelTut glausapata, Gosse
Actinia tquina, Linn.
Bulocera tueditf, Johnst.
Chondracantbia digitata, O. F.
Mull.
Urtocina crassicornii, O. F. Moll.
Stomphia cburch'ur, Gosse
Epizoantkus incruitatus, Dtlb. and
Kor.
ECHINODERMATA (Star-Jishes, Sea-urchins, etc.]
The following list is based on the catalogue of Mr. G. Hodge ; l the exact nomenclature
in some instances being changed.
Antedtn macea, Linck.
Ophiura lacertosa, Penn
albida, Forbes
affinis, Lotk.
squamosa, Ldtk.
OphiopboRs aculeata, Moll.
Ofbiactis ballii, Thomp.
Ampbiura tltgant, Leach
filijbrmis, Moll.
cbiajei, Forbes
Ophiocoma nigra, Abild.
Ophiothrix fragiRs, Abild.
Astnptcttn irregularis, Penn
Luidia sarsi. Dab. and Kor.
Gmiatter phrygianus, Par.
Crossaster pappoius, Fabr.
SolasUr endeca, Linn.
Cribrella tanguinolenta, Mtlll.
Aittrias rubens, Linn.
- t'iolacea, Mull.
- bispida, Penn
miil/en, M. Sars
Echinus eiculentus, Linn.
Partcbinus miRaris, Leske
Strongyloctntntui dribacbieniii, M Oil.
var. pictus, Norman
Ecbinocyamus pusillui, Moll.
Spatangus purpureus, Mull.
Brisiopsis lyrifera, Forbes
Ecbinocardium cordatum, Penn.
cvatum, Leske.
Cucumaria elongata, Dub. and
Kor.
lactea, Forbes and Goods.
Phyllopborus drummondiijff . Thorn.
Tbyonejutus, Moll.
raphanus, Dub. and Kor.
Psolus pbantapus, Linn.
ANNELIDA
Scarcely anything is known of the Annelida of the Durham coast. The few species of
the following list have been recorded by Professor Mclntosh. 1 The meagreness of this
report may perhaps induce some naturalist in the county to take up the study of this much
neglected group.
Eurylfpta vittata, Mont.
Planaria angulata, Moll.
Qmmatoplea pulchra, John.
Mecktlia annulala, Mont.
Eupbmyne foliosa, Aud. and Edw.
Aphrodite aculeata, Linn.
Lepidonotus sjuamatus. Linn.
Nycbia cirrboia, Pall.
Harmotboe imbricata, Linn.
Polynoe longisetis, Gr.
Haloiydna gelatinoia, San
Stbenelaii boa, Johnst.
Pholoe minuta, Fabr.
Notopbyllum polynoidet, drst
Ophiodromuj vittatus, Sars.
1 ' Catalogue of the Echinodermi of Northumberland and Durham,' Trans. Nat. Hist. Soe. Nortbumb.
and Durham, iv. (1871), 120-149.
1 Mclntosh (W. C.), ' Report on a Collection of Annelids dredged off Northumberland and
Durham,' Trans. Nat. Hist. Soe. Northumb. and Durham, iv. (1871), 118-120.
85
Scylfts armillaris, Moll.
Notocirrus scoAcus, Maclnt.
Nereis pelagica, Linn.
Leodice norvegica, Linn.
Notbria conchylega, Sars
HyaRncecia tubicola, Mull.
Goniada maculata, CErst.
Glycera goesi, Mgr.
Scolophoi armiger, Mflll.
E utnenia jejfreysii, Mclnt.
Epbesia graciRs, H. Rath.
Trophonia plumosa, Moll.
glauca, Mgr.
Cirratulus cirratus, Moll.
Capitella capitata, Fabr.
Ammochares ottonis, Grube
Amphictene auricula, Mull.
Amphiteis gunneri, Sara
Sabtllides octorirrata, Sars
Amphitrite cirrata, Moll.
Terebella figulus, Dalyell.
RttoraRs, Dalyell.
Pista cristata, Moll.
Trichobranchus glaciaRs, Mgr.
Sabella penicillin, Linn.
Chone infundibuRformis, Kroyer
Pntula protensa, Grube
FiRgrana implexa, Berk.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
PODOSOMATA (Leach)
( = PYCNOGONOIDEA)
Papers on the Podosomata by Mr. George Hodge will be found in vols. v. and vi. of
Trans. Tyneside Nat. Field Club and vol. i. of Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumberland and Durham.
Pycnogpnum Kttorale, StrOm
Pboxicbilidium femoratum, Rathke
Anopkdactylus petiolatus, Kroyer
= Pallene attenuata and
pygntiea, Hodge
Ammothea ecbinata, Hodge
=AcheRa brevipes,
(the young.)
Nymphon brevirostre, Hodge
rubrurn, Hodge
Ibrevitarse, Kroyer
Nymphon gracile, Leach
mixtum, Kroyer
grossipes, O. Fab.
llongitane, Kroyer
giganteum, Johnst.
Cbtftonymphon hlrtum, O. Fab.
POLYZOA
The following list is based on personal observations, but chiefly on Mr. Alder's catalogue
and its supplement (Trans. Tyneside Nat. Field Club, 1857 and 1863). The nomenclature
used there has been corrected to that employed in Hinck's/firtary of the British Polyzoa, 1880;
although that nomenclature is at the present time undergoing much modification.
JEtea anguina, Linn.
Eucratea chelata, Linn.
Gemellaria hricata, Linn.
Cellukna couchii. Busk
Menipea ternata, Ell. and Sol.
Scrupocellaria scruposa, Linn.
scabra, T. Van Ben
reptans, Linn.
Bicellaria ciliata, Linn.
Bugula avicularia, Linn.
turbinata, Aid.
flabellata, J. V. Thomp.
plumosa, Pall.
purpurotincta, Norman
murrayana, Johnst.
Cellaria fstuksa, Linn
stnuosa, Hass.
F/ustra JbRacea, Linn.
secunfrms, Pall.
earbasea, Ell. and Sol.
Membranipora catenularia, Jameson
pilosa, Linn.
membranacea, Linn.
Rneata, Linn.
craticula, Aid.
spinifera, Johnst.
uaifornis, Fleming
dumeriRi, Aud.
aurita, Hincks
JJemingii, Busk
Cribrilina punctata, Hass.
Microporella ciliata, Pall.
malusii, Aud.
Chorizopora brongniartii, Aud.
Scbizoporella Knearis, Hass.
auriculata, Hass.
hyalina, Linn.
unicornis, Johnst.
Umbonula verrucosa, Esper
Porella concinna, Busk
compressa, Sow.
Smituna landsborovii, Johnst.
reticulata, ]. Macg.
trispinosa, Johnst.
Mucnnella peachii, Johnst.
ventricosa, Hass.
variolosa, Johnst.
coccinea, Abild.
pavonella, Aid.
Palmicellaria skenei, Ell. and Sol.
Rbyncopora bispinosa, Johnst.
Retepora beaniana, King.
Cellepora pumicosa, Linn.
ramulosa, Linn.
dichotoma, Hincks
avicularis, Hincks
Crisia cornuta, Linn.
eburnea, Linn.
dentlculata, Lamk.
Stomatoporagranulata, H. M.-Edw.
major, Johnst.
dilatans, Johnst.
fiingia, Couch
Tubulipora flabellarls, Fab.
Idmonea serpens, Linn.
Diastopora patina, Lamk.
obelia, Johnst.
Licbenopora hispida, Flem.
Alcyonidium gelatinoium, Linn
birsutum, Flem.
mamillatum, Aid.
lineare, Hincks
my tilt, Daly.
albidum, Aid.
polyoum, Hass.
parasiticum, Flem.
Flustrella hispida, Fab.
Vesicularia spinosa, Linn.
Amathia lendigera, Linn.
Bowerbankia imbricata, Adams.
Avenellafusca, Daly.
Buskia nitens, Aid.
Cylindrascium dilatalum, Hincks
Triticella pedicillata, Aid.
Valkeria uva, Linn.
PedicelRna centua, Pall.
belgica, Gosse
gracilis, Sars
TUNICATA (Sea-squirts or Ascidiam]
On the authority of Alder and Hancock.
Aicidia elliptica, Aid. and Han.
- depressa, Aid. and Han.
- ? aculeata, Aid.
elongata, Aid. and Han.
men tula, Mull.
sordida, Aid. and Han.
amaena, Han.
Cuna intestinalis, Linn.
Corella parallelogramma, Mall.
Molgula sipbonata, Aid.
citrina, Aid and Han.
Eugyra arenosa, Aid. and Han.
Cynthia echinata, Linn.
Styela tuberosa, Macg.
coriacea, Aid. and Han.
sulcata, Aid.
granulata, Aid.
comata, Aid.
86
Styela vestita, Aid.
grossularia, Van Ben.
Thylacium variolosum, Gaert.
Pelonaia corrugata, Forbes and
Goods.
Parasddia Flemingii, Aid.
Didemnaum gelatinosum, Milne-
Edw.
Botryllus schhsseri, Pall.
MOLLUSCS
MARINE
In 1848 Mr. J. Alder gave a' Catalogue of the Mollusca of North-
umberland and Durham,' in the Trans. Tyneside Nat. Field Club. Subse-
quently Alder and Hancock published through the Ray Society their
magnificent monograph on the Nudibranchiate Mollusca, and in that work a
large number of species were described or recorded from the north-east
coast. Other lists of mollusca were subsequently added by Mr. Alder in
vols. v. and vi. of the Trans. Tyneside Nat. Field Club, and vol. i. of
the Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Northumberland and Durham. The Editor also
possesses a MS. list given to him by Mr. Alder which contains additions
to the fauna of the district as well as a list of certain names which were
contained in Mr. Alder's original catalogue, and which he considered
ought to be struck out. From these various sources the following list of
Durham species has been compiled.
The North Sea has long been famous for the very fine and rare
species of mollusca which were brought in to the north-east coast by
the long-line fishers, and were sold at very high prices, since at that
time they were unknown elsewhere ; and at the present day, though
most of them have been found in some other places, they are still rare,
and highly esteemed by conchologists. These shells are Panopcea
norvegica, Natica pallida, Amauropsis islandica, Liomesis dalei, Volutopsis
norvegicus, Beringius turtoni, and Buccinofusus berniciensis ; more recently
Calliostoma occidental has been added. They are all high-boreal forms
which are found on the Norwegian coast. Although most of them are
known now also to occur off the Aberdeenshire coast, in the sea around
Shetland, and off the north-west of Scotland, nevertheless, the Dogger
Bank neighbourhood is still likely to remain the chief locality from
which collectors may hope to obtain specimens.
AMPHINEURA
Hanleja hanleyi (Bean) Callochiton krvii (Mont.) Craspedocbiltu albas (Linn.)
Tonicella marmorea (Fab.) CrasfeJoctilut onyx (Speng) Acanthochitet fatcicularit (Linn.)
ntbra (Lowe) cinereus (Linn.)
PELECYPODA (Oysters, mussels, &c.)
Ntuula n'ttiJa, Sow. Mytilui tdulis, Linn. Pttten maximal (Linn.)
- nucleus (Linn.) yolsella modiolus, Linn. push (Linn.)
tennis (Mont.) var. gigat, Norman variits (Linn.)
Nuculana minuta (Mall.) MoJiolaria marmorata (Forbes) opercularis (Linn.)
Anomia patelKftrmis, Linn. distort (Linn.) tigrinus (Mall.)
ephipfium, Linn. discrepant (Leach) itriatus (Mall.)
Area tttragina, Poli. Ostrea edulii, Linn. - simiRs (Laskey)
8?
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Lima subauriculata (Mont.)
Loscombi, Sow.
Turtonia minuta (Fab.)
Astarte sulcata (da Costa)
compressa (Mont.)
Cyprina Islandlca (Linn.)
Lucina borealis (Linn.)
Thyasirajlexuosa (Mont.)
Mmtacuta lubstriata (Mont.)
bldentata (Mont.)
Tellimya Jitrruginosa (Mont.)
Kellia suborbicularis (Mont.)
Lasifa rubra (Mont.)
Syndosmya prismatica (Mont.)
nltlda (Mull.)
alba (Wood)
? tennis (Mont.)
Scnbicularia plana (da Costa)
Tellina crassa (Gmelin)
tenuis, da Costa
Rac.)
Tellina fabula, Gron.
Donax vittattis (da Costa)
Mactra stultorum, Linn.
Spisula soRda (Linn.)
elliptica (Brown)
subtruncata (da Costa)
Lucinopsis undata (Penn.)
Dosinia exoleta (Linn.)
lufina (Linn.)
Venus fasciata (da Costa)
casino, Linn.
ovata, Penn.
gallina, Linn.
Tapes virgineus (Linn.)
pullastra (Mont.)
Cardium echinatum, Linn.
fasciatum, Mont.
nodosum, Turton
edule, Linn.
Lcfvlcardlum norvegicum (Speng.)
Psammobia tellinella, Lamk.
Psammobiaferroensis (Chemn.)
depressa, Penn.
Mya arenaria, Linn.
truncata, Linn.
Corbula gibba (Olivi)
Cultellus pellucidus (Penn.)
Ensis ensis (Linn .)
siliqua (Linn.)
Panopea norvegica (Speng.)
Saxicava rugosa (Linn.)
arctica (Linn.)
Borneo Candida (Linn.)
Zirfiea crispata, Linn.
Xylophaga dorsalis (Turton)
Lyonsia norvegica (Chemn.)
Cochhdesma pr<ttenue (Pult.)
Thracia fragifrs, Penn.
var. villosiuscula, Macg.
cmvexa (W. Wood)
distorta (Mont.)
Cusp'idaria cuspidata (Olivi)
SCAPHOPODA.
Dentalium entalis, Linn.
GASTROPODA (Whelks, 'winkles,
I. PROSOBRANCHIA
Patella depressa, Penn.
vulgata, Linn.
Helcion pellucidus (Linn.)
var. latils, Penn.
Acmcea testudinalis (Mall.)
- vlrglnea (Mall.)
Puncturella noachina (Linn.)
Emarginula Jissura (Linn.)
Eumargarita helicina (Fab.)
Gibbula magus (Linn.)
tumida (Mont.)
cineraria (Linn.)
Calliostoma montagui, W. Wood.
miliare (Broc.)
zizyphinus (Linn.)
occidental*, Migh.
Lacuna divaricata (Fab.)
parva (da Costa)
pallidula (da Costa)
Littorina nerltoldes (Linn.)
rudls (Maton)
obtusata (Linn.)
- ftttorea (Linn.)
Rissoa inconspicua, Alder
parva (da Costa)
Alvanla reticulata (Mont.)
punctura (Mont.)
M anzonia costata (]. Adams)
Onoba striata (]. Adams)
Hyala vitrea (Mont.)
Cingula semistriata (Mont.)
Paludestrina stagnaKs (Baster.)
Jeffreysia diaphana (Alder)
Skenea planorbis (Fab.)
Capulus hungaricus (Linn.)
Trivia eunptfa (Mont.)
Natica pallida, Brod. and Sow.
catena (da Costa)
alderi, Forbes
montagui, Forbes
Amauropsls islandicus (Gmelin)
Lamellaria perspicua (Linn.)
Velutina hevlgata (Penn.)
Velutelta flexllls (Mont.)
Scala turtonis (Turton)
trevelyana (Leach)
Odostomia conspicua, Alder
uni Jen fata, Forbes and Hanley
turrita, Hani.
Brachystomia ambigua (Maton and
Rack.)
Ondina divisa (]. Adams)
PyrguKna indistincta (Mont.)
Interstlncta (Mont.)
SpiraRnella spiralis (Mont.)
Pyrgostelis interrupta (Totten)
Eulimella scllla (Scac.)
commutata, Monterosato
Eulima intermedia, Cant.
incurva (Ren.)
gracllls, Forbes
bilineata (Alder)
88
Stilifer turtoni (Turt.)
Ceecum glabrum (Mont.)
Turritella communis, Lamk.
Trichotnpsis borealis, Brod. and
Sow.
Aporrhals pes-pelecani (Linn.)
Buccinum undatum, Linn,
var. KttoraRs, King
var. striata, Penn.
var. pelagica, King
var. magna, King
Liomesus dalei (]. Sow.)
Neptunea antlqua (Linn.)
Volutopsls norvegicus (Chem.)
Beringius turtoni (Bean)
Tritonofusus gracllls (da Costa)
pnplnquus (Alder)
Buccinofusus berniciensis (King)
Trophon barvicensls, Johnst.
truncata, Strom
Purpura lapillus (Linn.)
Nassa incrassata (Strom)
Beta turricula (Mont.)
trevelyana (Turt.)
rufa (Mont.)
Mangilia costata (Don.)
brachystoma (Phil.)
Teretia anceps (Eichw.)
Clathurella leufroyi (Mich.)
Safaris (Mont.)
MOLLUSCS
Adeem tornatilis (Linn.)
Tomatina truncatula (Brug.)
umbi/itata (Mont.)
var. strigflla, Loven
BuIIinella cyttndracea (Penn.)
Roxania utriculus, Broc.
Acera buliata (Mall.)
Phttne icabra (Mall.)
- quadrat* (S. V. Wood)
punctata (Clark)
pruinasa (Clark)
Aplysla punctata, Cuv.
AUeria modeita, Loven
Limapontia capitate (Mall.)
- depreaa, Aid and Hanc.
Ceaia cocksi (Aid. and Hanc.)
II. OPISTHOBRANCHIA
EoRt papillosa (Linn.)
Cuthona nana (Aid. and Hanc.)
Cratena olivacea (Aid. and Hanc.)
peachii (Aid. and Hanc.)
nortkumbrica (Aid. and Hanc.)
Galv'ina cingulata, Aid. and Hanc.
tricolor (Forbes)
exigua (Aid. and Hanc.)
FaeeSna coronata, Forbes and
Goodsir
drummondi, Thomp.
Herofirmoia (Loven)
DotofragiKs (Forbes)
coronata (Gmelin)
DenJronotus frondosut (A$c.)
PleurophylRdia loveni, Bergh.
Tritonia homberg, Cuv.
alba. Aid. and Hanc.
plebela, Johnst.
Arcbidorii tuberculata (Cuv.)
Jortamajobnitmi (Aid. and Hanc.)
Acanthodoris pilota (Mull.)
LameUldoris bilamellata (Linn.)
Triopa clavigera (Moll.)
PaKo leitoni (d'Orb.)
Polycera quadrilineata (Moll.)
Goniodoris nodosa (Mont.)
Idalina clegans (Leuckart)
aspersa (Aid. and Hanc.)
Altxia myoiotis (Drap.)
CEPHALOPODA (Cuttle-fishes)
LoRgoforbesi, Steenst.
media (Linn.)
marmorte, Verany.
Sepia officiita&i, Linn.
ruppellaria, d'Orb.
Sepiola scandica, Steenst.
Sepiola atlantica, d'Orb.
Moichitei cirroia (Lamarck)
89
12
, MOLLUSCS
NON-MARINE
Durham is not a county in which the non-marine mollusca find
conditions suitable for their abundant development.
In the large tract of Magnesian Limestone that extends from South
Shields to Hartlepool along the coast, and is bounded on its inland exten-
sion by an almost straight line from the latter place to Darlington, and by
an irregular line from South Shields to Gainford (about seven miles west
of Darlington), there are numerous valleys that produce a considerable
number of land species. To the west, however, though the land surface
is a good deal diversified, it is on the whole too hilly to afford suitable
habitat.
The small extent of marshes and ditches and the absence of canals
or slow-running rivers account for the fact that the freshwater species are
much less abundant here than in the more southern parts of England.
Still, out of 140, or so, species met with in the British Islands,
94 have been recorded for Durham, nor is this number likely to be
much increased by further research.
The most interesting form is Limax tenet/us, Mull., which was first
described as British from a specimen procured in a wood at Allansford.
It was generally supposed for some time that the individual so identified
was merely the young of some other species ; quite recently, however,
this slug has been re-discovered in several localities in the British Isles.
Certain species that have been chronicled are excluded from the
list. Helix lucida is an old record for a form of Vitrea, usually V. alliaria,
the true V. lucida being until lately unknown to our conchologists. Unto
pictorum and Planorbis vortex were recorded by Hogg (in Brewster's
History of Stockton-on-Tees, 1827), but these identifications are doubt-
ful. Similar uncertainty attaches to the record of L. brunneus, Drap.,
which was said to be frequent in damp woods. Dead shells of Vivi-
para vivipara and Neritina Jiuviatilis have been met with on the coast, but
have evidently been brought in ballast by ships.
Pomatias elegans is found in Yorkshire, and has been recorded for
Northumberland, so that its absence from Durham is noteworthy. Heli-
cella cantiana, although included in our list, is not common, and is by
some suspected to be a latter-day introduction, but then it has as yet not
been found in the fossil state anywhere in Britain.
With the exception of this last-named species there is an absence of
all continental and south-western (or Lusitanian) forms, so that the assem-
blage is of the normal north-British type.
The literature of the subject is not very extensive, and mostly
scattered, the two more important papers being that by J. Alder (the
discoverer of several, and author of four British species) in the Trans-
go
MOLLUSCS
actions of the Tyneside Naturalists Field Club, i. 1848 ; and one by
Mr. W. D. Sutton in the Quarterly Journal of Conchology^ i. 1874.
From these and minor articles, as well as from the Records of the
Conchological Society, the following list has been compiled.
For the sake of uniformity in the several County Histories the same
nomenclature is here followed as in precursors in the series, but for the
most recent information on this subject reference should be made to the
List published by the Conchological Society.
A. GASTROPODA
I. PULMONATA
a. STYLOMMATOPHORA
Teitacella icutulum, Sby. Bensham, near Gateshead
Umax maxlmui, Linn.
tenellus, Mall.
Jlavtu, Linn.
arborum, Bouch. -Chant
AgrioRmax agreit'u (Linn.)
l*vii (Mail.)
Amal'ia lotcerbii (Fir.)
gagates (Drap.) South Shields.
y. itrina pellucida (Mdll.)
Vitrea crjttattna (Mall.)
a&aria (Miller). Whitbum ; Cleadon ; Gates-
head ; Durham
glabra (Brit. Auct.). East Thickley
cellaria (Moll.)
nitiJula (Drap.)
pura (Aid.)
radiatula (Aid.)
txcavata (Bean). Great High Wood ; Stella ;
Gibside ; Durham
nitlda (Mall.). Not common.
fiiha (Mall.)
Arion ater (Linn.)
bortentii, Fir.
circumscriptui, John. Middleton-one-Row
tubfuscus (Drap.). Middleton-one-Row
Punctual pjgmteum (Drap.). Rare and local.
Pjramiduia rupestris (Drap.). Local; Manden,etc.
ntundata (Mall.)
HelRceOa virgata (Da. C.) 1 , ,
foafc (Linn.) / L
caperata (Mont.) '
cantiana (Mont.). Not common ; more plen-
tiful near Sundcrland
Hjgromia fiuca (Mont.). High Force, Teesdale ;
M iddlct on-onc-Row
granulate (Aid.). Rare : Tanfield ; Dinsdale
hiif'ula (Linn.)
rufesctns (Penn.). Sundcrland and other parts
of the magnesian limestone district
Acanthinula aculeata (Moll.). Rare : Ryhope Dean ;
Castle Eden Dean
- lamellata (Jeff.)- Rare : Gibside Woods ; Tan-
field Woods ; Walbottlc Dean
raHtnia pulettlla (MtiA.).
HeKcigona arbuttorum (Linn.)
Htfix aspersa, Mall.
HeKx mtmoraRt, Linn.
hortensis, Mall.
BuRminus obscurtu (Mall.)
CochRcopa lubrica (Mull.)
Azeca tridens (Pult.). Rather rare : Castle Eden ;
Tanfield ; Stella ; Middleton-one-Row
CteciRanella acicula (Mall.). Darlington
Pupa angftca (Fer.). Casde Eden ; Walbottlc
Dean ; Ryhope
cyKnJracea (Da. C.). Frequent on sea banks
muscorum (Linn.). Rare : Sunderland ; Ry-
hope, etc.
SphjraJium edentulum (Drap.). Rather rare : Castle
Eden ; Ryhope Dean
Vcrtigp minutissima, Hartm. Rare : Clanheugh ;
Durham
tubitriata (Jeff.). Near Newcastle ; Gibside
Wood ; Heaton Dean ; Tanfield ; Stella
fyg^"fo (Drap.)
pusilla. Mull. Rather rare ; Tanfield ; Crow-
hall Mill
Baka perversa (Linn.). Casde Eden Dean ; Ry-
hope Dean
ClauilKa laminata (Mont.)
bldentata (Strom.)
Sutcinea putris (Linn.)
6. BASOMMATOPHORA
Caryckium minimum, Mdll.
Melampui denficulatus (Mont.). South Shields ;
Whitburn
Alcxia mjosotu (Drap.). Seaton Carew
Ancylus fuvlatlKs, Mull.
Vellttia lacuitrii (Linn.). Rather rare : Middleton-
one-Row
Llmn<ta auric ularia (Linn.). Rather rare : near
Darlington
fereger (Mall.)
palustrii (Mall.)
truncatula (Mall.)
ttagialis (Linn.)
glabra (Mall.). Elwick Hall ; Sedgeficld
Planorbis corneas (Linn.). Rare : near Darlington
all/us, Mall. Local
glaber, JcfF. Sedgcfield ; Whitburn
nautileui (Linn.). Whitburn
carinatui, Mall. In addition to the ordinary
form a white variety has been taken at
Bluestone Mill, near Norton
marginatus, Drap.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Planorbis sptrorbis, Mull.
ctmtortus (Linn.) Local : Ryton Haughs ;
near Stockton
fmtanus (Lightf.). Rather rare : Middleton-
one-Row ; Stockton
Pbyiafmttnalis (Linn.)
hypnorum (Linn.)
II. PROSOBRANCHIATA
Paludestrina stagnalls (Bast.). Mouth of the Tees ;
Seaton Carew
Bithynia tentaculata (Linn.)
Valvata pise inalis (Mull.)
cristata, Mull.
Actcula llneata (Drap.). Rare : Castle Eden Dean
B. PELECYPODA
Unto margaritifer (Linn.). In the head waters of
some streams
Anodonta cygntea (Linn.)
Sphcerium corneum (Linn.)
lacustre (Mall.)
Plsidium amnicum (Mall.). Rare: near Stockton-
on-Tees, Jesmond Dean
piulllum (Gmel.). Besides the typical form the
variety, by some held to be a distinct
species, P. obtusale, has been taken near
Darlington
Plsidium nitidum, Jenyns. Near Darlington
fontinale (Drap.). In addition to the typical
form, the variety P. pulchellum, by some
held to be a distinct species, is plentiful
milium (Held.). Brastide, near Durham ;
Ryton Haughs
92
INSECTS
Considering its comparatively small area and northern situation, the
county of Durham possesses a fairly numerous insect fauna, although of
course not to be compared with more southern districts. The surface of
the county is exceedingly varied. Passing inland from the sea all kinds
of situations are met with, from the grassy sand-dunes or flower-clad
banks of the coast line, up through the highly-cultivated central districts,
to the upper dales with their wooded glens and grassy or heather-clad
hills. Marshland also is found along the Skern and Lower Tees. Thus
maritime, marsh-loving, and Alpine species, as well as those preferring
ordinary inland conditions, can all find a congenial habitat within the
county. Again, with its three great seaports, through which pass large
quantities of foreign timber and produce of various kinds, the county
is continually receiving insect stowaways in one or other of their life
stages, aliens in many cases undesirable aliens some of whom become
naturalized in the land of their exile, and thus add to the variety of its
insect life. Though far to the north and therefore outside the fringe of
European Continental species which spread themselves over the southern
counties, Durham, with its eastern situation, receives, at least at its
southern border, part of the great migration stream which crosses the
German Ocean from the Continent, and there is reason to believe that
along with the birds there come from time to time insect immigrants,
who either recruit the ranks of former arrivals or add new species to the
county list. But, except among the Lepidoptera, the students of insect
life within the county have been few. So much so, that almost on the
eve of publication I was applied to by the editor to supply some account
of the insects of Durham outside of the Lepidoptera and the Diptera, as
he had been unable to get anyone to undertake the other orders. Only
a few weeks were allowed to complete the work, and I had not made a
special study of these other orders, having only undertaken to be respon-
sible for the Diptera. Under these difficult circumstances, I must
therefore plead for the indulgence of critics as regards any omissions or
mistakes in the following lists, which, however, I believe very fairly
represent our actual knowledge of the insect inhabitants of the county up
to the present.
ORTHOPTERA
Earwigs, Grasshoppers, Crickets, Cockroaches, etc.
This order has been entirely neglected in Durham, but it is very poorly represented as
far as native or naturalised kinds are concerned, and there are probably under a dozen species
in the county altogether. But occasionally curious foreigners make their appearance in fruit
or cargoes of produce, and some make a vain attempt to obtain a footing, establishing them-
selves for a time in some sheltered nook and apparently breeding, but eventually destroyed by
the severity of the climate or the want of their natural food.
93
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
FORFICULARIA
Earwigs
The common earwig Forficula auricu/aria, Linn. is exceedingly common everywhere.
Outside of the Hymenoptera comparatively few insects ever see their progeny, and the exhibi-
tion of parental care beyond the selection of a food plant is very rare. But the female earwig
is a most devoted mother, ready to sacrifice her life in the protection of her brood. The
Lesser Earwig Labia minor, Linn. is met with at several places, Birtley and near Hartlepool,
etc. Anholabia maritina was abundant at one place, South Shields, in 1857, and during the
next two years Alphitobius picipes was found in numbers in cavities of Slag in the neighbourhood
of the same town.
BLATTODEA
Cockroaches
There are 800 species of cockroaches, but only five or six inhabit Britain, of which there
may be probably two or three in Durham, but there is no record of any except Blatta orientally
Linn., the common house Cockroach or Black Beetle, only too abundant in old houses through-
out the county. Blatta maderee has occurred at South Shields, introduced in cargoes.
Panchlora exoleta, Burn., was taken alive this year at Bishop Auckland, introduced undoubtedly
among bananas from South America.
ACRIDIODEA
Grasshoppers
There are two or three green species, probably Stenobothrus bicolor, Chap., and S. parallelus,
Zett., and the dark Gomphocerus macu/atus, Thunb., is common on the moors, but they have
not been observed with any care. Gomphocerus rufus is recorded by Backhouse as taken at
Sunderland and Waskerley.
LOCUSTODEA
Locusts
I do not know of any of the British species having been found in the county, but two
foreign species have been taken at Hartlepool, and in 1858 Pachytylus migratorius occurred
at Sunderland and other places on the coast.
GRYLLODEA
Crickets
Gryllotalpa vu/garis, the Mole Cricket, has been found near Hartlepool, probably intro-
duced. Gryllus domesticus, Linn., is not uncommon in old country houses.
NEUROPTERA
Dragonflies, Stone-flies, Lacewings, Caddis-flies, etc.
This is a very varied group, which contains many of our most splendid insects, but there
is no record of its having received any systematic attention in this county. Everyone knows
the great JEschnte, the Horse stingers, as they are called, although perfectly innocent of hurting
either man or beast, and the gorgeous little Agrions that flit in numbers over almost every
pond in summer ; but local entomologists seem to have been content with mere general
observation.
Of the Libellulidte, the only ones that have been recorded are Platetrum depressum, a bold,
defiant insect of an inquisitive turn of mind, which often brings about its capture where pursuit
would be hopeless, and, Libellula quadrimaculata, Linn., and Sympetrum vulgatum, both of which
are to be found in Castle Eden Dene and other localities.
The only British member of the Cordulegastrid<e, Cordulegaster annu/atus, Latr., may also
be seen in several places, but it is not often captured. Of the Mschnidte, AZschna juncea, Linn.,
is fairly common in Hesleden, by the side of the Wear, and at Gibside, and Mschna grandis is
recorded in Ornsby's Durham as having been taken in that neighbourhood. In the beautiful
family of the Calopterygidts we have only one species as yet recorded, Calopteryx virgo, Linn., >
but that is said to be common in the Browney valley.
94
INSECTS
The last family of Dragonflies, containing the more numerous but smaller species, is that
of the Agrionidee. I only know of three species, the common Agrion put Ha, Linn., which is
abundant by most streams and ponds, Pyrrhosoma minium, also common at Gibside and else-
where, and Ischnura elegans, Lind.
Ephemerid<e,QT May-flies, Pcrlidee, or Stone-flies, such as Per/a marginata, Nemaura variegata,
Chhroperla viridis, and many other species abound along all the numerous water-courses, as do
also the SiaKdtc or Alderflies and the moth-like Trichopterte, or Caddis-flies, whose curious larvae
cases, composed of a variety of material according to the species, are very common in every pond
and stream.
The Scorpion-fly, Panorpa community is very common everywhere, and the beautiful
Lacewing-fly, or Golden Eye, Chrysopa vulgarly is often to be met with. Chrysopa per/a,
Megalomui hirtus, L., Hemerobius marginatus, Ephemera vu/gata, Leptiphlebia marginata t L.,
Leptocerus albifrons, L., Rhyacophila dorsa/is t Curt., and Anabolia nervosa are also recorded locally
by Backhouse.
HYMENOPTERA
Although the most interesting of all the insect tribes, the Hymenoptera have had but
little attention paid to them in this county. What has been done has been chiefly in the
aculeate section, in which only 101 species or varieties have so far been noted, while the Entomo-
phaga are almost a blank, and the Phytophaga have a list of only twenty-three names. Yet
there are nearly 400 Aculeata, about 600 Phytophaga, and a vast host of Entomophaga in the
British Isles, and no doubt Durham possesses its fair share for a northern county, but it waits
the advent of some painstaking entomologist to lay bare its riches in this deeply interesting
order.
ACULEATA
Ants, Watpf) and Bees
This is the highest section of the order. Their habits, especially those of the Social
species, suggest the possession of something very like a reasoning faculty, and their life histories
abound in interesting details. The wonderful adaptations of the various parts to the different
needs of each species also supply numberless points of fascinating study. The following list
of local species is chiefly that of Bold, to which but a few species have been added in the last
fifty years. Only one or two call for special notice. The tiny little red ant Monomorium
pharaonis, Linn., although not a native, has become a pest in several parts of the county, and
especially in the Dipton district, where some of the miners* houses have been rendered
uninhabitable by its abundance, and the District Council have had to attempt its destruction.
They seem to be incapable of living away from inhabited houses. The rare ant Ponera
contracta, Latr., is said to have been taken at South Shields, where also Mutilla europ<ea y Linn.,
has occasionally been found, both probably introduced. f^espa austriaca, Pz., has been taken
at two places in the Derwent Valley by Mr. Robson of Birtley. As might be expected with
its cold northern situation and clayey soil, the county of Durham is weak in the section of the
sand wasps and solitary bees, whose habits require a light or sandy soil and the warm, sunny
south ; but it is strong in the more robust species, and nearly all the Bombi occur in the
county.
HETEROGYNA PONERID* MYRMICIDJK (continued)
FORMICID/E Ponera, Latr. Monomorium, Mayr
Formica, Linn. contracta, Latr. South pharaonis, Linn. Intro-
rufa, Linn. Common Shieldi, very rare duced, but firmly estab-
fusca, Linn. Abundant MYRMICIDJE lished
Lasius, Fab. Myrmica, Latr.
fulginosus, Latr. Not com- rubra, Linn.
mon r. kevinodis, Nyl. The FOSSORES
flavus, De Gecr. Com- commonest here
mon r. ruginodis, Nyl. Abun- MUTILLIDJB
niger, Linn. Not very dant Mutilla, Linn.
common r. scabrinodis, Nyl. europxa, Linn. Has been
Campanotus sylvaticus has been Common taken occasionally at
taken alive at Bishof r. lobicornis, Nyl. South South Shields (Bold) and
Auckland in bananas Shields, rare S/iull (Backhouse)
95
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
POM PI LI D^
Pompilus, Fab.
plumbeus, Fab. South
Shields
gibbus, Fab. Abundant.
pectinipes, V. de L. South
Shields, rare
Salius, Fab.
exaltatus, Fab. Not com-
mon
SPHECIDJE
Pemphredon, Latr.
lugubris, Latr. Common.
shuckardi, Mor. Very
common
lethifer, Shuck. Common.
Mimesa, Shuck.
bicolor, Fab. Dertventside
Gorytes, Latr.
tumidus, Panz. Gibside
mystaceus, Linn. Abun-
dant
quadrifasciatus, Fab. Der-
tventside
Nysson, Latr.
spinosus, Fab. Swatwell
Mellinus, Fab.
arvensis, Linn. Common
Crabro. Fab.
leucostomus, Linn. Not
uncommon at Gibside
podagricus, V. de L.
quadrimaculatus, Dhlb.
Gibside, rare ; Birtley
(Robson)
dimidiatus, Fab. Abundant
chrysotomuSjLep.Common
vagus, Linn. Common
cribrarius, Linn. Common
peltarius, Schieb. Axwell
Park, rare
DIPLOPTERA
VESPIDJE
Vespa, Linn.
vulgaris, Linn. Very
abundant
germanica, Fab. Not rare.
Birtley (Robson)
rufa, Linn. Common
austriaca, Pz. Shotley Bridge
and Ebchester (Robson)
sylvestris, Scop. Hesleden,
Birtley (Robson)
norvegica, Fab. Common
EmtBMM
Odynerus, Latr.
spinipes, Linn. Common
pictus, Curt. Gibside, rare ;
Birtley (Robson) ; Bishop
Auckland
- trimarginatus, Zett. Com-
mon
- trifasciatus,Oliv. Common
parietinus, Linn. Very
common
ANTHOPHILA
OBTUSILINGUES
CoLLETIDJE
Collates, Latr.
daviesana, Smith. Gibside
ACUTILINGUES
ANDRENID.S
Sphecodes, Latr.
gibbus, Linn. Castle Eden,
Axtaell Park
ephippia, Linn. Common
subquadratus, Smith. Birt-
ley (Robson)
Halictus, Latr.
rubicundus, Christ. Com-
mon
cylindricus, Fab. Com-
mon
albipes,Kirb. Gibside, scarce
subfasciatus, Nyl. Gib-
sonees
villosulus, Kirb. Gibside
nitidiusculus, Kirb. Rare
minutus, Kirb. Common
Andrena, Fab.
albicans, Kirb. Very com-
mon
rosae, Ps.
var. trimmerana, Kirb.
Common
cineraria, Linn. Common
fulva, Schr. Derwent Valley
(Robson) and Bishop
Auckland district
clarkella, Kirb. Common
nigroaenea, Kirb. Not un-
common
gwynana, Kirb. Not
common
furcata, Smith. Birtley
(Robson)
cingulata, Fab. Ravens-
worth
analis, Panz. Sfvaltcell,
not uncommon
coitana, Kirb. Gibside, etc.,
not uncommon
minutula, Kirb. Common
proxima, Kirb. Gibside
(Bold)
wilkella, Kirb. Birtley
(Robson)
Nomada, Fabr.
succinta, Panz. Swalwell
alternata, Kirb. Abundant
ruficornis, Linn. Common
bifida, Thorns. Bishop
Auckland (W. J. W.)
borealis, Zett. Winlaton,
not uncommon
Apt DM
Chelostoma, Latr.
florisomne, Linn. Com-
mon
96
APIDJE (continued)
Ccelioxys, Latr.
elongata, Lep. On the
Bents at South Shields
Megachile, Latr.
willughbiella, Kirb. Mar-
ley Hill
circumcincta, Lep. Abun-
dant on the sea coast.
Birtley (Robson)
centuncularis, Linn. Not
common
Osmia, Panz.
rufa, Linn. Not uncom-
mon
xanthomelana, Kirb. Rare
caerulescens, Linn. Spar-
ingly
Anthophora, Latr.
pilipes, Fab. Not uncom-
mon. Birtley (Robson)
furcata, Panz. Gibside
Psithyrus, Lep.
rupestris, Fab. Rare, al-
though its host, Bombus
lapidarius, is very com-
mon
vestalis, Fourc. Like its
host, Bombus terrestris,
it is abundant through-
out the county
barbutellus, Kirb. Com-
mon. It associates with
B. pratorum
campestris, Panz. Very
common in association
with B. hortorum
Bombus, Latr.
venustus, Smith. Not
common. Birtley (Rob-
son)
agrorum, Fab. Very
common
hortorum, Linn. Very
common
latreillellus, Kirb. Gibside.
On the coast, etc.
r. distinguendus, Mor.
Birtley (Robson)
sylvarum, Linn. Not rare
derhamellus, Kirb. Rare.
Birtley (Robson)
lapidarius, Linn. Com-
mon
jonellus, Kirb. Gibside.
Not common
pratornm, Linn. Com-
mon
terrestris, Linn. Not very
common. Birtley (Rob-
son)
r. lucorum, Smith. The
commonest of the
genus
Apis, Linn.
mellifica, Linn. Abundant
INSECTS
ENTOMOPHAGA
Ichneumon-flits^ etc.
The members of this large section have not been studied in the county. A good number
of species are to be found in the miscellaneous drawers of Lepidopterists and others, but they
await identification. The following are recorded from Durham in Buckler's Lepidopterous
Larva.
Platylabtus tricmgulatus, Grav., bred by Mr. Robson at Hartlepool from Eupithecia
pulchellata, Steph. (the Foglove Pug).
Paniicui testaceus, Grav., bred from Tethea subtusa (the Olive Moth).
Meteorus pu/chricornis, Wesm., bred from dgrotis agathina, Dup. (the Heath Rustic Moth).
Pimp/a graminelLe, Schr., bred from Orgyia antiqua. Linn, (the Vapourer Moth).
Apanteles astrarcbe, Mar., bred from Lyaena agestis, Hub. (the Brown Argus Butterfly).
Ichneumon ruficeps, Grav., bred from Selenia illunaria, Hub. (the Early Thorn Moth).
The last five were all bred by Mr. Gardner at Hartlepool.
Pimpla instigator, bred from pupa of Orgyia antiqua, Linn, (the Vapourer Moth), by Mr.
Robson of Hartlepool.
PHYTOPHAGA
Saw -flies, Wood-wasps, and Gall-flies
This section of the Hymenoptera has received very little attention in Durham, although
the species are often large and showy, and the variety in the shaping of the saw-like ovipositor
exceedingly interesting. No local entomologist has yet made a study of these insects, which
are entirely absent in the older county lists. A few of the larger forms, which had forced
themselves, so to speak, on local lepidopterists, I have found in their boxes of rejectamenta.
The Great Yellow Sirex or Wood-wasp (Sirex gigas, Linn.) is not uncommon in coal-
mines and woodyards, where it has been imported in the pit timber, and it is common in the
Shull woods, where it has undoubtedly bred. The Blue Sirex (Sirex juvencus) has also been
taken in pine woods on the upper Bedburn in such circumstances as to lead to the reasonable
probability of its being county bred. There, also, have been taken on birch these other giants
of the section, Cimbex and Trichiosoma .
The following meagre list contains all the local species that I have been able to verify,
but is probably scarcely a tithe of the number inhabiting the county.
TENTHREDINID^E
Tenthredo, Htg.
- livida, Linn. (Backhouse)
Bishop Auckland (W.)
- maculata, Fourc. (Backhouse)
B'tthop Auckland (W.)
- dispar, Klug. Shull (Back-
house)
- atra, Linn. Darlington (Back-
house)
- mesomela, Linn. Bishop
Auckland (W.)
- obsoleta, Klug. Birtley (Rob-
son)
Tenthredopsis, Costa.
- scutellaris, Fab. Bishop Auck-
land (W.)
- tristis, Ste. Bishop Auckland
(W.)
inornata, Cam. Hesleden
(W.)
nassata, Linn. Bishop Auck-
land (W.)
Macrophya, Dbm.
- ncglccta, Klug. (Backhouse)
Allantus, Jurine
- scrophularix, Linn. Birtley
(Robson), Bishop Auckland
(W.)
Allantus, Jurine
tricinctus, Fab. Castle Eden
(Backhouse), Hesleden (W.)
arcuatus, Forst. DarRngton
Dolerus, Jurine.
- lateritius, Klug. (Backhouse)
fulviventris, Scop. DarRng-
ton (Backhouse), Harperley
(W.)
palustris, Klug. Shull (Back-
house)
anticus, Klug. Shull, etc.
(Backhouse), GtbiiJe (W.)
gonagra, Fab. Shull (Back-
house), Gibside (W.)
Selandria, Leach
- serva, Fab. Gibside (W.)
Blennocampa, Htg.
nigrita, Fab. (Backhouse)
Athalia, Leach
lugens, Klug. (Backhouse)
Cladius, 111.
pectinicornis, Fourc. (Back-
house)
viminalis, Fall. (Backhouse)
Nematus, Panz.
leucogaster, Htg. Mar ley
97
Nematus, Panz.
ribesii, Scop. Bishop Auck-
land, etc. (W.)
Cimbex, Oliv.
sylvarum, Fab. Bedburn
(Greenwell)
Trichiosoma, Leach.
lucorum, Linn. Stockton
(Backhouse), Bedburn
(Greenwell)
betuleti, Klug. Stockton (Back-
house), Bedburn (Green-
well), Birtley (Robson)
Abia, Leach.
- sericea, Linn. Darlington
(Backhouse)
Hylotoma, Leach.
- enodis, Linn. (Backhouse)
ustulata, Linn. (Backhouse)
pagana, Panz. (Backhouse)
SIRICIDjE
Sirex, Linn.
- gigas, Linn. About ports,
woodyards, and in coal-
pits, imported. Breeds in
Shull woods
juvencus, Linn. Bedburn
(Greenwell)
13
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
COLEOPTERA
Beetles
In the county of Durham, the Coleoptera rank next after the Lepidoptera in the attention
they have received from local entomologists, but with two or three notable exceptions that
attention has been very slight. Fourteen species were recorded for the south of the county in
Hogg's Natural History of the Ficinity of Stockton in 1827. The Rev. George Ornsby gives a
list of 194 beetles in his sketches of Durham in 1846, but as some are included which have
not since been recorded they must be looked upon as somewhat doubtful. In the middle of
last century, Mr. J. T. Bold of Newcastle began issuing his lists of insects, mostly beetles, of
Northumberland and Durham, which he revised and completed in 1870. His catalogue,
omitting the species with only Northumberland localities, forms the foundation of the following
county list. The work was then carried on by Mr. J. Gardner of Hartlepool, who worked
hard for many years and added several new records for the county. And now, when failing
eyesight has compelled him to desist, the work has been taken up in the northern part of the
county by a most promising young entomologist, Mr. R. S. Bagnall of Winlaton, who has
not only confirmed several hundreds of Hold's records, but has added a considerable number of
new and rare species to the list. To both of these gentlemen, and also to Mr. C. S. Robson of
Birtley, I am indebted for a large amount of information which renders the following list,
though hurriedly compiled, a fairly correct record of the county species as at present known.
The order is that followed in Beare and Donnisthorpe's Catalogue of British Coleoptera published
last year (1904). The names of the authorities for the records are appended, as they give a
general indication of the locality, Bold's name standing for the north of the county in the
middle of the i gth century, Gardner's for the south of the county in the later half of the same
century, and Bagnall's for the north of the county in the beginning of the 2Oth century. 1
CICINDELID^E
Cicindela, L.
campestris, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
CARABID^
Cychrus, F.
rostratus, L. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall)
Carabus, L.
catenulatus, Scop. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
nemoralis,Mull. (Bold) Near
Blanchland, Apr., 1903,
by Mr. Campbell (Bagnall)
violaceus, L. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
nitens, L. (Bold, Bagnall
Gardner)
v. niger, Sem. Teesdale
(Gardner)
granulatus, L. (Bold)
monilis,F. (Corder,Gardner)
arvensis, Hbst. (Bold, Corder)
Notiophilus, Dum.
biguttatus, F. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
substriatus, Wat. (Bold,
Gardner)
aquaticus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
palustris, Duft. (Bold,
Bagnall)
Leistus, Froh.
spinibarbis, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
fulvibarbis, Dj. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
ferrugineus,L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
rufescens, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Nebria, Lat.
brevicollis, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner) Also Red variety
occasionally (Bagnall)
gyllenhali, Sch. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Elaphrus, F.
riparius, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
cupreus, Duft. (Bold, Bagnall)
Loricera, Lat.
pilicornis, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
Clivina, Lat.
fossor, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
collaris, Hbst. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Dyschirius, Bon.
globosus, Hbst. (Bold)
Broscus, Pz.
cephalotes, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Badister, Clair.
bipustulatus, F. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
sodalis, Duft. Rare. Castle
Eden Dene (Bold)
Licinus, L.
depressus, Pk. Very rare
(Bold, Gardner)
Stenolophus, Dj.
vespertinus, Pz. Near Ryton
(Perkins)
Bradycellus, Er.
placidus,Gyll. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
cognatus,Gyll. Rare. On the
mountains (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
distinctus, Dj. Very rare
(Bold). West Hartlepool,
one specimen (Gardner)
verbasci, Duft. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
harpalinus, Dj. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
collaris, Pk. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
similis, Dj. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Harpalus, Lat.
puncticollis, Pk. (Bold,
Gardner)
ruficornis, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
aeneus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
tenebrosus, Dj. Very rare
(Bold)
rubripes, Duft. (Gardner)
latus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
1 For further list of Coleoptera see Addenda at end of this article.
9 8
INSECTS
Harpalus, Lat.
frcrlichi, Stm. Winlatm
(Bagnall)
Dichirotrichus, Duv.
- pubescens, Pk. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Stomis, Clair.
pumicatus, Pz. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Platyderus, Steph.
ruficollis, Marsh. On the
coast (Bold, Gardner)
Pterostichus, Er.
cupreus, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
versicolor, Stm. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
madidus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
xthiops, Pz. (Bold, Gardner)
vitreus, Dj. (Bold, Gardner)
parumpunctatus, Germ.
(Bold, Bagnall)
- niger, Schal. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
rulgaris, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- nigrita, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- strenuui, Pz. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
diligens, Stm. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
picimanus, Duft. Grtatham,
very rare (Gardner)
rernalis, Pz. (Bold, Bagnall)
striola, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Amara, Bon.
fulva, De G. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- apricaria, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
coniularis, Duft. Rarely met
with (Bold). Hartlepool,
very rare (Gardner)
aulica, Pz. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
convexiuscula. Marsh ballast
heaps at South Shield (Bold),
Hartlepool (Gardner)
rufbcincta, Dj. Rare, Hartle-
pool (Gardner)
bifrons, Gyll. Mostly on sea
coast (Bold)
ovata, F. Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
similata.Gyll. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
acuminata, Pk. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
tibialis, Pk. Bents near South
Shields (Bold)
lunicollis, Schiod. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
spreta, Dj. Hartlepool, local
(Gardner)
Amara, Bon.
familiaris, Duft. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
lucida, Duft. Not un-
common, Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
trivialis,Gyll. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
communis, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
plebeia, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Calathus, Bon.
- cisteloides, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
fuscus, F. (Bagnall, Gardner)
flavipes, Fourc. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
mollis, Marsh. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
melanocephalus, L. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
v. nubigena, Hal. On the
moors (Bagnall)
micropterus, Duft. (Bagnall,
Gardner)
Amphigynus, Hal.
piceus, Marsh. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Taphria, Bon.
nivalis, Pz. (Bold)
Pristonychus, Dj.
terricola, Hbst. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Sphodrus, Clair.
leucophthalmui, L. (Bold)
Anchomenus, Er.
angusticollis, F. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
dorsalis, Moll. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
albipes, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
oblongus, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
marginatus, L. Near South
Shields (Bold). In the old
slake, Hartlepool, now a
dock (Gardner)
seipunctatus, L. Rlanchland
moon (Campbell)
parumpunctatus, F. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
atratus, Duft. (Bold)
viduus, Pz. v. moestus, Duft.
(Bold) Evidently com-
moner than the type
(Bagnall, Gardner)
micans, Nic. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
fuliginosus, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
gracilis, Gyll. Near Burnop-
field (Bagnall)
piceus, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
ezpunctatus, L. Blanchland
Moors (Campbell, Bagnall)
99
Olisthopas, Dj.
rotundatus, Pk. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Tachys, Schaum.
- focki, Hum. South Shields
(Bold)
bistriatus, Duft. South Shields
(Bold)
quadrisignatus, Duft. A single
specimen has been taken
at South Shields, probably
introduced (Bold)
Cillenus, Sam.
lateralis, Sam. (Bold)
Bembidium, Lat.
rufescens, Guer. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
quinquestriatum, Gyll. (Bold)
obtusum, Stm. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
guttula, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
mannerheimi, Sahl. Hartle-
pool (Gardner)
biguttatum, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
aeneum, Germ. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
clarki, Daws. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
minimum, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
- schuppeli, Dj. ( \ Bold)
gilvipes, Stm. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
lampros, Hbst. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
nigricorne, Gyll. Blanchlana
Moors (Bagnall)
tibiale, Duft. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
atrocaeruleum, Steph. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
decorum, Pz. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
nitidulum, Marsh. (Bold,
Gardner)
affine, Steph. (Bold)
monticola, Stm. (Bold, Harris,
Gardner)
stomoides, Dj. Rare (Bold,
Bagnall). leesdale, rare
(Gardner)
quadriguttatum, F. (Bold)
Hartlepool, local (Gardner)
lunatum, Duf. (Bold) Hartle-
pool, scarce (Gardner)
testaceum, Duft. (Bold)
concinnum, Steph. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
femoratum, Stm. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
bruxellense, Wesm. (Bold)
saxatile, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
andrese, F. (Bold, Gardner^
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Bembidium, Lat.
littorale, Ol. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
bipunctatum, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
punctulatum, Drap. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
prasinum, Duft. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
- paludosum, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Tachypus, Lac.
flavipes, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Greatham (Gardner)
Afipus, Sam.
rnarinus, Strom. (Bold)
robini, Lab. Confined to the
coast (Bold)
Trechus, Clair.
discus, F. Greatham, one
specimen (Gardner)
micros, Hbst. (Bold)
lapidosus, Daws. (Bold)
rubens, F. Wlnkton Mill
(Bold)
minutus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- obtusus, Er. (Bold, Gardner)
secalis, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall P)
Patrobus, Dj.
excavatus, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
assimilis, Chaud. Teesdale
(Gardner)
Cymindis, Lat.
vaporariorum, L. Blanchland
Moors (Bagnall) Teesdale,
very rare (Blatch)
Lebia, Lat.
- chlorocephala, Hoff. (Bold)
Sunder land (Corder), Har-
llefool (Gardner)
Demetrias, Bon.
atricapillus, L. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
Dromius, Bon.
- linearis, Ol. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
agilis, F. Rare (Bold)
meridionalis, Dj. Gibstde,
(Bold, Bagnall, Gardner)
quadrimaculatus, L. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
quadrinotatus, Pz. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
melanocephalus, Dj. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
nigriventriSjTh. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Metabletus, Schl.
- foveola, Gyll. Marsden (Bold)
HALIPLIDJE
Brychius, Th.
elevatus, Pz. (Bold)
Haliplus, Lat.
obliquus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
confinis, Steph. Marsden
(Bold, Gardner)
mucronatus, Steph.
flavicollis, Stm. (Bold)
fulvus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
variegatus, Stm. Very rare
(Bold)
cinereus, Aub. (? Bold)
- ruficollis, De G. (Bold,
Gardner)
fluviatilis,Aub. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
striatus, Shp. Common at
Greatham (Gardner)
lineatocollis, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
DYTISCID^E
Noterus, Clair.
sparsus, Marsh. Greatham
common (Gardner)
Laccophilus, Leach
interruptus, Pz. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Hyphydrus, 111.
ovatus, L. (Bold, Gardner)
Ccelambus, Th.
versicolor, Schal. (Bold)
inaequalis, F. (Bold, Gardner)
confluens,F. (Bold, Gardner)
parallelogrammus,Ahr. (Bold,
Gardner, Bagnall)
impressopunctatus, Schal.
(Gardner)
Deronectes, Shp.
latus, Steph. Hartlepool sands,
rare (Gardner)
assimilis, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
depressus, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
1 2-pustulatus, F. (Bold,
Gardner)
Hydroporus, Clair.
- pictus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
granularis, L. (Bold)
lepidus, Ol. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
rivalis, Gyll. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
septentrionalis, Gyll. (Bold,
Gardner)
davisi, Curt. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
dorsalis, F. (Bold, Gardner)
lineatus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
tristis, Pk. (Bold)
angustatus, Stm. (Bold)
gyllenhali , Schiod. Rare (Bold)
morio, Dj. (Bold)
100
Hydroporus, Clair.
vittula, Er. (Bold, Gardner)
palustris, L. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
incognitus, Shp. Rare (Bold)
erythrocephalus, L. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
rufifrons, Duft. Boldon Flats
(Bold)
melanarius, Stm. Rare (Bold,
Bagnall)
mernnonius, Nic. (Bold,
Gardner)
obscurus, Stm. (Bold)
nigrita, F. (Bold)
discretus, Fair. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
pubescens, Gyll. (Bold,
Gardner)
planus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
lituratus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
marginatus, Duft. Greatham
(Gardner)
obsoletus, Aub. Greatham
(Gardner)
Agabus, Leach.
guttatus, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
biguttatus, Ol. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
paludosus,F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
uliginosus, L. Boldon Flats
(Bold)
unguicularis, Th. (Bold)
didymus, Ol. Hartlepool and
Hesleden (Gardner)
nebulosus, Forst. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
conspersus, Marsh. (Bagnall,
Gardner)
femoralis,Pk. (Bold, Bagnall)
sturmi, Gyll. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
chalconotus, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
bipustulatus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Platambus, Th.
maculatus, L. (Bagnall ?)
Ilybius, Er.
fuliginosuSjF. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
fenestratus, F. Greatham
(Gardner)
ater, De G. (Bold, Bagnall)
obscurus, Marsh. (Bold)
guttiger, Gyll. (Bold)
Rhantus, Lac.
exoletus, Forst. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
pulverosus, Steph. Rare,
(Bold, Gardner)
Colymbetes, Clair.
fuscus, L. Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
INSECTS
Dytiscus, L.
punctulatus, F. (Bold,Bagnall,
Gardner)
marginalis,L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Acilius, Leach.
sulcatus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
GYRINID^E
Gyrinus, Geof.
minutus, F. Not common
(Bold)
natator, Scop. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
elongatus, Aub. (Bold)
bicolor,Pk. (Bold, Gardner)
marinas, Gyll. (Bold, Bagnall)
opacus, Sahl. (Bold)
Orcctochilus, Lac.
villosus, MaU. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
HYDROPHILID.fi
Hydrobius, Leach.
- fuscipcs,L. (Bold, Gardner)
Philhydrus, Sol.
mari timus, Th. Greatham, one
specimen (Gardner)
minutus, F. (Bold)
Anacxna, Th.
- globulus, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall)
limbata, F. (Bold, Gardner)
Laccobius, Er.
alutaceus, Th. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
minutus, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
bipunctatus, F. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Limnebius, Leach.
truncatellus, Thunb. (Bold,
Gardner)
Chxtarthria, Steph.
seminulum, Pk. Winlatm
Mill (Hardy)
Helophorus, F.
rugosus,Ol. (Bold, Bagnall)
nnbilus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- aquaticus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
v. aequ.il is, Th. Greatham
(Gardner)
xneipennis,Th. (Bold,Gard-
ner)
obscurus, Muls. v. shetland-
icus, Kuw. (Bold)
affinis, Marsh. Greatham
(Gardner)
brcvicollis,Th. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Hydrochns, Leach.
elongatus, Schal. BoldonFlatt
(Bold)
Henicocerus, Steph.
exsculptus, Germ. (Bold,
Gardner)
Ochthebius, Leach.
marinus, Pk. Greatham
(Gardner)
pygmxus, F. (Bold)
bicolon, Germ. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Hydraena, Kug.
riparia, Kug. (Bold, Bagnall)
nigrita,Germ. (Bold,Gardner)
angustata, Stm. (Gardner)
gracilis, Germ. (Bold)
pygraza, Wat. Tyne (Bold)
pulchella, Germ. (Bold)
Cyclonotum, Er.
orbiculare, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
Sphxridium, F.
scarabaeoides, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
bipnstulatum, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Cercyon, Leach.
littoralis, Gyll. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
dcprcssus, Steph. Very rare
(Bold)
hxmorrhoidalis, F. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
flavipes, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
lateralis, Marsh. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
melanocephalus, L. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
unipunctatus, L. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
quisquilius, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
nigriceps, Marsh. (Bold)
pygmaeus, 111. (Bold, Bagnall)
terminatus, Marsh. (Bold,
Gardner)
analis, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall)
Mcgasternum, Muls.
bole tophagum, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
Cryptopleurum, Muls.
atomarium, Ol. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
STAPHYLINID.fi
Aleochara, Gr.
ruficornis, Gr. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
fuscipes, F. (Bold, Gardner)
lanuginosa, Gr. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
mocsta, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
nitida, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
v. bilineata, Gyll. Somewhat
rare. Confined to the coast
(Bold)
morion, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
101
Aleochara, Gr.
grisea, Kr. Rare. Amongst
the algae on the shore
(Bold, Gardner)
algarum, Fauv. (Bold)
obscurella, Er. Hartlepool
Microglossa, Kr.
- pulla, Gyll. Gibside (Bold)
Oxypoda, Man.
spectabilis, Mark. (Gardner,
Bagnall)
lividipennis, Man. (Bold,
Bagnall)
opaca, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
alter nans, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
exoleta, Er. Very rare. Near
South Shields (Bold)
lentula, Er. Near Ravent-
laorth (Hardy)
umbrata, Gyll. (Bold)
nigrina, Wat. (Bold)
longtuscula, Gr. (Bold)
annularis, Sahl. (Bold)
Ischnoglossa, Kr.
proliza, Gr. Saltwell, very
rare. (Bold)
Phlceopora, Er.
- reptans, Gr. (Bold)
Ocalea, Er.
castanea, Er. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
badia, Er. Hartlepool (Blatch)
Ilyobates, Kr.
nigricollis, Pk. Coast and
Gibside (Bold)
Chilopora, Kr.
longitarsis, Er. (Bold)
rubicunda, Er. (Bold)
Drusilla, Leach.
canaliculata, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Callicerus, Gr.
obscurus, Gr. (Bold)
Homalota, Man.
pavens, Er. (Bold)
cambrica, Woll. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
planifrons, Wat. Sands, South
Shields (Bold)
gregaria, Er. (Bold)
imbccilla, Wat. Hartlepool
(Blatch)
luridiponnis, Man. (Bold)
gyllenhali, Th. Team tide
(Bold)
hygrotopora, Kr. (Bold)
elongatula, Gr. (Bold)
volans, Scrib. (Bold)
vestita, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
oblongiuscula, Shp. Team
tide (Hardy)
silvicola, Fuss. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
vicina, Steph. (Bold)
pagana, Er. (Bold)
graminicola, Gr. (BoldV
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Homalota, Man.
halobrectha, Shp. (Bold)
puncticeps, Th. (Bold)
occulta, Er. (? Bold)
fungivora, Th. Team side
(Hardy)
picipes, Th. Rare (Bold)
caesula, Er. South Shields and
Marsden (Bold)
circellaris, Gr. (Bold)
immersa, Er. Rare (Bold)
analis, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
depressa, Gyll. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
xanthoptera, Steph. (Bold)
euryptera, Steph. (Bold)
trinotata, Kr. (Bold)
corvina, Th. (? Bold)
atricolor, Shp. (Bold)
- nigra, Kr. (Bold)
germana, Shp. (Bold)
cauta, Er. (Bold, Gardner)
villosula, Kr. Saltwell, rare
(Bold)
- atramentaria, Gyll. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
longicornis, Gr. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
- sordida, Marsh. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
aterrima, Gr. (Bold, Bagnall)
pygmaea, Gr. (Bold)
muscorum, Bris. (Bold)
pilosiventris, Th. Rare (Bold)
laticollis, Steph. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
fungi, Gr. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
v. clientula, Er. (Bold)
Ischnopoda, Th.
coerulea, Sahl. (Bold)
Tachyusa, Er.
flavitarsis, Sahl. (Bold)
umbratica, Er. (Bold)
Myrmecopora, Saulcy.
uvida, Er. Marsden (Hardy)
Falagria, Steph.
sulcata, Pk. (Bold)
thoracica, Curt. Very rare.
(Bold)
obscura, Gr. (Bold)
Autalia, Steph.
impressa, Ol. (Bold, Gardner)
rivularis, Gr. (? Bagnall)
Gyrophaena, Man.
pulchella, Heer. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
affinis, Man. (Bold)
gentilis, Er. (Bold, Gardner)
nana, Pk. (Bold, Gardner)
minima, Er. (Bold)
laevipennis, Kr. (Bold)
manca, Er. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
- strictula, Er.
ner)
Agaricochara, Kr.
laevicollis, Kr. RavenstvortA
(Hardy)
Leptusa, Kr.
fumida, Er. (Bold)
Sipalia, Rey.
- ruficollis, Er. (Bold)
Bolitochara, Man.
lucida, Gr. Castle Eden Dene
(Bold)
lunulata, Pk. (Bold)
obliqua, Er. (Gardner, Bag-
nall)
Phytosus, Curt.
spinifer, Curt. Hartlepool
(Blatch)
balticus, Kr. Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
Oligota, Man.
- inflata, Man. (Bold)
Myllaena, Er.
dubia, Gr. (Bold)
elongata, Mat. (Bold)
brevicornis, Mat. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Gymnusa, Gr.
brevicollis, Pk. (Bold)
laeviusculus, Man. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Conosoma, Kr.
littoreum, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
pubescens, Gr. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
immaculatum, Steph. Marsden
(Perkins)
lividum, Er. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Tachyporus, Gr.
obtusus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
solutus, Er. Very rare. (Bold,
Gardner f)
chrysomelinus, L. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
humerosus, Er. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
hypnorum, F. (Bold, Gardner)
pusillus, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
brunneus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
transversalis, Gr. (Bagnall)
Lamprinus
saginatus, Gr. Hartlepool, very
rare (Gardner)
Cilea, Duv.
silphoides, L. (Bold, Gardner)
Tachinus, Gr.
flavipes, F. Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
humeralis, Gr. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
proximus, Kr. Very rare
(Bold, Gardner)
pallipes, Gr. Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
102
Tachinus, Gr.
rufipes, De G. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
subterraneus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
marginellus, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
laticollis, Gr. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
collaris, Gr. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
elongatus, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Megacronus, Th.
analis, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
inclinans, Gr. Ravensworth,
i spec. (Bold) ; Hartlepool,
rare (Gardner)
Bryoporous, Kr.
castaneus, Hardy. Hartlepool,
rare (Gardner)
Bolitobius, Steph.
lunulatus, L. (Bold, Gardner)
trinotatus, Er. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
exoletus, Er. (Bold, Gardner)
pygmaeus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
Mycetoporus, Man.
splendens, Marsh. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
lepidus, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
longulus, Man. Rare, (Bold,
Gardner)
nanus, Er. Hartlepool, abun-
dant (Gardner)
Quedius, Leach.
longicornis, Kr. Hartlepool xtA
Teesdale, rare (Gardner)
lateralis, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
mesomelinus, Marsh. (Bold)
fulgidus, F. (Bold, Gardner).
cinctus, Pk. (Bold, Gardner)
fuliginosus, Gr. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
tristis, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
molochinus, Gr. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
picipes, Man. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
nigriceps, Kr. Rare (Bold)
fumatus, Steph. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
maurorufus, Gr. Gibside (Bold)
umbrinus, Er. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
scintillans, Gr. Very rare
(Bold, Gardner)
auricomus, Kies. Hartlepool
and Teesdale (Gardner)
rufides.Gr. South Shields (KolA,
Bagnall, Gardner)
attenuatus, Gyll. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
semiaeneus, Steph. (Bold,
Bagnall)
INSECTS
Quedius, Leach.
fulvicollij, Steph. Rare (Bold,
Bagnall)
boops, Gr. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Creophilus, Man.
maxillosus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
v. ciliaris, Steph. Derwtnt
valley, rare (Bagnall)
Leistotrophus, Pert.
nebulosus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
murinus, L. Very rare (Bold)
Staphylinus, L.
pnbescens, De G. (Bold,
Gardner, Bagnall)
stercorarius, Ol. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
erythropterus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
cacsareus, Ceder. Not fre-
quent (Bold)
Ocypus, Er.
olens, Moll. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
limilis, F. Rare. (Bold)
brunnipes, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
fiiscatus, Gr. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
cupreus, Ross. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
ater, Gr. (Bagnall?) Grtatham
(Gardner)
morio, Gr. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Philonthus, Curt.
splendens, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
in termed! us, Bois. Very rare.
Hartlefxtol (Hardy)
laminatus, Crcntz. (Bold,
Bagnall)
aeneus, Ross. (Bold, Gardner)
proximus, Kr. (Bold)
addendus, Shp. (Bold)
carbonarius,Gyll.Rare (Bold)
acutatus, Er. Sparingly (Bold)
decorus, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
politus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
varius, Gyll. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
marginatus, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
albipes, Gr. Rare and local
(Bold)
umbratilis, Gr. Not common
(Bold, Gardner)
cephalotes, Gr. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
fimetarius, Gr. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
sordidus, Gr. (Bold)
ebeninus.Gr. (Bold,Gardner)
rumigatut, Er. (Bold)
Philonthus, Curt.
debilis, Gr. (Bold, Gardner)
sanguinolentus, Gr. Rare.
Coast (Bold, Gardner)
longicornis, Steph. (Bold)
varians, Pk. (Bold, Gardner)
ventralis, Gr. (Bold)
discoideus, Gr. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
micans.Gr. Bo/Jim Ffatj (Bold)
nigritulus, Gr. (Bold)
trossulus, Nor. (Gardner)
puella, Nor. Not common.
(Bold, Gardner)
Cafius, Steph.
fucicola, Curt. (Hardy, Gard-
ner)
zantholoma, Gr. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Xantholinus, Ser.
fulgidus, F. Rare. (Bold)
glabratus, Gr. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
punctulatus, Pk. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
ochraceus, Gyll. (Bold)
tricolor, F. (Bold, Gardner)
linearis, Ol. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
longiventris, Heer. (Bagnall)
Leptacinus, Er.
parumpunctatus, Gyll. Not
frequent (Bold)
batychrus, Gyll. Rather rare
(Bold)
linearis, Gr. (Bold)
Baptolinus, Kr.
alternans, Gr. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Othius, Steph.
fulvipennis, F. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
melanocephalus, Gr. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
myrmecophilus, Kies. (Bold,
Gardner)
Lathrobium, Gr.
elongatum, L. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
boreale, Hoch. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
fulvipenne, Gr. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
brunnipes, F. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
multipunctum, Gr. Rare,
Denoent, Tyae, etc. (Bold)
Cryptobium, Man.
- glaberrimum, Hbst. (?Bold)
Stilicus, Lat.
rufipes, Germ. Rare (Bold)
orbiculatus, Pk. (Bold)
affinis, Er. (Bold, Gardner)
Medon, Steph.
pocofcr, Peyr. Rare. South
Shield (Bold)
103
Medon, Steph.
fusculus, Man. Rare. South
Shields (Bold). The only
north record (?)
melanocephalus, F. Not
common (Bold)
obsoletus, Nor. Very rare.
South Shields (Bold)
Lithocharis, Lac.
ochracea, Gr. (Bold)
Evaesthctus, Gr.
- fcaber, Gr. (Bagnall ?)
Dianous, Curt.
ccerulescens, Gyll. (Bagnall,
Gardner)
Stenus, Lat.
biguttatus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
guttula, Moll. (Bold)
bimaculatus, Gyll. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
juno, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
speculator, Lac. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
providus, Er., v. rogeri, Kr.
Rare (Bold, Bagnall)
buphthalmus, Gr. (Bold,
Bagnall)
melanopus, Marsh. (Bold)
atratulus, Er. (Bold)
canaliculatus, Gyll. (Bold)
- pusillus, Er. (Bold, Bagnall)
declaratus, Er. (Bold)
argus, Gr. Very rare (Bold)
nigritulus, Gyll. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
brunnipes, Steph. (Bold,
Bagnall)
subxneus, Er. (Bold,Gardner)
ossium, Steph. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
impressus, Germ. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
pallipes, Gr. Rare. Gibside
and Ravensworth (Hardy)
flavipes, Steph. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
pubescens, Steph. (Bold)
binotatus, Ljun. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
pallitarsis, Steph. (Bold,
Bagnall)
bifoveolatus, Gyll. (Bold,
Bagnall)
nitidiusculus, Steph. (Bold)
picipet, Steph. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
similis, Hbst. (Bold, Bagnall)
paganus, Er. Rare. Gibside
and Ravensworth (Bold)
Bledius, Man.
arenarius, Pk. (Bold)
subterraneus, Er. Dement
(Bold)
opacus, Block. Deneent (Bold)
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Platystethus, Man.
arenarius, Fourc. (Bold,
Gardner)
Oxytelus, Gr.
- rugosus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
sculptus, Gr. (Bold)
laqueatus, Marsh. (Bold,
Gardner)
sculpturatus, Gr. (Bold,
Gardner)
maritimus, Th. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
nitidulus, Gr. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
complanatus, Er. (Bold)
tetracarinatus, Block. (Bold)
Haploderus, Steph.
caelatus, Gr. Rare (Bold)
Trogophlceus, Man.
arcuatus, Steph. Very rare
(Bold)
- bilineatus, Steph. (Bold)
elongatulus, Steph. Rare.
Algx on coast (Bold)
pusillus, Gr. (Bold)
Syntomium, Er.
seneum, Mttll. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Coprophilus, Kr.
striatulus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Anthophagus, Gr.
testaceus, Gr. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Geodromicus, Redt.
plagiatus, Heer., v. nigrita,
Mttll. Dervient (Bold)
Lesteva, Kr.
longelytrata, Gcez. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
punctata, Er. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Acidota, Steph.
crenata, F. (Hardy, Gard-
ner)
cruentata, Man. Teeidale
(Gardner)
Olophrum, Er.
piceum, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
fuscum, Gr. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Lathrimaeum, Er.
atrocephalum, Gyll. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
unicolor, Steph. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Deliphrum, Er.
tectum, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Micralymma, West.
brevipenne, Gyll. Sparingly.
On coast (Bold)
Philorinum, Kr.
sordidum, Steph. (Bold)
Coryphium, Steph.
angusticolle, Steph. (Bold)
Homalium, Gr.
rivulare,Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
rugulipenne, Rye. Hartle-
pool (Gardner)
laeviusculum, Gyll. (Bold,
Gardner)
riparium, Th. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
allardi, Fair. (Bold)
exiguum, Gyll. Rare (Bold)
oxyacanthae, Gr. (Bold,
Gardner)
excavatum, Steph. (Bold)
caesum, Gr. (Bold)
pusillum, Gr. (Bold)
rufipes, Fourc. Not com-
mon (Bold)
vile, Er. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
iopterum, Steph. Rare (Bold)
concinnum, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
striatum, Gr. Boldon Flats
(Bold)
Acrulia, Th.
inflata, Gyll. Ravensworth
(Hardy)
Eusphalerum, Kr.
primula;, Steph. Gibside
(Bold), Primrose and
Guelderrose ; Gibside (Bag-
nail) ; Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
Anthobium, Steph.
mmutum, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
ophthalmicum, Pk. (Bold,
Gardner)
torquatum, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall)
- sorbi, Gyll. (Bold, Bagnall)
Proteinus, Lat.
ovalis, Steph. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
brachypterus, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Megarthrus, Steph.
denticollis, Beck. (Bold)
- affinis, Moll. (Bold)
depressus, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
sinuatocollis, Lac. (Bold,
Gardner)
Phlceocharis, Man.
snbtilissima, Man. (Bold)
Clambus, Fisch.
armadillo, De G. (Bold)
minutus, Stm. (Bold)
SILPHIDjE
Agathidium, 111.
nigripenne, Kug. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
I0 4
Agathidium, 111.
atrum, Pk. (Bagnall ?)
marginatum, Stm. (Bold,
Gardner)
varians, Beck. (Bold, Bag-
nail ?)
rotundatum, Gyll. Rare
(Bold). Lockhaugh (Bagnall)
nigrinum, Stm. Gibside
(Bold)
Liodes, Lat.
humeralis, Kug. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
glabra, Kug. Rare (Bold,
Bagnall)
Cyrtusa, Er.
minuta, Ahr. One specimen
in a pond near Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Anisotoma, 111.
dubia, Kug. (Bold, Gard-
ner, Bagnall)
badia, Stm. Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
ovalis, Schm. (Bold)
punctulata, Gyll. (Bold,
Gardner)
calcarata, Er. (Gardner)
curvipes, Schm. Hartlepool,
one specimen (Gardner)
triepkei, Schm. Hartlepool,
one specimen (Gardner)
rugosa, Steph. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Colenis, Er.
- dentipes, Gyll. (Bold)
Hydnobius, Schm.
perrisi, Fair. Gateshead,vvry
rare (Bold) ; Hartlepool,
numerous (Gardner)
punctatissimus, Steph. Very
rare. Saltwell (Kirwood)
punctatus, Stm. Hartlepool,
one specimen (Gardner)
Necrophorus, F.
humator, Gcez. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
mortuorum, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
vestigator, Hers. Birtley
(Robson)
ruspator, Er. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
vespillo, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Necrodes, Wilk.
littoralis, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Silpha, L.
- tristis, 111. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
nigrita, Cr. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
obscura, L. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
quadripunctata, L. Rare
Gibside (Perkins)
INSECTS
Silpha, L.
- thoracica, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
rugosa, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- sinuata, F. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
dispar, Hbst. South Shields,
rare (Bold)
- laevigata, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
- atrata, L. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
v. brunnea, Hbst. Uncom-
mon, Dement Valley (Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Choleva, Lat.
- angustata, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- cisteloides, Fr8h. (Bold, Bag-
nal, Gardner)
spadicea, Stm. (Bagnall)
- agilis, 111. Marsden (Hardy,
Bagnall, Gardner)
- velox, Spence. (Bold, Bag-
nal, Gardner)
- wilkini, Spence. (Bold, Bag-
nal, Gardner)
anisotomoides, Spence. (Bold)
- fusca, Pz. (Gardner)
nigricans, Spence. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
longula, Kell. Hartlepool,
very rare. (Gardner)
morio, F. Rare (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
grandicollis, Er. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
- nigrita, Er. (Bold, Bagnall)
tristis, Pz. (Bold, Gardner)
kirbyi, Spence. (Bold)
chrysomeloides, Pz. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
- fumata, Spence. (Bagnall,
Gardner)
- watsoni, Spence. (Bold)
Catops, Pk.
- scriceus, Pz. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Colon, Hbst.
- brunneum, Lat. Rare (Bold)
dcnticulatum, Kr. Hartlepool,
one specimen. (Gardner)
Scydmxnus, Lat.
- collaris, Moll. (Bold)
- pusillus, Mall. Hotbeds,
Gileigate Moor, Durham.
(Little)
Euconnns, Th.
- hirticollis, 111. Hotbeds,
Giltsgate Moor, Durham.
(Little)
fimetarius, Chaud. (Bold)
Eomicrus, Lap.
tarsatus,Mall. DurA<im(Bo\d),
Tetsdale (Gardner)
PSELAPHID^E
Bythinus, Leach.
- puncticollis, Den. (Bold)
- bulbifer, Reich. (Bold, Bag-
nall r)
- curtisi, Den. Gibside (Hardy)
- securiger, Reich. Ravensivorth
(Bold)
burrelli, Den. Hartlepool
(Blatch)
Bryaxis, Leach.
juncorum, Leach. (Bold)
Euplectus, Leach.
nanus, Reich. (Bold)
minutus, Marsh. (Bold)
Trichopteryx, Kirb.
- thoracica, Waltl. (? Bold)
atomaria, De G. (Bold)
grandicollis, Man. (? Bold)
lata, Mots. Rather rare (Bold)
fascicularis, Hbst. Very rare
(Bold)
- sericans, Heer. Very rare
(Bold)
- picicornis, Man. Rare (Bold)
montandoni, All. Very rare
(Bold)
- chevrolati, All. Rare (Bold)
Nephanes, Th.
titan, New. Very rare (Bold)
Ptilium, Er.
- fbveolatum, All. Rare (Bold)
Ptenidium, Er.
punctatum, Gyll. Coast, on
Alg* (Bold)
nitidum, Heer. (Bold)
evanescens, Marsh. (Bold)
- wankowiezi, Mat. (?Bold)
fbrmicetorum, Kr. Very rare
(Bold)
PHALACRID^E
Phalacrns, Pk.
corruscus, Pk. South Shields
(Hardy)
Olibrus, Er.
aeneus, F. Winlatw Mill
(Bagnall)
COCCINELLID.*
Hippodamia, Muls.
ij-punctata, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
Adalia, Muls.
obliterata, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
bipunctata, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
105
Mysia, Muls.
oblongoguttata, L. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
Anatis, Muls.
ocellata, L. Not common
(Bold, Bagnall, Gardner)
Cocci nella, L.
lo-punctata, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
hieroglyphica, L. Rare (Bold)
- u-punctata, L. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
- 5-punctata, L. (Bold) Rare
(Bagnall)
7-punctata, L. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
Halyzia, Muls.
14-guttata, L. (Bold)
- 1 8-guttata, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
- 22-punctata, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Micraspis, Redt.
- l6-punctata, L. (Bold)
Scymnus, Kug.
pygmasus, Fourc. Hartlepool
(Hardy)
suturalis, Thumb. (Bold)
testaceus, Mots. (Bold)
Exochomus, Redt.
- quadripustulatus, L. (Bold)
Rhizobius, Steph.
- litura, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
Coccidula, Kug.
- rufa, Hbst. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
ENDOMYCHID^E
Mycetsea, Steph.
hirta, Marsh. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Endomychus, Pz.
- coccincus, L. (Bold)
EROTYLIDjE
Triplax, Pk.
- russica, L. Gibside (Bagnall)
- aenea, Schal. (Bold, Bagnall)
bicolor, Gyll. Gibiide (Bag-
nall)
COLYDIID^E
Cerylon, Lat.
histeroides, F. Rare (Bold,
Bagnall)
fagi, Bris. Winlaton Mill,
rotten wood, one specimen
(Bagnall)
fcrrugincum, Steph. Wm-
laton, Gibiide, &c., in rotten
oak (Bagnall)
Murmidius, Leach.
ovalis, Beck. Has been found
lire in Bengal rice (Bold)
'4
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
HISTERID^E.
Hister, L.
unicolor, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
cadaverinus, HofF. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
succicola, Th. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
purpurascens, Hbst. Very
rare (Bold)
neglectus, Germ. Very rare
(Bold)
carbonarius, 111. (Bold, Bag-
nall F)
12-striatus, Schr. (Bold)
bimaculatus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Carcinops, Mars.
14-striata, Steph. Rare, South
Shields and Jarrovi (Bold)
Gnathoncus, Duv.
nannetensis, Mars. Rare.
Roker (? Peacock)
Saprinus, Er.
nitidulus, Pk. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
aeneus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
virescens, Pk. Marsden
(Wailes, Gardner)
Hypocaccus, Th.
rugifrons, Pk. South Shields
(Bold)
Pachylopus, Er.
maritimus, Steph. (Bold)
Stockton
Acritus, Lee.
minutus, Hbst. (Bold)
Onthophilus, Leach.
striatus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
MICROPEPLID^E.
Micropeplus, Lat.
porcatus, Pk. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
staphylinoides, Marsh. Rare
(Bold, Gardner)
margaritz, Duv. Rather rare
(Bold, Gardner)
NITIDULID^E.
Brachypterus, Kug.
gravidus, 111. Winlaton (Bag-
nall)
pubescens, Er. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
urticae, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
Cercus, Lat.
pedicularius, L. (Bold) Gib-
side (Bagnall)
bipustulatus, Pk. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
rufilabris, Lat. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
Carpophilus, Leach.
hemipterus, L. (Bold)
Epuraea, Er.
aestiva, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
melina, Er. Very rare (Bold,
Bagnall)
longula, Er. Gib side, one
male (Bagnall)
deleta, Er. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
parvula, Stm. Rather rare
(Bold, Bagnall)
obsoleta, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
pusilla, 111. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Nitidula, F.
bipustulata, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
rufipes, L. Tyneiide (Hardy)
flexuosa, F. South Shields, in-
troduced (Bold)
Soronia, Er.
punctatissima, 111. (Bold)
grisea, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Omosita, Er.
depressa, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
colon, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
discoidea, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Pocadius, Er.
ferruginous, F. Gibside (Bold)
Meligethes, Kirb.
rufipes, Gyll. Rare (Bold,
Bagnall)
lumbaris, Stm. Not common
(Bold, Gardner)
aeneus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
viridescens, F. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
pedicularius, Gyll. Very rare
(Bold)
flavipes, Stm. (Bold, Bagnall)
picipes, Stm. (Bold, Bag-
nail ?)
obscurus, Er. Near Winlaton
(Bagnall)
erythropus, Gyll. (Bold,
Gardner)
brevis, Stm. (Bold)
v. mutabilis, Rosen. Hartle-
pool (Gardner), rare
Cychramus, Kug.
luteus, F. Rare (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
fungicola, Heer. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Ips, F.
quadriguttata, F. Rare
(Bold)
quadripunctata, Hbst. (Bold)
Rare. Winlaton Mill (Bag-
nall)
quadripustulata, L. (Bold)
Teesdale (Gardner)
Pityophagus, Shuck.
ferrugineus, F. (Bold)
106
Rhizophagus, Hbst.
cribratus, Gyll. Teesdale
(Gardner)
depressus, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
perforatus, Er. Rowland's Gill
(Bagnall)
parallelocollis, Gyll. (Bold)
ferrugineus, Pk. (Bold,
Bagnall)
dispar, Pk. (Bold) Lock-
haugh (Bagnall)
bipustulatus, F. (Bold) Der-
went Valley, common (Bag-
nail)
coeruleipennis, Sahl. Rare.
Dertaent (Hardy)
TROGOSITID^:
Tenebrioides, Pill.
mauritanicus, L. Imported
in rice (Bold) . Byermoor (F
Johnson)
Thymalus, Lat.
limbatus, F. Very rare.
Ravensworth (Bold)
MONOTOMID-ffi
Monotoma, Hbst.
picipes, Hbst. (Bold)
rufa, Redt. Very rare. South
Shields (Bold)
tongicollis, Gyll. (Bold)
LATHRIDIID.E
Holoparamecus, Curt.
depressus, Curt. Sunder/and
(Bold)
Lathridius, Hbst.
lardarius, De G. (Bold,
Bagnall)
bergrothi, Reit. Common
in cellars of Winlaton (Bag-
nail)
Coninomus, Th.
nodifer, West. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
Enicmus, Th.
transversus, Ol. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
brevicornis, Man. (Bold,
Bagnall)
Corticaria, Marsh.
pubescens, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
crenulata, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
denticullata, Gyl. (Bold,
Bagnall)
serrata, Pk. (Bold)
umbilicata, Beck. Sea banks
(Bold)
fulva, Com. (Bold, Bagnall)
elongata, Gyll. (Bagnall)
fenestralis, L. (Bold)
INSECTS
Melanophthalma, Mots.
gibbosa, Hbst. (Bold)
fuscula, Hum. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
CUCUJID.fi
Lzmophloeus, Er.
ferrugineus, Steph. Imported
in grain (Bold, Gardner)
Nausibius, Redt.
dentatus, Marsh. Imported
(Bold)
Silvanus, Lat.
surinamensis, L. (Bold)
BYTURID.fi
Byturus, Lat.
sambuci, Scop. Not frequent
(Bold)
tomcntosus, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
CRYPTOPHAGIDjE
Antherophagus, Lat.
nigricornis, F. (Bold)
- pallens, Ol. (Bold, Bagnall)
Cryptophagus, Hbst.
setulosus, Stm. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
pilosus, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
punctipennis, Bris. South
ShieUs (Bold)
saginatus, Stm. (Bold)
umbratus, Er. (Bold)
scanicus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
badius, Stm. Rare (Bold)
validus, Kr. South Shields
(Bold)
dentatus, Hbst. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
distinguendus, Stm. Rare
(Bold)
- acutangulus, Gyll. (Bold,
Gardner)
fumatus, Gyll. Very rare
(Bold)
cellaris, Scop. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
- affinis, Stm. (Bold, Gardner)
pubescens, Stm. Wtnlatm
MiU (Bagnall)
Micrambe, Th.
vini, Pz. (Bold)
Henoticus, Th.
serratus, Gyll. Washington,
very rare (Bold)
Paramecosoma, Curt.
melanocephalum,Hbst. (Bag-
nail)
Atomaria, Steph.
fumata, Er. (Bold)
nigriventris, Steph. (Bold)
Automaria, Steph.
umbrina, Gyll. Very rare
(Bold)
fuscipes, Gyll. (Bold)
nigripennis, Pk. (Bold)
fascata, Sch. (Bold)
pusilla, Pk. (Bold)
atricapilla, Steph. (Bold)
berolinensis, Kr. (Bold,
Gardner)
apicalis, Er. (Bold)
analis, Er. (Bold)
Ephistemus, West.
gyrinoides, Marsh. (Bold)
SCAPHIDIID.fi
Scaphidium, Ol.
quadrimaculatum, Ol. Gib-
//<& (Handcock andTaylor),
Winlatan MiU (Bagnall)
Scaphisoma, Leach.
agaricinum, L. (Bold)
MYCETOPHAGID.fi
Typhxa, Curt.
fumata, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Triphyllus, Lat.
- suturalis, F. (Bold)
Mycetophagus, Hell.
quadripustulatus, L. Tetsdale
(Gardner)
DERMESTID.fi
Dermestes, L.
vulpinus, F. (Bold)
frischi, Kug. South Shields
(Bold)
murinus, L. (Bold)
lardarius, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Attagenus, Lat.
pellio, L. (Bold)
Florilinus, Mull.
muszorum, L. Gib side
(Wailes)
BYRRHIDJS
Byrrhus, L.
pilula, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
fasciatus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
dorsalis, F. (Bold)
Cytilus, Er.
varius, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Simplocaria, Marsh.
semistrtata, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Aspidiphorus, Lat.
orbiculatus, Gyll. Rare
(Bold)
I0 7
GEORYSSID.fi
Georyssus, Lat.
pygmcus, F. (Bold)
PARNID.fi
Elmis, Lat.
aeneus, Mall. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
volkmari, Pz. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
cupreus, Mall. Heileden
(Gardner)
nitens, Mall. Hededen
(Gardner)
Limnius, Mull.
tuberculatus, Moll. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
Parnus, F.
prolifericornis, F. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
auricubtus, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
HETEROCERID.fi
Heterocerus, F.
marginatus, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
LUCANID.fi
Lucanus, L.
cervus, L. Sunderland, intro-
duced (Bagnall)
Sinodendron, F.
cylindricum, L. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
SCARABjEID.fi
Onthophagus, Lat.
nuchicornis, L. Very rare.
South Shields (Bold)
Aphodius, 111.
erraticus, L. (Bold, Gardner)
subterraneus, L. (Bold,
Gardner)
ibssor, L. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
hzmorrhoidalis, L. (Bold,
Gardner)
foetens, F. (Bold)
fimetarius, L. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
scybalarius, F. (Bold, Gardner)
ater, De G. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
granarius, L. Rare. South
ShieUs (Bold), HartUfool
(Gardner)
sordidus, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
rufescens, F. (Bold, Gardner)
lapponum, Gyll. (Bold,
Gardner)
foetidus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
borealis, Gyll. (Bold)
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Aphodius, 111.
- pusiUus,Hbst. (Bold,Bagnall)
merdarius, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
inquinatus, F. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
tesselatus, Pk. Hartkpool
(Gardner)
conspurcatus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
punctato-sulcatus, Stm. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
- prodromus, Brahm. (Bag-
nall, Gardner)
- contaminatus, Hbst. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
' luridus, F. (Bold, Gardner)
rufipes, L. (Bold, Gardner)
depressus, Kug. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
yEgialia, Lat.
- sabuleti,Pk. (Bold, Bagnall)
arenaria, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Geotrupes, Lat.
stercorarius, L. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
- sylvaticus, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
- vernalis, L. (Bagnall, Gard-
ner)
Serica, McL.
- brunnea, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Melolontha, F.
- vulgaris, F. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
hippocastani, F. (Bagnall)
Phyllopertha, Kirk.
- horticola, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Anomala, Sam.
- frischi, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
ELATERID^E
Lacon, Lap.
murinus, L. (Bold, Gardner)
Cryptohypnus, Esch.
maritimus, Curt. Rare (Bold)
riparius, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
dermestoides, Hbst. (Bold)
Elater, L.
balteatus, L. Not common
(Bold)
Melanotus, Esch.
rufipes, Hbst. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Athous, Esch.
niger, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
longicollis, Ol. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
haemorrhoidalis, F. (Bold,
Robson, Gardner)
- vittatus, F. (Bold)
Limonius, Esch.
cylindricus, Pk. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
minutus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Adrastus, Esch.
limbatus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Agriotes, Esch.
sputator, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
obscurus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
lineatus, L. (Bold, Bagnal),
Gardner)
sobrinus, Kies. (Bagnall,
Gardner)
pallidulus, 111. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Dolopius, Esch.
marginatus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Corymbites, Lat.
castaneus, L. Rare. On the
coast near Hawthorne Dene
(Kirwood)
pectinicornis, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
cupreus, F. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
v. asruginosus, F. Not so
common as type (Bagnall)
Corymbites, Lat.
tessellatus, F. Not common
(Bold)
quercus, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
holosericeus, F. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
Campylus, Fisch.
linearis, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
DASCILLID^E
Dascillus, Lat.
cervinus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Helodes, Lat.
minuta, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
marginata, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Microcara, Th.
livida, F. (Bold, Bagnall F)
Cyphon, Pk.
coarctatus, Pk. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
nitidulus,Th. (Bold, Bagnall)
variabilis, Thunb. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
padi, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Hydrocyphon, Redt.
deflexicollis, Mull. Rare
(Bold)
Eubria, Germ.
palustris, Germ. Near Castle
Eden Dene (Bold)
108
LAMPYRID^
Lampyris, L.
noctiluca, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
TELEPHORID^
Podabrus, West.
alpinus, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall)
Ancistronycha, Mark.
abdominalis, F. (Bold) Tees-
dak (Harris and Blatch),
(Bagnall)
Telephorus, Schaef.
rusticus, Fall. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
lividus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
pellucidus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
nigricans, Mull. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
lituratus, Fall. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
figuratus, Man. (Bold, Bag-
nall ?, Gardner)
bicolor, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
hsemorrhoidalis, F. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
flavilabris, Fall. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Rhagonycha, Esch.
unicolor, Curt. (Bold)
fulva, Scop. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
testacea, L. (Bagnall ?, Gard-
ner)
limbata,Th. (Bold, Bagnall)
pallida, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
elongata, Fall. (Bold)
Malthinus, Lat.
punctatus, Fourc. (Bold,
Bagnall)
frontalis, Marsh. Rare. Win-
laton Mill (Bagnall)
Malthodes, Kies.
marginatus, Lat. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
mysticns, Kies. (Bold)
pellucidus, Kies. Not com-
mon. GUslde (Bold)
minimus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
atomus, Th. Rare (Bold)
Malachius, F.
seneus, L. Rare. Stockton
(Hogg's Stockton) ?
bipustulatus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
Dasytes, Pk.
aerosus, Kies. Rare. (Bold)
Psilothrix, Redt.
nobilis, 111. Has been re-
corded from Durham (Bun-
gey), but is probably an
error
INSECTS
Phloeophilus, Steph.
edwardsi, Steph. Rare (Bold)
CLERID.fi
Tillus, 01.
elongatus, L. Durham (Orns-
by's Durham) I
Thanasimus, Lat.
formicarius, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Johnson, Gardner)
Necrobia, Lat.
ruficollis, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
violacea, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
rufipcs, De G. (Bold)
quadra. South Shields, intro-
duced (Bold)
PTINID.fi
Ptinus, L.
fur, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Niptus, Boiel.
hololeucus, Fall. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
crenatus, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
Gibbinm, Scop.
- scotias, F. (Bold, Robson,
Gardner)
ANOBIID^E
Priobium, Mots.
castaneum, F. (Bold)
Anobium, F.
domesticum, Fourc. (Bold,
Robson, Bagnall, Gardner)
- paniceum, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Introduced
Ernobius, Th.
- mollis, L. (Bold)
Ptilinus, Geof.
- pectinicornis, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
BOSTRICHID.E
Rhizopertha, Steph.
- pusilla, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
LYCTID.fi
Lyctus, F.
- canaliculatus, F. Rare (Bold)
CISSID.fi
Cis, Lat.
- boleti, Scop. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- bidentatus, Ol. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
nitidus, Hbst. Teesdale
(Gardner)
- fcstivus, Pz. Ravensteortb
(Bold)
Octotemnus, Mel.
- glabriculus, Gyll. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
CERAMBYCID.fi
Tetropium, Kirb.
castaneum, L., black form
(Gardner)
Callidium, F.
violaceum, L. Hartlepool
(Gardner), probably im-
ported
variabile, L. Hartlepool
(Gardner), probably im-
ported
alni, L. Gibside (Wailcs)
Clytus, Laich.
- arcuatus, L. (Bold). Hartlepool
(Gardner)
arietis, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Gracilia, Serv.
minuta, F. Sunderland (Pea-
cock), Hartlepool (Gardner)
Molorchus, F.
minor, L. Hartlepool (Gard-'
ner)
Rhagium, F.
inquisitor, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
bifasciatum, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Toxotus, Ser.
- meridianus, L. Red variety
once at Lockbaugb (Bagnall)
(Gardner)
Pachyta, Ser.
cerambyciformis,Schr. (Bold,
Bagnall)
Strangalia, Ser.
- quadrifasciata, L. (Bold,
Bagnall)
armata, Hbst. (Bold, Bagnall)
- melanura, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Grammoptcra, Ser.
- tabacicolor, De G. (Bold,
Bagnall)
rnficornis, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
LAMIID.fi
Acanthocinus, Steph.
- aedilis, L. (Bold, Robson,
Johnson, Gardner)
Leiopus, Ser.
nebulosus, L. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall)
Pogonochzrus, Lat.
fasciculatus, DeG. Hartlepool,
common (Gardner)
bidentatus, Th. (Bold), tfin-
laton Mill, under bark
(Bagnall) ; Hartlepool(GuA-
ner)
- dcntatus, Fourc. Hartlepool,
very rare (Gardner)
Monohammus, Muls.
sartor, F. SunJerland, intro-
duced (Corder) ; Hartlepool
(Gardner)
109
Monohammus, Muls.
sutor, L. Bumopjield, intro-
duced (Johnson) ; Hartle-
pool, shipyards (Gardner)
Saperda, F.
scalaris, L. Langley, pasture
(Crosby's Durham), rare ;
Hartlepool (Gardner)
Tetrops, Steph.
praeusta, L. Gibside (Wailes)
Stenostola, Muls.
ferrea,Schr. Gibside (Hardy),
Dirwent Galley (Bagnall)
BRUCHID.fi
Bruchus, L.
pisi, L. In pea introduced
(Bagnall)
rufimanus, Boh. Introduced
(Bold, Gardner)
CHRYSOMELID.fi
Donacia, F.
versicolora, Brahm. (Bold,
Bagnall)
- simplex, F. (Bold)
vulgaris, Zsch. (Bold)
sericea, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
- discolor, Pz. (Bold)
Hzmonia, Curt.
curtisi.Lac. Grtatbam (Gard-
ner)
Lcma, F.
- cyanella, L. (Bold)
lichenis,Vcet. G/Ar/<&(Bagnall)
melanopa, L. (Bold)
Clythra, Laich.
- quadripunctata, L. (Bold,
Cryptocephalus, Geof.
bipunctatus, L.; v. lincola, F.
Castle Eden Dene (Ornsby's
Durham)
aureolus, Suf. Not common
(Bold)
- hypochxridis, L. Manden
(Handcock)
morxi, L. Castle Eden Dene
(Wailes)
fulvus, Goez. One specimen,
near Winlatm (Bagnall)
- labiatus, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Chrysomela, L.
- marginata, L. (Bold)
staphylea, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
polita, L. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
orichalcia, Mall. (Bold,
Bagnall)
v. hobsoni, Steph. South Hyl-
ton, very rare and local
(Bagnall)
hxmoptcra, L. (Bold)
varians, Schal. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Chrysomela, L.
fastuosa, Scop. (Bold)
didymata, Scrib. (Bold,
Gardner)
hyperici, Forst. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Melasoma, Steph.
:eneum, L. Durham (Orns-
by's Durham), Sharnberty
Gill, not uncommon on
alders (Gardner)
Phytodecta, Kirb.
viminalis, L. Durham (Orns-
by's Durham)
olivacea, Forst. (Bold)
pallida, L. (Bold)
Gastroidea, Hope.
viridula, De G. (Bold)
polygon!, L. (Bold) Winlatm
(Bagnall, Gardner) f
tenella, L. (Bold, Gardner)
Adimonia, Laich.
tanaceti, L. (Bold, Gardner)
Sermyla, Chap.
halensis, L. (Bold, Gard-
ner). Also greenish purple
variety
Longitarsus, Lat.
luridus, Scop. Near Stvakucll
(Bagnall)
brunneus, Duft. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
Longitarsus, Lat.
suturellus, Duft. v. fusci-
collis, Steph. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
atricillus, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
melanocephalus, De G. (Bold,
Bagnall)
suturalis, Mars. Rare (Bold)
femoralis, Marsh. Not com-
mon (Bold, Bagnall)
pusillus, Gyll. (Bold)
jacobasae, Wat. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
ochroleucus, Marsh. Sparing-
ly on the coast (Bold)
laevis, Duft. (Bold)
Haltica, Geof.
ericeti, Al. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
pusilla, Duft. (Bagnall,
Gardner)
Phyllotreta, Foud.
undulata, Kuts. This is the
Turnip Fly of this district.
(Bold, Bagnall, Gardner)
nemorum, L. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
tetrastigma, Com. (Bold)
exclamationis,Thunb. (Bold)
Aphthona, Chev.
atroccerulea, Steph. Hartle-
pool (Hardy)
Batophila, Foud.
rubi, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall)
Sphaeroderma, Steph.
testacea, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
cardui, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Apteropeda, Redt.
orbiculata, Marsh. (Bold)
Mniophila, Steph.
muscorum, Koch. (Bold)
Mantura, Steph.
rustica, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Crepidodera, Chev.
tranversa, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
ferruginea, Scop. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
rufipes, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
helxines, L. (Bold, Gardner)
aurata, Marsh. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
Hippuriphila, Foud.
modeeri, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Plectroscelis, Redt.
concinna, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall)
Psylliodes, Lat.
chrysocephala, L. (Bold,
Bagnall)
napi, Koch. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
cuprea, Koch. Coast (Bold)
affinis, Pk. (Bold)
marcida, 111. Coast (Bold)
picina, Marsh. Rare (Bold)
Cassida, L.
sanguinolenta, F. Very rare
(Bold)
fiaveola, Thunb. Not com-
mon (Bold)
viridis, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
TENEBRIONIDjE
_
mucronata, Lat. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Scaphidema, Redt.
metallicum, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner, Bagnall)
Tenebrio, L.
molitor, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Corder)
obscurus, F. (Bold)
Alphitobius, Steph.
diaperinus, Pz. In shops, im-
ported, and in deep hot
coalmines (Bold)
piceus, Ol. In grain ware-
houses, Hartlefool (Gard-
ner)
Gnathocerus, Thunb.
cornutus, F. In bakehouses
(Bold)
1 10
Tribolium, McL.
ferrugineum, F. Imported in
sugar (Bold). Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Palorus, Duv.
ratzeburgi, Wiss. In shops.
Introduced. (Bold)
Helops, F.
striatus, Fourc. Gibside
(Handcock) ; Lockhaugh,
one specimen in grass
(Bagnall)
LAGRIID^E
Lagria, F.
hirta, L. (Bold, Gardner)
CISTELID^E
Cistela, F.
murina, L. Wlnktm Mill
(Bagnall), Hartlepool '(Gard-
ner)
MELANDRYID-ffi
Tetratoma, F.
fungorum, F. TeesJale (Gard-
ner)
ancora, F. (I Wailes)
Orchesia, Lat.
micans, Pz. (Bagnall, Gard-
ner)
Clinocara, Th.
tetratoma, Th. Stvalwell
(Bold)
undulata, Kr. Very local,
often in numbers (Bagnall)
Melandrya, F.
caraboides, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
flexuosa, Pk. Teesdale (Gard-
ner)
PYTHID^E
Salpingus, Gyll.
castaneus, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
aeratus, Muls. (? Gardner)
ater, Pk. (Bold)
Rhinosimus, Lat.
ruficollis, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
viridipennis, Steph. (Bold,
Bagnall)
planirostris, F. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
(EDEMERID^E
CEdemera, Ol.
lurida, Marsh. Durham
(Ornsby's Durham)
INSECTS
Nacerdes, Schm.
melanura, L. Sunderland and
South Shieldt (Bold). Very
abundant on Quayside,
Hartlepool (Gardner)
PYROCHROID.E
Pyrochroa, Geof.
serraticornis, Scop. (Bold,
Gardner)
MORDELLID^E
Anaspis, Geof.
- frontalis, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
pulicaria, Costa. Very rare
(Bold)
rufilabris, Gyll.
geoffroyi, Mall. Rare (Bold)
ruficollis, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
costs, Emery. Rare (Bold)
subtestacea, Steph. (Bold)
macula ta, Fourc. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
RHIPIDOPHORID^E
Metcecus, Gers.
paradozus, L. Not common
(Bold) Lockbaugh. Very
rare (Bagnall), Castle Eden
Dent (Trechmann)
ANTHICID.fi
Anthicus, Pk.
floralis, L. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner)
MELOttX<E
MeloC, L.
proscarabzus, L. (Bold,
Bagnall)
violaceus, Marsh. Blanchland
Moor (Bagnall), Teesdale
(Gardner)
ANTHRIBIOE
Macroccphalus, Ol.
albinus, L. Gibside, of old,
not lately (Bold, Corder)
CURCULIONID.fi
Apoderus, Ol.
- coryli, L. Castle Eden Dene
(Ornsby's Durham)
Attclabus, L.
curculionoidcs, L. Wtnktm
Mill, on hazel ; Lockhaugh,
etc. (Bagnall)
Byctiscus, Th.
betuleti, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
TeesJale (Gardner)
Rhynchites, Schn.
zneovirens, Marsh. Winlaton
Mill (Bagnall)
cceruleus, De G. Rare (Bold)
minutus, Hbst. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
pauxillus, Germ. Very rare
(Bold)
nanus, Pk. Not common
(Bold, Bagnall)
uncinatus, Th. Rather rare
(Bold)
Deporaus, Leach.
megacephalus, Germ. Dur-
ham (Ornsby's Durham)
Apion, Hbst.
craccz, L. Swatoell (Hardy)
cerdo, Gers. Gibtide (Bold)
ubulatum, Kirb. (Bold)
ulicis, Font. (Bold)
cruentatum, Walt. (Bold)
hzmatodes, Kirb. (Bold)
pallipcs, Kirb. Very rare.
(Bold) Hartlepool (Gardner)
rufirostre, F. Very rare
(Bold)
vicise, Pk. (Bold)
varipes, Germ. Very rare
(Bold)
apricans, Hbst. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
assimile, Kirb. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
trifolii, L. Rare (Bold)
dichroum, Bed. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
nigritarse, Kirb. (Bold)
sorbi, F. Very rare (Bold)
amcum, F. (Bold)
radiolus, Kirb. (Bold)
onopordi, Kirb. (Bold,
Gardner)
carduorum, Kirb. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
virens,Hbst. (Bold, Gardner)
punctigerum, Pk. (Bold)
pisi, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
aethiops, Hbst. (Bold, Gard-
ner).
striatum, Kirb. (Bold)
immune, Kirb. (Bold)
ononis, Kirb. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
spencei, Kirb. (Bold)
ervi, Kirb. (Bold)
Apion, Hbst.
vonut, Hbst. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
gyllenhali, Kirb. Very rare
(Bold)
unicolor, Kirb. (Bold)
loti, Kirb. (Bold, Gardner)
seniculum, Kirb. (Bold)
marchicum, Hbst. Rare
(Bold, Bagnall, Gardner)
afiinc, Kirb. (Bold, Bagnall)
III
Apion, Hbst.
violaceum, Kirb. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
humile, Germ. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Otiorhynchus, Germ.
atroapterus, De G. (Bold)
Hartlepool (Gardner)
maurus, Gyll. (Corder)
raucus, F. Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
ligneus, Ol. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
picipes, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
sulcatus, F. Wmlaton (Bagnall)
ligustici, L. Hartlepool, rare
(Gardner)
rugifrons, Gyll. (Bold,
Corder, Gardner)
ovatus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
muscorum, Bris. (Bold,
Gardner)
Trachyphkeus, Germ.
aristatus, Gyll. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
scaber, L. (Bold, Gardner,
Bagnall)
scabriculus, L. (Hardy,
Gardner)
Strophosomus, Sch.
coryli, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
capitatus, De G. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
retusus, Marsh. (Bold)
faber, Hbst. (Bold, Bagnall)
lateralis, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Omias, Sch.
mollinus, Boh. Near Swakvell
(Hardy), Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
Brachysomus, Steph.
echinatus, Bons. (Bold,
Gardner)
Sciaphilus, Steph.
muricatus, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
Tropiphorus, Sch.
tomentosus, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
Liophlceus, Germ.
nubilus, F. (Bagnall, Gard-
ner)
Polydrusus, Germ.
micans, F. (Bold, Gardner)
tereticollis, De G. (Bold,
Gardner)
pterygomalis, Sch. (Bold,
Bagnall)
cervinus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Phyllobius, Sch.
oblongus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Phyllobius, Sch.
- calcaratus, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
urticze, De G. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
- pyri, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- argentatus, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
- maculicornis, Germ. (Bold,
Gardner)
pomonae,Ol. (Bold, Gardner)
- viridiseris, Laich. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
- viridicollis, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Tanymecus, Sch.
- palliatus, F. (Bold). Great-
ham, one specimen (Gard-
ner)
Philopedon, Steph.
geminatus, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Atactogenus, Tourn.
- exaratus, Marsh. (Bold)
Barynotus, Germ.
- obscurus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- schonherri, Zett. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
elevatus, Marsh. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Alophus, Sch.
- triguttatus, F. (Bold)
Sitones, Sch.
griseus, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
regensteinensis, Hbst. (Bold,
Bagnall)
- lineellus, Gyll. Hartlepool
(Blatch, Gardner)
- tibialis,Hbst. (Bold,Gardner)
hispidulus, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
humeralis, Steph. (Bold,
Gardner)
- meliloti, Walt. Rare, South
Shields (Bold)
flavescens, Marsh. (Bold)
- puncticollis, Steph. (Bold,
Gardner)
- suturalis, Steph. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
- lineatus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
sulcifrons, Thunb. (Bold,
Gardner)
Limobius, Sch.
dissimilis, Hbst. Not com-
mon (Bold). Hartlepool, at
the roots of Geranium
sanguineum (Gardner)
Hypera, Germ.
punctata, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
fascictilata, Hbst. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Hypera, Germ.
rumicis, L. (Bold)
polygon!, L. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
suspiciosa, Hbst. (Bold,
Bagnall)
- variabilis, Hbst. (Bold)
plantaginis, De G. (Bold)
trilineata, Marsh. Not fre-
quent (Bold). Birtley, plen-
tiful (Robson, Gardner)
nigrirostris, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Cleonus, Sch.
sulcirostris, L. (Bold). Com-
mon (Gardner)
Liosoma, Steph.
ovatulum, Clair. (Bold,
Gardner)
Curculio, L.
- abietis, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Pissodes, Germ.
- pini, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- notatus, F. Sunderland, pro-
bably introduced in Scotch
timber ships (Kirwood)
gyllenhali, SchOn. Found
by a miner in a colliery
woodyard, who exhibited
it as ' The Norway Wood
Louse ' (Bold)
piniphilus, Hbst. Sunderland,
imported in timber ships ;
(Bold).ff<?r/&/<w/(Gardner)
Orchestes, 111.
quercus, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
scutellaris, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
fagi, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
rusci, Hbst. (Bold)
stigma, Germ. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
- salicis, L. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
- saliceti, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
Rhamphus, Clair.
flavicornis, Clair. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
Orthochxtes, Germ.
setiger, Beck. Durham (Bold)
Grypidius, Steph.
equiseti, F. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
Erirhinus, Sch.
bimaculatus, F. Greatham,
one specimen (Gardner)
acridulus L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Dorytomus, Steph.
vorax,F. Rare (Bold, Gard-
ner)
tortrix, L. Durham (Bold,
Bagnall)
112
Dorytomus, Steph.
hirtipennis, Bed. Castle Eden
Dene (Ornsby's Durham)
validirostris, Gyll. (Bagnall,
Gardner)
maculatus, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
- melanophthalmus, Pk. v.
agnathus, Boh. Axwell
Park (Bold)
- pectoralis, Gyll. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
majalis, Pk. Castle Eden Dene
(Bold)
Bagous, Sch.
alismatis, Marsh. (Bold)
Anoplus, Sch.
plantaris, Naez. (Bold)
Miccotrogus, Sch.
picirostris, F. Very rare.
Marsden. (Hardy)
Gymnetron, Sch.
beccabungje, L. Not abun-
dant (Bold)
labilis, Hbst. (Bold)
Mecinus, Germ.
pyraster, Hbst. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Anthonomus, Germ.
ulmi, De G. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
pedicularius, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
pomorum, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
rubi, Hbst. (Bold)
comari, Crotch. (Bold)
Cionus, Clair.
scrophularise, L. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
blattariae, F. Durham (Orns-
by's Durham)
pulchellus,Hbst. (Bold, Rob-
son, Bagnall, Gardner)
Orobitis, Germ.
cyaneus, L. Not common
(Bold)
Cryptorhynchus, 111.
lapathi, L. (Bold)
Acalles, Steph.
ptinoides, Marsh. Gibside,
very rare. (Bold)
Cosliodes, Sch.
rubicundus, Hbst. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
quercus, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
ruber, Marsh. (Bold, Bagnall)
cardui, Hbst. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
quadrimaculatus, L. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
geranii, Pk. (Hardy, Bagnall,
Gardner)
exiguus, Ol. (Bold)
Poophagus, Sch.
sisymbrii, F. (Bold)
INSECTS
Ccuthorhynchus, Duv.
- assimilis, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall,
Gardner)
ericae, Gyll. (Bold)
erysimi, F. (Bold)
contractus, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
quadridens, Pz. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
geographicus, Goez. Rare.
(Bold)
pollinarius, FOrst. (Bold,
Bagnall)
pleurostigma, Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall, Gardner)
marginatus, Pk. (Bold)
rugulosus, Hbst. Rare (Bold,
Gardner)
asperifoliarum, Gyll. (Bold,
Bagnall)
litura, F. (Bold) Dertoent
Valle) and Weardale (Bag-
nall)
Ceuthorhynchidius, Duv.
floralis, Pk. (Bold, Bagnall)
pyrrhorhynchus, Marsh. Not
common (Bold)
melanarius, Steph. Durham
(Ornsby's Durham)
terminatus, Hbst. Rare.
(Bold)
Ccuthorhynchidins, Duv.
horridus, F. Very rare.
Wcstoe (Bold)
troglodytes, F. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
Rhinoncus, Steph.
pericarpius, L. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
gramincus, F. Very rare.
South Shields (Bold), Har-
tlffool (Gardner)
perpendicularis, Reich. (Bold)
castor, F. Gibside, rare.
(Bold)
Litodactylns, Redt.
leucogaster, Marsh. (Bold)
Phytobius, Schm.
4-tuberculatus, F. (Bold,
Gardner)
Limnobaris, Bed.
t-album, L. (Bold)
Balaninus, Germ.
villosus, F. Rare. (Bold)
salicivorus, Pk. (Bold, Bag-
nail)
Calandra, Clair.
granaria, L. (Bold)
oryzz, L. Imported (Bold)
Magdalis, Germ.
carbonaria, L. Near Gtbslde
Bold)
Magdalis, Germ.
armigera, Fourc. (Bold)
SCOLYTID.E
Scolytus, MQll.
destructor, Ol. (Bold)
Hylastes, Er.
ater, Pk. (Bold)
opacus, Er. Rare (Bold)
- palliatus, Gyll. (Bold)
Hylesinus, F.
crenatus, F. (Bold, Bagnall)
fraxini, Pz. (Bold, Bagnall)
vittatus, F. Gtbstde (Hardy)
Myelophilus, Eich.
piniperda, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
Phlocophthorus, Mall.
rhododactyIus,Marsh. (Bold,
Bagnall)
Dryocaetes, Eich.
villosus, F. Gibside (Bold)
Tomicus, Lat.
laricis, F. Byermoor (John-
son) imported
Pityogenes, Bed.
chalcographus, L. Sunderland
(Kirwood)
bidentatus, Hbst. (Bold)
Trypodendron, Steph.
domesticum,L.(Bold,Bagnall)
LEPIDOPTERA
ButterJKii and Moths
Though the surface characteristics of Durham will be discussed under other heads, it
appears desirable to refer briefly here to those affecting the Lepidopterous fauna. Durham
is not one of the larger counties of England, having a superficial area of less than a thousand
square miles, but this includes an unusual diversity of surface. It has a coast-line of some
thirty-five miles. The river Tees is the southern boundary of the county, and on the
Durham side of the river mouth is an extensive salt marsh, with characteristic plants and
insects. From this point to Seaton Carew, the southern boundary of the Hartlepools, is about
six miles. Following the windings of the shore, the Hartlepools take about other six miles ;
from their northern boundary it is nearly ten to Seaham Harbour, this distance being occupied
with banks of blown sand, alternating with limestone cliffs and earthy banks. The cliffs are
worn in several places, by the action of small streams of water, into ravines, locally called
' Denes.' Some of these are of considerable length, have well-wooded sides, and afford shelter
to a great variety of insects. Castle Eden Dene, the largest of these ravines, winds inward
for several miles. It is not only the longest, but is the widest of all, and has long been known
as a famous habitat of Lepidoptera. Hesleden Dene, a few miles nearer Hartlepool, is
of considerable length, but is not nearly so wide, nor so favourable for collectors, being without
open paths. Hawthorn Dene is nearer Seaham Harbour, but is less extensive and has been
very little examined, being inconvenient of access. There are many other smaller places along
the coast, the shorter ravines being called ' Gills.* After this range of cliffs and sand banks,
we reach Seaham Harbour, over ten miles to the north of Hartlepool. A few miles further
north, and we reach Sunderland, Ryhope Dene lying between these towns. Seven or eight
miles further is South Shields, on the south side of the river Tyne, which forms the boundary
to the north. The longest stretch of shore, unbroken by town or even village, is between
Hartlepool and Seaham Harbour, and there, and in the Denes, a great variety of insects may
be found. At Hartlepool, Sunderland, and South Shields are extensive ' Ballast Hills,' formed
i "3 J 5
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
of dredgings from various rivers and other materials brought as ballast by sailing ships. These,
as laid down, are overgrown with a vast variety of plants, many of which are not indigenous
to Durham ; and it would almost appear as though pupae had been brought in the ballast, as
well as seeds of strange plants, for many insects have occurred at these places that are not
otherwise known, some of which appear to have established themselves.
Westward from the coast the land gradually rises, and after a wide expanse of arable and
pasture land, well wooded in places, we reach boggy moors, and high basaltic cliffs, almost
mountainous in altitude. Thus we have in Durham a littoral fauna, that pertaining to
cultivated land and to woods, and the fauna more closely allied with moor and mountain. A
deposit of coal underlies much of the county, which has been extensively mined, and in all
places where the pits open, large piles of waste accumulate. These take fire and burn for
many years, sending forth volumes of sulphurous smoke, which exercises a very deleterious
influence on all vegetable life for a considerable distance around. These have unquestionably
caused the disappearance of Lepidoptera in their districts. The growth of towns, and increase
of large works, sending forth volumes of smoke and vapour, have also had a very injurious
effect. In the suburbs, white butterflies and similar species occur freely enough, but others
need more secluded haunts. In many other ways the district is being altered. Even the
swamp at the mouth of the Tees is being pumped for brine, and roads and railways are
reaching even the most out-of-the-way places.
RHOPALOCERA
Butterflies
The most noteworthy fact with regard to the butterflies of Durham to-day is the large
number that have disappeared during the Victorian era. Of the thirty-five butterflies
enumerated below, it would now be quite impossible to capture half of that number, even in
a most favourable season ; in fact, I doubt if many more than a dozen could be got with
certainty, even by visiting certain restricted haunts.
The Common Whites, Pieris brassiere and rapa, are found everywhere except on the
higher moorland. They are most abundant in the outskirts of towns and villages, and about
market gardens, where cabbage and nasturtium are grown. The Green-veined White,
P. napi, is also common, but it is more frequently found in woods and country lanes than near
towns. The Orange-tip, Anthocaris cardamines, is generally common, but never so plentiful as
the preceding. It disappeared from the coast district about 1860, but has gradually returned to
its old haunts and is again plentiful there. The Clouded Yellow, Colias edusa t is but a casual,
occasional visitor, generally appearing when extra large swarms are visiting the south. In
1870, the great Edusa year, it was quite common in all parts of the county, and certainly bred
here, the imago, in perfect condition, being plentiful in the autumn, and a few apparently
hybernating, and appearing in the following spring. The Brimstone, Gonopteryx rhamni, is
not a native of this part of England ; indeed, the food-plant does not grow wild in Durham,
and only one or two stray specimens of the butterfly have been noticed within the boundaries
of the county.
The Silver-washed Fritillary, Argynnis paphia, was taken in Castle Eden Dene at least as
late as 1855. It also occurred at Gibside and other places in the north-west of the county.
In 1853 it was taken at Darlington, but I have seen no more recent records than these,
even of stray specimens. The Dark Green Fritillary, A. agtaia, was formerly comparatively
common, occurring in Castle Eden and Hesleden Denes, and on the coast at Black Hall
Rocks, and elsewhere. It was common, also, in most of the cultivated area within the
county, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, and various places in the Derwent Valley. It
has now quite left the coast, but is still plentiful in the Wear Valley, and westward. At
Byers Green a very fine dark variety was taken some years ago by Mr. Thomas Hann. It was
all suffused with dark scales, not like the Vahzina variety of Paphia, but a rich, dark fulvous.
The Pearl-bordered Fritillary, A. euphrosyne, was formerly common in all parts of the county.
It disappeared from Castle Eden Dene and other coast localities in the early sixties, but it
is still common in the west, and especially in the north-west. It is abundant about Stanley,
and larva; may be found freely. The small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, A. se/ene, was also widely
distributed and common, but not so abundant as Euphrosyne. It still occurs about the western
portions of the county and adjoining district. A specimen was taken in Hesleden Dene some
114
INSECTS
fifteen years ago, the only one I know of there. A. adippe has been several times recorded
as occurring in the Wear Valley. I have investigated every case that came under my notice,
and always found the examples so-called were only Aglala. I mention this here to avoid
subsequent error. The Greasy Fritillary, Mellt&a artemis, was formerly common at Black
Hall Rocks, near Hartlepool ; at Flass, near Durham ; at High Force, Upper Teesdale, and a
few other places. It disappeared from Black Halls in the early sixties, and I have seen no
record of its appearance elsewhere since 1872. The Comma, Vanessa c-ali>um t was an
abundant insect in Castle Eden Dene fifty years ago, and occurred more sparingly in a few
places in the west of the county. I have seen it so plentiful that they were shouldering each
other on the Scabious flowers, and I have taken five specimens at one stroke of my net. I
know of no records for at least forty years. The Small Tortoiseshell, V. urtica, is common
everywhere, and the larvae may be found on every bed of nettles. It is locally called the
King William. Of the Large Tortoiseshell, V. po/ycklaros, an old work speaks as if it were a
regular resident in the woods in the vale of the North Tyne. During the last fifty or sixty
years but one or two wandering specimens have been seen. The Camberwell Beauty,
V. . autiopa, has been casually taken in all parts of the county, especially near the coast. ' About
the year 1820' the late William Backhouse found this species in vast numbers on the sands at
Seaton Carew, washing in with the tide. Some were dead, but many were still living. The
late George Wailes, who wrote a ' List of the Butterflies of Northumberland and Durham ' in
the Transactions of the Tyneside Natural History Society, referred to a friend who professed to
know the species well and called it the ' White Petticoats.' This is a very appropriate name,
and Mr. Wailes argued from these facts that the species was then a well-known and regular
resident. I doubt if Lepidopterists would consider these sufficient evidence now. On
8 February, 1869, a specimen was taken near Castle Eden, by Mr. Barren, a woodman,
who was burning some undergrowth, among which the insect had evidently retired for
hybernation. It was much worn, but was evidently hybernating. The Peacock, V '. io, was
widely distributed half a century ago, but it left us with the others in the early sixties,
and only odd specimens have been seen since. Mr. Barrett thinks this species dislikes
manufacturing districts and large towns ; but that would not explain its absence from the west
and north-west of the county, nor from the wide coast area between Hartlepool and Seaham
Harbour. The Red Admiral, V. atalanta, disappeared with the last, but it has gradually
returned, and occurs in all parts of the county now. I have seen it far up the Teesdale
Hills. The Painted Lady, V. cardui, appears at intervals, occasionally in large numbers, and
is met with in every part of the county. It does not appear able to perpetuate its race, and
long intervals sometimes elapse without it being seen. I have observed the larvas in November
on withered thistles, where there was no chance of their being able to feed up. It was
unusually abundant in the autumn of 1 903, after several years of absence.
The Mountain Ringlet, Ereb'ta blandina, was, I believe, first described as a British insect
from specimens taken at Castle Eden Dene. It still occurs there, even down to the mouth of
the Dene, scarcely above the level of the sea, and all the way up the gill to open woods at
Thornley and Wellfield stations. There it is plentiful, and in the wood to the west of the
railway, but it does not occur beyond the turnpike road to Wingate, which passes through the
wood, though the portion to the west of this road appears to be of precisely the same character.
The Speckled Wood, Satyrus ageria, was the earliest butterfly to leave the county. It
formerly occurred in all the woods and denes, but left us altogether quite ten years prior to
any other species. The Wall, S. megiera, was plentiful all over the county up to 1 86 1 . On
the coast it was perhaps the commonest butterfly. It disappeared quite suddenly in 1861, and
has never returned. The Grayling, S. semele, was also well distributed along the coast,
wherever the locality was suitable. It was plentiful on the limestone cliffs, and equally so on
the ballast hills. It left us gradually, seeming slowly to die out. The last was seen at Black
Hall Rocks some ten or twelve years ago. The Meadow Brown, S. janira, is yet common in
all grassy places, continuing on the wing till September. The Gate Keeper, 5. tithonus, is still
plentiful in many places, but it has gone from some of its old haunts, and seems to be gradually
disappearing. The Ringlet, 5. hyperanthus, has gone altogether. It was common enough fifty
years ago. The last specimen I took was the variety arete, being entirely without rings.
This was taken on the railway side, near Hart Station. The Marsh Ringlet, Chortobius davus,
is common on the higher moors in the west. It is fairly intermediate between the dark
Lancashire form, with many distinct rings, and the light Scotch form, with few or none. The
Small Heath, C. pamphi/us, occurs everywhere, and is common from June to September. A
variety of the underside with a dark fascia behind the tip spot is comparatively common. This
"5
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
fascia sometimes spreads and makes the entire underside dark. It does not appear to affect the
upper side at all.
The Purple Hair Streak, Tbecla quercus, occurs only in the north-west of the county,
about Gibside and the Derwent Valley. It is far from common, and is the only Hair Streak
occurring in the county. The Copper, Polyommatus phlteas, is plentiful. Varieties approaching
Schmidtii have been met with near Hartlepool and elsewhere. The Brown Argus, Lyctena
agestis, occurs on the coast, extending up the Denes almost as far as they run. The local
form, which is generally without the orange marginal spots, was considered distinct, and was
named salmacls by Stephens. Artaxerxes, the Scotch White Spot, occurs occasionally, and
sometimes has, as well as the type, the marginal row of orange spots. I have twice taken a
variety in which the spots on the underside are without the white line around them. The
insect is slowly disappearing from the banks at Black Halls. It has already left Marsden, but
it is still plentiful between Black Halls and Seaham Harbour. The Common Blue, Lycana
a/exis, is very common everywhere. The Little Blue, L. alsus, was well distributed over the
county, and still occurs at a few places. The Holly Blue, L. argiolus, was also well dis-
tributed, occurring apparently everywhere. There has been no record of its capture for over
fifty years.
The Dingy Skipper, Thanaos tages, is tolerably well distributed, and there are few places
where it may not be taken. The Common Skipper, Hesperia sylvanus, has been taken at
Darlington, Castle Eden Dene, and other places. The last I know of were taken in Castle
Eden Dene in 1860, and in Hesleden Dene in 1861.
HETEROCERA
Moths
NOCTURNI
The Eyed Hawk Moth, Smerinthus ocellatus, has occurred occasionally, but it is not a
resident species, though the larvae have been met with more than once. The Poplar Hawk
Moth, S. populi y is abundant everywhere. The Death's Head, Acherontia atropos, occurs all
over, not regularly, but almost every year. I have had the imago brought me that had come
on board fishing boats at sea. The larvae is also occasionally found. The Convolvulus Hawk,
Sphinx convolvuli, is rarer than the last, and generally occurs singly. The larva has never
been met with, but in the adjoining county more than fifty were found on a hedge overgrown
with Convolvulus septum. The Privet Hawk, S. /igustri, was once found, unexpanded, in a
street in Hartlepool. It ought to occur in the Denes, where privet abounds, but we have
never found it. The Bedstraw Hawk, Deleiphila ga/ii, has been taken on the coast whenever
the insect has appeared in Britain. The larvae has also been found on the Bedstraw more than
once. D. lineata has been recorded three times near Sunderland, by the late William Back-
house, on the moor at Hartlepool in 1888, and again there in 1896. Chtsrocampa celerlo has
been met with a few times in the same way. The Small Elephant, C. porcellus, was formerly
common along the coast, and may probably occur yet, between Black Halls and Seaham
Harbour, but there are no records for several years. A single specimen of C. nerii was taken
by Mr. Gardner at Hartlepool on 23 July, 1885. The Humming Bird Hawk, Macroglossa
stellatarum, is generally common on the coast, but much rarer inland. M. bombyliformis
appears to occur near Durham city. It was taken at Shull over fifty years ago by the late
William Backhouse ; Mr. Wood also took it near Durham (E. W. I., i. 150). Mr. Hedworth
saw it in May, 1869, near Winlaton Mill. I know of no more recent records. Sesia formic<e-
formis, the Red-tipped Clearwing, has been taken once, by Mr. Thomas Pigg, who took three
on an umbelliferous plant at Gibside. It also occurs in the Chester-le-Street district. S. tipuli-
formis, the Currant Clearwing, is commoner, and no doubt occurs in old gardens in many
parts of the county. It has been taken at Darlington, Wolsingham, and Durham city.
S. bembeciformis occurs commonly in most parts of the county. S. apiformis was taken once
near High Force, Upper Teesdale, by the late William Backhouse, over fifty years ago. The
Goat Moth, Cossus ligniperda, is sparingly distributed about the county. All the genus Hepialus
occur freely. The Golden Swift, H. hectus, in woods and denes, flying at sunset for a few
minutes only. The Common Swift, H. lupulinus, is most abundant everywhere. The
Beautiful Swift, H. sylvinus, is perhaps the least plentiful ; it occurs in open ground in August.
The Northern Swift, H. ve/Ieda, in woods and open ground. The Ghost, H. humuli, is the
most abundant of all, the male flying everywhere in its endeavour to attract the female. The
116
INSECTS
Forester, Inn statices, occurs at Gibside ; near Darlington ; and at other places away from the sea.
/. gtryon is abundant on the sea banks from Black Halls, northward, but not inland. Zygeena
lonictrte at Shull and other places well in the centre of the county. Z. filipendul<e appears to
be common everywhere. The Lithosidte are very sparingly represented, most of the specimens
captured being but single stray specimens. Nudaria mundana is the only common member of
the family. It does not occur on nor even very near the coast, but is very abundant west-
ward. The late John Sang took Litboiia hetueola once at lamps at Darlington. L. complana
was taken by the late William Backhouse, both at Darlington and Seaton Carew, over fifty
years ago, but it has not been recorded again. L. complanula was taken at Hartlepool in 1873.
I took it again in 1876, and one or two more were taken by others at the same time.
Common as it is generally, I have seen no later record. (Enistis quadra occurred oddly, in
different parts of the county, from 1872 to 1875, in which year I took six. It has not been
seen since.
EucheKa jacobeea, the Cinnabar, occurs all along the coast, but is not nearly so common as
it was fifty years ago. It has not been recorded inland. Euthemonia russula, the Clouded Buff,
is found on the moors in the extreme west of the county. It has been recorded for Shull and
for Wolsingham, and occurs elsewhere. Nemeophila p/antaginis, the Wood Tiger, occurs on
the coast and on the moors. It is especially abundant on the railway banks near Hartlepool,
but is being gradually driven away by the growth of the town. The Common Tiger, Arctia
caja, abounds everywhere in the larval state. Specimens with dark and yellow hind wings
have been reared. An example, entirely black, was reared from a Hartlepool larvae. The
Ruby Tiger, Phragmatobia foliginosa, occurs all over the county, generally in some numbers.
The Muslin (Spilosoma mena'ica) occurs all over the county, extending quite to Upper Teesdale.
The Buff and White Ermines (S. lubrlcepeda and menthrastri) are generally common. I have
taken the dark form of menthastri near Throston. The Brown Tail (Liparis chrysorrhtea) is
but a casual visitor. It was taken at Darlington quite fifty years ago by the late William Back-
house. In 1875 several were taken, two at South Shields and I got about a dozen at Hartlepool.
It has not been seen since. The Gold Tail (. auriflua} was taken in 1875 at South Shields
and recorded as new by Mr. Eales in error. It is common about Hartlepool and Greatham and
westward to Bishop Auckland and Upper Teesdale. The Satin Moth (L. sa/icis) occurred in
1875 both at South Shields and Hartlepool, but it has not been recorded since. The Dark
Tussock (Orygia fasce/ina) is found in the west of the county, about Shull, Wolsingham, etc.
A solitary larva was found on the Sea Banks near Hesleden Dene mouth in 1859. The
Vapourer (O. antiqua) is common in all the county, the larva feeding on hawthorn generally,
and on Rosa spinosissima on the sand banks. The Pale Oak Eggar (Trichiura crattegi) is given
in Stainton's Manual as occurring at Darlington, and it is in the list in Ornsby's Durham, but
I have no other knowledge of its appearance in the county. The December Moth (Pcecilo-
campa popult) is well distributed over the county, but it is in the perfect state at a time when
collectors are not much on the look out, and most of our specimens are bred. The Small
Eggar (Erlogaster lanestris) is common, but, emerging in February, it is seldom seen on the
wing, and, like the last, most of our specimens are reared. The Lackey (Bombyx neustria) has
only twice been taken at South Shields. The Oak Eggar (B. quercus] is tolerably common.
It generally passes one winter as a larva and the next as pupa. The Fox Moth (B. rubii) is
common on the sandhills and on all moors and heaths, sometimes very abundant. I bred some
very curious varieties a few years ago. The Drinker (Odonestis potataria) is common generally,
out does not occur in the Auckland district. A specimen of the Small Lappet (Gastropacha
iiicifo/ia) was sold in 1895 in Dr. Wheeler's collection, labelled ' Castle Eden, J. Sang.' I
have grave doubts, not that the specimen was British, but as to the place where it is said to
have occurred, and of its reputed captor. It was much more likely to have been taken in
Upper Teesdale, but it certainly was not a species that Mr. Sang ever had in duplicate or ever
took. The Emperor Moth (Saturnia carpini) is abundant on the moors in the west, but
rarely occurs elsewhere.
GEOMETRY
The Swallow-Tail Moth (Ourapteryx tambucata) is well distributed in Durham, but
never very common. Ep'tone veipertaria has occurred sparingly in most parts of the county.
Rumia crat&gata, the Brimstone, is abundant everywhere. PenU'ia maculata was taken by
Mr. Sang around Darlington, but no one else appears to have met with it. The Light
Emerald (Metrocampa margaritata) is common in woods everywhere. The Barred Red
(Ellopia faiciaria) is rare in Durham. It has been taken in Upper Teesdale ; at St. John's,
Weardale ; and at Edder Acres, near Hartlepool. A single specimen also came to the
117
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Hartlepool lighthouse. A solitary example of Eurymene dolobrarla was taken at little Polam,
Darlington, many years ago, by the late William Backhouse. Pericallla syringaria also has
only once been met with, a single specimen being taken by Mr. Hedworth in the north-west
of the county. It ought to occur in the denes on the coast, where privet grows freely.
The Common Thorn (Selenia illunaria] is common in most parts of the county. The Lunar
Thorn (S. lunarla) is decidedly rare. It has been recorded from several places, but appears only
to occur singly, and less than a dozen local specimens are known. Odontopera bidentata and
Crocallh elinguaria are both common, but least so near the coast. Four of the genus Ennomos
have been taken within the county, but none appear to have any station where they may always be
found. E. tiliaria, the Canary-Shouldered Thorn, has occurred over most of the county, but
always singly or very sparingly. E. fuscantaria was taken at Darlington in 1855. Two speci-
mens of E. erosaria are recorded : one in August 1873, at Hartlepool, by the late P. W. Robson,
and one at Thornley, in the north-west corner of the county, by the late W. Maling, two years later.
E. angularia has been taken only in the Derwent Valley, and very rarely there. The Feathered
Thorn (Himera pennaria) is widely distributed, but has only been taken singly. The Pale Brindled
Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) is well distributed and not uncommon, occurring from February to
April, according to the weather and locality. Nyaia hispidaria was reared recently from larvae
found by Mr. Sticks at Lintz Green. The Peppered Moth (Amphidasis betularia) is well
distributed, and the black variety, Doubledayaria, also occurs freely in most places. Intermediate
forms are quite rare. The Barred Umber (Hemerophila abruptaria) has occurred at Darlington
and Hartlepool. Chora lichenaria is marked in Stainton's Manuals being taken at Darlington.
I do not know the authority. Boarmia repandata is common everywhere, and the banded
variety conversaria is not very uncommon. B. rhomboidaria is equally plentiful, except on the
coast, where it is not often seen. Tephrosia crepuscularia is common in the denes, Castle
Eden and Hesleden particularly. I have seen no other record, but it is sure to occur. The
Little Emerald (lodts lactearia) is met with in the north-west and in the south-east of the
county, but is not common in either. The Common Emerald (Hemithea tbymiaria) has
occurred once at Darlington. Ephyra trilinearia has only once been taken in the north of
the county. E.punctaria is distributed over almost all the county, but is of very rare occurrence.
Asthena luteata occurs in the far west Upper Teesdale and along to Thornley Wood (near
Newcastle) in the north. It has never been seen near the coast. A. candtdata occurs commonly
in the denes, and in the Derwent area. It is not recorded elsewhere, but almost certainly
will be found. A. sylvata is recorded from Darlington in Stainton's Manual. A. bkmeri was
first taken in Castle Eden Dene, in July 1831. It may still be found there and in Hesleden
Dene. Euphteria heparata occurs sparingly in damp places. It has been met with at
Darlington, Hartlepool, and in the north-west of the county. Venwia cambrica is scarce and
very local, and only seems to have been taken in the south of the county. The rare Addalia
rubricata was taken at Winch Bridge, Upper Teesdale, in 1875, by Dr. Lees. The specimens
are in my possession. A. scutulata is widely distributed, but never very common. A. bhetata
is more numerous. A, trigeminata was taken once, two specimens. A. osseata is common on
the coast. It does not appear to have been taken elsewhere. A. virgularia is well distributed
and common. A. subsericeata is very abundant around Hartlepool, but does not occur else-
where within a distance of at least 100 miles. I took a single specimen of A. immutata at
Black Hall Rocks in 1895, and one only of A. remutata was taken nearer Hartlepool.
A.fumata, the Smoky Wave, is found in Upper Teesdale, as also is A. imitaria, the Small
Blood Vein. This has also been found at Darlington, and I took one in Hart Lane,
Hartlepool, and one in Upper Teesdale. A, aversata is the commonest of the genus in
Durham, occurring everywhere, and generally fairly plentiful. A. inornata occurs at Black
Hall Rocks and at Wolsingham, always sparingly. The Blood Vein (Bradypetes amataria) is
given in the Manual as occurring at Darlington. I have no personal knowledge of it. The
Cabera occur everywhere : pusaria among birch, exanthemaria among willow. The variety of
pusaria rotundaria is bred occasionally ; I have not known it taken on the wing. Macaria
liturata is well distributed, but not common. Halia wavaria is generally a garden insect,
but not always. It is tolerably common. Strenia clathrata is common on the coast, and
occurs occasionally elsewhere. A variety without cross-bars has been taken. Lozogramma
petraria is a moor insect, but is recorded here only from the coast at Ryhope Dene. Numeria
pulveraria is recorded from the woods on the Derwent, from Hoffall Wood, from Darlington,
and from Hesleden Dene. It is quite a scarce species. Mceua bclglaria is common on the
moors both of Teesdale and Weardale. It does not occur anywhere else. Only the two
common Fidonia occur ; atomaria on all the moors, piniaria in woods where there is plenty of
118
INSECTS
Scotch fir. Aspilatts strigil/aria was recorded at Shull by the late W. Backhouse over fifty
years ago. There are no more recent records, but it is certain to occur in the west. Abraxas
grossu/ariata occurs everywhere, and some curious varieties have been taken ; one with a
deep yellow ground at Byers Green, one nearly black at Throston, and others elsewhere.
Larvz nearly black occur at Shields and Sunderland, producing absolutely ordinary forms of
the imago. A. ulmata occurs plentifully in the denes and woods ; it varies considerably in
the depth and extent of the markings; but extreme forms do not occur, except that one
specimen was taken in Castle Eden Dene of an unusually pale character. Lomaspilis marginata
is common in woods. It is an excessively variable species, but extreme forms are rare. All
the Hybernid<e occur : rupicapraria and progremmaria common everywhere, leucophearia and
aurantiaria rare, defoliaria and Anisopteryx ascularia rare on the coast, but common inland.
The Winter Moth (Cheimatobia brumata) is abundant everywhere. C. boreata has only been
reported from Darlington, but it is certain to occur elsewhere. It occurs in Northumberland.
Oporabia dilutata is common everywhere ; O. JUigrammaria common on the moors ;
0. autumnaria has been taken only once or twice. Larentia didymata abounds everywhere.
L. multistrigaria is common along the coast, and wherever Galium verum grows freely.
L. casiata absolutely swarms on the higher moors in Upper Teesdale and Weardale.
L. flavmnctata is at present only recorded from the Middleton-in-Teesdale district. It
probably occurs in all the higher land. L. sallcaria has also been taken in Upper Teesdale,
but not commonly ; L. otivaria is tolerably common inland, but has not been taken near the
coast. L. miaria is the most generally distributed, and most plentiful of the genus, except
didymata. It occurs in woods all over the county. Nearly all the Emmtlesia occur : affinitata
and alchemillata in denes and woods, but neither very common ; albulata plentiful among
Rhinanthus chr'nta-galli ; decolorata decidedly scarce, but occurring, generally singly, almost
everywhere. Tteniata was first taken in Castle Eden Dene by the late J. C. Dale ; many
years passed and the late George Wailes was in the dene and found an Emmelesia flying very
freely ; thinking it to be albulata, he took two or three only, but on arriving at home, he
found they were tteniata ; he went the next day, but never saw one, nor did he meet with it
again. Hundreds of collectors have been since, but no one has taken it there again. Dr. Lees
met with it far up the hills in Upper Teesdale. Unifasciata was common at the foot of
Hart Lane, near Hartlepool, some forty years ago. It has not been taken recently, but is certain
to occur. Blandiata was once taken at Hartlepool. No less than twenty-eight species of the
genus Eupithecia have been met with in the county, viz., venosata, which has an old record
for Darlington, and has been taken at Hartlepool once or twice. Linariata has been reared at
Seaham Harbour and Hartlepool. Pulchellata, common wherever foxglove grows, more
particularly in the extreme west. It is never seen on the coast limestones. Centaureata is
well distributed, but local, and never very plentiful. Subfulvata is fairly common, occurring in
most places. Pygm<eata is given in the Manual as occurring at Darlington. Satyrata and
castigata are generally common. Lariciata is well distributed, but not very abundant.
Pimpinellata was only once taken at Hartlepool. Albipunctata and valerianta have been taken
at Hesleden Dene. Innotata has a little doubt attached to its occurrence, as only melanic
specimens are known, and they might be some other species, but there is every reason to
believe that it does occur. Indigata is widely distributed. Nanata is abundant on the moors,
and common on the coast wherever heather grows. Subnotata has been taken occasionally
about Hartlepool. Vulgata is tolerably common and is found all over the county. Abiynthiata
is only recorded from the coast, where it occurs for the entire length ; Minutata only in the
west, where it is plentiful on the moors. Aaimilata is a garden insect, and widely distributed,
but never very common. Tmulata is to be found in the larval state in all woods, but the
imago is seldom seen at large. Subciliata is given in the Manual as occurring at Darlington.
Abbreviata has occurred in most places, but always scarce. Exiguata is generally common
among whitethorn. Sobrinata occurs all along the coast and again on the hilly land in the
west. The food plant appears to be dying off on the cliffs, and the insect must of course
disappear also. Togata is on the list from a solitary specimen taken at a gas lamp at
Darlington by the late John Sang. It is likely to occur in the many fir woods of the county.
Rectangulata occurs in orchards and is far from common. The black variety, nigrosericeata,
has not been recorded, but is sure to occur ; it is plentiful at Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Lobophora viretata was taken freely in 1881, at Gibside, by the late Mr. Hedworth. I do
not know that it has been taken since, but the large number that were taken then could not
have been immigrants. L. lobulata occurs in Castle End Dene and many of the larger woods.
Thtra juniperata occurs in Upper Teesdale, above High Force Fell. Except that it was once
119
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
taken at Sunderland, it has never occurred on the coast, and as the juniper is dying off there it
is not likely to occur now. T. simulata occurred on the coast, wherever Eupitheda iobrinata
was found. This also has not been taken there lately. It occurs, not very commonly, among
juniper on the high land in the west. T. variata occurs in fir woods, is not very plentiful,
though generally distributed. T. firmata has only been taken in the west of the county,
Witton le Wear, Upper Teesdale, etc. Tpsipetes ruberaria occurs in the Derwent Valley and in
Hesleden Dene. Wonderful varieties may be reared. T. impluviata occurs both in Castle
Eden and Hesleden Denes, also at South Shields and in Upper Teesdale. T. elutata is generally
distributed all over the county and is very common. Melantbia rubiginata is well distributed
over the county, but never very abundant. M. ocellata is also widely spread, occurring almost
everywhere, but, like the last, it is never in great numbers. M. albicillata is decidedly scarce, but
has been met with, generally singly, almost all over the county. M . hastata has not been taken
for quite fifty years. It was then found at Hoppylands. M. tristata appears to avoid the coast,
but it is fairly common elsewhere. M. unangulata and rivata were both taken by the late
William Backhouse in Houghall Wood near Durham. It does not occur there now. A
coal mine near has destroyed much of the lepidoptera in this wood. There is no other locality
in the county for either. M. biriviata and montanata are abundant everywhere. M. galiata
has only occurred once or twice, but at distant localities. M. fluctuate is abundant all over the
county. The specimens are large and darker than those from the south. The variety
Neapolisata occurs. Anticlea badiata is common everywhere, by hedges mixed with rose, and
similar places. A derivata is widely distributed but rare. Coremia munitata is even more widely
distributed, and rather more plentiful than the last, but it is still a rare species. It is generally
found in or near marshy ground. C. propugnata has occurred in the west of the county,
but never elsewhere. C. ferrugaria is common in Upper Teesdale, but scarcely taken else-
where. Camptogramma bilineata is abundant everywhere. A variety with a black band is not
uncommon. Pbibalapteryx lignata has occurred near Sunderland and at Hell Kettles,
Darlington. Scotosia dubitata has occurred, generally singly, in most parts of the county. A
single specimen of S. certata was taken at Hartlepool in 1864, and of 5. undulata in Upper
Teesdale in 1875. Cidaria psittacata is widely distributed, but is very scarce. C. miata is also
widely distributed and often common. C. corylata is in all the woods and denes, and never
rare. The variety albo-crenata occurs occasionally. C. russata is everywhere, always
common. The variety comma-notata, with red centre to the fore-wings occurs also, but
not very abundantly. C. immanata is also common in woods and denes, to which it
appears to be more closely confined than is russata. C. suffumata, the earliest of the genus,
occurs everywhere ; a dark variety, piceata, is also very common. C. silaceata is very generally
distributed, but not so common as the last few species. A second brood may be reared in
confinement, but is never found at large. C. prunata is only recorded from the south-west of
the county. I think it must occur elsewhere, as it is commonly distributed both in Yorkshire
and Northumberland. C. testata is common all over. Moorland specimens are generally
dark. C. populata occurs over the entire county, most plentifully in the west. C. fuhata
appears everywhere among rose. C. pyraliata, like so many others, may be met with any-
where, but it is least plentiful near the coast. C. dotata is scarce and very local, appearing
only in the west of the county. Pelurga comitata is well distributed, but rarely abundant.
Eubolia cerv'mata is scarce and very local. An erroneous idea that the food plant of this insect
(Malva sylvestris) is marsh mallow (Althcea officinalis], much used by herbalists, has almost led
to its extermination, and has greatly reduced the number of the insect, which was common
when I began collecting. E. mensuraria is abundant everywhere. E.plumbariais common on
waste ground. E. bipunctaria appears confined to limestone. It occurs all along the coast on
Magnesian limestone, and in Upper Teesdale on Mountain limestone. It is plentiful where it
occurs, easily disturbed by day, and flying freely at dusk. Anaith plaglata is well distributed,
and occurs regularly, but is never very abundant. It is found well up the hills in the west.
Chesias spartiata occurs wherever there is broom. This excludes the coast, where broom does
not grow. Odezia chteropbyllata is common everywhere in meadows, pastures, hedgesides, and
similar places where the food plant grows.
DREPANULID^;
Platypteryx lacertula, the Scalloped Hook-tip, is widely distributed, but never plentiful.
P. falcula y the Pebbled Hook-tip, occurs sparingly over most of the county. Cilix spinula, the
Goose-egg, may be found all over the county among hawthorn. It does not occur on the
higher moorland.
1 20
INSECTS
PSEUDO-BOMBYCES
Centra furcula, the Sallow Kitten, occurs sparingly in the larval state in most parts of the
county. I do not know that the imago has been taken. C. bifida, the Poplar Kitten, has
occurred about Hartlepool, but it is much rarer than it was twenty-five or thirty years ago.
Like the last the imago is never seen. C. vinula, the Puss Moth, occurs everywhere on willow
and poplar in the larval state. The moth is seen now and then at rest. Petasia cassinea
occurred at Darlington in 1853, when the late John Sang took it at gas lamps. Mr. Winter,
of Beccles, told the writer that he had taken it at Hartlepool. I can only say I never saw or
heard of it. Pygara bucephala, the Buff-tip, was very common half a century ago. It has now
almost, or entirely, left the coast area, but is plentiful enough elsewhere. Clostera curtula, the
Chocolate-tip, was once taken at South Shields a stray specimen. C. reclusa, the Small
Chocolate-tip, occurs at Wolsingham, and, probably, elsewhere, where dwarf-willow grows.
It has not, however, been taken on the sea banks, north of Black Halls, where the plant grows
very freely. Ptilodontus palpina has only once been found. I took a larva many years ago in
Crimdon Cut, near Hartlepool. Notodanta camelina is to be found over all the county ; never
abundantly, but of regular occurrence. N. dictiea, the Swallow Prominent, occurs all over the
county, wherever there is plenty of poplar. N. dictteoides is much rarer, but appears to be
very generally distributed, especially to the west of the county, where birch is more plentiful.
I have beaten the larva both in Castle Eden and Hesleden Denes. N. dramedarius is also widely
distributed, but never common. N. ziczac is the most plentiful of the group. It may be
found in the larval state on poplars anywhere in the county. N. chaonia is rare. Larvz have
been taken in Upper Teesdale and in Hesleden Dene, but only once or twice. Diloba
cecrultocephala is uncommon, but has been met with inland mostly. My brother found larvae
near Stockton-on-Tees, and a single imago was taken at Hartlepool in 1874, which is the only
coast record.
NOCTU.fi
Thyatira derasa is rare ; it has only occurred near the River Tyne. 7. bath is much
more plentiful, and has occurred in most places ; never abundantly. Cymatophora duplaris is
widely distributed, but not common. C. or is recorded in Ornsby's Durham, but no other
record is known. C. diluta is common in the north-west, but has not been met with else-
where, the variety nubilata with three or more dark bands is not uncommon about Gibside.
C.flavlcormt is generally distributed. C, ridens was bred from a larva found at Gibside. The
specimen is now in the Museum at Newcastle-on-Tyne. Bryophila per/a is generally common.
Acronycta tridens is recorded, but I feel some doubt as to the correctness of the name. A. psi
is common generally, and it may be that it has been mistaken for tridens. A. leparlna is widely
spread, but is either rare, or we have not learned how to find it. A. aceris has occurred once
at Sunderland. A. megacephala, not at all common, though widely spread. A. rumicis is
plentiful everywhere ; the dark variety taKch has been reared. A. menyanthidis occurs freely
on the moors in the west. Leucania conigera, fithargyria, comma, impura, and pollens are all
very common. Nonagria fulva is tolerably plentiful in September. N. elymi formerly occurred
at South Shields. So far as I know it is now found only at Hartlepool, where it is fairly
common in its now much-restricted habitat. N. lutosa has been taken at Greatham only,
where it was sometimes abundant ; the reed has disappeared there, but it is quite likely to exist
in other places. Gortyna flavago is generally common. Hydraecia nictitans occurs all over the
county, but is most plentiful in the higher lands in the west. H. petasitis occurs at Greatham,
and at Dalton le Dale, near Seaham Harbour, and, probably, in all places where the food is
plentiful. H. micacea is common everywhere. Xylophasia rurea and the unicolorous variety
combusta are generally plentiful. X. Kthoxylea is very uncertain, sometimes plentiful, and at
other times not seen at all. X. polyodon and the black variety injfuscata are generally common.
The variety is just as uncertain as Kthoxylea and very similar in its manners. H. hepatica is
much rarer than the others of the genus, though widely distributed. Htliophobus popularis is
sometimes common. Charaas graminis occurs everywhere, but is seldom plentiful. Cerigo
cytherea is often common. Luperina testacea is always plentiful. L. cespitis is rare. It was taken
at Shotley Bridge by the late W. Backhouse, and in Upper Teesdale by Dr. Lees. Single
specimens have occurred at South Shields and Hartlepool. Mamettra abjecta occurs about
Hartlepool and Greatham, probably all along the coast. It is decidedly rare. M. anceps is
taken regularly at Hartlepool, and has been met with at South Shields and Darlington. This
also is rare. M. albicolon is rather common at Hartlepool and South Shields. I have seen no
I 121 l6
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
other record, but it will be found all along the coast. It comes freely to campion flowers.
M. furva has occurred in small numbers, at campion flowers, along the coast. M. brassier,
of course, is abundant everywhere. M. persicaria is very rare, one or two only having been
taken at sugar at Ryhope, Durham, and Bishop Auckland. Apamea basilinea is generally
plentiful, as is A. gemma and the variety remissa. A. unanimis is generally distributed, but not
often plentiful. A. ophiogramma was once recorded from Hartlepool. A. fibrna was taken in
1875, which was a very marvellous year for lepidoptera at sugar, but it has not been seen since.
A. oculea is always abundant. The black variety only occurs now. Fifty years ago light forms
were commonest. All the genus Mlana occur, strigi/is, fasciunc ula, literosa, and furuncula are
common. Expallta has been taken freely at Darlington and Hartlepool. It probably occurs
elsewhere, but it is not easy to find unless its habits are known. M. arcuosa is not very rare ;
it occurs in grassy places. Celeena haworthii is common on the moors in the west. Grammesia
trilinea, though generally plentiful, is very rare in Durham. It has been taken once or twice
on the Derwent, and once only at Hartlepool. Caradrina morpheus is not uncommon on the
coast, but it is not recorded elsewhere. C. blanda is scarcer, and has only been taken at
Darlington and Hartlepool. C. cubicularis is abundant everywhere. Rusina tenebrosa rather
common in most places. Agrotis valligera plentiful on the coast. A. suffusa is neither common
nor well distributed. It occurs sparingly on the coast, and has been taken at Bishop Auckland.
A. saucia has only been twice taken at Bishop Auckland. A, segetum and exclamationls are both
common everywhere. A. corticea appears numerously at Bishop Auckland, but not elsewhere.
A. cursorta is a coast species, much rarer now than fifty years ago. A. nigricans general in the
county, and far from uncommon. A. tritici, another coast insect, and generally abundant.
A. agathina rare on the moors. A. porphyrea is another moorland species, but much more
abundant, occurring where there is very little heather. A. preecox has been twice met with
at South Shields. A. ravida occurs on the coast, but is never very plentiful. Axylia putris is
exceedingly rare, only four specimens, all taken in the west of the county, having been recorded.
Tripheena fimbrla is rather scarce, but appears to occur in most places. T. janthina seems to
be a garden insect in Durham. It is well distributed, but never plentiful. T. interjecta occurs
in August on Hartlepool sand hills, which appear to be the northern limit of its range.
T. orbona is common everywhere. T. pronuba is also common everywhere and very variable.
Noctua g/areosa is found all over the county, but it is scarce near the sea. N. augur, pkcta, and
c.-nigrum are all abundant. N. depuncta occurs at Bishop Auckland, and has been taken in
Hesleden Dene ; it is a rare insect. N. triangulum is widely distributed, but, perhaps, is only
a wanderer. It is generally a common insect, but here has only occurred singly. N. brunnea
is well distributed, occurring at edges of woods and open places. N. festiva is common, and
the variety conflua is equally plentiful on the moors. N. rubi is widely spread, but never
common ; it appears rarest near the coast. N. umbrosa and baja are fairly well distributed,
and generally plentiful, but not always. N, xanthographa is always much too numerous.
Trachea piniperda, in pine woods, generally distributed, but not very common. Tanio-
campa gothica, abundant everywhere and wonderfully variable. T. leucograpba is only
recorded by one collector, who says it is decidedly scarce. T. rubricosa is generally
common and well spread. T. instabilis is plentiful everywhere and very variable. T, opima
has been taken at Darlington once, but occurs regularly about Hartlepool never common,
but a few each year. T. popuktt is very scarce. T. stabilis is the most abundant of the
genus, always plentiful everywhere. T. gracilis is common at Hartlepool, and has been
taken once or twice in the west. T. munda is recorded from Hartlepool only, where it is
very rare. T, cruda is generally common, but does not appear to associate much with the
other members of the genus. Orthttsia suspecta is very scarce and local. In occurs in Hesleden
Dene. O. ypsilon has occurred in Teesdale and Hartlepool, but very seldom. O. lota is more
generally distributed, but never abundant. O. macilenta is tolerably common, except on the
coast, where it is never seen. Anchocelis rufina is well spread over the county, but has not
often been recorded. A. phtadna also occurs sparingly in most places. A. lunosa is very
scarce and has only occurred singly. Cerastis vaccinii and spadicea are generally plentiful, but
not common on the coast. Scopelosoma satetlitia, common generally in autumn, not often seen
in spring. Xanthia citrago occurs in the neighbourhood of Durham only. X. cerago and
si la go are common in autumn, and ferruginea appears everywhere, though not so plentiful as
the other two. Cirrcedia xerampelina occurs occasionally, but has not yet been taken more
than once at any place. Tethea subtusa is very rare, and has only been met with at Darlington
and near Hartlepool. Cosmia trapezina is common and well distributed, least plentiful near
the sea. C. diffinis was taken in 1898 near Hartlepool by Mr. Gardner one specimen only.
122
INSECTS
Dianthacia carpophaga is common on the coast, but does not occur inland. D. cucuba/i, also a
coast species, but not so plentiful as the last. D. capsincola, commoner than either, and much
more generally distributed. D. compersa is a rare insect and very irregular in its appearance.
It has only been taken at Hartlepool and Durham. Polia chi is tolerably common, and the
variety olivacea occurs in most places ; the variety is scarcest on the moors. P. fiavocincta is
very general, but never very common. Dasypolia templi is perhaps more plentiful than
appears. Its habits are peculiar, and it comes out so late in the year that it is seldom seen.
It is recorded from Barnard Castle, Darlington, Durham, and Hartlepool, and probably occurs
everywhere. Epunda lutu/enta, on the sandhills and about Hartlepool generally. It comes
freely to light. It probably occurs all along the coast, but it also flies late in the year, though
earlier than templi. E. nigra is reported from Bishop Auckland. E. vimina/is is not very
common, but well distributed. Miselia oxyacantha, generally common. Agriopis aprilina,
common in the centre and west of the country, but very rare on the coast. Phlogophora
meticulosa is common enough in the autumn, but much rarer everywhere in spring. Euplexia
lucipara is generally distributed, but abundant nowhere. Aplecta herbida is not common, but
occurs all over the county. A. occulta is but an occasional visitor, sometimes disappearing
for years. A. ntbuloia is fairly common in woods and denes. A. advena is a rare species.
Mr. Sang took three between 1853 an< ^ l $S7- A single specimen was taken at Elwick near
Hartlepool about the same time, but there are no more recent records. Hadena admta has
been taken around Hartlepool and once in Teesdale. H. protea has only been met with in
the west Upper Teesdale and Weardale. H. dentina, generally distributed and not
uncommon. H. chenopodii y very rare, odd specimens only have been met with. H. suasa
appears to occur only on Greatham salt marsh, where it is rare. H. ohracea swarms every-
where. H. piii is common in most places, perhaps more abundant on the coast. H. tha/assina,
well distributed, but never very common. Xylocampa lithoriza, not uncommon in early spring.
Calocampa vetusta is very rare, only occurring singly. C. exoleta, common generally in autumn
and spring. A single specimen of Xylina petrificata was taken in Hesleden Dene in 1898
by Mr. Gardner. Cucullia chamomilla has occurred occasionally at Hartlepool, both larvae
and imagines. C. umbratica is generally distributed and never very rare. Heliothis marginata
is very common on the coast. In some years it is quite the commonest noctua at Hartlepool.
The larvse are abundant on Rest-harrow, and are most persistent cannibals. H. peltigera has
been taken, singly only at South Shields and Byers Green and twice at Hartlepool. H. armigera
has also been taken twice at Hartlepool and once at Sunderland. Anarta myrtilli is common
on the moors and not unfrequent wherever there is ling. Brephos parthenias occurs at
Wolsingham and in that district, but has not been observed elsewhere. Abrostola urtlcte is
common in the south-west of the Tyne river, and occurs occasionally elsewhere. It is not
very rare about Hartlepool. A, triplasia is a scarce insect. It was taken by Dr. Lees in
Upper Teesdale occasionally, and I took one at Hartlepool long ago. Plusia chrysitis is
generally distributed, but never very common. P. bractea is a great rarity. It has been taken
only at Darlington and at Durham. P. festuas is also very scarce, but it may be that it has
not been sought for in the right places. Mr. Sang took it at Hell Kettles in 1880. Near
Hartlepool I have taken three, but no one else has met with it. P. iota is generally distributed
and common. P. v-aurtum, even more plentiful than the last. P. gamma swarms in autumn
and spring. P. inttrrogationis, on the moors. A solitary specimen was taken at rest on palings
at Hartlepool some years ago. Gonoptera libatrix is well distributed, but not common
anywhere, and apparently becoming scarcer ; it has almost left the coast. Ampbipyra
tragopogonis is generally plentiful in autumn. Mania typica is another generally abundant
insect. Its larger relation M. maura is very much rarer than typica, but occurs all over the
county. Stilbia anomala was once taken at Black Hall Rocks by Mr. Gardner, flying in the
sun. Catocala fraxini was taken at Hartlepool by the same gentleman, at rest on the paling
of his own timber yard. Euclidia mi is generally common in rough pastures and grassy
places. E. glyphica, not plentiful and very local, occurring on railway banks and similar places.
Phytomttra tenea is well distributed, but never abundant. It occurs all along the coast and in
many places inland.
DELTOIDES PYRALIDES
Hypcna proboscidalis. Common among nettles Pyralis glaucinalis. Once in HesleJen Dene
Rivula scriccalis. Once in Hetleden Dene larinalis. Generally common
Henninu grisealis. Common in woods Aglossa pinguinalis. Common in stables
123
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Pyrausta punicealis. Common in Heskden Dene
purpuralis. Black Hall Rocks
ostrinalis. Black Hall Rocks. Rare, probably
not distinct
Herbula cespitalis. Dry banks and pastures
Ennychia cingulalis. Darlington (Stainton's Manual)
Cataclysta lemnata. Not very plentiful
Hydrocampa nymphasata. Generally common
stagnata. Not very common.
Botys lupulina. Once at Hartlepool
verticalis. Generally common
fuscalis. Very common
urticata. Very common
Ebulea crocealis. Common among flea-bane
sambucalis. Darlington. Once at Hartlepool
Pionea forficalis. Common in gardens
Spilodes sticticalis. Once at Hartlepool
Scopula lutealis. Very common
olivalis. Very common
prunalis. Common about Hartlepool
ferrugalis. Once at DarRngton
Stenopteryx hybridalis. Generally distributed
Nola cuculatella. Darlington and Greatham
cristulalis. Generally common
Scoparia ambigualis. Generally distributed
ulmella. Common in woods, etc., around
Hartlepool
cembrae. Common among coltsfoot
pyralalis. Generally common.
murana. Common in the west of the county
lineola. Hoffal Wood, near Durham
mercurella. Common in Upper Teesdale
cratsgella. Common in Upper Teesdale
truncicolella. Common in Upper Teesdale
angustea. Hartlepool
CRAMBITES
Crambus pratellus. Abundant everywhere
hamellus. Hartlepool, once or twice
pascuellus. Very local
margaritellus. Has been taken at Wolsingham
perlellus. Occurs freely on a dry bank near
Hesleden church
warringtonellus. Occurs on Greatham sal tmarsh,
a low damp locality, totally different from
that where perlellus is found. The specimens
too are always smaller.
selasellus. Hell Kettles, Darlington
tristellus. Common generally
geniculeus. Sand banks, Hartlepool
culmellus. Very common
hortuellus. Very common
Chilo phragmitellus. Hell Kettles, Darlington
Anerastia lotella. Sand banks, Hartlepool
Homoeosoma nimbella. Along the coast
cretacella. Hartlepool
Ephestia ficulella. Recorded by Mr. Sang as bred
from a larva found in a growing hazel nut.
The larva feeds on dried fruits generally, and
there may be a mistake. There is no other
record.
Plodia interpunctella. Darlington and Hartlepool
Phycis betulella. Once in Upper Teesdale
carbonariella. Wolsingham and Hartlepool
dilutella. Near Darlington
Phycis genistella. Bred from larvae found near Wols-
ingham
roborella. Darlington
Dioryctria spendidella. Once at Hartlepool
Rodophaea advenella. Darlington
tumidella. Hesleden Dene
Onocera ahenella. Black Hall Rocks
Aphomia colonella. One at Hartlepool in 1874
For the remainder, the arrangement of Stainton's
Manual will be followed.
CHLCEPHORID^E
Chloephora prasinana. Generally common in
woods.
TORTRICINA
TORTRICID^E
Sarrothripa revayana. One at Hartlepool
Amphisa gerningana. On moors in the west
prodromana. Abundant on the moors and on
coast sand hills
Hypermecia angustana. The true angustana was
first taken at High Force, Upper Teesdale, in
1866, by Lord Walsingham. It has been
taken there by others subsequently, and also
at Darlington and Hartlepool
cruciana. Common amongst sallows
Eulia ministrana. Woods and denes
Brachytaenia semifasciana. Castle Eden Dene
Antithesia corticana. On birch trunks, not un-
common
betuletana. Hesleden Dene
praelongana. Generally distributed, but not
common
cynosbatella. Common
pruniana. Common
dimidiana. Boggy places in the west
marginana. Teesside near Darlington, etc.
palustrana. Upper Teesdale
Penthina salicella. Darlington
Clepsis rusticana. Boggy moors in the west
Tortrix icterana. Generally distributed, but not
very common
viburnana. Swarms on the moors in Upper
Teesdale, etc.
viridana. Common everywhere
forsterana. Darlington, Hartlepool, etc.
heparana. Generally common
ribeana. Generally common
cinnamoneana. Darlington
corylana. Generally common
PLICATE
Lozotaenia sorbiana. Hell Kettles, near Darlington
and Wolsingham
musculana. Generally common
latiorana. This, I presume, is but a variety of
costana, but being given separately in Stain-
ton, I give it separately here. Mr. Gardner
took a single specimen at Greatham
costana. Common in marshy places
unifasciana. Common among privet
fulvana. Common generally
roborana. Common generally
124
INSECTS
Lozotsenia xylosteana. Common generally
- rosana. Common generally
Ditula angustiorana. Darlington
Ptycholoma lecheana. Common generally
Notocelia udmanniana. Recorded only from
Durham and Hartlepool, but probably com-
mon generally
Pardia tripunctana. Swarms in gardens
Spilonota roborana. Hartlepool
- roszcolana. DarRngton and Hartlepool
trimaculana. Common among elm
amoenana. On the coast among Rosa spinosis-
sima
Lithographia compoliliana. Common among willows
cinerana. Darlington
nisella. Larvae common in sallow catkins.
penklcriana. Among birch
Phlzodes tetraquetrana. Abundant among birch
crenana. Mr. Sang found this insect at
Waskerley
Poedisca piceana. Wolttngham, High Force, and
Thorp Bulmer near Hartlepool. Probably in
other marshy places
stabilana. Hell Kettlei near DarRngton
solandriana. Common among birch
opthalmicana. On black poplar in Cattle Eden
Dene
Catoptria scopoliana. Common among thistles
fulvana. Hetleden Dene
hohenwarthiana. Generally distributed, but not
common
expallidana. DarRngton
Halonota bimaculana. Generally distributed, but
not common
trigeminana. Seattm Careto
cirsiana. Among thistles and centaurea.
scutulana. Among thistles and centaurea.
grandzvana. Confined as a British species to
South Shields and Hartleptol. I believe it is
extinct at South ShleUi, but it still occurs
about Hartlepool
brunnichiana. Plentiful amongst coltsfoot. A
curious variety, without the white spot on
the forewings, was common in a quarry in
Hetleden Dene a few years ago. The colts-
foot disappeared there and the insect with it,
nor have I seen the variety since
tetragonana. Very local. Wolsingham, Darting-
ton, Hetleden Dene. The lame is said to be
found under moss at the roots of beech
trees. Mr. Gardner bred a specimen from
a larva found on Lotus corniculatus
turbidana. Teeside from ConitcRffe to Black-
weU: (J. Sang)
inopiana. Taken at Seaton Carew in 1874 by
the late John Sang
- fcenella. Heileden Dene, once or twice
Dicrorampha petiverella. DarRngton and Hartlepool
politana. Eggleston, Upper Teetdale
alpinana. Mr. Sang took this southern species
at Coniiclife
- tanaccti. ConitcRffe, DarRngton, and near
Hartlepool
- plumbagana. Hartlepool
acuminitana. ConitcRffe Moor, DarRngton, and
Hartlepool
125
Dicrorampha consortana. DarRngton
Coccyx hyrciniana. ConitcRffe Moor
Capua ochraceana. Eggleston, Upper Teetdale
Cartella bilunana. HesleJen Dene
ANCHYLOPERIDjE
Hedya paykuUiana. Wolsingham and HesUden Dene
ocellana. DarRngton and ConiscRffe Moor
dealbana. Dinsdale Wood and Neasham Lane
near DarRngton, and in Heiledev Dene
neglectana.
aceriana. Gas lamps, DarRngton, by Mr. Sang
in 1860
trimaculana. I know of no record for this
insect and never met with it, but it is cer-
tain to occur
Steganoptycha naevana. Cattle Eden Dene and
Cockerton near DarRngton
geminana. WolAngham
Anchylopera mitterbacheriana. Gibiide, and prob-
ably elsewhere
biarcuana. Winch Bridge, Upper Teetdale, near
DarRngton, and probably elsewhere
myrtillana.
lundana. South Shields, Sunderland, Barnard
Castle, and Hartlepool, probably everywhere
paludana. Meyrick limits the range of this
species to the fens of Norfolk and Cam-
bridge, but Mr. Sang took it at Hell Kettles
near Darlington
comptana. Chiefly a chalk down species, but
extending on the west coast to Cheshire.
Mr. Sang took it in a lane near DarRngton
in 1859, DUt never met with it again. It
may only have been a stray specimen
unguicella. On the moors in the west. Has
been taken at Wolstngham and on the Teet-
dale Moors
Bactra lanceolana. Abundant among rushes
Argyrotoza conwayana. Generally among privet,
but not a common insect
Dictyopteryx contaminana. Very common by
hedge sides
loeflingiana. Lanes and woods
Croesia bergmanniana. Common everywhere
among rose
fbrskaleana. Common among maple
holmiana. Generally common
Hemerosia rheediella. Not scarce, has been re-
corded at Sunderland, DarRngton, and Hartlepool
PERONEID.E
Cheimatophila mixtana. Rather common in
heathery places. Is recorded from Waskerley,
Wolsingham, and the Teesdale Moon
Oxygrapha literana. Mr. Sang took this at Eggles-
ton and near DarRngton; I took a single
specimen at Hartlepool, and Mr. Gardner
another near the mouth of Cattle Eden Dene
Peronea schallcriana. Generally common.
perplexana. Of this comparatively new species
Mr. Gardner took two at Greatbam, near
Hartlepool
commariana. Mr. Gardner took a single
specimen of this on the Teetdale Moon
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Peronea comparana. Generally common
tristana. This insect has occurred at Gibside
and at Darlington, both records being sixty
or seventy years ago. I know of no recent
occurrence
rufana. Has occurred Tery generally, and in
places such as Hartkpool sand hills, where
there is neither poplar nor willow
favillaceana. Heskden Dene, etc.
maccana. Upper Tynedale
hastiana. Black Hall Rocks among dwarf sallow,
and Cole Hill Wood near Hartkpool
-umbrana. Taken by Mr. Maling in 1875 in
Thornky Dene in the valley of the Derwent
variegana. Very common everywhere
Paramesia aspersana. Generally distributed and
common
ferrugana. Generally distributed and common
caledoniana. Common on the moors of Upper
Teesdak
Teras caudana. Generally common among sallows
STIGMONOTID-ffi
Pcecilochroma corticana. Well distributed, but
not very common
bouchardana. Among fir trees
tenerana. Conisc&ffe Moor, near Darlington, and
once in Heskden Dene
Anisotaenia ulmana. Has only been taken in
Heskden Dene by Mr. Gardner, but is cer-
tain to occur elsewhere
Semasia populana. I found larvae and bred this
insect at Hartkpool in 1884
woeberana. DarRngton, in gardens
rufillana. Common in the south of Durham,
though limited to Tork by Mr. Meyrick
nanana. Among spruce fir in Teesdale
vacciniana. Has only been met with at Wol-
singham
Eucelis aurana. Castle Eden Dene and the railway
cutting north of Hart station
Ephippiphora regiana. Eggleston, Upper Teesdale,
and Heskden Dene; probably all woods
where there is sycamore
argyrana. Generally distributed among oaks
Stigmonota internana. Among whins as far as
Castle Eden. I do not know if it occurs
further north. Meyrick limits it to Tork
perlepidana. Darlington (]. Sang). The re-
puted food plants Orobus niger (Wilk) and
Lathyrus macrorrhizus (Meyr) do not grow
in the county
dorsana. Railway banks near Croft. Sang bred
this species from larvae found on Lathyrus
sylvestris. Meyrick says Lathyrus macror-
rhizus and perhaps L. pratensis. This gives
an additional food, on which perhaps
Perlepidana also feeds
Asthenia coniferana. Mr. Sang bred this insect
from larvae in bark of Scotch fir. (Ent.
W. Intel!, vii. 76)
splendidulana. Occurs around DarRngton and
in Upper Teesdale
Retinia pinicolana. Has only been taken near
Darlington
Retinia pinivorana. Conisclijfe Moor and near
Darlington
occultana. Castle Eden Dene, Edder Acres, and
near Darlington
Pamplusia monticolana. This insect occurs freely
on the moors in Northumberland and in York-
shire, and is certain to occur in Teesdale, but
I know of no records
CARPOCAPSID.E
Endopisa ulicana. On railway banks at Darlington
and Hartkpool
germarana. Meyrick limits the range of this
species to Tork, but it certainly reaches
Durham, for Mr. Sang took it in a lane near
the railway at Darlington
nigricana. Mr. Sang reared this insect from
larvae found at Coniscliffe feeding on Vicia
sylvatica. This is not the food generally
named
proximana. Probably the same species as
nigricana. Occurring at the same place and
time
Carpocapsa splendana. Near Darlington
pomonella. No records except at Hartkpool,
and these are probably from apples grown
elsewhere, as no apple trees grow there now
Grapholita albersana. Bred by Mr. Sang from
larvae found near DarRngton. (E.M.M.,
vi. 170)
ulicetana. Swarms everywhere around whin
hypericana. Common in Castle Eden and
Heskden Dene, and probably elsewhere among
Hypericum
CNEPHASID^E
Cnephasia hybridana. Among fir trees, not un-
common
subjectana. Generally common
virgaureana.
alternella. Rather local and only recorded
from Darlington and Seaton Carew
conspersana. Generally distributed
octomaculana. Only recorded around Hartk-
pool, but certain to occur elsewhere
Ablabia pratana. Rough pastures and moors.
Very plentiful where it occurs. On the
wing about mid-day and later
SERICORID.E
Euchromia ericetana. I took this species regularly
in my garden at West Hartkpool, some twenty
years ago. The garden was surrounded by
fields, &c. There is no other record
striana. Middkton-One-Rovi and Greatham
Orthotaenia antiquana, Hell Kettles near Darlington
Sericoris conchana. Castle Eden Dene, Darlington,
&c.
lacunana. Generally common
urticana. Plentiful in most places
micana. In boggy places near Darlington,
Hartkpool, &c.
cespitana. I know of no records except near
Hartkpool
politana. Moors in the west of the county
126
INSECTS
Scricoris bifasciana. The late John Sang took this
species near DarRngton in 1870 and again in
1872, according to his diary
Mixodia schultziana. Boggy places on the moon
in the west of the county
palustrana. Mr. Gardner found this insect
abundant in one locality on the Teeidale
Moors. I do not know any other English
habitat.
LOZOPERID^;.
Phtheochroa rugosana. Dlnsdak Wood and Conii-
cltffe. The food plant Bryonia dioica
only grows in extreme South Durham
Eriopsela fractifasciana. A single specimen was
taken by Mr. Gardner at Black Hall Rockt
quadrana. Taken in 1 896 by Mr. Gardner
at Winch Bridge, Upper Teeidale. This is,
perhaps, its most northern habitat
Chrosis tesserana. Has only been taken near Dar-
lington. The food plant scarcely occurs in
the county
Argyrolepia baumanniana. Generally distributed
and not uncommon
subbaumanniana. Only taken by Mr. Sang
nearly fifty years ago
badiana. Among burdock in the denes
Argyrolepia cnicana. Rather common amongst
thistles
Calosetia nigromaculana. Hartlepool, on the rail-
way side, among ragwort
Eupoecilia maculosana. Taken by Mr. Sang, pro-
bably only a casual, as the insect docs not
occur so far north
atricapitana. DarRngton, Hartlepool, &c., among
ragwort
nana. Wolsingham is the only district where
this has occurred
angustana. Common about Hartlepool. No
other records
rupicola. Only in South Durham, Hesleden
Dene, and Darlington
vectisana. Greatham saltmarsh, very plentiful
manniana. Occurred on the railway banks at
DarRngton
affinitana. Occurs at Greatham saltmarsh, the
larva; feeding on Aster tripolium
ruficiliana. Common among cowslips at Dar-
lington, Hartlepool, &c.
Lozopera straminea. Generally common
Xan those tia hamana. Generally distributed, but
not very abundant
zoegana. Generally distributed, but not very
abundant
Tortricodes hyemana. Common in oak woods
TINEINA
This group has been very little collected in Durham. The following list has been
compiled principally from notes left by the late John Sang, which appear to have been
memoranda for future guidance rather than a regular diary, and from a list supplied by
Mr. John Gardner, F.E.S., of his own captures. Stainton's Manual has references to ' Da, J
Darlington, but as these referred rather to the residence of the captor than to the actual place
where the species were found I have added Stainton's Manual, in all cases where I have no
other knowledge of its occurrence. Sang, who, I believe, supplied Stainton with the list,
collected in Yorkshire as far as Richmond inland, and down the coast to Redcar and Salt-
burn, and it is possible that some of these references ought to have been in the Yorkshire list.
No one has collected the Tineina in North Durham since the late George Wailes, and his
records are given in the Manual as ' Ne' Newcastle, so that it is impossible now to say which
were Durham species, and which Northumberland.
EXAPATID^E
Exapate gelatella. Generally common
Chimabacche phryganella. In woods, but not
common
fagella. Abundant everywhere. Dark forms
often occur, but not so black as those I have
seen at Liverpool and elsewhere
Semioscopis avellanella. Occurs in Upper Teeidale.
Not common
tteinkellneriana. The Manual gives DarRngton,
but Sang does not appear to have met with
it. I took a single specimen near the work-
house, Hartlepoot, many years ago
TINEID.*
Talxporia pseudo-bombycella. Barnard Castle and
Castle Eden Dene
Solenobia clathrclla. This insect was found by
Dr. Mason in a small collection formed by
John Sang, and purchased at his death by
Dr. Mason. They were all taken after
Sang's return to Darlington, and these
(two <Js and three $s) were there named
Triquetrella, as Clathrclla had never been
recorded as British. Dr. Mason wrote me
of his discovery that they were a new species
as soon as he had satisfied himself. There
is an incorrect reference to these specimens
in Tutt's work (vol. ii. 197). The syno-
nomy of the genus is much confused
Diplodoma marginepunctella. Sang found cases
of this insect ' low down on tree trunks '
near DarRngton
Ochsenheimera birdella. Taken by Mr. Gardner
near the mouth of Hesleden Dene
bisontella. Found by Mr. Gardner with the
last, and also in Teesdale by Mr. Sang
vacculella. Found by Mr. Gardner with the
last, and also in Tcesdale by Mr. Sang
127
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Euplocamus boleti. I took a single specimen
of this insect in my own house in Hartle-
pool m 1862
Tinea rusticella. Generally common
fulvimitrella. Teesdale and Hesleden Dene
tapetzella. Generally common
arcella. Middleton-One-Row and Hesleden Dene
picarella. A very rare insect. Bred by Mr.
Gardner from fungi in Upper Teesdale
corticella. Taken by the late W. Backhouse
in Kepler Wood near Durham
parasitella
granella. Common in granaries
cloacella. Common
albipunctella. DarRngton and Seaton Carew
confusella. I took a single specimen of this
insect on the wing near the mouth of Hes-
leden Dene
miscella. Castle Eden Dene and Black Hall
Rocks
pellionella. Common in houses
pallescentella. Common generally, especially
in timber yards
lapella. Darlington (Stainton's Manual). Mr.
Gardner bred it from a bird's nest found
in Hesleden Dene
biselliella. Very common in houses
semifulvella. Birds' nests and in houses
bistrigella. Generally distributed
Lampronia quadripunctella. Not uncommon in
South Durham
luzella. Darlington, Castle Eden and Hesleden
Denes
praelatella. Local, but plentiful where it
occurs
rubiella. Common among both wild and
garden raspberries
Teichobia verhuellella. Mr. Sang found this both
at Castle Eden and Black Halls, and reared it
from larvae found there
Incurvaria musculella. Generally common
canariella. Taken by Mr. Gardner among
Rosa spinosissima
pectina. Teesdale, among birch. Not very
common
Nemophora swammerdammella. General in plan-
tations
schwarziella. General in plantations
Adeia fibulella. Darlington, Castle Eden Dene, and
Hartlepool
rufimitrella. Generally distributed
viridella. Darlington. Common in the denes
cuprella
Nematois cupriacellus. Darlington
MICROPTERYGID.E
Micropteryx calthella. Common
seppella. Common
allionella. Wolsingham
thunbergella. Darlington
purpurella
salopiella. High Force
semipurpurella. Teesdale. Common in Hes-
leden Dene
sangii. Darlington
Micropteryx unimaculella. Teesdale
sparmannella. High Force
subpurpurella. Generally distributed
Swammerdamia apicella. Darlington, Hesleden
Dene, etc.
caesiella. Darlington (Stainton's Manual)
griseo-capitella. Darlington, Wolsingham, Hesle-
den Dene
lutarea. DarRngton, Whessoe, etc.
pyrella. Darlington, Hesleden Dene
Hyponomenta padellus. Teesdale and Weardak
evonymellus. Among spindle near Hartlepool
padi. Not uncommon
Anesychia funerella. Barnard Castle
Prays curtisellus. Common in woods
PLUTELLID^E
Plutella cruciferarum. Common. This some-
times appears in myriads
porrectella. General in gardens
annulatella. Hartlepool
dalella. Waskerley
Cerostoma sequella. Teesdale
radiatella. Common
costella. Common
lucella. Darlington, among young oaks
scabrella. Generally common
nemorella. Castle Eden and Hesleden Denei
xylostella. Generally common
GELECHID^E
Orthotaelia sparganella. Hell Kettles
Anacampsis sangiella. DarRngton
Phibalocera quercana. Darlington (Stainton's
Manual)
Exsretia allisilla. Hartlepool and Durham
Depressaria costosa. Generally distributed
liturella. Generally distributed
umbellana. Generally distributed
assimilella. Darlington (Stainton's Manual)
nanatella. Hartlepool
atomella. Darlington
arenella. DarRngton, Castle Eden and Heskden
Denes
subpropinquella. Black Halls
alstrcemeriella. Common among hemlock
conterminella. Darlington
hypericella. Darlington, Hartlepool, and the
denes. Common among Hypericum
angelicella. DarRngton, Hartlepool, and the
denes
ocellana. Darlington (Stainton's Manual)
applana. Very common
ciliella
pulcherrimella. Teesdale, Darlington, and the
denes
weirella. Teesslde
chaerophylli. Darlington
nervosa. Greatham
badiella. DarRngton
pastinacella. Greatham
heracliana. Generally common
Gelechia cinerella. Generally common
rufescens. Greatham, Seaton Carew
populella
ericetella. Common on the moors
128
INSECTS
GeJchia mulinella. Generally distributed
longicornis. Wolsingham
- terrella. Generally common
desertella. Shield,, Hartlefool, Staton Careto,
probably on all coast sandhills
politella. TeesJale, Hartlefool
intaminatella. Darfmgton
accuminatella. Generally common
gracilella. South Shields
senectella. Greatham
- obscurella. CrimJon Cut
similis. CrimJon Cut
affinis. TeesJale
tetragonella. A new species, taken at Greatham
by Mr. Sang. It has been erroneously
recorded as occurring at Redcar (Yorks.)
urabrosclla. South Shields
- rhombella. Common in crab-apple. The
insects are very dark grey, none light like
those in the south.
proximella. Teesdalt and HesieJen Dene
notatella. DarRngton and HesieJen Dene
vulgella. DarRngton and HesieJen Dene
fugitivella. Darlington
aethiops. TeesJale and Weardalt
solutella. Wolsingham
distinctella. South Shields
- celerella. Hartlefool. Rare
- maculea. DarRngton and HesieJen Dene
tricolorella Darlington
fraternclla. DarRngton and Hartlefool
viscariella. Darfington and HesieJen Dene
marmorea. Castle Eden, Black Halls, Seaton
Carew. On the sea banks, probably all
along the coast
instabilella. Black Halls, Hartlefool, Greatham
Greatham Salt marsh
Greatham and Hartlefool
Darlington, Greatham, and Seaton
Castle Eden and HesieJen
Among juniper in the
salicornix.
atriplicella.
obsoletella.
Careto
plantaginella. Greatham. Plentiful
sequax. Castle Eden to Hartlefool
mouffetella. Darlington
- dodecella. Darlington and Cole Hill
tenebrella. DarRngton and Wolsingham
tenebrosella. DarRngton
ligulella. DarRngton and Greatham
vorticella. Darlington
tzniolella. DarRngton (Stainton's Manual)
sircomella. DarRngton
anthyllidella. DarRngton and Greatham
ungiella. DarRngton and Hartlefool
albipalpella. DarRngton
atrella. DarRngton, Castle Eden and HesieJen
Denes
intaminella. DarRngton and Wtlsingham
nstviferella. DarRngton and Barnard Castle
hermanella
- pictella. Railway bank, Hartlefool
osseella. DarRngton
brizella. Greatham
- subocella. HesieJen Dene
Parasia lappella
- metzncriella. DarRngton, Seaton Carew, and
Hartlefool
carlinella. DarRngton (Stainton's Manual)
129
Chelaria hubnerella.
Denes
Ypsolophas marginellus.
dales
Sophronia humerella. Castle Eden Dene
Pleurota bicostella. High Force
Harpella bractcella. This species was recorded as
British in the E. W. I. (iii. 179) f rom
specimens taken and bred at Shotley near
Gateshead, and I took a beautiful specimen
at light near Throston, Hartlefool in June 1 880.
It is therefore widely spread in the county,
but not enough is known of its habits for it
to be often taken. I believe less than a
dozen British specimens exist, all from
Durham but one. The larva feeds on rotten
wood
Hypercallia christiernella. Castle Edtn Dene
(ECOPHORID^E
Dasycera sulphurella. Generally common about
old hedges
CEcophora flavimaculella. DarRngton, Castle Eden
and HesieJen Denes
similella. High land in west of county, Wol-
singham, Eggleston, etc.
tubaquilea. High land in west of county
One at Black Halls
pseudospretella. Swarms everywhere. I once
had larvz brought me from Stockttn-m-Tees,
where they had been feeding on flour in
casks. I expected to rear Kuhniella, but
this species only emerged
Endrosis fenestrella
Butalis fuscocuprea. DarRngton
incongruella. Waskerley
Atemelia torquatella. Wolsingham, Castle Eden and
HesieJen Denes
Pancalia lewenhoekella. Wolsingham, Castle Eden
and HesieJen Denes
GLYPHIPTERYGID^E
Acrolepia granitella. Darlington
betuletella. This rarity was first taken at
Castle Eden Dene, and has only been met
with there and once at High Force. Most
of the specimens in existence were taken by
the late John Sang. I have taken it but
once, my specimen being beaten out of yew
in October
Glyphipteryx fuscoviridella. Black Halls, dry
banks
cladiella. Darfington
- thrasonella. DarRngton, HesieJen Dene, etc.
fischeriella. Darfington, Hartlefool, etc.
Tinagra staneellum. Darlington
- resplendellum. DarRngton, at Hell Kettles
Douglasia ocnerostomella. DarRngton
ARGYRESTHID.S
Argyresthia ephippella. Darlington, common
nitidella. Very common
- semitestacella. Generally distributed
spiniella. High Force
albistria. Not scarce among sloe
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Argyresthia conjugella. Teesdale, etc.
semifusca. Darlington, Hesleden Dene
mendica. Darlington (Stain ton's Manual)
retinella. Darlington, Castle Eden Dene
dilectella. High Force, among juniper
curvella. Cole Hill near Hartkpool
sorbiella. Wolsingham and Teesdale
pygmaeella. Darlington, Edder Acres, Hesleden
Dene, etc.
- goedartella. Darlington, Hartkpool, etc.
brockeella. Generally distributed among birch
arceuthinella. Wolsingham, among juniper
Cedestis farinatella. Darlington
Ocnerostoma piniariella. Woods near Darlington,
Hartlepool, etc.
Zellaria hepariella. Darlington, Castle Eden Dene, etc.
- insignipennella. Probably the same as last,
occurring at same places
Gracillaria swederella. Generally common
stigmatella. Darlington
stramineella. Upper Teesdale
elongella. High Force, Darlington, Castle Eden,
Black Halls, etc.
- tringipennella. Generally distributed
syringella. Generally distributed
- aurogutella Darlington, Castle Eden and Hei-
leden Denes
Coriscum cuculipennellum. Castle Eden Dene
Ornix avellanella. Darlington, Hesleden Dene
anglicella. Darlington, Hesleden Dene
betulae. Wolsingham, High Force
torquillella. Darlington
scoticella. Barnard Castle
loganella. Wolsingham and Hesleden Dene
guttea. Darlington
COLEOPHORID^E
Coleophora tengstromella. Darlington, Seaton Careni
laricella. General among larch
lutipennella. Darlington, Barnard Castle, etc.
fuscedinella. Darlington (Stainton's Manual)
viminetella. Darlington, Hartlepool
siccifolia. Darftngton
~ gryphipennella. Darlington, Hartlepool, pro-
bably everywhere on rose
nigricella. Darlington
- orbitella. High Force, Stanhope, Wolsingham, etc.
paripennella. High Force
- albitarsella. Darlington, Hesleden Dene
- alcyonipennella. Stockton-on-Tees, Castle Eden, etc.
frischella. Darlington, Hartlepool, etc.
fabriciella. Darlington
anatipennella. Darlington
albicosta. Darlington, Wolsingham
- pyrrhulipennella. Wolsingham
- lixella. Castle Eden Dene and Black Halls
discordella. Generally distributed
onosmella. Darlington
therinella. Darlington, Black Halls
- troglodytella. DarRngtm, Crindon Cut, etc.
apicella. Darftngton
annulatella. Darlington, Castle Eden, and Black
Halls
murinipennella. Darlington, Greatham
glaucicolella. Greatham
cespititiella. Darlington
ELACHISTID^E
Bidella somnulentella. Generally distributed
Batrachedra preangusta. Darlington, Castle Eden
and Hesleden Denes
pinicolella. Coniscliffe Moor
Oinophila v-flava. Wine cellar in Darlington
Chauliodus chaerophyllellus. Generally com-
mon
Laverna propinquella. Coniscliffe Moor, Castle
Eden and Hesleden Denes, &c.
lacteela. Darlington, Dinsdale, Hesleden Dene
miscella. Black Halls
ochraceella. Rather common
atrai. Rather common
Chrysoclysta shrankella. Hesleden Dene
flavicaput. Darlington, Greatham, Hesleden
Dene
Asychnia profugella. Darlington
terminella. Castle Eden
Chrysocorys festaliella. High Force, on wild rasp-
berries
Stephensia brunnichella. Generally distributed
Elachista trapeziella. Barnard Castle
gleichenella. Barnard Castle
apicipunctella. Darlington, Crimdon Cut
albifrontella. Generally common
cinereopunctella. Stockton-on-Tees
luticomella. Darlington, Stockton, Hesleden
Dene, &c.
atricomella. Darlington, Stockton, Hasleden
Dene, &c.
kilmunnella. Hartlepool
monticola. Darlington and Teesdale
nigrella. Darlington and Hasleden Dene
gregsoni. Darlington
obscurella. Darlington, var. subobscurella.
The type occurs in Teesdale commonly
perplexella. Generally distributed
adscitella. Darlington, Stockton, Castle Eden,
&c.
megerella. DarKngton, Castle Eden, Sec.
zonanella. Generally common
taeniatella. Darlington, &c.
cerusella. Darlington (Stainton's Manual)
rhyncosporella. Darlington and Hartlepool
paludum. Hell Kettles
biatomella. Darlington
triatomea. Darlington, Greatham, &c.
pollinariella. Darlington, Castle Eden and
Hesleden Denes
subocellea. Castle Eden
rufbcinerea. Abundant everywhere
- cygnipennella. Abundant everywhere
Tischeria complanella. Generally distributed
marginea. Darlington
LITHOCOLLETID.E
Lithocolletis amyotella. Darlington
roboris. Darlington
sylvella. Darlington
cramerella. Darlington, Hesleden Dene
heegeriella. Darlington, Batnard Castle
alnifoliella. General among alder
nigrescentella. Darlington
130
INSECTS
Lithocolletis insignitella. Very abundant between
Hart Station and Castle Eden, but not recorded
elsewhere in England. It is so very plenti-
ful that I have collected 1,000 mines within
twenty yards. It feeds here only on
Trifolium pratense, though medium and
repens are common. The insect occurs by
hedges or waste ground, and is especially
common on the railway side
irradiella. DarRngton
- bremiella. Dorfingtort, Barnard Castle, &c.
ulmifbliella. Generally common
spinolella. Generally common
sorbiella. Upper Teesdale
salicicolella. Black Halls
pomifoliella. Darlington and Greatham
- spinicolella. DarRngton and Hesleden Dene
- fcginella. DarRngton, Hesleden Dene and Teesaale
- coryli. DarRngton, Barnard Castle, &c.
vacciniella. Stockton-on-Tees
- quinqueguttella. Castle Eden and Black Halls
quercifoliella. Generally common
- messaniella. DarRngton (Stainton's Manual)
- scopariella. Teetdale and ConiscRffe Moor
viminiella. DarRngton
corylifoliella. Generally common
caledoniella. Darlington and Hesleden Dene
nicellii. DarRngton and Hesleden Dene
dunningiella. Barnard Castle
frolichiella. Stanhope, DarRngton, Hartlepool.
Not common
stettinensis. DarRngton (Stainton's Manual)
Klemannella. Stanhope, DarRngton, Edder
Acres, &c.
emberizaepennella. DarRngton, Barnard Castle,
Hesleden Dene, &c.
- tristrigella. DarRngton, Hesleden Dene, &c.
trifasciella
compariella. jfycfijfe
LYONETID^E
Lyonetia derkella. Generally distributed.
Cemiostoma spartifoliella. DarRngton
wailesella. DarRngton
- scitella. DarRngton, Barnard Castle and Greatham
Opostega salaciella
- crepusculella. DarRngton, Castle Eden, &c.
Bucculatrix aurimaculella. DarRngton
Bucculatrix cidarella. Hell Kettles
crataegi. Dinsdale Wood
maritima. Greatham
NEPTICUL*
Nepticula atricapitella. DarRngton
ruficapitella. DarRngton
pygmzella. DarRngton, Castle Eden
pomella. DarRngton
oxyacanthella. DarRngton
viscerella. DarRngton
aucupariella. Stanhope, Barnard Castle, &c.
lapponica. High Force, &c.
anomalella. DarRngton
septembrella. DarRngton, Castle Eden, &c.
cryptella. DarRngton, Castle Eden, &c.
ulmivoriella. DorRr.gtm
subbimaculella. DarRngton
argyropeza. DarRngton
trimaculelk. DarRngton
salicis. DarRngton
myrtillella. Barnard Castle
floslactella. Barnard Castle, DarRngton
luteella. Barnard Castle, DarRngton, H'otsingham,
&c.
ignobilella. DarRngton
arcuata. DarRngton
angulifasciella. DarRngton
atricollis. DarRngton
microtheriella. DarRngton, Barnard Castle
argentipedella. Among birch in the west.
Wobingham, High Force, Barnard Cattle, &c.
betulicola. General in the west
plagicolella. Darlington, &c.
malella. DarRngton
tityrella. DarRngton, &c.
glutinosx. Stanhope
gratiosella. DarRngton, &c.
ulmivorella. DarRngton, &c.
splendidellum. DarRngton, &c.
regiella. DarRngton, &c.
aeniofasciella. DarRngton, Castle Eden
alnetella. DarRngton, Barnard Castle, Stanhope
marginicolella. Darlington
aurella. DarRngton, &c.
splendidissima. DarRngton
Trifurcnla immundella. Darlington, &c.
pulverosella. Darlington
PTEROPHORINA
These insects are now placed elsewhere and divided into other genera.
for convenience only.
Adactyla bennetii. Salt marsh at Greatham
Pterophorus ochrodactylus. Tees Side, near Dar-
Rngton
bertrami. Late ConiscRffe
- trigonodactylus. Generally distributed and
common
- parvidactylus. Black Halls, very scarce, but
abundant on the sides of the railway-cutting
near Hesleden Dene
hieracii. DarRngton
- bipunctidactylus. Darlington, Hesleden Dene,
Edder Acres, &c.
- plagiodactylus. South Shields, Black Halls, Dar-
Rngton, &c.
I follow Stainton
Pterophorus fuscus. Castle Eden and Hesleden Denes,
DarRngton, &c.
lithodactylus. DarRngton, Edder Acres, Black
Halls, &c.
ptcrodactylus. DarRngton, Castle Eden, Durham,
Hesleden Dene, &c.
microdactylus. Hesleden Dene, Black Halls, Crim-
don Cut, &c.
tetradactylus. DarRngton, Black Halls, &c.
- pentadactylus. Very common wherever con-
volvulus grows
ALUCITINA
Alucita polydactyla. Common
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
DIPTERA
Flies
In this county the two-winged flies have been neglected. The following list of species is
the result of observations and collections made during the six years which formed the close of
the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, before which time no collections
had been made or records kept for this county. It is, therefore, very imperfect. But it shows
that the county, with its great diversity of natural features, is the home of a large variety
of flies.
Among the long grasses on the sand hills of the southern coast-line Asilidaa and Therevidae
lie waiting for their prey. Along the flower-clad cliff-tops bright Syrphids and more homely
Anthomyids disport themselves in the sunshine. In the rush-lined gullies worn in the boulder
clay, Leptidae and the larger Crane flies abound, while on the beach, among the heaps of
seaweed left by the receding tide are many species of shore flies, both the Fucellias, Orygma,
Chersodromia, and others. The deep wooded denes, so characteristic of this part of the
coast, are the haunts of swarms of sandflies and midges of many kinds. Farther inland,
along the marshy flats through which runs the sluggish Skerne, and on the upland burns
and among the rushes of the hill pastures, the water-loving Dolichopods skim over the streams
and pools or lurk among the herbage. By the banks of the numerous brooks and rivers
where willows hang over the waters, the black Bibio of St. Mark may be found, while its
smaller relative of St. John and several other species swarm among the herbage. Along the
field borders, and in the meadows or in the neglected corners, the numerous tribes of
Acalypterous Muscids, hovering Syrphids, and indeed flies of almost every family, hide them-
selves beneath the leaves, or feed on the yellow pollen. The upper dales and the many glens
which seam the hillsides are the resort of great numbers of the Limnobidas. And on
the heathery moors the hum of the bright wasp-coloured Sericomyia mingles with that of
the bees.
The county, therefore, with its considerable range of altitudes from the sea level to
over 2,000 feet, and its varied topography and vegetation, is well calculated to possess a fairly
wide range of insect life, notwithstanding its northern latitude, its eastern exposure, and its
often smoke-laden atmosphere. The following lists of species probably give only a small
proportion of those inhabiting the county.
CECIDOMYIDjE
The Gall Gnats of the county have not yet been studied, and although many species
have been collected and the galls of many more observed, the names of the species have not
been determined.
MYCETOPHILID^
The Fungus Gnats also have been but little worked out. The following very meagre
list contains all that have as yet been identified.
Sciara praecox, Mg. Lasiosoma luteum, Mcq. Macrocera centralis, Mg.
Mycetophila punctata, Mg. hirtum, Mg. stigma, Curt.
signata, Mg. Sciophila ornata, Mg. Bolitophila fusca, Mg.
- cingulum, Mg. Macrocera fasciata, Mg. cinerea, Mg.
Glaphyroptera fascipennis, Mg. lutea, Mg.
BIBIONID^E
Several of this family are common throughout the county, especially the Fever Fly, and
the black, heavy-looking St. Mark's Fly. Its red-legged cousin is not uncommon in the
upper dales, and the smaller St. John's Fly and its woolly relative are generally to be found
near wooded streams. This county is the only recorded locality for D. femoratus.
Scatopse notata, L. Dilophus femoratus, Mg. Bibio nigriventris, Hal.
- brevicornis, Mg. Bibio pomonae, F. laniger, Mg.
Dilophus febrilis, L. marci, L. johannis, L.
1 3 2
INSECTS
SIMULID.E
Reptans is the only common species of the Sandflies, and is sometimes to be met with in
countless swarms in the coast denes.
Simulium reptans, L.
Simulium latipes, Mg.
CHIRONOMID^:
The beautiful and delicately-coloured members of the Midge family are everywhere
present. The local species are very numerous, but the difficulty of preserving their colours
and the confused state of the British list render their identification difficult.
Chironomus plumosus, L.
annularis, Dcg.
flaveolus, Mg.
venustus, Stseg.
pcdellus, Deg.
brevitibialis, Ztt.
pictulus, Mg.
nubeculosus, Mg.
Cricotopus tremulus, L.
bicinctus, Mg.
annulipes, Mg.
sylvestris, F.
Orthocladius niveipennis, Ztt.
stcrcorarius, Mg.
Tanytarsus tenuis, Mg.
Tanytarsus flavipes, Mg.
Metriocncmus fuscipes, Mg.
Tanypus varius, F.
nebulosus, Mg.
choreus, Mg.
carneus, F.
melanops, Mg.
The following small families have not been studied. The individuals of several species
of Gnats and Psychods are numerous enough, but at present they remain mostly unidentified.
Culcx ncmorosus, Mg.
CULICID^E
Culex pipiens, L. Culex ciliaris, L.
DIXIDJE
Dixa aprilina, Mg.
TIPULIDjE (Sensu lato)
The Crane flies, large and small, are very abundant, and a fair number of species have
been observed. The four kinds of Winter Gnats may all be seen on fine days throughout the
winter. The beautiful little Idioptera is to be found on the moors, and the Spotted
Acyphona in the woods of the coast denes. The large and handsome Pedicia and the Great
Crane fly are not uncommon. The Marsh Tipula (T. paludosa) seems to be more abundant
than the common Daddy Long-legs, and the large Orange Tipula is plentiful.
PTYCHOPTERIDjfc
Ptychoptera contaminata, L.
lacustris, Mg.
Limnobia quadrinotata, Mg.
nubeculosa, Mg.
flavipes, F.
- tripunctata, F.
- trivitta, Schm.
Dicranomyia modesta, Mg.
chorea, Mg.
- dumetorum, Mg.
Rhiphidia maculata, Mg.
An toe ha opalizans, O.Sack.
Empeda flava, Schum.
- nubila, Schum.
Gonomyia tenclla, Mg.
- scutellata, Egg.
Acyphona maculata, Mg.
Molophilus appendiculatus, Stzg.
propinquus, Egg.
LIMNOBID^E
Molophilus bifilatus, Verr.
obscurus, Mg.
Rhypholophus lineatus, Mg.
nodulosus, Mcq.
varius, Mg.
hcemorrhoidalis, Ztt.
Erioptera flavesccns, Mg.
macrophthalma, Lw.
tcenionota, Mg.
fuscipcnnis, Mg.
trivialis, Mg.
Lipsothrix crrans, Wlk.
Idioptera pulchella, Mg.
Dactylolabis gracilipcs, Lw.
Limnophila Meigenii, Verr.
dispar, Mg.
lineola, Mg.
'33
Ptychoptera albimana, F.
scutellaris, Mg.
Limnophila lineolella, Verr.
ochracea, Mg.
discicollis, Mg.
lucorum, Mg.
nemoralis, Mg.
Trichocera annulata, Mg.
hiemalis, Deg.
fuscata, Mg.
regclationis, L.
Ula pilosa, Schm.
Dicranota bimaculata, Schm.
Amalopis immaculata, Mg.
unicolor, Schm.
Pedicia rivosa, L.
Pachyrrhina crocata, L.
- histrio, F.
maculosa, Mg.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Pachyrrhina cornicina, L. Tipula truncorum, Mg. Tipula vittat.i, Mg.
guestfalica, Westh. hortensis, Mg. gigantea, Schrk.
analis, Schm. varipennis, Mg. lutescens, F.
quadrifaria, Mg. scripta, Mg. oleracea, L.
lunulicornis, Schm. plumbea, F. paludosa, Mg.
annulicornis, Mg. lunata, L. fascipennis, Mg.
Tipula pagana, Mg. lateralis, Mg. peliostigma, Schum.
- confusa, V. de Wulp vernalis, Mg. ochracea, Mg.
longicornis, Schm.
RHYPHIDjE
Rhyphus fenestralis, Scop. Rhyphus punctatus, F.
STRATIOMYID^E
The Soldier-flies are not largely represented in this county. None of the three first sub-
families have as yet been observed, and of the rest only S. cuprarius and irridatus and
B. chalybeata are common.
Chrysonotus bipunctatus, Scop. Sargus iridatus, Scop. Beris vallata, Forst.
Sargus flavipes, Mg. Microchrysa polita, L. chalybeata, Forst.
cnprarius, L. flavicornis, Mg. geniculata, Curt.
Of the next five families only the Cleg is common among the Tabamdtt, although
C. c&cutiens is sometimes fairly plentiful. All the Leptidts are common, except L. lineola and
5. crassicornit. D. rufipes, among the Asilidte, is generally distributed and very common along
the banks of the Gaunless. Philonicus is only found on the sand hills near Hart. Our only
Bee-fly is common in April where primroses abound, and the two Therevidte are fairly
abundant among the Bent grass on the coast.
Hsematopota pluvialis, L. Therioplectes solstialis, Mg. Chrysopscoecutiens, L.
Therioplectes montanus, Mg. Tabanus autumnalis, L.
LEPTID^E
Leptis scolopacea, L. Leptis conspicua, Mg. Chrysopilus auratus, F.
tringaria, L. lineola, F. Symphoromyia crassicornis
ASILID./E
Dioctria rufipes, Deg. Philonicus albiceps, Mg. Dismachus trigonus, Mg.
BOMBYLID^
Bombylius major, L,
THEREVID^:
Thereva nobilitata, F. Thereva annulata, F.
EMPID.E
Several species of these two-winged robbers are among our commonest flies. They may
often be seen with their long snipe-like beaks buried deeply in the body of some unfortunate
victim. Most of them are generally distributed, but Chersodromia is confined to the shore
rocks, while Clinocera and Ardoptera have only as yet been found in the upper dales.
Hybos grossipes, L. Empis borealis, L. Hilara chorica, Fin.
femoratus, Mull. stercorea, L. thoracica, Mcq.
Cyrtoma spuria, Fin. trigramma, Mg. CEdalia holmgreni, Ztt.
Rhamphomyia nigripes, F. punctata, Mg. Oxydromia glabricula, Fin.
sulcata, Fin. pennipes, L. Clinocera fontinalis, Hal.
dentipes, Ztt. vernalis, Mg. - bistigma, Curt.
- variabilis, Fin. vitripennis, Mg. Ardoptera irrorata, Fin.
- umbripennis, Mg. - chioptera, Fin. Chersodromia arenaria, Hal.
- flava, Fin. Hilara maura, F. Tachydromia flavipes, F.
Empis tessellata, F. manicata, Mg. - cursitans, F.
-- livida, L. - quadrivittata, Mg. - bicolor, F.
'34
INSECTS
DOLICHOPODIDiE
Several of the genus Dolichopuf are very common. The first five are numerous in marshy
places in the dales ; trivia/is, tfneus, and G. teroius are common everywhere ; of the others,
only a few have been met with here and there.
Psilopus platypterus, F.
Ncurigona quadrifasciata, F.
Dolichopus a tripes, Mg.
- vitripennis, Mg.
atratus, Mg.
- picipes, Mg.
plumipcs, Scop.
pennatus, Mg.
popular!*, W.
Dolichopus urbanus, Mg.
griseipennis, Stan.
trivialis, Hal.
brevipennis, Mg.
xneus, Deg.
Hercostomus nigripennis, Fin.
Gymnopternus cupreus, Fin.
zrosus, Fin.
Chiysotiu gramincus, Fin.
LONCHOPTERIDJE
Argyra diaphana, F.
argentina, Mg.
Syntormon pallipes, F.
Xiphandrium caliginosum, Mg.
monotrichum, Lw,
Sccllus notatus, F.
Hydrophorus prjecox, Lehm.
Liancalus virens, Scop.
Campsicnemus curvipes, Fin.
Flies of this family are very common everywhere, and they seem to be of four varieties,
but whether these are really different species is open to question.
Lonchoptcra punctum, Mg.
trilineata, Ztt.
Lonchoptcra lacustris, Mg.
tristis, Mg.
The individuals of the next two families are by no means common ; one or two specimens
of a few species are all that have as yet been observed.
PLATYPEZID^E
Callimyia speciosa, Mg. Callimyia amoena, Mg.
Verrallia pilau, Ztt.
PIPUNCULIDjE
Pipunculus furcatus, Egg.
terminalis, Thorns.
SYRPHID^E
Pipunculus campestris, Ltr.
pratorum, Fin.
The Hoverer or Hawk-flies are fairly well represented in this county, about 4.0 per cent,
of the British species having been taken within its borders. Ischymyrphus glaucius was very
abundant at Gibside in 1896, but usually it is rather uncommon, though generally distributed.
Arctopkila mussitans is a strangely local fly. It has appeared year after year in fair numbers
within a day or two of the 28th August, at the corner of a certain field near Hesleden, but
has only once been observed at any other time or place. Merodon has been getting commoner
of late, doubtless owing to the importation of foreign bulbs.
Pipizella virens, F.
Pipiza noctiluca, L.
Liogaster metallina, F.
Chrysogaster hirtella, L.
Chilosia maculata, Fin.
sparsa, Lw.
pulchripes, Lw.
variabilis, Panz.
- intonsa, Lw.
- illustrata, Har.
- imprcssa, Lw.
- albitarsis, Mg.
- fraterna, Mg.
I vernal is, Fin.
proxima, Ztt.
Platychirus manicatus, Mg.
- peltatus, Mg.
- scutatus, Mg.
- albimanus, F.
Platychirus clypeatus, Mg.
angustatus, Ztt.
Pyrophxna granditarsa, Forst.
rosarum, F.
Melanastomum mellinum, L.
- scalare, F.
Leucozona lucorum, L.
Ischyrosyrphus glaucius, L.
Catabomba pyrastri, L.
selenitica, Mg.
Syrphus albostriatus, Fin.
albostriatus var. confusus
tricinctus, Fin.
venustus, Mg.
lunulatus, Mg.
torvus, Ost. Sack.
vittiger, Ztt.
grossularix, Mg.
ribesii, L.
'35
Syrphus vitripennis, Mg.
latifasciatus, Mcq.
corolla;, F.
luniger, Mg.
hifasciatus, F.
balteatus, Deg.
cinctellus, Ztt.
cinctus, Fin.
auricollis, Mg.
auricollis var. maculicornis,
Ztt.
umbellatarum, F.
- compositarum, Verr.
- labiatarum, Verr.
Sphacrophoria scripta, L.
- scripta var. nigricoza, Ztt.
menthastri, L.
menthastri var. picta, Mg.
menthastri var. taeniata, Mg.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Eristalis tenax, L.
intricarius, L.
arbustorum, L.
nemorum, L.
pertinax, Scop.
rupium, F.
horticola, Deg.
Myiatropa florea, L.
Helophilus pendulus, Mg.
Merodon equestris var. narcissi,
F.
equestris var. validus, Mg.
CONOPIDJE
Myopa buccata, L.
TACHINID.E
With the exception of Onesia and Sarcopkaga, most of the Tachtnidte are not common.
They are, during the larval stage, mostly parasitic in the larvae of Lepidoptera, and the
breeding cages of local lepidopterists have been the chief source of supply.
Baccha elongata, F.
Sphegina clunipes, Fin.
Ascia podagrica, F.
floral is
Brachyopa bicolor, Fin.
Rhingia campestris, Mg.
Volucella bombylans, L.
bombylans var. plumata.DeG.
bombylans var. (a) haemor-
rhoidalis, Ztt.
pellucens, L.
Eristalis aeneus, Scop.
Criorrhina floccosa, Mg.
Xylota segnis, L.
lenta, Mg.
sylvarum, L.
abiens, W.
Syritta pipiens, L.
Chrysochlamys cuprea, Scop.
Arctophila mussitans, F.
Sericomyia borealis, Fin.
lappona, L.
Chrysotoxum arctuatum, L.
bicinctum, L.
Ceromasia spectabilis, Mg.
Gymnochaeta viridis, Fin.
Parexorista fugax, Rnd. I
grossa, B. and B.
Blepharidea vulgaris, Fin.
Phorocera cilipeda, Rnd.
Aporomyia dubia, Fin.
Somolia simplicitarsis, Ztt.
Melanota volvulus, F.
Olivieria lateralis, F.
Micropalpus vulpinus, Fin.
pictus, Mg.
Erigone rudis, Fin.
consobrina, Mg.
Plagia ruralis, Fin.
Urophylla seria, Mg.
Digonochaeta setipennis, Fin.
Thryptocera crassicornis, Mg.
Siphona cristata, F.
geniculata, Deg.
Stevenia maculata, Fin.
Brachycoma devia, Fin.
Cynomyia alpina, Ztt.
mortuorum, L.
Onesia sepulchralis, L.
cognata, Mg.
Sarcophaga carnaria, L.
atropos, Mg.
cruentata, Mg.
Of the remaining numerous families, the Muscidie proper, the nearer relations of the
House-fly, are well represented, most of them very common. The list of Anthomyds is, probably,
very incomplete, and the same applies to the Acalypterous Muscides. The more noticeable
species are, among the Antkomyidiz, Cienosia elegantula and tricolor and Lisporephala alma.
The red-legged variety of Fucellia (F. maritima) was fairly common on the shore, 1 900, but it
has not been observed since. Helomyza ustulata is a very rare species in this county. The
smaller Muscidte, sensu lato, have been very little collected, and there is nothing in the
following lists calling for further notice.
Stomoxys calcitrans, L.
Haematobia stimulans, Mg.
Pollenia vespillo, F.
rudis, F.
Mysospila meditabunda, F.
Graphomyia maculata, Scop.
Musca domestica, L.
corvma, F.
Polietes lardaria, F.
albolineata, Fin.
Hyedotesia incana, W.
lucorum, Fin.
marmorata, Ztt.
serva, Mg.
nivalis, Rnd.
obscurata, Mg.
variabilis, Fin.
longipes, Ztt.
umbratica, Mg.
MUSCID.E
Cyrtoneura stabulans, Fin.
pabulorum, Fin.
Morellia simplex, Lw.
hortorum, Fin.
Mesembrina meridiana, L.
Pyrellia cyanicolor, Ztt.
lasiophthalma, Mcq.
ANTHOMYID^E
Hyedotesia lasiophthalma, Mcq.
rufipalpis, Mcq.
populi, Mg.
variegata, Mg.
palida, F.
Alloeostylus flaveola, Fin.
Mydea vespertina, Fin.
nigritella, Ztt.
urbana, Mg.
tincta, Ztt.
pagana, F.
136
Protocalliphora groenlandica, Ztt.
Calliphora erythrocephala, Mg.
vomitoria, L.
Euphoria cornicina, F.
Lucilia caesar, L.
sericata, Mg.
ruficeps, Mg.
Mydea impuncta, Fin.
separata, Mg.
Sphecolyma inanis, Fin.
Spilogaster nigrinervis, Ztt.
duplicata, Mg.
communis, Dsv.
duplaris, Ztt.
ciliatocosta, Ztt.
Limnophora compuncta, W.
solitaria, Ztt.
Melanochila riparia, Fin.
INSECTS
Macrorchis meditata, Fin.
Hydrotara occulta, Mg.
irritans, Fin.
dcntipes, F.
Ophyra leucostoma, W.
Drymia hamata, Fin.
Trichopticus hirsutulus, Ztt.
pulcher, Mde.
Hydrophoria conica, W.
- linogrisea, Mg.
Hylemyia variata, Fin.
seticrura, Rnd.
pullula, Ztt.
strigosa, F.
nigrimana, Mg.
coarctata, Fin.
Mycophaga fungorum, Deg.
Lasiops adclphc, Kow.
Lasiops ctenoctema, Kow.
Anthomyia pluvialis, L.
radicum, L.
Chortophila trapczina, Ztt.
sepia, Mg.
Phorbia floccosa, Mcq.
pudica, Rnd.
intersecta, Mg.
trichodactyla, Rnd.
ignota, Rnd.
Pegomyia rufipes, Fin.
transversa, Fin.
bicolor, W.
nigritarsis, Ztt.
Homalomyia hamata, Mcq.
manicata, Mg.
scalaris, F.
canicularis, L.
Homalomyia aCrea, Ztt.
coracina, Lw.
serena, Fin.
indsurata, Ztt.
Azelia macquarti, Stacg.
zetterstedti, Rnd.
triquetra, W.
aterrima, Mg.
Ccelomyia mollissima, Hal.
Caricea tigrina, F.
intermedia, Fin.
Coenosia elegantula, Rnd.
tricolor, Ztt.
sexnotata, Mg.
Lisporephela alma, Mg.
Fucellia fucorum, Fin.
maritim.i, Hal.
Parallelomma albipes, Fin.
Amaurosoma tibiella, Ztt.
Norellia spinimana, Fin.
CORDYLURIDjE
Spathiophora hydromyzinae, Fin.
Scatophaga inquinata, Mg.
lutaria, F.
Scatophaga stercoraria, L.
squalida, Mg.
PHYCODROMID^E
Orygma luctuosum, Mg.
Helomyza rufa, Lw.
pectoralis, Lw.
- similis, Mg.
laevifrons, Lw.
ustulata, Mg.
Neuroctena anilis, Fin.
Dryomyza flaveola, F.
Sciomyza albocostata, Fin.
HELOMYZID^
Helomyza montana, Lw.
zettcrstedtii, Lw.
montana, Lw.
palida, Fin.
SCIOMYZIDJE
Sciomyza cinerella, Fin.
Tetanocera elata, F.
laevifrons, Lw.
Helomyza parva, Lw.
Blepharoptera serrata, L.
iners, Mg.
Tephrochlamys rufiventris, Mg.
Tetanocera punctulata, Scop.
Limnia rufifrons, F.
Elgiva dorsal is, F.
Piila fimcntaria, L.
rufa, Mg.
PSILID^E
Psila palida, Fin.
nigricornis, Mg.
Psila villosula, Mg.
Lozocera arista ta, Pz.
MICROPEZID^E
Calobata cibaria, L. Calobata petronella, L.
Pteropaectria afflicta, Mg.
ORTALID^
Pteropaectria nigrini, Mg.
Pteropaectria frondcsccntix, L.
Acidia cognata, W.
- heraclei, L.
Spilographa zoe, Mg.
Trypcta onotrophes, Lw.
Lonchaca vaginalis, Fin.
chorea, F.
albitanis, Ztt.
TRYPETID^
Urophora solstitialis, L.
Sphenella marginata, Fin.
Tephrites miliaria, Schrk.
LONCHJEID^E
Palloptera ustulata, Fin.
umbellatarum, F.
'37
Tephrites hyoscyami, L.
vespertina, Lw.
bardanz, Schrk.
Palloptera saltuum, L.
arcuata, Fin.
18
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
SAPROMYZKLE
Sapromyza lupulina, F.
- decempunctata, F.
Balioptera tripunctata, Fin.
combinata, L.
Sapromyza pallidiventris, Fin.
obsoleta, Fin.
OPOMYZID^E
Opomyza germination is, L.
florum, F.
Sepsis violacea, Mg.
Sepsis cynipsea, L.
Sapromyza rorida, Fin.
Lauxania aenea, Fin.
Pelethophila flava, L.
Nemopoda cylindrica, F.
PIOPHILID^E
Piophila casei, L.
GEOMYZID.E
Diastata nebulosa, Fin.
EPHYDRID^E
Parhydra aquila, Fin.
DROSOPHILID^
Drosophila confusa, Stzg. Drosophila funebris, F.
CHLOROPID^:
Chlorops taeniopus, Mg.
laeta, Mg.
scalaris, Mg.
Chlorops gracilis, Mg.
Oscinis albiseta, Mg.
Elachyptera cornuta, Fin.
Meromyza laeta, Mg.
Center cereris, Fin.
Chlorops didyma, Ztt.
scutellaris, Ztt.
AGROMYZID.E
Agromyza pusilla, Mg. Ochthiphila polystigma, Mg.
PHYTOMYZIDJE
Napomyza lateralis, Fin. Phytomyza notata, Mg. Phytomyza flava, Mg. Phytomyza fuscula, Ztt.
BORBORID^
Borborus longipennis, Hal.
equinus, Fin.
nigrifemoratus, Mcq.
Trineura aterrima, F.
Ornithomyia avicularia, L.
Borborus geniculatus, Mcq.
Limosina fbntinalis, Fin.
lutosa, Stnh.
PHORIDiE
Phora rufipes, Mg.
HIPPOSCID^E
Stenopteryx hirundinis, L.
Limosina pumilio, Mg.
vitripennis, Ztt.
Phora incrassata, Mg.
Melophagus ovinns, L.
HEMIPTERA
Practically nothing has been done in the Hemiptera in Durham since Hold's time, and
the following list is chiefly his. The very names, Bugs, Plant Lice, and Cuckoo Spit, seem
to be enough to frighten young entomologists, although there is but one seriously objectionable
bug, while there are hundreds of others of great beauty both in form and colour; and
the life histories of the Plant Lice or Aphides, with their deeply interesting instances of
parthenogenesis, and their curious alternations of form and domicile, present most alluring
objects for investigation.
138
INSECTS
HEMIPTERA HETEROPTERA
GYMNOCERATA
PENTATOMID.*
Cydnina
Schirus, Am. S.
bicolor, Linn. Hedge-
banks (Backhouse)
Gnathoconus, Fieb.
albomarginatus, Fab. Gib-
tiJf, very rare (V. R.
Perkins)
Pcntatomina
Pentatoma, Oliv.
prasina, Linn. S/ia//( Back-
house)
Tropicoris, Hahn.
rufipes, Linn. Common
on trees
Asopina
Zicrona, Am. S.
czrulca, Linn. ^//(Back-
house). Blanchland( Bag-
nail)
Co RE I DA
Coreina
Enoplops, Am. S.
scapha, Fab. Rjhope Dene
(John tiaindcock), Point,
SunderlonJ (Backhouse)
LVCX.IDX
Pachymerina
Stygnus, Fieb.
pcdestris, Fall. Common
in sandy places
arenarius, Hahn. Abun-
dant at the roots of
plants in dry places
Scolopostethus, Fieb.
affinis, Schill. Common in
sandy places and among
nettles
Notochilus, Fieb.
contractus, H.S. Abun-
dant beneath stones on
the sea-coast
Drymus, Fieb.
sylvaticus, Fab. In moss,
etc., throughout the
district
brunneus, Sahib. Common
in dead leaves, moss, &c.
TINGIDID.S
Tingidina
Monanthia, Lep.
cardui, Linn. Glbslde.
Common on thistles.
HVDROMKTRID.K
Hydrometrina
Hydrometra, Latr.
- stagnorum, Linn. Not
uncommon among her-
bage on the borders of
ponds
Bug,
HYDRO METRIDJE (continued)
Veliina
Velia, Latr.
currens, Fab. Very abun-
dant, but always without
wings
Gerridina
Gerris, Fab.
paludum, Fab. (Back-
house)
najas, De G. Abundant
on running water, all
without wings
thoracica, Schum. Fre-
quents on pools of water
on the moors
lacustris, Linn. Very
common on ponds and
ditches
Rnonnui
Nabidina
Nabis, Latr.
lativentris, Boh. Very
abundant, always with
undeveloped wings
limbatus, Dahlb. Common
ferus, Linn. Glbslde
rugosus, Linn. Not un-
common on heath and
generally of the fully
developed form
BttBHMI
Saldina
Salda, Fab.
scotica, Curt. Banb of
the Dertvent
C.-album, Fieb. Banks of
the Denoent
saltatoria, Linn. Abounds
all over the district near
Tyneside
cincta, H.S. Glbslde (V.
R. Perkins)
ClMICIDJE
Cimicina
Cimex, Linn.
lectularis, Linn. The bed
bug. Too common in
dirty houses, also in coal
mines in the cracks of
the timber supporting
the roof
Anthocorina
Lyctocoris, Hahn.
campestris, Fab. Abun-
dant in herbage.
Piezostcthus, Fieb.
galactinus, Fieb. Common
in cut grass, &c.
Anthocoris, Fall.
nemoralis, Fab. Very
abundant
'39
CIMICJD^E (continued)
Anthocoris sylvcstris, Linn.
Abundant
Tetraphleps, Fieb.
vittata, Fieb. AxviellPark
CAPSIDJE
Capsina
Pithanus, Fieb.
maerkeli, H.S. Unde-
veloped form is abun-
dant among grass in
woods
Miris, Fab.
- holsatus, Fab.
calcaratus, Fall. Very
abundant
Megalocera, Fieb.
ruficornis, Fall. Axu-eh
Park, on bushes, etc.
Leptopterna, Fieb.
dolobrata,Linn. Common
among herbage
Monalocoris, Dahlb.
filices, Linn. Common
Calocoris, Fieb.
sexguttatus, Fab. Glbslde
roscomaculatus, De G.
Marsden
alpestris, Mey. Gibside
bipunctatus, Fab. Com-
mon
Lygus, Hahn.
contaminatus, Fall. Abun-
dant on flowers of
Umbellifene in woods
pratensis, Fab. Common
- kalmii, Linn. Common
among herbage,
especially near the coast
cervinus, H.S. Glbslde.
Rare
Liocoris, Fab.
tripustulatus, Fab. Not
abundant. Durham
Rhopalotomus, Fieb.
ater, Linn. Common on
grass, etc.
Dicyphus, Fieb.
- epilobii, Reut. Bishop
Auckland
errans, Wolff. Not very
common
- pallidus, Fall. GibsiJe,
Axtvell. Common
vEtorhinus, Fieb.
angulatus, Fall. Common
on bushes
Globiceps, Latr.
flavomaculatus, Fab. Glb-
ilde. Rare. V.R. Per-
kins
Mecomma, Fieb.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
CAPSIDJE (continued)
Mecomma ambulans, Fall. A-
bundant among herbage
elegantulus, Meyer. Bol-
don Flats
Orthotylus, Fieb.
nassatus, Fab. Common
on bushes, etc.
concolor, Kb. Gibside.
Very rare
ericetorum, Fall. Abun-
dant on heath
Heterocordylus, Fieb.
tibialis, Hahn. Gibside,
Axtoell, in flowers of
broom
CAPSID./E (continued)
Psallus, Fieb.
ambiguus, Fall. Very com-
mon
- variabilis, Fall. Common
varians, H.S. AxwellPark
Plagiognathus, Fieb.
arbustorum, Fab. Abun-
dant on bushes
CRYPTOCERATA
Nepa, Linn.
cinerea, Linn. Abounds
in ponds and ditches
NOTONECTID./E
Notonecta, Linn.
glauca, Linn. Common
CORIXID^E
Corixa, GeofFr.
geoffroyi, Leach. Abun-
dant in ponds
sahlbergi, Fieb. Common
in ponds and ditches
striata, Fieb. Abundant
in running water
fabricii, Fieb. (nigro-
lineata, Fieb.) Very
common in ponds and
ditches
HEMIPTERA HOMOPTERA
Cicadas, Fiend-flies, Lantern-flies, Frog-hoppers, Grass-flies, Aphides, etc.
CICADINA
MEMBRACID.S
Centrotus, Fab.
cornutus, Linn. Not un-
common
CIXIIWE
Cixius, Latr.
nervosus, Linn. Very
common, on trees,
among herbage, etc.
pilosus,Ol. Not uncommon
DELPHACID.S
Liburnia, Stal.
guttula, Germ. Gibside
discolor, Boh. Common
striatella, Fab. Gibside
limbata, Fab.
Dicranotropis, Fieb.
hamata, Boh.
CERCOPIDJE
Aphrophora, Germ.
alni, Fin. In birch woods,
rather rare
Philanus, Stal.
spumarius, Linn. Very
abundant
lineatus, Linn. Near the
coast
PAROPIIDJE
Megophthalmus, Curt.
scanicus, Fall. South Shields
BYTHOSCOPID./E
Macropsis, Lewis.
lanio, Linn. Common
Bythoscopus, Germ.
flavicollis, Linn. Common
Pediopsis, Burm.
virescens, Fab. Derwentside
Idiocerus, Lewis
adustus, H.S. Derwentside
populi, Linn. Not rare
TETTIGONIDJE
Evacanthus, L. and S.
interruptus,Linn. Common
Tettigonia, GeofFr.
viridis, Liv. Boldon Flats
ACOCEPHALID.H:
Strongylocephalus, Flor.
agrestis, Fall. Common
Acocephalus, Germ.
bifasciatus, Linn. Abun-
dant at Gibside
albifrons, Linn. Seabanks
at South Shields
rusticus, Fab. Abundant.
(Bold). Probably ner-
vosus, Schr.
adustus, Hardy. Dunston
(Bold). Probably ner-
vosus, Schr.
flavostriatus, Don. South
Shields
JASSIDJE
Deltocephalus, Burm.
abdominalis, Fab. Axwell
Park, rare
ocellaris, Fall. Common
socialis, Flor. AxwellPark,
abundant
sabulicola, Curt. Abun-
dant on the Bents, South
Shields
striatus, Linn. South
Shields, Derwentside
TYPHLOCYBID.S
Alebra, Fieb.
albostriatella, Fall. Gib-
side
Kybos, Fieb.
smaragdula, Fall. Dettvent
Eupteryx, Curt.
notata, Curt. Common
stachydearum, Hard. Ax-
well Park
signatipennis, Boh. Axteell
Park
Typhlocyba, Germ.
jucunda, H.S. Derwent
ulmi, Linn. Gibside
quercus, Fab. Winlaton
geometrica, Schr. Gib-
side
140
II
SPIDERS
ARACHNIDA '
Spiders
The following list of the spiders of the county of Durham is almost entirely due to the
researches of the Rev. J. E. Hull, of North Shields, who in 1896 published a 'Catalogue of the
Spiders (Araneidea) of Northumberland and Durham.' * Out of a total of about 534 species of
spiders recorded for Great Britain and Ireland only 1 12 species have been taken in the county of
Durham, while of the Pitudo-scorpiones and Opi/iones there are none at all recorded, so far as I
can make out.
There is no doubt, however, that the number of spiders would be much increased if a
diligent search were instituted, for there are plenty of species which one can be quite sure must
inhabit a district whose physical characters are of the kind furnished by this county.
Of those recorded the following are worthy of special mention either on account of their
rarity or being of particular individual interest : Osnops pulchtr ; Cryphaeca diversa ; Cicurina
cinerea ; Meta menardi ; Centromerus sylvaticus ; Micryphantes cornigera ; Dicymbium tibiali ;
and Euryopis blackwallii.
ARANE^E
jtRJCHNOMORPHM
DYSDERID^E
Spiders with six eyes and two pairs of stigmatic ^. Segeitria senoculata (Linnxus).
openings, situated close together on the genital Durham ; Teesdale ; Ryhope (J. E. H.).
nma ; the anterior pair communicating with lung .
boob, the posterior with tracheal tubes. Tarsal Not common ; under bark of trees, in the cre-
claws, two in Djsaera, three in HarpatU, and vlce of j oose one walls, and amongst detached
SfKitria rocks. Recognizable by its linear form and the
black diamond-shaped blotches on the dorsal sur-
I. Harpactes hombergii (Scopoli). face of the abdomen.
Durham ; Kepier Wood and Pelaw Wood ;
Teesdale; Falcon Glints; Harperley 3- O'onop, pulcher, Templeton.
(J. E. H.). Durham ; Pelaw Wood and Kepier Wood
Rare under bark of trees, and recognizable by it
linear ant-like form, black carapace, and pale day- Not common ; usually beaten from over-hanging
yellow abdomen and three tarsal claws. grass on dry sunny banks.
DRASSID^E
Spiders with eight eyes, situated in two trans- 4. DraiioJts laplJosiu (Walckenaer).
verse rows. The tracheal openings lie just in front
of the spinners. The tarsal claws are two in Kynope (J . E. H.).
number, the anterior pair of spinners being set V ery common under stones. Also known a*
wide apart at the base, and the maxillae are more [) ralsul lapidicolens.
or less impressed across the middle.
CLUBIONID.fi
Spiders with eight eyes, situated in two trans- 6. Clubiona terreitrii, Westring.
verse rows. The tracheal openings lie immediately
in front of the spinners. The ursal claws are two Durham ; Ryhope (J- K. H.).
in number, but the anterior pair of spinners are set Not uncommon in ^ 8umm er time, when it
dose together at the base ; the maxill* are convex ^ found wanderi about at night on the
and not impressed across the middle. ^ of outhou>e$> palings> etc . The female may
5. Zora splmmana (Sundevall). be found in a silken domicile with her cocoon
Urpeth (J. E. H.). under or between the leaves of shrubs. Known
Known also as Htctergf ip'tnimana or maculata. also as C. amaranth*, Blackwall.
1 By the late F. O. Pickard-Cambridge. Revised and corrected by the Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge,
Bloxworth, Dorset.
Natural Hiitory Traniactions of Northumberland, Durham, and Nttvcaitle-upon-Tjne, zm. part i.
'4'
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
7. Clubiona reclusa, O. P.-Cambridge.
Durham (J. E. H.).
A rarer species than the last ; usually beaten
from foliage and bushes in the summer time.
8. Clubiona httescens, Westring.
Durham (J. E. H.).
Pretty plentiful in the woods at Durham.
Sometimes fairly abundant where it occurs amongst
dry rushes and sedge grass in swampy places.
9. Clubiona palRduk (Clerck).
Durham (J. E. H.).
A larger species than any of the above, and
usually fairly common amongst bramble bushes,
where the female makes its egg-cocoon within the
folded leaves. Known also as C. epimelas, Black-
wall.
10. Clubiona compta, C. L. Koch.
Durham ; Teesdale ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
A very small species, whose abdomen is striped
diagonally on each side. Not uncommon amongst
the foliage of bushes and shrubs in the summer
time.
1 1 . Mtcatia puRcaria (Sundevall).
Durham, Shindiffe Mill (J. E. H.).
Known also as Drassus micans and nitens, Black-
wall.
THOMISID.E
Spiders with eight eyes, situated in two trans-
verse rows, two tarsal claws, and anterior spinners
close together at their base. Maxilla; not impressed.
The crab-like shape and side-long movements of
these spiders are their chief characteristics, enabling
them to be easily distinguished as a rule from the
more elongate Drassidee and Clubiomda.
i 2. Phihdromus aureolus (Clerck).
Durham ; Wolsingham ; Ryhope (J. E. H.)
A very abundant species, with usually a dull red-
brown abdomen, with yellowish central pattern.
It frequents the foliage of trees of all kinds, and
especially in the immature condition will out-
number all other species which fell into the um-
brella beneath the beating-stick.
13. Xysticus cristatus (Clerck).
Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
This is by far the commonest of the ' crab-
spiders,' and is found abundantly on foliage or
crouching on bare places in fields and commons.
Known also under Thomisus.
14. Oxyptilajlexa, O. P.-Cambridge.
Durham (J. E. H.).
An adult male and an immature female were
beaten from furze near the city in the summer of
1894.
SALTICID^E
The spiders of this family may be recognized in
a general way by their mode of progression, con-
sisting of a series of leaps, often many times their
own length. More particularly they may be
known by the square shape of the cephalic region
and the fact that the eyes are arranged in three
rows of 4, 2, 2, the centrals of the anterior row
being much the largest and usually iridescent.
Those of the second row are the smallest, while the
posterior pair is placed well back and helps to give
the quadrate character to the carapace. Otherwise
these spiders are simply specialized Clublonlds with
two tarsal claws and other minor characters possessed
in common with members of this latter family.
15. Salticus scenlcus (Clerck).
Durham ; Ryhope (J. E. H.).
A black species with white lateral stripes. Known
also under Epiblemum.
1 6. Euopbrys frontalis (Walckenaer).
Duham, Pelaw Wood (J. E. H.).
Not common. Known also under Salticus.
17. Neon reticulatus (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale ; Ryhope (J- E. H.).
Not common. Known also under Salticui.
1 8. Salticus clngulatus (Panzer).
Durham ; Harperley ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
Known also under Epiblemum.
1 9. Euopbrys erraticus (Walckenaer).
Durham, Pelaw Wood and Kepier Wood
0. E. H.).
Amongst grass, dead leaves, and under stones or
on rocks. Known also under Attiu and as Salticus
distinctus, Blackwall.
PISAURHXE
Spiders with eight eyes in three rows of 4, 2, 2 ; freely over the herbage, carrying its egg-sack be-
the small anterior eyes being sometimes in a straight
line, sometimes recurved and sometimes procurved.
Those of the other two rows are situated in the
form of a rectangle of various proportions, and are
much larger than the eyes of the anterior row. The
tarsal claws are three in number. Plsaura runs
neath the sternum ; while Dahmedei is a dweller
in marshes and swamps.
20. Plsaura mlrabllis (Clerck).
Durham (Rev. A. M. Norman).
Known also as Dohmedes or Ocyale mirablfis.
142
SPIDERS
LYCOSID,E
The members of this family are to be found
running freely over the ground, and carrying the
egg-sac attached to the spinners. Many of the
larger species make a short burrow in the soil and
there keep guard over the egg-sac. Eyes and
tarsal daws as in the PiiauriJ<e, with slight
differences.
21. Lycoia terricola (Thorell).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale Q. E. H.).
Fairly plentiful under stones in spring and
autumn. The female frequently excavates a re-
treat for herself and her egg-cocoon in the soft
earth. Known also under Trochosa and as Ljceia
agretyca, Blackwall.
12. Lycosa puherulenta (Clerck).
Durham, Widdy Bank Fell (]. E. H.).
Common everywhere, running in the sunshine
in grassy places. Adult in June. Known also
under Tarcntula and as Lycosa rapax, Blackwall.
23. Lycoia accentuate, Latreille.
Ryhope (J. E. H.).
A few taken in June at the root* of furze at the
top of the cliff. Adult in June. Known also
under Tarentula and as Lycosa andrenivora, Black-
wall.
24. Pardosa agricola (Thorell).
Harperley, Wolsingham 0- E. H.).
Adult in June and common on sandy and
pebbly stretches by the river. Known also under
Lycosa and as Lycosa fiuviatths, Blackwall.
25. ParJosa lugubris (Walckenaer).
Durham ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
Adult in May and June and common in woods.
Known also under Lycosa.
26. ParJosa pullata (Clerck).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Adult in May and June. Abundant on Widdy
Bank Fell on the banks of the streams. Known
also under Lycosa and as Lycosa obscura, Blackwall.
27. ParJosa nigricepi (Thorell).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale ; Wolsingham.
Common ; adult in the summer ; sometime*
ascends into shrubs ; especially furze. Known also
under Lycosa and as Lycosa congener, O. P.-Cam-
bridge.
28. Pirata hygrophiliu, Thorell.
Durham 0- E. H.).
Adult in early summer, and common in boggy
and marshy places. Known also as Lycosa pisca-
toria, Blackwall.
29. Pirata piraticiu (Clerck).
Durham, Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Adult in June and abundant on the southern
side of Widdy Bank Fell. Known also under
Lycosa.
AGELENID^)
Spiders with eight eyes, situated in two trans-
verse rows. Legs with three tarsal claws. The
species of this family spin a large sheet-like web,
and construct a tubular retreat at the back of it,
which leads to some crevice amongst the rocks,
the roots of herbage, or the chinks in the walls of
outhouses, wherever the various species may happen
to be found. The posterior pair of spinners i*
usually much longer than the other two pairs.
30. Crypbceca sihicola (C. L. Koch).
Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Common in the hill districts, in the fell walls
and beaten from furze. Known also as Tegenaria
tylvicola, Blackwall.
3 1 . Cryphceca diversa, O. P.-Cambridge.
Durham, Pelaw Wood (J. E. H.).
Very rare. An immature female was taken
under a stone in the spring of 1893.
32. Garbles atropos (Walckenaer).
Durham ; Teesdale ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
Very common under stones on the fells and in
woods all the year round. Adult males are most
frequently met with in the spring ; for the rest of the
year adult females are perhaps ten times as numerous
as the males. A large spider and swift in its move-
ments. Known also as Collates saxatiRs, Blackwall.
3ia. Argjronela aquatua, Latreille.
Durham.
In ponds and ditches, in the neighbourhood of
the city. Not rare. (O. P.-Cambridge, 1856.)
33. Tegenaria atrica (C. L. Koch).
Winlaton (J- E. H).
A very large spider with long hairy legs, found
in cellars and outhouses as well as in holes in
banks or on sand-dunes. Two examples only are
recorded from this county.
34. Textrix denticulata (Olivier).
Durham 0- E. H.).
Common in inhabited houses and greenhouses,
also under stones. It constructs a fine web of the
form typical of the family, a strongly woven
horizontal snare narrowed at one corner into a
tubular retreat. A spider of graceful form and
exceedingly rapid movements. Adult in summer.
Known also as Textrix lycosina, Blackwall.
35. Cicurina cinerea (Panzer).
Durham, Kepier Wood (J. E. H.).
An immature female was taken under a stone in
May, 1895 ; and a small colony was found in a
disused quarry in Holywell Dene, of which some
of the females were adult, but no adult males.
Known also under Tegenaria.
36. AnAitea elegant (Blackwall).
Durham, Pelaw Wood (J- E. H.).
Immature examples of both sexes were taken in
a boggy place, but apparently not a common
species. Known also as Agtlena elegant, Blackwall,
and under Haknia.
43
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
ARGYOPID^E
The spiders included in this family have eight
eyes, situated in two rows, the lateral eyes of both
rows being usually adjacent if not in actual contact,
while the central eyes form a quadrangle. The
tarsal claws are three, often with other super-
numerary claws. The web is either an orbicular
snare, or consists of a sheet of webbing beneath
which the spiders hang and capture the prey as it
falls upon the sheet. This immense family in-
cludes those usually separated under the names
Epemdie and Linyphiid<f.
37. Meta Menardl (Latreille).
Durham, Kepier Wood (J. E. H.), Finchal
Abbey (O.P.-C.).
Taken from overhanging rocks, old ruins, and in
caverns.
38. Meta segmentata (Clerck).
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
A very abundant spider in the summer and
autumn amongst nettles and other herbage along
hedgerows. The spiders vary very much in size,
and spin an orbicular web having a clear space in
the centre as do others of the genus and also
Tetragnatha, thus differing from the genus Araneus
(Epeira). Known also as Epeira incKnata, Black-
wall.
39. Meta meriante (Scopoli).
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
A larger species found in cellars and under
damp overhanging banks. Known also as Epeira
antrlada, Blackwall, and a variety with a white
band down the centre of the abdomen as E. celata,
Blackwall.
40. Tetragnatha extensa (Linnaeus).
Durham ; Wolsingham.
A very common species of elongate form which
sits in the centre of its web with legs stretched out
in front and behind. Not so entirely confined to
marshy localities as the next species, and easily
recognized by the silvery white band under the
abdomen. The jaws of the males of this genus
are very large and conspicuous.
41. Tetragnatha solandri (Scopoli).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Very similar to the last species in general
appearance, but almost entirely confined to river
banks and marshy swamps. Can be recognized by
the dull white bands beneath the abdomen and the
absence of any pale line on the sternum.
42. Pachygnatha clerckii, Sundevall.
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
Resembles a Tetragnatha in the possession of very
large mandibles, but is not elongate and spins no
web to speak of. Found under leaves and at the
roots of herbage, especially in marshy places.
43. Pachygnatha Jegeerii, Sundevall.
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
Smaller and commoner than the last species.
Found at the roots of herbage.
44. Nesticus cellulanus (Clerck).
Durham ; Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Known also as Linyphia crypticolens, Blackwall.
45. Linyphia triangularis (Clerck).
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
A very abundant species in autumn, whose sheet-
like snares glistening with dewdrops form a con-
spicuous feature on the hedges and bushes in the
early mornings. The mandibles in the male are
very long, resembling those in Tetragnatha.
46. Linyphia pusilla, Sundevall.
Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
A smaller species than the last, with deep black
ventral region. The palpus in the male sex has a
long spiral spine. It spins its web near the ground
amongst herbage. Rare in this county. Known
also as L. fuRginea, Blackwall.
47. Linyphia Montana (Clerck).
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
A large species whose habits are similar to those
of Triangularii. It is, however, often found also
in conservatories and outhouses. Known also as
L. marginata, Blackwall.
48. Linyphia hortensis, Sundevall.
Wolsingham ; Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Not a common species, somewhat similar to
pusilla in general appearance and habits. Known
also as L. pratens'u, Blackwall.
49. Linyphia clathrata, Sundevall.
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
Resembles montana, but is smaller. Very common
amongst herbage. Known also as Neriene marginata,
Blackwall.
50. Linyphia peliata (Wider).
Durham ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
A very small and common species found amongst
the foliage of trees and bushes in the summer time.
A variety is known also as L. rubea, Blackwall.
51. Labulla thoracica (Wider).
Wolsingham ; Durham ; Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Not uncommon in outhouses or under over-
hanging banks and rocks. The male is remarkable
for the enormously long spiral spine on the palpal
bulb.
52. Drapetisca sociafis (Sundervall).
Durham ; Wooler (J. E. H.).
Not uncommon, often abundant, where it occurs,
sitting close to the bark of fir and other trees as
well as on rocks. Known also under Linyphia.
53. Bolyphantes luteolus (Blackwall).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Known also as Linyphia alticepi, Blackwall.
144
SPIDERS
J4- Lepthyphantei ftavipes (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale (J- E. H.).
A rare species. Known also under Linyphia.
55. Lepthyphantei crittattu (Menge).
Durham ; Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Not common ; amongst grass and dead leaves.
56. Lepthyphantei blackwaUil, Kulczynski.
Durham ; Wolsingham ; Upper Teesdale
(J.E.H.).
Often very common at the roots of herbage in
September. Known also as Linyphia tenebricola
(Wider), O. P.-C., and L. terricola, O. P.-C. and
Blackwall.
57. Lepthyphantei tenuii (Blackwall).
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
Very similar to the last species and found under
the same conditions. Known also as Linyphia
tenebricola, O.P.-C.
58. Lepthyphantei minutus (Blackwall).
Durham ; Low Fell (J. E. H.).
Known also under Linyphia. Common amongst
loose stones and in angles of buildings.
59. Bathyphantei pullatui (O. P.-Cambridge).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Known also under Linyphia. Common in marshy
swamps. Adult in the spring.
60. Bathyphantei nigrintu (Westring).
Common everywhere (J. E. H.).
Known also as Linyphia pulla, Blackwall, and also
under Linyphia. Found in marshes and swamps.
61. Bathyphantes concolor (Wider).
Durham (J. E. H.).
A very common spider amongst loose stones,
heaps of rubbish, etc. Known also as Meridian
fiKpes, Blackwall, and under Linyphia.
62. Bathyphantet graciSi (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale ; Urpeth (J. E. H.).
Fairly common. Known also under Linyphia.
63. Bathyphantet Jonah (Wider).
Durham; Upper Teesdale; Urpeth (J.E.H.).
Common on the foliage of trees and bushes in
the summer time. Known also under Linyphia
and as L. claytoni<e, Blackwall.
64. Poeciloneta variegata (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale ; Wolsingham
(J.E.H.).
Common amongst grass in damp places. Known
also under Linyphia and Nfriene.
65. Centnmerut bicolor (Blackwall).
Urpeth (J. E. H.).
Common in September and October, running
on palings in the bright sunshine. Known also
under Linyphia, Neriene, and Tmtticui.
66. Ctntromerus silvafuui (Blackwall).
Urpeth 0- E. H.).
Rare. Adult from the middle of August.
Known also under Neriene and as TmeAcut lihatictu.
67. Micnmeta vlaria (Blackwall).
Harperley (J. E. H.).
Known also under Neriene.
68. Tapinopa bngiJeni (Blackwall).
Urpeth (J. E. H.).
Adult females only have been taken, from August
to October. This spider weaves a web of very
fine texture under stones. Known also under
Linyphia.
69. Macrargui abnormis (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Rare ; in tufts of grass by streams. An imma-
ture male and an adult female only taken, the
latter in May. Known also under Neriene and
Tmeticus.
70. Porrhomma fygaiteum (Blackwall).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Adult males only taken. Known also under
Neriene.
71. Porrhomma microphthalmum (O.P.-Cambridge).
Pelton coalpits near Chester le Street (R. H.
Meade).
Males and females were sent to Dr. Meade of
Bradford in 1860 from the coalpits. They had
probably been carried down the shaft amongst the
horse fodder, and lived gregariously in a common
web.
72. Mengea icopigera (Grube).
Urpeth (J. E. H.).
Plentiful among damp, long grass. Known also
as PeJina icopigera, Pedlna cristata, and Tmeticus
icopiger.
73. Micryphantes comigera (Blackwall).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Very rare ; two adult males only, bjr the river
Known also under Neriene.
74. Erigone Jentipalpii (Wider).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Often abundant on railings. Known also under
Neriene.
75. Tuo vagant (Blackwall).
Ryhope (J. E. H.).
Rare amongst dead leaves in woods and shrub-
beries. Known also under Neriene and as N. longi-
mana.
76. Gongytidlum rufipei (Linnzus).
Ryhope ; Barnard Castle (J. E. H.).
Not common. Known also under Neriene and
as N. munJa, Blackwall.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
77. Gonatium IsabeHlnum (C. L. Koch).
Harperley ; Wolsingham ; Durham (J. E. H.)
Known also as Neriene rubella, Blackwall.
78. Dicyphus cornutus (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Known also under Neriene.
79. Hypomma bituberculatum (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale ; Wolsingham
(J.E.H.).
Known also under Neriene.
80. Dismodicus bifrons (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale ; Wolsingham
(J. E. H.)
Known also under Wakkenttra.
8 1. Kulczynskiellum retusum (Westring).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Known also under Neriene, and Erigpne, also as
Nerieue elevata, O.P.-Cambridge.
82. Kulcyzynikiellum fuicum (Blackwall).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Not common. September.
83. CEJothorax tuberosus (Blackwall).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Known also under Neriene.
84. BlackvialRa acuminate, Blackwall.
Durham ; Urpeth (J. E. H.).
Known also under the name Wakkenara.
85. Dicymbium tibiale (Blackwall).
Urpeth (J. E. H.).
A rare spider. Adult males, August and Sep-
tember.
86. Plas'iocr<grus alplnus (O.P.-Cambridge). 1
Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
87. Wlderia antica (Wider).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Not uncommon ; adult in spring. Known also
under Wakkenitra.
88. Diphcephalus humilis (Blackwall).
Durham 0- E. H.).
Under stones and at the roots of grass in spring
and autumn.
89. Diphcephalus picinus (Blackwall).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Rare ; adult males in spring amongst grass.
90. Pocadicnemis pum'tla (Blackwall).
Durham ; Ryhope (J. E. H.).
Rare ; among grass in spring and summer.
Known also under Walckenara.
91. Cornicularia cuspidata (Blackwall).
Durham ; Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Not rare ; on grassy banks. Known also under
Wakkenara.
92. Cornicularia unicornis (O.P.-Cambridge).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Rare ; amongst grass in the spring. Known
also under Wakken<era.
93. Troxochrus icabriculus (Westring).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Rare. Known also under Erigone and as Walck-
en<era aggerii, O. P.-Cambridge.
94. Lophomma punctatum (Blackwall).
Durham (J. E. H.).
Not common ; under stones, spring and autumn.
Known also under Wakkenitra.
95. Peponocranium ludicrum (O.P.-Cambridge).
Upper Teesdale (J. E. H.).
A single adult male in May at an altitude of
1,200 feet. Known also under Wakkeniera.
96. Microctenonyx subitaneus (O.P.-Cambridge).
Durham (J. E. H.).
A single adult male in June, among loose stones.
Known also under Wakkentera and Tapinocyba.
THERIDIID.E
The members of this family have eight eyes
situated very much like those of the Argyopidtt, but
the mandibles are usually weak, the maxilla: are
inclined over the labium, and the posterior legs
have a comb of stiff curved serrated spines beneath
the tarsi. The web consists of a tangle of crossing
lines, and the spider often constructs a tent-like
retreat wherein the egg-sac is hung up.
97. Iheridion variant, Hahn.
Durham ; Wolsingham ; Ryhope (J. E. H.).
A very much smaller species, varying consider-
ably in colour, found abundantly in greenhouses
and also amongst shrubs in the open garden. This
species makes no tent-like retreat, but sits close to
the one or more pale rounded egg-sacs usually spun
up against a beam or window-sill.
98. Tberidion denticulatum (Walckenaer).
Durham ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
Also a very small and abundant species, occurring
on the outside of windows and outhouses and also
on walls and palings. It makes no tent-like retreat
and the habits are very similar to those of the last
species. Also taken on shrubs and tree trunks.
99. Theridion sisyphmm (Clerck).
Durham ; Wolsingham ; Ryhope (J. E. H.).
Very common on gorse and holly bushes, where
they construct a tent-like domicile and spin up
1 This species has been expunged from the Brit. List (Proc. Dart. Nat. Hist., and A. F. Club, xxiii. p. 23, 1902). All
the examples hitherto recorded as P. Alpinui have been ascertained to be Diphcephalus (Pleetiocrterut) larifrons, O. P.-Camb. ;
and I feel no doubt but that the spider recorded here is also of this last species, though I have not had an opportunity of
examining the specimen. O. Pickard-Cambridge, April 1410, 1905.
I 4 6
SPIDERS
within its shelter the small greenish egg-sacs. The
young when hatched pass also their earlier days
within the tent, but on the death of the mother
spider they scatter, taking up positions for themselves
amongst the neighbouring foliage. Known also as
T. nervosum, Blackwall.
100. Iheridion pictum (Walckenaer).
Durham ; Teesdale ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
A very beautiful species, resembling a large ex-
ample of T. variant with a bright red and white
dentated band on the dorsal side of the abdomen,
found, often abundantly, on holly and other bushes,
where they construct, a large and very perfectly
formed thimble-shaped domicile covered with dry
chips of leaves and twigs, often decorated with the
wings, legs, wing-cases and other debris of the
victims which have served them for food.
10 1. Ihtridion ovatum (Clerck).
Durham 0- E. H.).
A very common species. The female lives in
the folded leaf of a bramble, or that of some other
shrub, spinning the edges together. Within this
domicile she constructs a round sea-green egg-sac
about as large as the seed of the sweet-pea. The
spider has a pale yellow abdomen with a broad
pink central dorsal band or two pink bands, one
on each side. The male and female can often be
found together within their leafy domicile. This
spider is also known under the name Pkyllontthii
fineata.
102. TheriJim pallets, Blackwall.
Durham ; Wolsingham ; Urpeth (J. E. H.).
This minute Theridioid, pale yellow in colour,
with often a dark, or paler, dorsal spot on the
abdomen, lives beneath the leaves of shrubs and
trees, laurel, elm, lime, etc., where it spins its
minute pear-shaped pure white egg-sac, which rests
on its larger end and has several small cusps towards
the sharp-pointed stalk.
103. SteatoJa bipunctata (Linnseus).
Durham ; Teesdale (J- E. H.).
A dark brown shiny rather flattened spider,
living in chinks of walls, angles of windows and
crevices in the partitions of old stables, etc.,
emerging usually at nightfall. The males are re-
markable for their very large palpi and also for the
possession of a stridulating organ, formed by a series
of chitinous ridges in a hollow at the anterior part
of the abdomen, which move over some cusps on
the conical posterior of the carapace.
104. Euryop'u blacktoalRi (O.P.-Cambridge).
Durham ; Shincliffe wood (J. E. H.).
A single adult female only. Known also under
TheriJion.
105. PfJanostfthut KviJut (Blackwall).
Durham ; Teesdale (J. E. H.).
Adult in summer and common under stones in
damp places. Known also under Ncriene.
106. Erojvrcata (Villiers).
Durham ; Wolsingham ; Teesdale ; Ryhope
(J.E.H.).
A widespread species, but nowhere abundant ;
chiefly found amongst thick grass. Known also as En
thoraclca, Wider, and Iberidm caritgatum, Blackwall.
DICTYNID.E
The spiders belonging to this family possess three
ursal claws, and the eyes, eight in number, are
situated in two transverse rows, the laterals being
in contact. The cribcllum (or extra pair of
spinning organs) and the calamistrum (a row of
curving bristles on the protarsi of the fourth pair
of legs) are present in all members of the family.
They construct a tubular retreat with an outer
sheet of webbing, which is covered with a floccu-
lent silk made with the calamistrum from threads
furnished by the cribellum.
107. Amaunbius limilit (Blackwall).
Durham ; Teesdale (J. E. H.).
A very common species in greenhouses, stables
and other outhouses. The males may often be
found wandering about the walls of dwelling-
houses after nightfall. Known also under the
name Ciniflo.
108. jfmaunbiui fenestraRi (Stroem).
Durham ; Teesdale ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
Common under stone* throughout the year,
especially in woods and on the moors. Known
also as Ciniflo atrox, Blackwall.
109. Amaunbius ferox (Walckenaer).
Birtley (J. E. H.).
A much larger species, shiny purple-black with
pale markings, found in cellars and also beneath
rocks and stones on the coast or in crevices of
banks in the open country. Known also under
the name Ciniflo.
1 1O. Dictyna uneinata, Thorell.
Durham ; Wolsingham (J. E. H.).
Plentiful on low shrubs, such as box. The
female may be found guarding her cocoon in May
and June.
111. Ditty na arunJinacea (Linnxus).
Durham ; Wolsingham ; Ryhope (J. E. H.).
Not very common on gorse- bushes.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
ADDENDA
COLEOPTERA
Beetles
The following species and varieties have been found in the county of Durham since the
main list was printed, through the untiring energy and perseverance of Mr. R. S. Bagnall.
CARABID-ffi
Notiophilus, Dum.
quadripunctatus, Dj. Rare
(Bagnall)
Ncbria, Lat.
gyllenhali, Sch. v. rufescens,
Strcem. Rare. Dement
Valley (Bagnall)
Harpalus, Lat.
rufimanus, Marsh. Wmlaton
(Bagnall). This is in-
stead of froelichi, Stm.
in the main list ; froelichi
has not yet been found in
Durham
Amara, Bon.
anthobia, Vill. One speci-
men at Hartlepool (Wil-
loughby Ellis)
continua, Th. Rare (Bag-
nail)
DYTISCIDJS
Platambus, Th.
maculatus, L. v. immaculatus,
Donis. Very local and
rare and unaccompanied
by the type. Gibside
(Bagnall)
HYDROPHILID^E
Laccobius, Er.
sinuatus, Mots. Common
(Bagnall)
Limnebius, Leach
nitidus, Marsh. Wbitburn
(Bold)
Helophorus, F.
brevipalpis, Bed. (?) (Bagnall)
Sphaeridium, F.
bipustulatum, F., v. mar-
ginatum, F. With the
type at Wmlaton (Bagnall)
Cercyon, Leach
littoralis, Gyll., v. binota-
tum, Steph. With the
type, but rare. Roker
(Bagnall)
marinus, Th. Not uncom-
mon (Bagnall)
STAPHYLINIDJE
Leptusa, Kr.
analis, Gyll. Teesdale, two
males (Gardner)
Quedionuchus, Shp.
laevigatus, Gyll. From
beneath beech-bark at
Gibside (Beare, Bagnall).
This is the only English re-
cord of this Scottish species
SILPHID^E
Agathidium, 111.
seminulum, L. Gibslde, under
beech bark and in fungi
(Bagnall)
Anisotoma, 111.
dubia, Kug. v. bicolor,
Schm. With the type
(Gardner, Bagnall)
lunicollis, Rye. One speci-
men at Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
EROTYLID^E
Dacne, Lat.
rufifrons, F. Found in
numbers in Teesdale by
Sang (Gardner)
LATHRIDIID^E
Lathridius, Hbst.
angulatus, Man. Derwent
Valley and Weardale.
Rare (Bagnall)
CRYPTOPHAGID^E
Atomaria, Steph.
fimentarii, Hbst. Rare.
Gibslde (Bagnall)
mesomelas, Hbst. Local.
Hartlepool (Gardner)
ruficornis, Marsh. South Hylton
(Bagnall)
PARNID^E
Elmis, Lat.
parallelopipedus, Mull. Tyne
(Bold)
subviolaceus, Mull. Rare.
Derwent (Bagnall)
SCARAB^EID^E
Geotrupes, Lat.
spiniger, Marsh. Common
(Bagnall)
148
ELATERID^E
Cryptohypnus, Esch.
dermestoides, Hbst. v. quad-
riguttatus, Lap. With
the type (Bagnall)
Corymbites, Lat.
quercus, Gyll. v. ochropterus,
Steph. With the type.
South Hylton (Bagnall)
TELEPHORHXE
Telephorus, Schxf.
nigricans, Mull. v. discoideus
Steph. Derwent Valley
(Bagnall)
paludosus, Fall. Near Row-
land's Gill. Very local.
(Beare, Bagnall)
CISSID^E
Cis, Lat.
micans, Hbst. Teesdale
(Bagnall)
alni, Gyll. (?) Gibside (Bag-
nail)
vestitus, Mel. Teesdale
(Gardner, Bagnall)
CERAMBYCIDjE
Aromia, Serv.
moschata, L. One specimen.
Derwent Valley (Bagnall)
Leptura, L.
pubescens. Hartlepool, intro-
duced (Gardner)
testacea. Hartlepool, intro-
duced (Gardner)
revestita. Hartlepool, intro-
duced (Gardner)
Semanotus.
undatus. Hartlepool, intro-
duced (Gardner)
Strangalia, Ser.
aurulenta, F. Hartlepool, in-
troduced (J. E. Robson)
CHRYSOMELID^E
Phytodecta, Kirb.
olivacea, Forst. v. litura, F.
With the type (Bagnall)
NOTE. OH page no of tbt
main fat, after Gastroidea poly-
goni, L., a whole page of copy hat
by some meant been omitted. The
line 'tcnella, L. (Bold, Gardner)'
should be deleted and the following
twenty names Inserted In its place.
Phaedon, Lat.
tumidulus, Germ. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
armoraciz, L. Very rare
(Bold, Bagnall)
cochleariz, F. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
PhyUodecta, Kirb.
vulgatissima, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
yitellinz, L. (Bold, Robson,
Bagnall, Gardner). Also
the rare blue variety (Bag-
nall)
Hydrothassa, Th.
ancta, F. (Bold, BagnaU)
marginella, L. (Bold, Bag-
nail, Gardner)
Prasocuris, Lat.
junci.Brahm. (Bold,Gardner)
phellandrii, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall, Gardner)
Luperus, Geof.
nigrofasciatvu, Gcez. Very
local and rare. Wlnlaton
Mill (Bagnall)
rufipes, Scop. (Bold, Bagnall)
flavipes, L. (Bold, Bagnall)
Lochmxa, Weise
caprex, L. (Bold, Gardner)
suturalis,Th. (Bagnall, Gard-
ner)
T. nigrita, Weise. On the
moors with the type
(Bagnall)
Galerucella, Crotch
viburni, Pk. (Bold) Winlatm
Mill (Bagnall)
ADDENDA
Galerucella, Crotch
nymphxx, L. (Bold, Bag-
nall)
sagittarix, Gyll. Rare (Bold)
lineola, F. (Bold).
tenella, L. (Bold, Gard-
ner)
FURTHER ADDENDA
Longitarsus, Lat.
anchusz, Pk. Hartlepool
(Gardner)
Haltica, Geof.
oleracea, L. (?) (Bagnall)
Aphthona, Cher.
nonstriata, Gcez. Dertvent
Valley and Ryton (Bagnall)
Batophila, Foud.
strata, Marsh. One speci-
men. Winlatm Mill
(Bagnall)
Mantura, Steph.
rustica, L. v. suturalis,
Weise. Weardak and
Dement Valley (Bagnall)
matthewsi, Curt. Very
rare. Hartkpto/(Giidner)
Psylliodes, Lat.
chalcomera, 111. One speci-
men. Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
hyoscyami, L. (?) One speci-
men. Hartlepool (Gard-
ner)
MORDELLID.fi
Anaspis, Geof.
gcoffroyi, Moll. v. subfasciata,
Steph. One specimen.
TeesJale (BagnaU)
ANTHICID.fi
Anthicus, Pk.
floralis, L. v. quisquilius, Th.
With the type (Bagnall)
CURCULIONID.fi
Apioo, Hbst.
genistae, Kirb. Winlaton
Mill (BagnaU)
minatum, Germ. Very rare.
Near Winlatm Mill (Bag-
nail)
hydrolapathi, Kirb. Wear-
dale and Dertcent Valley
(BagnaU)
Erirhinus, Sch.
scirpi, F. Very local and
rare. South Hyltm (Bag-
naU)
Dorytomus, Steph.
maculatus, Marsh, v. costi-
rostris, Gyll. (?) One
specimen (Bagnall)
melanophthalmus, Pk. r.
agnathus, Boh. Axwell
Park and Winlaton Mill
(Beare and Bagnall) (con-
firmation)
SCOLYTID.fi
Cryphalus, Er.
tiliz, Pz. (?) One specimen
(Gardner)
Dryocxtes, Eich.
autograph us, Ratz. (?) Gib-
siJe, one specimen (Bag-
nail)
alni, Georg. Denoent Valley,
under beech bark (Bag-
nall)
Tomicus, Lat.
sexdentatus, BOrn. One
specimen (Gardner)
typographus, L. (Gardner)
acuminatus, Gyll. One
specimen. South Hylton
(BagnaU)
Pityogenes, Bed.
chalcographus, L. (Gardner)
LIMNOBID.fi
Limnophila fuscipennis, Mg.
STRATIOMYID.fi
Oxycera pygmxa, Fin.
EMPID.fi
Hemerodromia precatoria, Fin.
DOLICHOPODIDjE
Achalcus flavicollis, Mg.
Hydrophorus ncbulosus, Fin.
bisetus, Lw.
DIPTERA
F/ies
SYRPHID^E
Platychirus scambus, Stxg.
Syrphus annulatus, Ztt.
annulipes, Ztt.
Criorrhina ranunculi, Pz.
TACHINID.fi
Erigone strcnua, Mg.
SAPROMYZID^E
Sapromyza fasciau, Fin.
CHLOROPID.E
Meromyza pratorum, Mg.
Chlorops Ixta, Mg.
gracilis, Mg.
AGROMYZID^;
Agromyza lutea, Mg.
PHORID.fi
Phora lutea, Mg.
CRUSTACEANS
When Robert Surtees, of Mainsforth, F.S.A., published The History
and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham between eighty and ninety
years ago, he gave not the smallest consideration to carcinology. The
most direct reference that he makes to the existence of crustaceans is to be
found in his third volume, where he describes ' the providential escape of
a shrimper,' who ' was pursuing his occupation on the sand island in the
Tees.' ' His situation in the river was two miles from the Durham
coast, and three from Yorkshire in the midst of the Tees ./Estuary, with
the wide ocean full in front at the river mouth.' 1 The inference is in-
evitable that a shrimper would never have been pursuing his avocation
in Durham waters without the expectation of catching Durham shrimps.
From other remarks made by Surtees in the course of his history it is
easy to deduce that sundry remarkable crustaceans, quite distinct from
the commercial kinds, have at times visited the county. Notice will be
taken of these under the appropriate heads of classification.
Surtees informs us that 'the County of Durham arose gradually out
of Northumberland (a term which originally included everything North
of the Humber), together with the increasing patrimony of the Church;
and, besides the main body of the County, lying betwixt Tyne, Tees,
and Darwent, includes several scattered members of that Patrimony :
i. Norhamshire and Islandshire, including Holy Island, and the Fame
Isles, and a portion of the mainland extending from the Tweed North
and North-west, to the sea on the East, and separated from Northumber-
land on the South partly by the course of the Till, and partly by an
imaginary line. 2. Bedlingtonshire, lying in the heart of Northumber-
land, betwixt the rivers Blyth and Wansbeck. These are usually termed
the North Bishopric, and are included in Chester Ward. 3. The
insulated territory of Crake in the wapentake of Bulmer in Yorkshire,
which is considered as parcel of Stockton Ward.' * However little it
could have been foreseen by monks and prelates, the ecclesiastical history
of the county is not without its bearing upon the present chapter, and
for all the ecclesiastics knew of the matter the bearing might have been
more important than it actually is. At a time when religion and law
combined to enjoin upon the whole community the use of fish as a
necessary element of diet, the unlettered laity and learned churchmen
were alike unconcerned about the food on which fishes themselves are
nourished. But there is now reason to believe that fishes eat with
1 Surtees, Hist, of Dtir., iii. 141 (1823). s Op. cit., i. pt. ii. p. iii. (1816).
150
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
avidity every sort of crustacean that they can catch and swallow. Never-
theless, the land and freshwater crustaceans of Yorkshire and Northumber-
land are so little likely to differ from those of the intervening district
that they would have been no proper objects for cupidity. On the other
hand, in regard to marine species, the wresting of Norhamshire and
Islandshire from its northern neighbour is calculated to give Durham
much assistance in producing a competitive catalogue.
In the present chapter the records referring to Lindisfarne and the
Fame Islands will be claimed for Durham. The disentangling of those
relating to the other dislocated areas will be neglected as in a great
measure impracticable, and if accomplished of doubtful value. The
distinctive glory of a county, with respect to its natural history, depends
indeed far less on the number of species it may be asserted to possess
than on the men who, within its borders, have increased the sum of
natural knowledge by their industrious accuracy and have left to those
who follow in their footsteps means of testing the fidelity of their
observations and records. From this point of view it will be found that
Durham has been singularly fortunate in having had long resident within
it carcinologists of such eminence as Dr. Norman, F.R.S., and Professor
G. S. Brady, F.R.S. The names of some others who have in their
measure rendered useful service will be mentioned in due course.
The extent of our subject will be best understood from a brief
sketch of the classification here adopted.
Crustaceans can be divided into three principal groups, Malacostraca, Entomostraca, and
Thyrostraca. The first of these combines in really close relationship a set of animals which,
to judge only by their outward appearance, habits, and names, might be deemed most
disunitedly multifarious. They comprise true crabs and false crabs, hermits and lobsters,
prawns and shrimps, wood-lice and sand-hoppers. There are also praying shrimps and
skeleton shrimps, as different as possible each from other and both from the common shrimps,
and 'little lobsters' almost microscopic, and huge fish-lice, and other swarms for which
' Dan Chaucer's well of English undcfiled ' found not nor is likely to find any vulgar names.
Beginning with the true crabs, stalk-eyed, ten-legged, with short inflexed tails, the
Brachyura Decapoda, it is well to observe what is in their case the standard of truth. Their
thinly flattened tail or ' pleon,' which is more or less distinctly composed of seven segments,
is bound to have the last but one of these segments destitute of appendages. The true
crabs are divided into four tribes, Cyclometopa, Catometopa, Oxyrrhyncha, and Oxystomata,
very unequally represented in the records here dealt with. To the first of them, the arch-
fronted tribe, belongs Cancer pagurus, Linn., the great eatable crab, in aspect so familiar to
everyone, but for all that having a character which at the first glance distinguishes it not only
from all other English crabs, but from the great majority of crabs all over the world. This
much valued article of food is taken in more or less abundance all round our coasts, and is
specially recorded from the Fame Islands by Mr. George Tate, who also mentions the
occurrence there of Portunus puber (Linn.) and P. depurator. 1 Dr. George Johnston likewise
includes it, along with Carcinus nuenas, in his Catalogus Animalium tt Plantarum
quae in Insula Linditfarnense visa sunt mense Mala A.D. 1854.'* Two other species
of Portunus were added to the Durham Cyclometopa by Dr. Norman in his Reports of
Deep-Sea Dredging on the Nortb-Eait Coast of England, namely P. holsatus, Fabricius,
and P. pusillus, Leach. 8 While all the species mentioned agree in having an arched front to
the carapace, the shell of Cancer pagurus differs from the rest, not only in being much
1 Hiit. of the Bena'ukihirt NaturaRttf Clul, 1850-1856, iii. 238 (1857).
Op. cit., vol. for 1876, p. 48.
8 Nat. Hist. Trans, of titrtimmb. and Dur., i. I z (1867).
CRUSTACEANS
broader in proportion to the length, but in having its antero-lateral margins nine-lobed instead
of five-toothed. Carcinus m&nas (Linn.), the common shore-crab, though in general shape
and appearance very near to the species of Portunus, is readily distinguished by the last pair
of legs, in which the terminal joint is narrowly lanceolate, not as in the other genus widened
into an oval swimming paddle. Portunus puber, the velvet crab, is well marked by the
pubescent or velvety coat to which it owes its specific and vernacular names. Mr. Alexander
Meek says, ' The velvet crab is not uncommon near the Longstone, and is sometimes
procured also at other of the outlying Fames.' 1 In P. depurator (Linn.) it should be noticed
that the part between the orbits, known as the ' front,' has the centre tooth prominent,
whereas in P. holsatus this tooth is about on a level with its companions on either side.
P. puslllus, Leach, is notably smaller than the other species.
The Catometopa owe their title to a depression of the ' front,' which is prevalent among
them, but which in no way indicates depression of spirits, for this group includes many of the
most active, vivacious, and enterprising crabs that anywhere exist. In this county it is
represented only by one of its hundred members, the little pea-crab, Pinnotheres pisum (Linn.),
of which Mr. Meek reports that ' A male was got four miles off Seaham, 291)1 September,
1897.'* Small as the female is, the male is much smaller. Also his coat is much more
firmly calcified than hers. In Bell's opinion the remarkable softness of the female is ' doubt-
less the cause of its requiring the efficient protection of the shells of Mollusca.' * The
speculative philosopher in these days would rather argue that it is the consequence, not the
cause ; just as one may feel certain that hermit crabs have acquired soft twisted tails through
residing in firm spiral shells, not that they took to those shells because their tails were soft
and twisted.
The Oxyrrhyncha, or 'sharp beaks,' commonly have the front produced to form a
rostrum. Of these Hyas araneus (Linn.) is recorded by Mr. George Tate from the Fame
Islands, and by Dr. Johnston in the Lindisfarne Catalogue along with Stenoryncbus phalangium ;
Bell quotes Stenoryncbus tenuirostris and Inachus dorsettensis from Embleton's list of the Crustacea
of Berwickshire and North Durham; Dr. Norman in the dredging list for 1864 adds
Inacbus dorsettensis and Hyas coarctatus as found on the Durham coast.* All these spider crabs,
as they are called from the spindly legs of many among them, have the custom of costuming.
They do not for this purpose use the spoils of vegetables or of other animals as we do, but
the living organisms themselves, which they either allow to settle on their backs or forcibly
instal, many parts of the carapace and limbs being provided with hairs and spines of various
forms to secure the adhesion of their selected garments. Of the three genera above mentioned
Stenoryncbus or ' narrow beak ' is more properly called Macropodia or ' long foot,' name and
synonym together intimating two of the characters. The two species should be named
respectively M, rostrata (Linn.), with the longirostris of Fabricius for a synonym, 6 in which
the rostrum is shorter, and M. tenuirostris, Leach, in which it is longer, than the peduncle
of the second antennae. Here the eyes are not retractile as they are in the other two genera.
In Hyas the pleon or tail has all its seven segments distinct in both sexes, whereas in the
other two genera this part has the last two segments coalesced. Between H. araneus (Linn.)
and H. coarctatus, Leach, the most obvious difference consists in the circumstance that the
carapace of the latter behind the post-orbital process has a strong constriction, to which the
specific name coarctatus alludes. The French authors MM. Alphonse Milne-Edwards and
E. L. Bouvier further observe that the first free joint of the second antennae is broader in
front in this species than in the other, and that the hairy crest on the sternum or ventral
surface, which is continuous in H. araneus, is here interrupted at the centre. That H. coarctatus
is the smaller of the two, or that its ambulatory legs are relatively shorter, can scarcely be
maintained in face of the measurements which they give. 6 For distinguishing Inachus
dorsettensis (Pennant) from /. dorynchus, Leach, the same authors have drawn attention to
differences in the third maxillipeds, the fourth joint of these organs in the former species
1 Northumb. Sea Fisheries Committee Rep. for the year 1902, p. 65.
8 Op. cit., p. 66.
8 Brit. Stalk-eyed Crustacea, p. 1 20 (1853).
* To save repetition it may suffice to say that Mr. George Tate's records are all quoted from the
Hut. of the Berwickshire Naturallitf Club, iii. 328 ; those of the Lindisfarne Catalogue from pp. 48,
49, in the volume of the same history published in 1876 ; and Norman's dredging lists for 1863, 1864,
from the Nat. Hut. Trans. Northumb. and Dur.,\. 23-26 (1867).
6 M. J. Rathbun, in Proc. Bio/. Soc. Washington, xi. 155 (1897).
6 Resultats des campagnes de FHirondelle, vii. 19 (Monaco, 1896).
152
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
being subtriangular, but in the latter suboval and longer in relation to the non-salient portion
of the third joint. 1 Earlier authors have noticed that in the former species the tips of the
bifid rostrum are slightly divergent, but not so in the latter.
The Oxystomata are so named not from their sharpened or narrow fronts, but from the
narrowing of the oral cavity. This buccal frame or cndostome in the other three tribes is
more or less quadrate, but here it becomes triangular. In all it is more or less closed on the
ventral surface by the third maxillipeds, which when their inner edges meet block out of view
the other mouth-organs, namely, the mandibles, first and second maxillae, and first and second
maxillipeds. All these parts though lost to sight should be to memory dear with every student
who is desirous of understanding or of improving the classification of the Malacostraca.
Norman's dredging list for 1864 provides the Durham coast with two species of one genus
from the Oxystome family of the Leucosiidae, these being Ebalia tuberosa (Pennant) and
E. crancbii, Leach. MM. A. Milne-Edwards and E. L. Bouvier distinguish the latter from
the former as having the carapace less inflated, more regularly hexagonal, the front more
advanced, and the antcro-lateral margins entire, not as in the other species having a very
characteristic fissure between the hepatic and the branchial regions. 9
The Macrura, or long-tailed Decapods, are in much closer relation to the Brachyura
than a man might suppose who was offered for his meal a choice between the tail of a crab
and the tail of a lobster. Lithodes mala (Linn.), the northern stone crab, recorded from the
Fame Islands by Mr. Tate and from Lindisfarne by Dr. Johnston, is not a true crab, though
it is deceptively like one. It has a short uneatable tail, and yet anomalously belongs to the
Macrura. But it is the special mark of a Macruran to have appendages on the penultimate
segment of the pleon, and of these Lithodes is destitute. On the other hand this tail-piece
is conspicuously unsymmetrical in the female. This and other characters make it probable
that the form has been evolved from among the hermit crabs, from hermits that have been
unable to find a hermitage. In the struggle for existence it is likely enough that such
unsheltered vagrants would have recourse to folding their tails for protection under their own
bodies. Of ordinary hermits Pagurus bernhardus (Linn.) is recorded by Mr. Tate from the
Fame Islands, by Dr. Johnston from Lindisfarne, by Dr. Norman from the Durham coast.
The last author mentions with it in his Durham dredging lists for 1863 and 1864 P. pubescent,
KrOyer, and P. /avis, Thompson. The first two species are now placed in the genus
Eufagurui, the third in Anapagurus, the latter genus being distinguished from the former by
the presence of a short curved appendage at the base of the fifth leg on the left side in the
male. Eu. pubescens is discriminated from Eu. bernhardus by the greater slenderness of the hand
in the larger cheliped, which is usually on the right, and by the strong pubescence of the
ambulatory limbs.
Porctllana longicornis (Linn.) is recorded by Mr. Tate from the Fame Islands, and
Mr. Meek mentions the capture of 'a specimen from 4 miles off Seaham, 9 September,
iSgy.' 1 This little smooth species, with a flat, nearly circular carapace, scarcely a quarter
of an inch in diameter, and its tail doubled up beneath it, looks remarkably like a crab.
But an inspection of the tail shows the macruran mark, appendages to the penultimate
segments, well developed. Between this and the common shore species, P. platycheles
(Pennant), Professor Bouvier has pointed out a singular difference, namely, that in the latter
the nerve-chain is confined to the thorax or trunk as in the true crabs, while in P. longi-
cornis it runs all along the pleon, as in the lobster-like Galatheidae.* Of this family
Mr. Tate reports Galathea strigosa (Linn.) from the Fame Islands, and Mr. Meek records
Munlda rugosa (Fabricius), 'a splendid male specimen from near St. Mary's Island caught
in crab pot, 28 April, 1900.'* The latter species is remarkable for its very elongate chelipeds.
The specific name given it by Fabricius in 1775 takes precedence of the synonymous
Astacus Bamffius, Pennant, 1777, and Munida Rondeletii, Bell, 1853.
Turning now from the anomalous to the genuine Macrura, in which the pleon,
abdomen, or tail has a powerful muscular development, we find no record at present in
this county of the common river crayfish, though it is likely enough or almost certain to
occur in some of the streams. The common lobster, Astacus gammarus (Linn.), under the
less proper name of Homarus vu/garis, is included in the Lindisfarne catalogue by Dr. Johnston,
1 Op. cit., xiii. 45 (Monaco, 1899). * Op. cit., vii. 54.
1 Northumb. Sea Fisheries Committee Rep. fir 1902, p. 66 (1902).
* Ann. Sri. Nat., sir. 7, Zoologie, vii. 93 (1889).
1 Northttmb. Sea Fisheries Committee Rep. fir 1902, p. 67.
1 153 20
CRUSTACEANS
and of the pretty Nephrops norwegicus (Linn.) Mr. Meek says that ' large quantities are brought
to Shields market by trawlers.' 1 Of shrimps the Lindisfarne catalogue names the common
Crangon vulgaris, which Mr. Meek also states to be fairly common in the harbour at Holy
Island. 8 The same writer says of the closely allied Crangon al/mani, Kinahan, that ' specimens
have been obtained by Dr. Brady in 20 to 40 fathoms off the Durham coast.' 3 C. nanus,
Kroyer, appears in Dr. Norman's Durham dredging list of 1864. The correct name of this
species would appear to be Philocheras bispinosm (Westwood), since Kroyer's species has been
successively referred to Cheraphilus and Philocheras generically, and is recognised as specifically
identical with the earlier Crangon bispinosus of Westwood. Dr. Norman says of Crangon
fasciatus, Risso, ' a single specimen of this shrimp, which had not previously been met with
on any part of the eastern coast, was dredged in shallow water within the Fern Islands.' 4
Between jEgeon fasciatus (Risso), as this species is sometimes called, and Philocheras neglectus
(Sars), it is now known that there is a confusing similarity of colouring, both having transverse
brown stripes across the fourth segment of the pleon and the tail-fan. Possibly, therefore,
it is the second species rather than the first that should be attributed to the Fame Islands'
fauna. In the Durham Dredging list for 1864 Dr. Norman includes Pandalus annulicornis,
Leach, and P. brevirostris, Rathke, Hippolyte varians, Leach, and H. securifrons, Norman.
The first of these should rather be called Panda/us montagui, Leach. It has a long rostrum,
attains a considerable size, and might claim to be called a prawn, if that name had any really
distinctive value. The second species, which Bell in ignorance of Rathke's earlier description
named Hippolyte thompsoni,* has been transferred by Dr. Caiman to a new genus, Panda/ina.*
Its rostrum is only about half the length of the carapace, and the ' wrist ' or antepenultimate
joint of the second leg on the right side of the animal is subdivided into only four segments,
not into about twenty as in P, montagui. H. securifrons, marked by a powerful and strongly
dentate rostrum, is now placed in the genus Spirontocaris, Bate, in which also stands the earlier
and perhaps identical Hippolyte spinus, Sowerby.
The 'cloven-footed Schizopoda owe their name to a character of which they by no
means have a monopoly, and which needs a little explaining. Between the eyes and the
terminal segment of a Malacostracan there are nineteen segments, each of which potentially
carries a pair of appendages. Under all reserve for controversial topics, the theoretical
appendage may be described as seven-jointed. 7 From the first joint there is often developed
a branch called the epipod, and from the second a branch called the exopod. When this
latter is present, the remaining five joints are distinguished from it as the endopod or inner
branch, the first two joints being then regarded as the stem or peduncle from which the two
branches spring. The five pairs of legs in the Brachyura never, and in the Macrura very
seldom, carry exopods. In the Schizopoda, however, they are found as swimming branches
not only on the five pairs of legs but also on the two or sometimes all the three pairs of
maxillipeds that precede them. The comparative study of crustaceans shows indeed a
remarkable plasticity throughout the series of appendages. They readily interchange form
and function. The mouth-organ of one species is homologous with the claw or the walking-
leg of another. Antennae which in one group are fine-drawn elongated threads, in another
are developed into powerful spades for digging. The family of Schizopoda with which we
are here particularly concerned is known as the Mysidae, and is distinguished from the other
families, and in fact from most Malacostraca, by having no true branchiae. That they can
dispense with these breathing organs is probably due to the delicacy of their general structure
and the vivacity of their movements, so that respiration is effected through the skin. The
genera are very numerous. Concerning Leptomysis lingvura, Sars, Norman writes in 1892,
' This species has been known to me as a member of the British fauna for the last twenty-six
years, at which time I took it abundantly between tide-marks at Cullercoats, Northumberland,
and within a year or two afterwards at Howden and Seaham Harbour on the Durham coast.' 8
From Seaham he also records Hemimysis lamornae (Couch) * ; Schistomysis spiritus, Norman,
from ' Blackball Rocks, Co. Durham, tide-marks,' 10 and S. ornata (Sars) from ' off Seaham, on
the Durham coast.' 11 All the four species, it should be added, are fully described as well as
recorded in Dr. Norman's valuable paper on the British Mysidae. Mr. Meek in 1900
1 Loc. cit. p. 67. * Ibid., p. 67. 8 Ibid., p. 67.
* Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and Dur. i. 12. 6 Brit. Stalk-eyed Crustacea, p. 298.
6 Ann. Nat. Hist., sen 7, iii. 37 (1899). 1 Brit. Stalk-eyed Crustacea, p. 298.
8 Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, x. 245. 8 Loc. cit., p. 249.
10 Loc. cit., p. 255. u Loc. cit., p. 256.
154
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
reports, under the name of Macromysis foxuosa (Mailer), the schizopod which should rather be
called Praunus Jiexuosus, from ' Holy Island (where it is very abundant in the harbour and
on Fenham flats),' and from the same island Siriel/a ja/tensis, Czerniavski, and S. armata
(Milne-Edwards). 1
The crustaceans considered down to this point have all agreed in one particular. They
have had eyes placed on movable pedicels. There remain to be discussed three groups of
Malacostraca which are not stalk-eyed, but which all agree in having eyes not capable
of independent movement. These sessile-eyed groups are the Sympoda, Isopoda, and
Amphipoda.
The Sympoda can scarcely be said to be more commonly called Cumacea, because they
are not commonly called by any name whatever, society at large having been supremely
indifferent to the existence of these little, unobtrusive, but intrinsically interesting animals.
The list of them connected with Durham would have been reduced to a vanishing point but
for a very recent report by Dr. G. S. Brady, 'On Dredging and other Marine Research off
the North-East Coast of England in 1901.'* Therein he records Cuma xorpioides (Montagu)
from ' 30 miles off Sunderland, 45 fathoms ' ; Hcmilamprops rtsea (Norman) and 'Leucon nasicus,
KrOyer,' from the same situation ; Eudarella truncatu/a, Bate, from ' 56 miles off Souter
Point, 30 fathoms ' ; Eudorellopsis deformit (KrOyer), as taken ' in the surface net near
Sunderland'; Diastylis rathkei, KrCyer, from '2^ miles off Souter Point, 21 fathoms';
Diastylopiis resima (KrOyer), from the dredging station 56 miles off the same Point ; *
Diattyloides biplicata, Sars, 'in 45 fathoms 25 miles off Sunderland, muddy sand'; Leptostylis
ampullacea (Lilljeborg), ' in a depth of 40 fathoms 30 miles off Sunderland ' ; Pseudocuma
cercaria (van Beneden) ' in a depth of 4 fathoms off Seaton Carew abundantly,' ' plentifully
in the surface net at Sunderland ' ; and at the two stations above mentioned off Souter Point ;
Pieudocuma similis, Sars, ' in a depth of 28 fathoms off Marsden ' ; Campylaspis rubicunda
(Lilljeborg), 'off Hawthorn, 25 fathoms'; C. glabra, Sars, 'off Marsden, 28 fathoms'; and
Cumella pygnuea, Sars, ' in the surface net at Sunderland.' 4
As the name Cuma proves to have been preoccupied, 1 Bodatria, Goodsir, takes its place,
and, while the general title Cumacea gives place to Sympoda, the family Cumidae becomes
Bodotriidae, this being one of nine families among which this increasing group is now
distributed. It would take long to explain all the peculiarities of form by which the species
above named are distinguished. Some features may be mentioned which are common to all
or almost all. The carapace leaves uncovered the last five segments of the trunk, the five
leg-bearing segments, to which in crabs, lobsters, and decapods in general, it forms a
consolidated dorsal shield. Instead of having many pairs of gills, attached to the legs and
some of the mouth-organs, as in most of the previously-mentioned Malacostraca, the Sympoda
are content to have branchial sacs only (and not invariably) attached to the singular respiratory
apparatus of the first maxillipeds. Commonly the anterolateral lobes of the carapace are drawn
towards one another in advance of the true front. At least one pair of the legs are furnished
with exopods. The tail is usually quite slender compared with the head and trunk, giving
the scorpion-like appearance alluded to in the name of Bodotria scorpioidei (Montagu). The
fifth segment of the tail is almost always the longest. The seventh segment or telson varies
from conspicuous length and distinctness to evanescence.
Of the fourteen species above recorded four are included in the extensive family of the
Diastylidae, one in the Lampropidz, two in the Pseudocumidae. These families are three
out of the four which have the telson distinct, this segment being very small in the
Pseudocumidx, but in the other two generally large and conspicuous. Diastylis ratbkei
(KrOyer) is spoken of by Professor Sars in his fine work on the Crustacea of Norway as
' one of our largest and finest species.' 4 The student will therefore be prepared for the task
of examining these miniature lobsters by being told that one of the leading forms in Norway
is just under two-thirds of an inch long, although specimens from the Siberian polar sea may
attain the more encouraging length of just over an inch. In Diastylopiis resima (KrOyer)
the third and fourth uncovered segments of the trunk are in the female dorsally coalesced.
The tip-tilted nose implied in the specific name alludes to the upturning of the pre-frontal
l Nortbumb. Sea Fuberiet Committee, Rep. fir 1900, pp. 70, 71.
Nat. Hiit. Trout. Nortbumb., Dur. and NewcasiIe-upn-Tjne, xiv. (i), 87 (1902).
8 Loc. cit., p. 94. * Loc. cit., p. 95.
Stebbing, in Willey'i Zoological Reiultt, pt. v., p. 610 (1900).
Op. cit., iii. 45 (1899).
155
CRUSTACEANS
lobes which form a pseudo-rostral projection. Diastyloides biplicata, Sars, has the telson
strongly bent in the male, and in both sexes two oblique pleats or ridges sculpturing the broad
carapace. Leptostylis ampullacea (Lilljeborg) has the uropods, that is, the appendages of the
penultimate segment, very slender, but the front part of the body at least in the female
swollen out. This genus is a sort of connecting link between the Diastylidae and Lam-
propidas, since here as in the latter family the third and fourth legs of the female have
rudimentary exopods. While, however, the males of Diastylidae have two pairs of pleopods,
those of the Lampropidae have either three pairs or none. Hemilamprops rosea (Norman)
has the ' eye very large and conspicuous, with beautiful red pigment and 8 corneal lenses.' 1
The family name refers to the brightness of the eye, but, as in the preceding family, the
presence of an effective eye is not one of the essential characters. For Pseudocuma cercaria
(van Beneden) the name P. longicorne (Bate) should be adopted as the earlier, though this
specific name is not particularly appropriate, since it refers to the long second antennas which
are found only in the male, and which are found in that sex of other species. No females
among the Sympoda have these antennas elongate. P. simiIis,~Sa.rs, preferably called P. simile,
is a larger and less slender species than the preceding, reaching a fifth of an inch in length or
rather more, instead of barely a sixth.
The remaining species of this list agree in having no distinct telson. The Bodotriidas
have five pairs of pleopods in the male, and exopods only on the first pair of legs in both
sexes. To this family belongs Bodotria scorpioides. The Leuconidas have the negative
distinction of being, so far as is known, always devoid of eyes. They have exopods on the
first four pairs of legs in the male, and on the first three pairs in the female, and pleopods on
the first two pleon-segments in the male. Leucon nasica (not nasicui) has an upturned pseudo-
rostral projection. In choosing the specific name, no doubt the classically-minded KrSyer
inferred that some ancestor of the virtuous Roman, Publius Scipio Nasica, must have had the
end of his nose directed heavenward at a similar angle. In Eudorella truncatula, Bate,
belonging to the same family, there is also upturning of the pseudo-rostral lobes, but it is
carried out in such a way that the medio-dorsal line of the carapace is continuous with the
margin of the lobes, showing no nasal prominence. Such is the case also in Eudorellopsis
deformis (KrSyer), with the distinction that here each lobe uplifts a little horn-like process
breaking the evenness of the dorsal line. The Campylaspid* agree with the preceding
family in having exopods on the first four pairs of legs in the male, but differ by having
them on only the first two pairs in the female, and by having no pleopods in the male, a
deficiency which is shared by the females in all the Sympoda. In Campylasph the great
swollen carapace is, especially in the gentler sex, in marked contrast with the slender pleon.
C. rubicunda (Lilljeborg) was named from its bright red colouring, whereas the little C. glabra,
Sars, is whitish. Finally, the Nannastacida: are a family in which all the known species have
eyes, in contradistinction to the Leuconidas in which none have them, and to the other
families in all of which some species are seeing, and some sightless. In Nannastacus the
eyes are paired. But in Cumella they are confluent, as is customary in this group of animals.
C. pygmtea, Sars, justifies its name by being only about a tenth of an inch long, even so
however not being absolutely the smallest of the Sympoda that has been described.
The Isopoda, so named on the supposition that all their legs were very much alike and
pretty nearly equal, come under popular notice chiefly as ' rock-slaters ' and ' wood-lice.'
They are strongly distinguished from all crustaceans hitherto noticed in this chapter, by the
respiratory apparatus. Instead of being sheltered under the carapace and attached to
appendages of the head and trunk, in the genuine isopods it is developed in the appendages
of the pleon. There is, however, a detachment of anomalous isopods, which some authorities
would place in a quite separate division, because their breathing arrangements are in fact in
the cephalothorax, and their eyes when present, though not stalked, are on well-defined
lobes of the head. Of this set Dr. Brady records Leptognathia longiremis (Lilljeborg) from
' 5-6 miles off Souter Point, 30 fathoms,' and from ' a depth of 4 fathoms off Seaton
Carew.' 8 The uropods are relatively long, but the whole animal is less than a sixth of an
inch in the female, and less than an eighth in the male, although ' this is the largest and
finest of the Norwegian species ' of Leptognathia.*
Several of the normal Isopoda are mentioned by Bate and Westwood as occurring on
the Durham coast. Thus, they say of Mga bicarinata, Leach, in the family ./Egidas, that
1 Loc. cit., p. 22. 3 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb., etc., xiv. (i), 95.
8 Sars, Crustacea of Norway, ii. 27.
156
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
they ' have received it from Dr. Norman, who has taken it on the coast of Durham.' * But
it is now known that the specimen in question belonged really to ALga strSmii, Lotken, a
stoutly built species, nearly two inches long, with very large contiguous eyes. Schiodte and
Meinert, who had Norman's own authority for the correction, make Bate and Westwood
guilty of the further mistake, with which they had nothing to do, of stating that the specimen
was captured ' at the shore of the town which is called Durham.' Of the family Eurydicidae
(formerly, but less correctly called Cirolanidae) ' Eurydice pu/chra, Leach,' was sent to Bate and
Westwood from the Durham coast also by Norman.* This vicious little animal is now again
called by its earlier specific name Eurydice achata (Slabber). In his dredging list for 1 864, Arcturus
longicornis, Leach, is recorded from the same coast by Dr. Norman, and as Leacia longicornis the
same species is noted in the Lindisfarne catalogue. In 1892, under the now accepted name
Astacilla longicornis (Sowerby), Dr. Brady reports it from 2$ miles offSouter Point, 21 fathoms.
In the family Astacillidae, to which this genus belongs, there is a strong contrast between the
front pairs of legs, slender and fringed with long setae, and the three hinder pairs, compact and
uncinate. On the other hand, in the Idoteidae, a companion family, though the seven pairs of
legs are not strictly speaking all alike or all equal, they are quite sufficiently isopodous to justify
the ordinary designation, so far as they are concerned. Idotea emarginata, Fabricius, and /. lineata
(Linn.) are both recorded by Bate and Westwood on Norman's authority from the coast ol
Durham. 4 Both species have the pleon apically emarginate, but whereas /. lineata is parallel-sided,
the other form has the peraeon or trunk pretty strongly dilated. The Asellidae are an important
family containing our one freshwater isopod, Asellus aquaticus (Linn.), a species as curious as it
is common, found in ponds and ditches all over England. For its occurrence in this county
I have Dr. Norman's manuscript authority. *Janlra maculosa, Leach, taken by the same
investigator, represents the family Janiridae. 1 It carries a scale-like appendage on the third
joint of the second antennas, in this possessing a rare feature. The Munnidz are represented
by Munna krSyeri, Goodsir, found by Norman at Seaham * ; M. limico/a, Sars, from 2 1 fathoms
off Souter Point ; Paramunna bilobata, Sars, a bright red species, scarcely more than a
twenty-fifth of an inch long, from 30 fathoms off the same Point ; Pleurogoniam rubicundum,
Sars, also bright red, a fifteenth of an inch in length, from 21 fathoms off Souter Point and
30 fathoms off Marsden ; P. inerme, Sars, in size rather larger, in colour more pale, from
30 fathoms off Marsden and Souter Point, and from 40 fathoms 3 miles off Sunderland, all
four of these minute slender-limbed forms having been obtained by Dr. G. S. Brady. 7 The
mud-dwelling Munna limico/a is distinguished by the elongation of its legs. Sars found it
only at depths between 60 and 300 fathoms. Its addition to the English fauna shows it
capable of living a good deal nearer to the surface. Dr. Brady further obtained Eurycof>e
cornutay Sars, from 30 fathoms off Souter Point. This is a small representative of a remarkable
family, the Munnopsidae, in which the inequality and unlikeness between the front and rear
sets of trunk-limbs make the term Isopoda in its literal meaning singularly inapplicable. The
anterior legs are notable for their tenuity, whereas the three hinder pairs are in accord with
the generic name Eurycope, meaning ' broad oars.' They have the ultimate and penultimate
joints broadly expanded and fringed with long plumose setae, being thus adapted excellently
for swimming paddles after the fashion of the hindmost legs in the fiddler crabs.
The Terrestrial Isopoda, or woodlice, have probably not yet been diligently sought after
in this county. Dr. Norman is my authority for the occurrence here of Philoscia muscoram
(Scopoli) ; Trichoniscus pusillus, Brandt 8 ; Oniscus asellus, Linn. ; Porcellio scaber, Latreille ;
Metoponorthus pruinosus (Brandt),* of which many years ago he gave me two specimens from
his collection at Burnmoor ; and Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille). Bate and Westwood say
of Oniscus fossor, Koch, 'The Rev. A. M. Norman records it from Sedgefield, Co. Durham.' 10
But the distinctness of the species from 0. asellus is somewhat doubtful. Porcellio scoter is
mentioned in the Lindisfarne catalogue.
The last of the Malacostracan divisions enjoys the name Amphipoda, intended to imply
that the feet arc extended round about, forward, sideways, and backward. Latrcille probably
1 Brit. SesstU-ejed Crustacea, ii. (17), z8o (1867).
* Naturh'ut. TiJukrifi, er. 3, xii. 283 (1879).
8 Brit. Sen. Crust., ii. 312. * Loc. cit. pp. 387, 389.
1 Loc. cit., p. 340. e Loc. cit., p. 328.
7 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. ttc., rir. (i), 96.
8 See also Norman, Ann. Nat. Hist., er. 7, iii. 73 (1899).
9 Loc. cit., p. 74. 10 Brit. Sess. Crust., ii. 471.
157
CRUSTACEANS
took his idea of the name from the sandhoppers, which contrive to walk on land by spreading
out their legs in all directions. Their slow, awkward gait suggests an easy capture, but when
the hunter is about to seize his quarry, a stroke of the creature's indexed tail sends it skipping
ever so far out of reach. In allusion to this action Latreille named the primary genus of
sandhoppers Talitrus, ' a fillip.' Talitrus locusta (Linn.) is noted in the Lindisfarne catalogue.
Talorchestia deshayesii (Audouin), under the name of ' Orchestoidea Desbayesii,' is recorded by
Dr. Norman from Ryhope. 1 This border family of the Talitridae with its affections divided
between land and sea is commonly placed in the forefront, because it is best known to mankind
in general. But the Amphipoda are essentially an aquatic tribe, and their most primitive
forms are likely to be found among marine species. Many hundreds of these are now known
from different parts of the globe, and a goodly number even from the Durham coast, which
till lately had but few to boast of.
The extensive family of the Lysianassidae have the first joint of the upper antennae
remarkably stout, and an accessory flagellum accompanies the principal flagellum or lash of
these appendages. Included in the family are the following species : Acidostoma obesum (Bate),
reported by Meek from depths of 39 to 59 fathoms off Durham 8 ; Orchomene bumilis (Costa),
' Durham coast,' by Dr. Norman, who deems it identical with 0, batei, Sars ; s Hippomedon
dentlculatus (Bate) near Fame Islands, Norman, 4 and this together with H. propinguus, Sars, in
39 fathoms off Durham, Meek ; 6 Callisoma bopei, Costa, reported from ' Seaham, Co. Durham,'
by Norman, who holds that Costa's species is identical with Bate's later C. crenatum, Bate's
generic name Scopelocheirus meantime lying in wait for revival in lieu of Costa's Cal/isoma,
which seems to have been circuitously preoccupied ; Tmetonyx cicada (O. Fabricius), reported
from Durham coast by Norman, who calls the genus Hap/onyx by an obvious slip of the pen
for Hoplonyx ; Trypbosites longipes (Bate and Westwood), Durham coast, Norman,* and ' from
39 fathoms off Souter,' Meek ; 1 and lastly, Orchomenella nana (Kroyer), Durham coast,
Norman, who records it as Tryphosa nana, 9 in opposition to the view of Professor Sars, a
controversy which cannot be fought out here. The name Hoplonyx above mentioned was
chosen by Sars with reference to the armature of the finger in the first gnathopods. Being
preoccupied it must be discarded, and Hap/onyx cannot be used in its place, since it would
imply that the finger (or nail) is unarmed, in contradiction to the very character on which
the genus was founded.
The Ampeliscidae are easily recognised by the tapering, apically truncate head, and,
when eyes are present, by the shining single lens with which each visual organ is provided
externally, although the internal apparatus is sufficiently complex. In Ampelisca the eyes,
when present, are four in number. Of this genus Norman reports A. typica (Bate) from
Durham coast ; A. tenutcornis, Lilljeborg, off Seaham (to which Meek in 1902 adds ' 2 J miles
off Souter Point, 21 fathoms') ; A. spinipes, Boeck, off Seaham' ; A. assimilis, Boeck (a species
scarcely distinct from Costa's^. diadema), ' off Marsden, Co. Durham, 10 fathoms' ; A. brevi-
cornis, Costa, Durham coast 10 ; and Meek notes A. macrocephala, Lilljeborg, from ' 56 miles
off Souter Point, 30 fathoms.' 11 In 1864 Norman's dredging list contains A. Gaimardii,
Krfiyer, and A. Bel/tana, Bate, subsequently recognised as A. typica and A. breuicornis. The
true A. gaimardii, KrSyer, now placed in the neighbouring genus Byblis, is recorded by
Dr. Norman as occurring off Seaham. The same authority reports Hap/oops tubico/a, Lilljeborg,
both from Durham coast and from near Holy Island. 13 The genus Haploops is distinguished
from the two preceding genera in that the eyes, when present, are only one pair. The name
of the species refers to the habit these animals have of constructing dwelling-tubes out of the
mud in which they live, their habitat being in strange contrast with the refinement of structure,
colour, and polished surface exhibited in this family.
In the family Haustoriidas (formerly called Pontoporeiidas), which, unlike the
Ampeliscidae, have an accessory flagellum to the upper antennae, and their hind limbs adapted
1 Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, v. 140 (1900).
2 Nortbumb. Sea Fisheries Committee Rep. for 1901, p. 55.
3 Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, v. 202 (1900). * Loc. cit., p. 201.
6 Nortbumb. Sea Fisheries Committee Rep., p. 55.
6 Ann Nat. Hist., ser. 7, v. 207.
7 Nortbumb. Sea Fisheries Committee Rep., p. 55.
8 Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, v. 203. * Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, v. 341.
10 Loc. cit., p. 342. u Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. etc., xiv. (i), 97 (1902).
J Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, v. 345.
158
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
for burrowing, the beautifully setose sand-furrowing Haustorius arenarius (Slabber) is recorded
by Dr. Norman from near Sunderland, the allied Urothoe marina (Bate) from near Holy
Island, and Bathyporeia guilliamioniana (Bate), doubtfully under the name B. norvegica, Sars,
as having been taken by Dr. Brady at Whitburn, co. Durham. 1 In this family the fourth
pair of peraeopods are not greatly longer than the fifth, as they are in the next family, the
Phoxocephalidae. This latter supplies Harpinia neglecta, Sars (more properly called H. anten-
naria, Meinert) from Durham coast, Norman. 8 It may be remarked that the Amphipoda,
like the Isopoda, have seven pairs of trunk-legs, the first two pairs known as gnathopods being
homologous with the second and third maxillipeds in the crabs and other higher crustaceans. 8
Of the Amphilochidse Meek reports Amphilochoides pusillus from 21 fathoms off Souter Point.
A species was indeed so named by Sars in 1892, but that distinguished author in 1895 recognised
that the form in question was A. odontonyx (Boeck), which is probably therefore the species
intended also by Mr. Meek.* In the Metopidte Meek records Metopa palmata, Sars, from
56 miles off Souter Point, 21 fathoms. 1 Of the Stenothoidae, which are distinguished from
the Metopidae by having no palp to the mandibles, Norman mentions Stenothoe marina (Bate)
from Durham coast, and 5. monoculoides (Montagu) from Fame Islands. 8 Of the Iphimediidae
Iphimidia obesa, Rathke, appears in Mr. Meek's list from the often quoted station 2\ miles
off Souter Point.
The very extensive family of the CEdicerotidae, which have no accessory flagellum to the
first antenna;, and the fifth peraeopods much longer than the fourth, are represented in
Mr. Meek's lists by ' Halimedon mulleri (Boeck),' which, in my opinion, should be called by the
earlier name Westwoodilla c&cula, Bate, from 2^ miles off Souter Point ; 7 Monoculodes carinatus
(Bate), ' a young specimen from near the inner Fame Island, 22nd June, 1898 ' ; * Synchelidium
brevicarpum (Bate), ' specimens from near Inner Fame ' ; and Perioculodef longimanus (Bate),
from ' 56 miles off Souter Point in 30 fathoms.' 10 The last species was taken also by
Dr. Norman, ' off Marsden,co. Durham, 10 fathoms.' u It has bright scarlet eyes, and the genus
owes its name to the arrangement of the lenses all round the front of the head, producing the
effect of a single eye rather than a confluent pair, such as are found in the genus Monoculodes.
In the Tironidae (formerly called Syrrhoidae), which also have more or less coalescent eyes, Tiron
acanthurw (Lilljeborg) is remarkable as having a pair of minute accessory eyes below the prin-
cipal pair. It is recorded by Meek in 1892 from 5-6 miles off Souter Point.
The Gammaridae may be considered the central family of the Amphipoda, as representing
the forms from which the rest have in various ways diverged. Whatever in other families may
be regarded as commonplace and not peculiar is to be expected in the genus Gammarus. That
genus also in itself shows considerable adaptability, a character of no mean advantage for the
dispersion of a numerous progeny. We find the species Gammarus locwta (Linn.) quite at home
in deep water, G. marinus (Leach), mixing with it on the shore, and G. pulex (de Geer)
inhabiting fresh water in great aburuiance, yet all the three are closely alike in appearance
and structure. The last of these, under the name of Gammarus aguaticus, is evidently intended
in Dr. Johnston's Lindisfarne catalogue. It is no doubt only the commonness of all three that
has hindered authors from specifying localities where they occur. ' Niphargus subterraneus
(Leach),' another freshwater Gammarid, one of the well-shrimps, occurs in this county, as
Dr. Norman kindly informs me by letter, but as to the name he agrees with me in thinking that
1 N. aquilex, Schiodte,' should be preferred, Leach's description of subterraneus being too vague to
be relied on. To the same family belong Amathilla homari (J. C. Fabricius), Durham coast,
Norman 19 ; Mara othonis (Milne-Edwards), from the same coast ls ; Chelrocratus assimilii
(Lilljeborg), off Holy Island, 1 * described as ' Ch. mantis, n. sp.,' by Norman in 1 865 from the
locality mentioned " ; Ch. tundevalli (Rathke), off Holy Island (Norman), 14 and 2^ miles off
1 Loc. cit., pp. 330-333. Loc. cit., p. 337.
1 Nat. Hut. Tram. Northumb. etc., xiv. (i), 97.
* Cruitatea of Norway, i. 221, 690.
1 Nat. Hiit. Trans. Northumb. etc., xiv. (i), 97.
' Ann. Nat. Mitt., set. 7, vi. 39.
1 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb., etc., xiv. (i), 97.
8 Northumb. Sea Fisheries Committee Rep. for 1901, p. 56 (1901).
Loc. cit., p. 56. o Ibid., p. 56. u Ann. Nat. Hist., ter. 7, vi. 51.
14 Ann. Nat. Hist., ter. 6, iv. 120. 13 Loc. cit., p. 126.
14 Loc. cit., p. 130. u Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and Dur., i. 13.
18 Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, iv. 13*.
159
CRUSTACEANS
Souter Point (Meek). 1 In the neighbouring family Callioptidie, Meek records Apherusa borealls
(Boeck), which is probably identical with the earlier A, cirrus (Bate), from off Souter Point at
56 miles and 2^ miles ; and from the latter station A.jurinei (Milne-Edwards). From the
same two stations the same author notifies Melpbidippella macro (Norman), belonging to the
family Melpbidippldee. Of the Aorides he records in his earlier list Aora graci/is, Bate, found
in Holy Island harbour, and in his later list the same species together with Lembos websteri,
Bate, at 2^ miles off Souter Point ; also from the latter locality several members of the Photidae,
Photis reinhardi (Kroyer), Gammaropsis maculata (Johnston) under the later name G. erythroph-
thalmuif Lilljeborg, the same species also appearing as Eurystheus erythrophthalmus, Lilljeborg, in
Norman's dredging list for 1864 ; G. palmata (Stebbing and Robertson) under the later name
G. nana (Sars) ; Podoceropsis excavata (Bate), for which P. rimapalma (Bate) is to be preferred ;
and, lastly, Megamphopus cornutus, Norman. He also gives from this locality Ericthonius
bunterl (Bate) in the family Podoceridae, from which it should be transferred to the Corophiidae,
to which also belongs Unciola planipes, Norman, 'dredged in July, 1864, off Holy
Island.'
All the preceding Amphipoda are included in the tribe Gammaridea. From these the
Hyperiidea are distinguished, among other things, by having no ' palp' to the maxillipeds. In
other words, the fourth pair of mouth organs are here devoid of all the last four joints. In most
Gammaridea these joints are well developed, and are never all of them wanting. Norman
records that the Hyperiid Paratbemisto oblivia (KrSyer) has been taken by Dr. Brady off the
mouth of the Tees. 8
The tribe Caprellidea, distinguished from the other two by the degradation of the tail-
part or pleon, has a rather less niggardly representation. From the often-mentioned stations
off Souter Point Mr. Meek's list contains, of the family Caprellidae, Pariambus typicus (Kroyer),
a skeleton shrimp of the most unassuming proportions, with a length not a third of an inch, no
breadth worth speaking of, and of its legs one pair dwindled and two pairs altogether lost.
Phtisica marina (Slabber), taken at 2^- miles off Souter Point, is better off in the matter of legs,
and longer, but still a poor wisp of a thing, the generic name implying that nothing but a severe
attack of phthisis could account for its wasted appearance. The whale-lice are first
cousins to these skeletons, but have a more flourishing aspect, due perhaps to easy feeding
on the oleaginous skin of the whale. That some of these Cyamidx have been at times
found on the Durham coast may be fairly argued from the circumstance that 'In 1387
Bishop Fordham issued a Commission, . . . stating in the preamble that all whales,
sturgeons, porpeis, and thulepolls, wrecked on the coast of the royal franchise of Duresme by
violence of the Sea, were the undoubted right of himself and his predecessors.' 4 It could not
have been worth the bishop's while to claim for his predecessors the right to whales, if none of
these monsters had ever been known to arrive. But if the whales came, the suitable species
of Cyamus would certainly have made it their business to come with them.
The Entomostraca are far from having that fixed number of segments which forms so
remarkable a bond of union among the Malacostraca. On the contrary, the segments here
may be either fewer than these or considerably more numerous. They are fewer in all the
groups at present recorded from this county. These groups contain as a rule animals of
very small size, some of them quite minute. To discriminate the numerous species would be
impracticable without a fulness of detail which is here out of the question. Three orders have
to be discussed, the Cladocera, Ostracoda, and Copepoda.
The Cladocera are named from their biflagellate second antennas. These form conspicuous
appendages of the more or less distinct head, which carries also the first antennas, the single
eye, the palpless mandibles and the one pair of maxillae, the body with from four to six pairs of
legs being for the most part included in the bivalved chitinous cover or carapace. About three
dozen species of these little ' water-fleas,' as the ignorant are pleased to call them, have been
recorded from the waters of Durham. The division of the Calyptomera embraces those in
which the feet are well covered by the shell, though that is often too transparent to conceal
them. This division is subdivided into two tribes, the Cten6poda and Anomopoda. In the
former stands the family Sididas, to which belong Sida crystallina (O. F. Mttller) and
1 Nat. Hist. Tram. Northumb. etc., xiv. (i), 98.
8 Op. cit., i. 15.
3 Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, v. 131 (1900).
* Surtees, Hist. Dur., i. (2), 1 7
1 60
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Diaphanosoma brachyurum (LieVin ; Norman in litt.).* The four following families belong to
the second tribe. The Daphniidae furnish this county with Daphnia pulex (de Geer) from
Shotton (Brady) ; D. obtuia, Kurz, taken by the Rev. Canon Norman at Bishopton (Brady) ;
D. hamata, Brady, taken by Norman ' in a pond near the East Gate of Lambton Park '
(Brady) 5 D. lacustris, Sars, from Holy Island Lough (Meek and Brady) ; D. magna, Straus,
which Brady calls Dactylura magna, remarking as to its occurrence : ' Dr. Norman has found it at
Layton Farm, near Sedgefield, co. Durham, and I have myself taken it in a pond at Canal
Farm, High Barnes, near Sunderland ' (Brady) ; D. longispina (O. F. Mailer) ; (Norman in
litt.) ; Ceriodaphnia quadrangula (O. F. Mailer), Holy Island Lough (Meek and Brady) ;
C. reticulata (Jurine) ; C. pulchella, Sars ; C. laticaudata (O. F. Mailer) ; this and the two
preceding from Durham county proper (Norman in litt.) ; Simocephalus vttuius (O. F. Mailer),
Holy Island Lough (Meek and Brady), and from Durham proper (Norman in litt.) under the
new name Slmesa vetula, recently substituted by Norman, Simocephalus being preoccupied.
The Bosminidae are represented by Bosmina longirostris (O. F. Mailer) ; (Norman in litt.). The
Macrotrichidae comprise Macrothrix laticornis (Jurine), found ' at Fardingslake, and in the Glebe
Engine Pond, Sunderland,' by G. S. B. (Norman and Brady) ; M. htrsuticornis, Norman and Brady,
concerning which these authorities say in 1867, ' the only locality at present known for this
new species is a slowly running stream at Ashburn, Sunderland, where it was found by G. S. B.
in 1864 ' ; Ilyocryptus sordidus, Lievin, for which the same writers report ' two localities in the
neighbourhood of Sedgefield, where /. sordidus first occurred in Britain, and was noticed by
Mr. Norman.' The Chydoridae are numerously represented, containing Chydorus sph&ricus
(O. F. Mailer) ; Eurycerau lamellatus (O. F. Mailer) ; Acropenu harp*, Baird ; all three
signalised alike by (Meek and Brady) and by (Norman in litt.) ; Alona tenuicaudis, Sars, from
Sedgefield ; A. costata, Sars, ' found in old colliery pond at Bishop Middleham, and in a pond
near Houghton-le-Spring ' ; A. guttata, Sars, ' first found in Great Britain in a small pool at
East Herrington,' subsequently ' also in ponds at Marsden ' ; A. tesiudinaria (Fischer), since
transferred to Graptoleberis, from ' Boldon Flats, Fardingslake, and Hardwicke ' ; Alonopsit
elongata, Sars ; Acroperus nanus, Baird, which has since become Alonella nana (Baird) ;
PIcuroxui Itevls, Sars, ' at " Hell Kettles," near Darlington ' ; P. trigontllus (O. F. Mailer),
found ' by A. M. N. in Hardwicke Lake and the Forge Dam, near Sedgefield,' and by
' G. S. B. at "Hell Kettles," county of Durham* ; the foregoing eight species being recorded
in 1867 (Norman and Brady), and Alona costata also in 1902 (Meek and Brady). Norman's
manuscript list adds Alona quadrangular'^ (O. F. Mailer) ; A. affinis, Leydig ; Pleuroxus adunc us
(Jurine) ; P. uncinatus, Baird ; Peracantha trvncata (O. F. Mailer) ; Leydigia /eydigii,Sch8d\er.
As a sample of the characters which distinguish these families, it may be mentioned that the
first antennas of the female are fixed in the Bosminidae, but movable in the Macrotriehidae ;
the five pairs of feet are equally spaced in those two families, but in the Daphniidz the fifth
pair is remote from the others ; in all the three the second antennae have the dorsal branch or
flagellum four-jointed and the ventral one three-jointed, but in the Chydoridae both branches
are three-jointed. From the first two families and part of the third the Chydoridae are also
separated by the curious characteristic of having a looped intestine. To maintain the extra-
ordinary activity which some species in this family display, one may surmise that a largq
supply of food is needed, and the storage of this within their minute shells may well need an
unusual arrangement of the digestive apparatus.
The Gymnomera are distinguished from the Calyptomera by having the carapace small,
not covering the thoracic feet, of which in the tribe Onychopoda there are but four pairs. Its
single family, the large-eyed Polyphemidae, is represented in the fresh waters of Durham by
Polyphemus pediculus (Linn.), (Norman in litt.) ; and in the sea by Evadne nordmanni, Lovn,
and Pleopts polyphemoides, Leuckart, both reported by Brady from ' Durham coast (off Ryhope),
common.'* For Pleopts the generic name now accepted is Lilljeborg's Podon. This has the
marsupial part round-ended, as distinguished from Evadne, in which that part is triangular.
1 To save a confusing repetition of references it may be expedient here to note that ' Norman in litt.'
applies to a manuscript list kindly supplied me by Dr. Norman ; localities attested by the name of
' (Brady) ' are from that author's paper ' On the British species of Entomostraca belonging to Daphnia and
other allied genera,' in Nat. Hilt. Tram. Northumb., Dur., and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, xiii. (2), 217-248 ; the
localities given from ' (Meek and Brady) ' refer to Mr. Meek's Holy Island collection determined by
Dr. Brady, in the Report for 1902 of the Northumberland Sea Fisheries Committee, p. 49 (1902); the
data referred to ' (Norman and Brady) ' are from the Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and Dur., i. 354, etc.
(1867).
*Nat. Hiit. Trans. Northumb. and Dur., i. 30 (1867).
1 I6l 21
CRUSTACEANS
They are both devoid of the neck-like constriction which distinguishes head from trunk in
Polyphemus.
As to the Entomostraca taken from Holy Island Lough by Mr. Meek the following
explanations are given : ' This gathering was made on 27th June. The pond is a shallow
one. The average depth is about 3 feet, and the bottom consists of soft black mud. It is
to a large extent overgrown with Equisetum timosum, amongst which the coot and the black-
headed gull meet. It gives origin to a small stream which runs close to the village, and
was until recently used more or less for domestic purposes. The only fish life obtained was
the three-spined stickle-back. . . The gatherings were made by means of a bottom net
worked from a canvas boat kindly lent for the purpose by Mr. Newbigin. The proceeds
consisted chiefly of Simocephalus vetulus, all the other species, with the exception of Pionocypris
vidua, Cyclops viridis, and C. serrulatus, being very poorly represented.'
The Ostracoda are so completely enclosed between their valves that externally they
might be tr.ken for little molluscs rather than crustaceans. The body is seldom segmented,
and never carries more than seven definite pairs of appendages. The tribe Myodocopa
generally have a heart, which the other tribe, the Podocopa, manage to do without. From
the former Brady and Norman report Philomedes brenda (Baird), belonging to the family
Cypridinidts, off the coast of Durham, near the Dogger Bank, 1862 (A. M. N.), 1 and in the
family Polycopidae Polycope orbicularis, Sars, at ' several points off the coasts of Durham and
North Yorkshire.' 8 These are interesting marine species, over which it is impossible to linger,
in view of the vast number of species, both freshwater and marine, from the other tribe,
which the researches and writings of Brady and Norman have brought to light in connexion
with this county.
In the Podocopa the family Cyprididae supplies the district with Cypria exsculpta (Fischer),
found at Seaton Carew ; C. opbtbalmica (Jurine), (N. in litt.) ; C. leev'n (O. F. Muller) and
C. serena (Koch), from Holy Island Lough (Meek and Brady), the two latter species, under
the more recently accepted name Cyc/ocypris, being reported also from Durham proper (N. in
litt.) ; Cypris fuscata, Jurine (N. in litt.) ; C. incongruens, Ramdohr (transferred to Cyprinotus
by Sars),* Rainton and Seaton Carew ; C. pubera, O. F. Muller, freshwater pond on Seaton
Marsh ; C. v'trens (Jurine), between the typical shape of which and the variety ventricosa ' an
intermediate form has been found by A. M. N. at Lumley Dene ; C. elliptica, Baird, ' found in
a pond in Foxton Lane, Sedgefield, co. Durham (A. M. N.) ' ; C. reticulata, Zaddach, at
Foxton, near Sedgefield ; C. ornata, O. F. Muller, ' the only known British specimens of this
species were taken in a pond at Shotton Hall, co. Durham, in May, 1855 (G. S. B.) ' ; Cypri-
notus salinus (Brady), originally established as Cypris sa/ina, of which Brady says, ' I first met
with C. salina in a cooling pond at Monkwearmouth Colliery, where it lives in great numbers
together with Cypridopsis acu/eata, Cypris reptans, and other species, in water which often
reaches a temperature of 100 Fahr., and is so impregnated with earthy salts as to deposit
a thick coating of carbonate of lime on the leaves of the plants which it supports'; 6
Erpetocypris reptans (Baird), the species just mentioned as Cypris reptans ; E. strigata (O. F.
Mailer), ' stream in Fulwell Cemetery, Sunderland (G. S. B.) ' ; E. tumefacta (Brady and
Robertson), ' near Sunderland (G. S. B.) ' ; Ilyodromus olivaceus (Brady and Norman) (N. in
litt.) ; 6 Prionocypris serrata (Norman) 7 (N. in litt.) ; Pionocypris vidua (O. F. Mailer), Holy
Island (Meek and Brady), Durham proper (N. in litt.) ; P. obesa (Brady and Robertson) (N.
in litt.) ; Cypridopsis aculeata (Lilljeborg), Cowpen Marshes (A. M. N. 1868), Monkwearmouth
Colliery, and very 'abundant at Monkton Paper Mills, co. Durham (G. S. B.) ' ; C. villosa
(Jurine), found by Brady ' in ponds at Silkswell and Fulwell, near Sunderland ' ; 8 Pota-
mocypris fuha, Brady, ' at Fulwell Cemetery, Sunderland ' ; Notodromas monachus (O. F. Muller),
many places in Durham ; 9 Candona Candida (O. F. Muller), of which ' the variety claviformis
1 Trans. R. Dublin Sac., ser. 2, v. 655 (1896). * Loc. cit.,p. 707.
8 Trans, R. Dublin Soc.,sei. 2, iv. (1889). Monograph of the Podocopa by Brady and Norman. Where no
other reference is given the reader is requested to understand that the special localities for the Podocopa
are taken from this work. (N. in litt.) signifies that the occurrence of the species in the county of
Durham proper is guaranteed by Dr. Norman's manuscript list.
* Crustacean Fauna of Central Asia, pt. iii, p. 28 (1903).
6 Trans. Linn. Soc., London, xxvi. 368 (1868). Brady's Monograph of the British Ostracotta. This
work will be cited as Man. Brit. Ostrac.
6 Trans. R. Dublin Sot. ser., 2, v. 724. 7 Loc. cit., p. 725.
8 Man. Brit. Ostrac., p. 377. Loc. cit., p. 381.
162
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
was found in a pond at Sedgefield ' by Norman ; C. neglecta, Sars (N. in litt.) ; C. lactta
Baird (N. in litt.) ; C. zencteri, Sars, of which Brady and Norman say in 1896, ' it is a British
species, having been found by A. M. N. in a pond at Ferryhill in the county of Durham ' ;*
C. compresfa, Koch, 8 for which, under the name C. pubescens (Koch), Brady and Norman in
1889 give among other localities, 'pond in Lumley Dene, Seaton Carew Marshes, and
Sedgefield, all in the county of Durham ' ; C. zetlandica, G. S. Brady, with which C. fFeltneri,
Harting, is synonymous (N. in litt.) ; Ilyocypris gibba (Ramdohr) (N. in litt.) ; /. bradyi, Sars
(N. in litt.) ; the rare marine species Pontocypris acupunctata, Brady, ' off Marsden, Durham,
10 fathoms (G. S. B.)' ; Argillaecia cylindrica, Sars, 'off Seaham and Marsden, Durham coast
(G. S. B.).'
The family Cytheridae enriches the county with Cythere lutea, O. F. Muller, ' abundant
in tide pools on the coasts of Northumberland and Durham,' * including C. viridis, Brady (not
Muller), ' in tide-pools near Sunderland ' ; * C. pellucida, Baird, on the union of which with
C. castanea, Sars, and its distinction from C. confusa, Brady and Norman, the monograph of
1889 should be consulted ; C. tenera t Brady, 'off Seaham Harbour, Durham, 15 fathoms* ;
C. albomaculata, Baird, ' on the Durham coast ' ; * the blind mud-lark C. limicola (Norman),
Durham coast ; * C. (?) semipunctata, Brady, off coast of Durham ; C. gibbosa, Brady and
Robertson, ' Seaton Carew Marshes ' ; C. borealis, Brady, of which it is said that ' the only
British station in which this species has been found is at Seaton Carew, in the county of
Durham, on mud-covered rocks, near low-water mark (G. S. B.) ' ; C. quadridcntata, Baird, off
coast of Durham ; C. emaciata, Brady, off Durham ; C. tuberculata, Sars, ' in 40 fathoms,' 1
this and the next five species from the same coast being referred to Cythere in 1889, but in
1 896 transferred to Cythereis ; C. concinna (Johnston) ; C. finmarcbica (Sars) ; C. angulata
(Sars) ; C. dunelmeruis (Norman) ; C. jonesii (Baird) ; the freshwater species Limnicythere
inopinata (Baird), from ' Hardwick Lake and Raby Park, county Durham (Rev. A. M. Norman);
Fulwell Cemetery, Gibside, and in a millstream at Hedworth, county Durham (G. S. B.) ' ; 8
Cytheridea elongata, Brady, ' in tide-pools at Sunderland,' ' in all probability a washed-up
specimen, as the valves were empty ' ; * C. papillosa, Bosquet, off the coast of Durham ; C.
torosa (Jones), Sedgefield, in freshwater (A. M. N.) ; 10 C. punctilio ta, Brady, Seaton Carew ;
Eucythtre declivis (Norman), Durham coast, including Eu. argus (Sars), from ' off Holy Island,'
and Eu. anglica, Brady, 'dredged off the Durham coast (G. S. B.) ' ; ll Krithe bartonensis (Jones),
off the coast of Durham ; Loxoconcha impressa (Baird), rock-pools, Sunderland ; 18 L. tamarindus
(Jones), ' in tide-pools, Sunderland,' as well as in 30 fathoms depth off Durham coast ; 18 L.
guttata (Norman), deep water off Durham coast ; 14 L. multifora (Norman), Durham coast ; 1
L. pusilla, Brady and Robertson, ' off Seaton Carew, co. Durham, 4 fath.' ; Xestoleberis
depressa, Sars, Durham coast ; 18 Cytherura nigrescent (Baird), ' in rock-pools at Sunderland ' ; "
C. producta, Brady, ' off the coast of Durham ' ; C. clathrata, Sars, coast of Durham ; C. acuti-
coitata, Sars, ' off Holy Island ' ; w Cytheropteron Jatissimum (Norman), Durham coast ; ll C.
nodosum, Brady, off coast of Durham ; Bythocythere constricta, Sars, B. turgida, Sars, and B. simplex
(Norman), all three off the aforesaid coast, the last having also been taken off Holy Island in
45 fathoms ; 80 Pseudocytbere caudata, Sars, off Holy Island ; 81 Sclerochilus contortus (Norman),
Durham coast. 8 *
To the family Paradoxostomatidae are assigned Paradoxostoma variabi/e (Baird) ; P. normani,
Brady ; P. hibernicum, Brady ; P. hodgei, Brady ; P. flexuosum, Brady ; all from various depths
off the coast of Durham ; and Machterina tenuissima (Norman), taken off the same coast
between 15 and 30 fathoms.
From the vast and ancient group of the Ostracoda we pass to another which is also very
extensive, but less adapted for fossil preservation. The Copepoda are not enclosed in a bivalved
1 Trans. R. Dublin See., ter. , v. 730. * Loc. cit., p. 728.
8 Mm. Brit. Oitrac., p. 396. * Loc. cit., p. 397.
1 Loc. cit., p. 403. * Loc. cit., p. 406.
1 Ibid. 8 Loc. cit., p. 420.
Loc. cit., p. 4*2. > Loc. cit., p. 426.
Loc. cit., pp. 430, 431, 475. ' Loc. cit., p. 434.
18 Loc. cit., p. 436. M Ibid.
11 Loc. cit., p. 450 (compared with Man. 1889, p. 185).
" Mm. Brit. Ostrac., p. 438. " Loc. cit., p. 440.
18 Loc. cit., p. 446. 19 Loc. cit., p. 448.
10 Loc. cit., p. 45 1 81 Loc. cit., p. 454.
M Loc. cit., p. 456.
163
CRUSTACEANS
shell, but allow us to distinguish eleven segments, the first, however, being composite, to form
what may be called the head, carrying the two pairs of antenna, the mandibles, first and
second maxillae, and the maxillipeds. The next five segments are thoracic, each normally
with its pair of appendages, and these are followed by five which bear no appendages, forming
the tail, abdomen, or pleon. Still it sometimes happens that the last thoracic segment seems
more closely united with the pleon than with the rest of the thorax. Hence Giesbrecht draws
a line between the Gymnoplea which have the pleon bare of limbs, and the Podoplea, which
have, or, more strictly speaking, seem to have a pair of limbs on the pleon.
Since it will be impossible here to explain or discuss all the latest changes in classification,
and since our knowledge of Durham localities for most of the species about to be mentioned is
derived from the Monograph of British Copepoda which Dr. G. S. Brady wrote for the Ray
Society, it will be convenient to follow the arrangement adopted in the volumes of that
learned and well-known work. The distribution, however, of the genera into families is based
on systematic essays of later date, which still show some variety of opinion among leading
experts, and make it clear that new students of the Copepoda will not find their field of
research already exhausted. To the family Temoridae are assigned Eurytemora velox (Lilljeborg),
recorded by Brady as found ' in salt-marshes at Hylton (county Durham),' with the added
remark, 'the few specimens which I have recorded as being taken in the sea at Sunderland,
must, I think, be looked upon as waifs and strays ' ; * Eu. affinis (Poppe), ' in pools near Hartle-
pool Slake, county Durham,' this being, according to Brady, a species apparently very liable to
be confused with neighbouring forms. 3 The family Diaptomidas includes Diaptomus castor
(Jurine), from ' ponds at Chester Road, Sunderland ; Shotton and Wardley, county Durham
(G. S. B.).' 8 The family Centropagidae offers Centropages hamatus (Lilljeborg), of which Brady
says that it is not uncommon at the surface in the open sea, adding, ' I have once taken it
between tide-marks, amongst Algae in rock-pools, near Ryhope.' * The family Parapontellidae
is represented by Parapontella irevicornis (Lubbock), ' in tide-pools on the Durham coast.'
For Misophria pallida, Boeck, ' taken off Hawthorn (Durham coast) on a sandy bottom in a
depth of 27 fathoms,' Sars establishes a family Misophriidae in the great group of Arpacti-
coida. 6 The family Pseudocyclopidae (not to be confused with the JPseudocyclopiidas) has
Pseudocydops crassicornis, Brady, dredged off Seaham Harbour in 2030 fathoms. The family
Cyclopidae is more copiously represented, containing Oithona spinifrons, Boeck, possibly the same
as the earlier 0. helgo/andica, Claus, observed ' in the North Sea off Sunderland ' ; Cydopina
littoraltSy Brady, ' amongst weeds between tide-marks,' Ryhope, and off the Durham coast in
depths of 445 fathoms ; C. (?) ovalis, Brady, 'one specimen only taken off Sunderland in the
surface net ' ; Cyclops strenuus, Fischer, ' Seaton Marsh, county Durham ' ; 6 C. bicusptdatus,
Claus, ' in gatherings from Lambton Park (A. M. N.)' ; 7 C. viridis (Jurine), with C.fuscus and
C. albidus of the same author, reported in Norman's manuscript list ; C. insignis, Claus, ' at
Hartlepool, where it occurred in brackish pools near the border of the slake ' ; C. serrulatus,
Fischer (N. in litt.) ; C. fimbriatus, Fischer, ' in gatherings by the Rev. Dr. Norman from
Rainton Meadows, county Durham ' ; 8 C. kaufmanni, Uljanin, a rare species hailing from
Turkestan, taken freely by Norman from ' pond in Lambton Park (Durham),' and since found
by Brady in Hampshire, not known elsewhere ; 9 C. helleri, Brady, taken at Whitburn, but
subsequently regarded with doubt ; 10 C. phaleratus, Koch, pond at Gibside ; C. sa/inus, Brady,
' got at Holy Island ' ; u Pterinopsyllus insignis, Brady, the earlier generic name, Lophophorus,
being discarded on account of pre-occupation,is ' three specimens only of this very distinct and
beautiful Copepod occurred in a dredging made by Mr. Robertson and the Rev. A. M. Norman,
six miles off the Durham coast, near Hawthorn, on a sandy bottom, and in a depth of
27 fathoms.'
1 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb., Dur., and Netocastle-upon-Tyne, xi. (i), 106 (1891). (For the
synonymy of the species the student should compare Sars, Crustacea of Norway, iv. 100. 1903.)
2 Loc. cit., p. 108. 8 Loc. cit., p. 94.
* Monograph of the Free and Semi-parasitic Copepoda of the British Islands, by G. Stewardson Brady, M.D.,
F.L.S., etc., vol. i. Ray Society (1878). It may be accepted that species named and explanatory
quotations, without further reference, are given on the authority of this work.
6 Crustacea of Norway, v. 4 (1903). ' Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. etc. xi. (2), 73.
1 Loc. cit., p. 79. 8 Loc. cit., p. 9 1 .
9 Loc. cit., p. 89. 10 Loc. cit., p. 91.
11 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. etc., new ser. i. 5 (1903).
18 Monograph, iii. 23, Ray Soc. (1880).
164
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
The family Notodelphyidae, in which the egg-pouch of the female forms a strange dorsal
protuberance, furnishes Notodelphys cerultea, Thorell, ' in Axld'ia parallelogramma, off Haw-
thorn'; N. agilis, Thorell, in Ascidians taken off the coast of Durham, at depths of
20-30 fathoms. The family Doropygidse, with a like peculiarity, contains Doropygus pulex,
Thorell, of which many immature specimens have been found in Ascidians dredged off the
coast of Durham ; D. porclcauda, Brady, found in Ascidia parallelogramma dredged from
27 fathoms off Hawthorn. The family Ascidicolidz, which is extended by some authors to
embrace a large assortment of families similar in their habits, in a restricted sense contains
Atcidicola rosea, Thorell, from Ascidians dredged off the Durham coast, this species (as noted
by Mr. Eugene Canu) sometimes occurring in great abundance actually in the stomach of a
large Aicidiella, 1 a position one might suppose more suited for their sepulchre than their living-
room.
The great group of the Arpacticoida or family Arpacticidse in the large sense has been vari-
ously divided into subfamilies or restricted families. As these are at present more or less in an
evolutionary or revolutionary condition, it will be convenient to mention the following species
simply as members of the higher assemblage. Longipedia coronata, Claus, is reported as taken by
Brady ' abundantly on a sandy bottom off Seaton Carew (Durham), four fathoms ; off Marsden,
Sunderland, and Seaham, twenty to thirty fathoms ' ; * Ectinosoma spinipes, Brady, with the
preceding at various points, but not so abundant ; E. erythrops, Brady, dredged in 5
30 fathoms off the coast of South Durham ; Zasime typica, Boeck (the identity of which is some-
what doubted by Brady himself), off Hartlepool on sand in 25 fathoms ; Tachidius brevicorn'n
(O. F. Muller), in brackish marsh pools, Hylton Dene and Hartlepool ; Robertionia tenuis
(Brady and Robertson), off Hawthorn on sand at 27 fathoms, and off Seaham amongst mud
IO fathoms deeper ; Amymone sphterica, Claus, which in spite of its spherical surname has
the ' body much compressed,' entered as taken 4 miles off Marsden among rough sand, is
corrected in 1 903 to A. rubra, Boeck,* and in the same year has its pre-occupied generic name
altered to Tegastes by Norman ; * T. longimanus (Claus), off Hawthorn in 27 fathoms depth,
the creature itself a fiftieth of an inch in length ; Stenhelia hispida, Brady, off Hartlepool in
5 and off Marsden in 30 fathoms; 5. ima t Brady, in 10-35 fathoms off Marsden ; 5.
ktrdmani, A. Scott, from ' Laminaria roots at Holy Island '; * Ameira longipes, Boeck, in 25
45 fathoms off Sunderland and Seaham ; Jonesiella spinulosa (Brady and Robertson), which, it
appears, must yield precedence to the earlier named Danielssenia typica, Boeck,* ' dredged off
Hartlepool on a sandy bottom ; and in a depth of thirty-seven fathoms sixteen miles off
Hawthorn (Durham) on a muddy bottom ' ; Delavalla rtflexa, Brady and Robertson, 5 miles
off Hartlepool on sand ; D. rotusta, Brady and Robertson, in depths of 25-35 fathoms in
several places off the coast of Durham ; Cantbocampus minutui (O. F. Muller), of which the
generic name is commonly but wrongly given as Canthocamptus, and of which as a species
Brady says that it prefers shallow pools in which vegetation is abundant, its colouring varying,
' with the character of the plants and infusoria on which it probably feeds,' adding, ' the only
considerable pieces of water in which I have found it are the lake in Axwell Park near Gates-
head, and Holy Island Lough (Northumberland) ; but both these are really, as to size and
character of vegetation, big ponds rather than lakes ' ; C. palustris, Brady, a brackish-water
species (N. in litt.) ; Attheyella spinosa, Brady, of which the first specimens ' were found in
an old engine-pond at Murton Junction, near Sunderland ' ; A. crassa, Sars (N. in litt.) ;
A. pygmaea, Sars (N. in litt.) ; Laophonte similts, Claus, ' between tide-marks at Sunderland ' ;
L. longicaudata, Boeck, dredged off ' Hartlepool ; Seaham, 20-30 fathoms ; Hawthorn,
27 fathoms* ; L. lamellifera (Claus), ' on Laminaria and on muddy rocks near Sunderland' ;
L. hispida (Brady and Robertson), 410 fathoms off Durham coast ; Normanella dubia (Brady
and Robertson), 10-30 fathoms off Marsden and Hartlepool ; Cletodei limico/a, Brady, in 2O-
24 fathoms off coast of Durham ; C. kngicaudatus, Brady and Robertson, in 5 fathoms off
Hartlepool ; C. propinquus, Brady and Robertson, in 35 fathoms off Marsden ; Dactylopusia
tiiboides (Claus), from ' Durham coast, amongst Laminari*,' the older generic name Dactylopus
1 Les Copfpodes du Bouhnnais, p. 209 (1902).
The references from this point are to the Monograph of Brit. Cofepoda, vol. ii. f Ray Soc. (1880).
1 Brady, Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. etc., new ser. i. J.
* Ann. Nat. Hut., ser. 7, xi. 368.
1 Brady, Nat. Hist. Irons. Northumb. etc., new ser. i. 3.
Sars, Cladocera, Copepoda, and OstratoJo of the Jana Expedition, p. 20. St. Petersburg.
165
CRUSTACEANS
being now discarded as pre-occupied ; l D. tenuiremis (Brady and Robertson), in 45 fathoms
2O miles off Sunderland, amongst muddy sand ; D. flava (Glaus), in 27 fathoms off Hawthorn ;
D. brevicornis (Claus), on Laminaria at Sunderland ; Thalestris helgolandica, Claus, in
27 fathoms off Durham coast; T. rufocincta, Brady, 'off Marsden, 10 fathoms, Hawthorn,
27 fathoms' ; T. clausii, Norman, Durham coast, littoral among weeds, and from surface of
open sea ; T. longimana, Claus, between tide-marks, ' Sunderland, Ryhope, etc. ' ; Westwoodia
nobilis (Baird), a brilliantly coloured species with a pre-occupied generic name, found by Brady
rarely on Lamtnaries near Sunderland ; Arpacticus chelifer (O. F. Mtiller), from many places on
coast of Durham, and as to the young from roots of Laminaria Brady notes that specimens
from Holy Island and tide-pools at North Sunderland were generally ' extremely melanotic ' ; *
Pontopolites typicus, T. Scott, from Holy Island ; 8 Zaus spinatus, Goodsir, coast of Durham,
usually amongst Laminaria saccharina or other fuci ; Alteutha depressa, Baird, at Sunderland,
chiefly from Laminariee, the genus distinct from Peltidium ; * A. interrupta (Goodsir), in
10 fathoms off the Durham coast ; Scutellidium tisboides, Claus, at Roker, near Sunderland, on
Laminaria; and S.fasciatum (Boeck), plentiful on Durham coast wherever Laminaria sac-
charina grows.
Leaving at this point the Arpacticoida, we come to creatures of usually semi-parasitic
habits, of which some have been already mentioned in the family Ascidicolidae. Cylindropsyllus
l<evis, Brady, was dredged by Brady off Hartlepool in muddy sand at 5 fathoms ; 6 Lichomolgus
fucicola (Brady), amongst fuci, near low-water mark, Ryhope, and 4 miles off Hawthorn
and Marsden, amongst rough shelly sand, in about 25 fathoms ; L. liber, Brady and Robert-
son, from the last-mentioned localities, in 2027 fathoms ; L. arenicola, Brady, off Seaton
Carew, on sand in 4 fathoms ; L. thorelli, Brady and Robertson, off Marsden, in 25 fathoms,
and off Hawthorn a little deeper ; Cydipicera nigripes, Brady and Robertson, from the same
localities as the last-named species ; C. /ata, Brady, in tidal pool at Roker, near Sunderland ;
Artotrogus normani (Brady and Robertson), 6 miles off Hawthorn, in 27 fathoms ; Dyspontius
striatus, Thorell, at the last-named locality, where also was taken Acontiophorus scutatus (Brady
and Robertson).
From the foregoing catalogue it will be understood how numerous are the species which
the enlightened industry of a very few enthusiasts can add to the known fauna of a county.
But for the three or four naturalists whose names have so frequently recurred, Durham might
have passed as a district singularly eschewed by the wide-ranging Copepoda, instead of being
conspicuously rich in representatives of their microscopic multitudes. Small as the free-living
and semi-parasitic forms usually are, there is another set derived from them, the truly parasitic,
which sometimes attain a considerable size, and of these it may be said that Surtees in his
history tells us something, without either intending to do so or being conscious that he was
doing it. He informs us that Bishop Cosin in 1662, having had to pay a bill of 5 17*. id.
for five sturgeon, which were chiefly given away in presents, desired his steward at Howden
' to catch no more sturgeons.' 6 The episcopal right once fought for was evidently becoming
a burden. But relying on this unwelcome abundance of sturgeons, one may without hesi-
tation add to the Durham fauna the singular parasitic Copepod Dichelestium sturionis, Hermann,
which frequents the gills of the great cartilaginous scale-armoured fish after which it is named.
Similarly other fishes of the county, whether mentioned by Surtees or elsewhere, would in a
general way justify the enumeration of their various ordinary parasites as belonging to the
fauna of this region.
Among the Thyrostraca, commonly called cirripedes or barnacles, certain parasitic forms
of a very interesting character were recorded from Durham waters by Norman in his dredging
list for 1863, namely, Pehogaster paguri, Rathke, as 'very rare'; P. sulcatus, Lilljeborg,
' rare ' ; and Clistosaccus paguri, Lilljeborg, ' one specimen.' 7 All these are parasitic on hermit-
crabs, the first and third according to Lilljeborg being found on Eupagurus bernhardus (Linn.),
1 Norman, Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, n. 368.
* Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. etc., new ser. i. 4.
8 Loc. cit., p. 4, pi. i. figs. 4-12.
* Brady in Fifth Ann. Rep. of the Fishery Board for Scotland, App. F, No. ri. p. 329.
6 Mm. Brit. Copepoda, in., Ray Soc. (1880).
6 Surtees, Hist. ofDur. i. (2), 17.
7 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and Dur. \. 26.
166
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
though not confined to that species, while as hosts for the second he specifies the forms now
known as Eupagurus cuanensis (Thompson) and Anapagurus chiracanthus (Lilljeborg).i
Several species of normal cirripedes are no doubt to be found in the district, such as
Balanus balanoides (Linn.) ; B. hameri (Ascanius) ; Coronula diadtma (Linn.) on the immigrant
whale ; Verruca str8mia (O. F. Mtlller) ; Trypetaa lampas (Hancock), till recently known by
the pre-occupied name Alcippc? and Conchoderma auritum (Linn.), a common companion of
Coronula. These and many more trophies of ardent investigation may be left for discovery or
verification by some future chronicler.
1 Lilljeborg in Nova Acta Reg. Sot. Sci. Upsala, ser. 3, Hi. 27, 28 (Extr. 1859), and Supplement,
pp. II, 22 (Extr. 1860).
* Norman, Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, xi. 368.
167
FISHES
Attempts have been made from time to time by the authors of the
county and parochial histories to give accounts of the fishes, but the
work of compiling the following list of Durham fishes has been rendered
especially light by the excellent catalogue of the fishes of Northumberland
and Durham published by the late R. Howse,M. A., curator of the Hancock
Museum, Newcastle. I have, however, been able to add definitely to the
list of our local fauna, species about which Mr. Howse was doubtful, and
to add others which have come to our knowledge since his list was
published (1890.)
It is rather curious that while not infrequent records of rare
stragglers have been made for the coasts of Northumberland and York-
shire, the majority of these have not visited, or if they have visited have
not been recorded for Durham. Such it has been necessary therefore
to exclude from the present list, but I have ventured to add species
which from their well-known occurrence to the north and the south
may be presumed to belong also to the Durham coast.
Fresh- water fishes are distinguished by an asterisk (*), and those
which occur in both fresh and salt water by two asterisks (**).
TELEOSTEANS
ACANTHOPTERYGII
*I. Perch. Pe rca fluviatilis, Linn.
In the Tees, Billingham Beck, in lakes and
ponds, and in artificial ponds. ' Probably
introduced into the district.' Howse.
**
2.
Haddock. Sehastes norvegtcus,
Bass. Morone labrax, Linn ; Labrax
lupus, Cuv.
Occasionally caught inshore and in the
Tyne.
3. Common Sea Bream. Pagellus centrodontus,
Delaroche.
Rare ; sometimes caught by trawlers.
4. Black Sea Bream. Cantharus lineatus,
Fleming.
Hartlepool. Sir Cuthbert Sharpe, 1816.
Also said by the late Mr. J. F. Spence to be
landed at North Shields by trawlers occasionally.
A recent local record is wanting.
5. Gilthead. Chrysophrys aurata. Linn.
Whitburn ? ' ; Howse.
1 68
6. Norway
Cuv.
Rare.
7. Maigre. Sci<sna aquila, Lacep.
Rare; 'Jarrow Slake, on the Tyne, 1838,
Rudd ; Sunderland.' Howse.
8. Swordfish. Xiphias gladius, Linn.
'A specimen brought in by a trawler,
North Shields, W. S. Corder.' Howse.
9. Red Mullet. Mullus barbatus, Linn.
Occasionally landed at North Shields from
off the coast.
10. Common or Ballan Wrass. Labrus
maculatus, Bloch.
Locally, Sea Sow and Old Wife.
Not uncommon from rocky ground near
the coast.
11. Goldsinny Wrass. Ctenolabrus rupestris,
Linn.
Specimens have been got at Cullercoats
(J. Hancock) and at Redcar (Meynell).
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
*I2. Miller's Thumb. Cottus gobio. Linn.
Locally, Bullhead.
Common in the Tees and most streams.
Mentioned by Brewster and by Surtees.
13. Father-lasher or Bull Head. Cottus scorpius y
Linn.
In rock pools and near the rocks ; common.
14. Grey Gurnard. Trig/a gurnarduSy Linn.
Very common.
15. Red Gurnard. Trig/a cucu/us. Linn.
Occasionally visits the coast. Mentioned
by Fordyce, 1857.
1 6. Streaked Gurnard. Trig/a Kneata, Linn.
' Occasionally taken on our coast.' Howse.
17. Sapphirine Gurnard or Tub-fish. Trigla
hirundoy Linn.
An occasional visitor.
1 8. Pogge or Armed Bull-head. Agonus cata-
phractuSy Linn.
Common.
19. Lump Sucker or Paddlecock. Cyclopterus
lumpusy Linn.
Common.
20. Sea Snail. Liparlt vulgarity Flem.
Rare.
21. Montagu's Sucker. Liparlt montagui,
Donovan.
Common.
22. Spotted Goby. Gobius minutus, Gmel.
23. Two-Spotted Goby. Gobius ruthensparriy
Euphras. ; Gobius pusillus, J. Lowe.
Common in rock-pools.
24. Blackfish. Centrolophus pompilus. Linn.
' One specimen from a Cullercoats fisherman,
and another recorded from Redcar.' Howse.
25. John Dory. Zeus faber. Linn.
An occasional visitor.
26. Scad or Horse mackerel. Caranx tra-
churuSy Linn.
' Frequently caught in the herring nets.
J. F. Spence.' Howse.
27. Ray's Bream. Brama raii t Bloch.
Occurs occasionally.
28. Opah or Kingfish. Lampris /una, Linn.
Sometimes caught by trawlers and also
rarely on the coast to the north and south.
29. Mackerel. Scomber scombrus. Linn.
Locally, Bret.
Migrates to the coast, July to September.
Recorded by Surtees, 1823.
30. Tunny. Orcynus thynnuSy Linn.
' Frenchman's Bay in salmon nets Mr.
Clift, South Shields, August, 1885.' Howse,
who also records a shoal of small tunnies to
the coast near Cullercoats in June, 1884.
31. Bonito. Orcynus pelamys. Linn.
A straggler caught off Sunderland recorded
by Professor G. S. Brady, 1870.
32. Greater Weever. Trachlnut draco. Linn.
33. Lesser Weever or Stinger. Tracbinus
vipera, Cuv. and Val.
More common than preceding.
34. Fishing Frog or Angler. Lophius pltca-
toriuSy Linn.
Sometimes called ' Mermaid.' Common
and frequently sold like the cat-fish as ' rock-
turbot.'
35. Dragonet. Callionymus fyra, Linn.
Locally, Gowdie.
Common.
36. Wolf or Cat-fish. Anarrhlchat lupus,
Linn.
Common, sold as ' rock-turbot.'
37. Gattorugine or Tompot. B/enniui
gattoruginey Bloch.
Mentioned in the list of Hartlepool fishes
by Sir Cuthbert Sharpe.
38. Shanny. Blennius pholisy Linn.
Common in the rock-pools.
39. Yarrell's Blenny. Carelophus ascanii,
Walb.
Rare.
40. Gunnel or Butter-fish. Centronotus gun-
nelluiy Linn.
Common between tide marks.
41. Viviparous Blenny. Zoarces viviparus,
Linn.
Common between tide marks.
42. Sharp-tailed Lumpenus. Lumpenut lampe-
triformis, Walb.
An example was got at Cullercoats in Feb-
ruary, 1 903 ; but it is more than likely gene-
rally, if rarely, distributed in the district.
169
22
FISHES
ANACANTHINI
43. Cod. Gadus morrhua, Linn.
The young are called codling.
44. Haddock. Gadus eeglefinus, Linn.
45. Bib or Pout. Gadus luscus, Linn.
Locally, Brassie and Scotch Haddock.
Fairly common.
46. Poor Cod. Gadus minutus, Linn.
Not uncommon.
47. Coal-fish, Saithe, or Black Jack. Gadus
virens, Linn.
The successive stages of growth are named
hallins, poddlers or billet, half-waxers, coal-
saithe and black jack.
48. Whiting. Gadus merlangus, Linn.
49. Pollack or Lythe. Gadus pollachius, Linn.
50. Hake. Merluccius vulgaris, Cuv.
*5i. Burbot or Eelpout. Lota vulgaris, Cuv.
Surtees recorded this species as occurring in
the Skerne.
52. Ling. Molva vulgaris, Flem.
53. Five-bearded Rockling. Motel/a mustela,
Linn.
54. Four-bearded Rockling. Motella cimbria,
Linn.
Common about 3 to 6 miles or more off
the coast.
55. Three-bearded Rockling. Motella tricir-
rata, Bloch.
Rare.
56. Lesser Fork-beard. Raniceps rantnus,
Linn.
Rare.
57. TorskorTusk. Brosmius brosme, Mailer.
Rare.
58. Halibut. Hippoglossus vulgaris, Flem.
Still frequently called ' Turbot.'
59. Long Rough Dab. Hippoglossus liman-
doides, Bloch.
60. Turbot. Rhombus maximus, Linn.
Locally, Brat.
61. Brill. Rhombus Itevis, Linn.
Not common.
62. Common Topknot. Zeugopterus punctatus,
Bloch.
Rare ; usually caught in crab-pots. It is
more than likely this species some of the
fishermen call ' hard-ground soles.'
63. Megrim. Lepidorhombusmegastoma. Donov.
Rare.
64. Plaice. Pleuronectes platessa, Linn.
65. Pole Dab or Witch. Pleuronectes cyno-
glossus, Linn.
66. Lemon Dab. Pleuronectes microcephalus,
Donov.
Commonly called ' Lemon Sole.'
67. Dab. Pleuronectes limanda, Linn.
**68. Flounder. Pleuronectes flesus, Linn.
69. Sole. Solea vulgaris, Quensel.
Small examples are called ' slips.'
PLECTOGNATHI
70. Short Sun-fish. Orthagoriscus mola, Linn.
An occasional straggler reaches the coast.
PERCESOCES
**7i. Grey Mullet. Mugil capita, Cuv.
' In the Tyne. J. Hancock.' Howse.
**72. Lesser Grey Mullet. Mugil chela, Cuv.
Said to visit the coast in the autumn.
73. Larger Launce or Sand-Eel. Ammodytes
lanceolatus, Le Sauv.
74. Lesser Launce or Sand-Eel. Ammodytes
tobianus, Linn.
More common than the preceding.
75. Garfish. Belone vulgaris. Flem.
' Taken in the autumn by men and boys
fishing with rod and line from the rocks in
Frenchman's Bay, on the Durham coast.'
Howse. Also caught at the mouth of the
Tees in the autumn.
76. Saury Pike or Skipper. Scombresox saurus,
Walb.
Rare.
HEMIBRANCHII
**77- Three-spined Stickleback. Gastrosteus
aculeatus, Linn.
Common at the seaside in some places, in
brackish water, and in fresh water ponds,
lakes, streams and ditches. The sea speci-
170
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
mens are usually ' mailed ' or ' rough-tailed,'
and the fresh-water examples are ' smooth-
tailed.'
"78. Ten-spined Stickleback. Gastrosteus pun-
gitius, Linn.
Recorded in Sir Cuthbert Sharpe's History
of Hartlepool. Occurs in a pond at Picton,
near Stockton.
79. Fifteen - spined Stickleback. Gastrosteus
spinachia, Linn.
LOPHOBRANCHII
80. Greater Pipe-fish. Syngnathus acus, Linn.
8 1. Snake Pipe-fish. Nerophis tequoreus. Linn.
Not so common as the preceding.
HAPLOMI
82. Pike. Esox lucius, Linn.
Wynyard Park, and other ponds, Tyne,
Tecs, Billingham Beck, Skerne. Small ex-
amples are called ' Jack.'
OSTARIOPHYSI
*8j. Carp. Cyprinus carpia, Linn.
Introduced into Wynyard Park and other
ponds. ' In becks near Stockton, escaped
from Wynyard ponds. J. Hogg.' Howse.
84. Gudgeon. Gotta fluviati/is, Flem.
Common in the Tees and its tributaries, the
Derwent, and other streams. Mentioned by
Surtees.
85. Rudd. Leuciscus erythrophthalmus. Linn.
'Introduced into ponds . . . formerly in
ponds near Marsden.' Howse.
*86. Roach. Leuciscus ruti/us, Linn.
In the Tync and the Tees. Recorded by
Surtees.
87. Chub or Skelly. Leuciscus cephalus, Linn.
In the Tyne and the Tees. Recorded by
Surtees.
*88. Dace. Leuciscus dobula. Linn. (L. vu/garis,
Yarrell, Day, &c.).
Common in rivers. ' Recorded by Wallis,
Surtees, and J. Hogg.' Howse.
"89. Minnow. Leuciscus phoxinus t Linn.
Common in rivers and streams.
"90. Tench. Tinea vu/garis, Cuv.
Introduced into Wynyard Park and Raby
Park ponds.
*9i. Bleak. Alburnw lucidus, Heck. & Kner.
Recorded by Clarke and Roebuck as com-
mon in the lower waters of the Tees.
*92. Loach. Nemachilus kariatu/us, Linn.
Common in small streams.
MALACOPTERYGII
93. Argentine. Maurolicus borealis, Nilsson.
'In former years (1859-60) I frequently
found this little fish washed up on the shore
at high-tide mark on South Shields sands and
in Marsden Bay during winter.' Howse.
**94- Salmon. Salmo sa/ar, Linn.
In the Tyne, the Tees, and more rarely in
the Wear. Caught also near the coast with
drift-nets.
**95. Trout. Sa/mo trutta, Linn.
The Brown Trout is common in rivers and
streams. The Sea Trout and the Bull Trout
ascend the Tyne, the Wear, and the Tees, and
are caught also in drift-nets near the coast.
The Bull Trout and the Sea Trout are more
common in the Wear than in the Tyne or
the Tees. Loch Leven Trout were introduced
into the Tees ten years ago and are still caught.
96. American Brook Trout. Salmo fontinalh.
Mitchill.
Introduced into the Tees.
*97- Grayling. TbymallusvtxilKftr t Linn.
Rare. In the Tyne and the Tees. Intro-
duced into the Tees in 1839 by J. C.
Chaytor. ' Introduced into the Derwent
about six years ago. Rev. W. Feathcrston-
haugh, May, 1890.' Howse.
98. Smelt or Sparling. Osmerut eper/anus,
Linn.
In the Tyne and the Tees. Recorded by
Wallis and by Surtees.
99. Herring. Clupea barengui, Linn.
100. Pilchard or Sardine. Clupea pi/char dus t
Linn.
An occasional visitor. Mentioned by For-
dyce.
101. Sprat. Clupea sprattus, Linn.
Occurs with young herrings in the summer,
and in 1902 both were present in extraordi-
nary abundance all along the coast.
171
FISHES
**I02. Shad.
Rare.
Clupea alosa, Linn.
APODES
**I03. Eel. Anguilla vulgaris, Turt.
Common on the coast and in rivers and
streams and ponds. The elvers ascend the
rivers in vast numbers in early summer.
104. Conger Eel. Conger vulgaris, Cuv.
Common. The larva, Leptocephalus morrisii,
was obtained at Whitburn by W. Hutchinson,
and recorded by R. Howse.
GANOIDS
""105. Sturgeon. Adpenter sturio, Linn. 141 lb. was caught at Scotswood on the
Landed by trawlers occasionally. Sometimes Tyne in 1894. Howse.' Mentioned by
caught in the Tees. 'A specimen weighing Surtees and by recent writers.
CHONDROPTERYGIANS
106. Rough Hound or Small-spotted Dogfish.
Scyllium canicula, Linn.
Sometimes caught by trawlers off the
coast.
107. Porbeagle. Lamna cornubica, Gmel.
Frequently recorded.
108. Thrasher. Alopias vulpes, Gmel.
An occasional visitor.
109. Smooth Hound. Mustelus leevis, Flem. ;
(M. vulgaris, Day.)
It has not been recorded for the Durham
coast, but it occurs to the north and the
south, and has therefore likely been over-
looked.
no. Tope. Galeus vulgaris, Flem.
'Whitburn.' R. Howse. Occasionally
landed at North Shields by trawlers and liners
from the nearer fishing grounds.
in. Picked Dogfish.
Risso.
Common.
Acanthias vulgaris,
112. Greenland Shark. Lxmargus microce-
phalus, Bl. Schn.
' OffSunderlandand the Tyne.' R. Howse.
Occasionally caught by trawlers.
113. Spinous Shark.
Blainville.
Ecbinorhinus spinosus,
Taken off the mouth of the Tyne in 1869
and in 1876. J. Wright.
114. Monk-fish or Angel-fish. Rhina squa-
tina, Linn.
' Occasionally brought in by the trawlers
and fishermen sometimes three feet in length.'
R. Howse. This is still the case.
115. Torpedo or Electric Ray. Torpedo
nobiliana, Bonop.
A large example caught in a trawl net off
Sunderland, June 18, 1896, and preserved in
the Hancock Museum.
1 1 6. True Skate. Raia baits, Linn.
Common.
117. Sharp-nosed Skate or White Skate. Raia
alba, Lac6p.
Common.
1 1 8. Long-nosed Skate. Raia oxyrhynchus,
Linn ; R. fullonica, Yarrell.
Fairly common.
119. Homelyn or Spotted Ray. Raia macu-
lata, Montagu.
Not common.
1 2O. Cuckoo Ray. Raia circular is, Couch.
Not common.
121. Thornback. Raia clavata, Linn.
Common.
122. Starry Ray. Raia radiata, Donov.
Locally, Jenny Hanover.
Very common.
123. Sting Ray. Trygon pastinaca, Linn.
A rare straggler.
124. Eagle Ray. Myliobatis aquila, Linn.
' A small specimen was taken at Culler-
coats, 1875.' R. Howse.
172
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
CYCLOSTOMES
**I25. Sea Lamprey. Petromyzon marinut, *12J. Mud Lamprey or Pride. Pttromyzon
Linn. branctlalii, Linn.
Not common. , In strcams - Recorded by Surtees for the
Skerne.
126. River Lamprey. Pttromyzon fluviatiKs, I2 8. Hag. Myxine glutinoia, Linn.
Locally, Sucker.
In the rivers and streams. Abundant.
173
REPTILES
AND BATRACHIANS
Little more than a list can be given of the reptiles and the
batrachians of the county of Durham, as attention appears only to have
been paid to them in a very general way. All the common species are
known in the county with the exception of the grass snake (Tropidonotus
natrix) ; but there is no record of the natterjack toad (Bufo ca/amita),
and the remaining rarer British species are hardly likely to occur.
REPTILES
LACERTILIA tne l ate Richard Howse (quoted in Leighton's
_ T j r ,. T British Serpents}, but Howse did not believe
1. Common Lizard. Lacerta wiipara. lacq. , . ,< T ,
f ' J ^ the species ever occurred naturally. It has
Bell Zootoca vivtpara. *, ., , . . ' . ,
been described in certain newspaper articles as
Often to be seen in dry places and about f req uent, but no confirmation has ever been
old walls, and probably abundant in most parts forthcoming. If the grass snake is an inhabi-
of the county. tant o f t h e county at all it is undoubtedly
2. Slow-worm or Blind-worm. Anguis fra- Vel 7 scarce and by no means generally
gilis, Linn. distributed.
Common ; often seen on roads. ^ Common Viper or Adder. Vipera bertu,
Linn.
OPHIDIA Bell PeRas berus.
3. Ringed Snake or Grass Snake. Tropi- Common, especially about dry, scrubby
donotus natrix, Linn. woods and the borders of moorlands. Full-sized
Bell Natrix torquata. local examples are in the Newcastle Museum.
It seems doubtful whether the grass snake Colour variations are met with here as else-
has a real place in the fauna of the county, where, and Howse states (loc. cit.) that
It has undoubtedly occurred as an escape ' ; an individuals of the extreme types known as the
instance of this at Sunderland was recorded by black and the red adder have been taken.
BATRACHIANS
The following appear to be as common 2. Common Toad. Bufo vu/garis, Laur.
here in suitable situations as they are in other
parts of England.
CAUDATA
EC AU DATA 3. Crested Newt. Molge cristata, Laur.
i . Common Frog. Rana temporaria, Linn. 4. Common Newt. Molge vu/garis, Linn,
174
BIRDS
The county of Durham is not naturally, and still less in its present
economical conditions, favourably adapted for either abundance or variety
of bird life, except in certain districts.
Roughly speaking, the county may be compared to a wedge, an
isosceles triangle, driven in between Northumberland and Yorkshire,
having its base at the sea and its apex among the hills of the Pennine
Chain, the Tyne forming its northern boundary from the coast for over
twenty miles, and then generally the Derwent ; and the Tees, from its
source to its mouth, bounding it on the south. The Wear, for its whole
length, divides it into two unequal parts. These and their tributaries
are its only rivers. From the Tyne to the watershed of the Tees Valley
extend the coal-measures, covering two-thirds of the county, the western
portion of the apex being mountain limestone or millstone grit, while
the new red sandstone forms a strip along the lower part of the Tees
Valley. The coast line affords little encouragement, and no protection,
for sea birds. While Northumberland has its islands, Holy Isle, the
Fames, and Coquet, some of them with magnificent cliffs, as breeding
resorts, and Yorkshire its bold headlands from Whitby to Flamborough
Head, the Durham beach from the Tyne to Hartlepool is slightly
elevated from 50 to 100 ft., frequently broken by the narrow openings
of little glens, or ' denes ' as they are locally termed. From Hartlepool
to Teesmouth there is simply a succession of sand dunes. The Tyne and
the Wear cannot be said to have any estuaries, and their banks are fringed
by manufactories and docks down to the sea shore. The Tees has an
estuary which has provided us with most of our water-fowl, but the river
itself is now lined with ironworks and docks until it reaches the sea.
Thus there is no shelter and little inducement for the passing sea-
fowl to halt on our coasts. The little dells which open to the sea
between Wearmouth and Hartlepool, some of which (as Castle Eden
Dene) preserve remains of the primeval forest, afford refuge to many
smaller birds, and a resting place to some few passing immigrants.
When we leave the coast, the collieries and coke ovens which stud
two-thirds of the county, destroying by their fumes trees and hedgerows,
and bringing a vast population, have in many places driven away all the
winged inhabitants save the house-sparrow. Happily there are not a few
parks and sheltered river banks, shielded from the fumes, well stocked
with the smaller passerines. The steep and often precipitous well-wooded
banks of the Wear, even in the centre of the colliery districts, the
sheltered trees escaping the effects of the smoke, are the resort of many
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
of our common species. In spite of relentless persecution the kingfisher
may still be found, though in diminishing numbers, all along the course
of the Wear, the Tees, and the Browney ; and I know of one secluded
spot, close to the river Wear, where the wild duck still breeds. It is
needless to say that outside the parks and preserved plantations there is
but little game in the central portion of the county ; while the mistaken
zeal of the gamekeeper has wellnigh exterminated every raptorial bird,
even the beautiful and harmless kestrel being but rarely seen. The
lapwing, in my younger days most abundant, is now very scarce in the
breeding season in the east of the county. From these remarks the
lower Tees Valley, still agricultural and free from collieries, must be
excepted.
But when we pass from the coal-measures, to the west of Bishop
Auckland and Barnard Castle, we are in a region which may well rejoice
the ornithologist's heart. As we get on the mountain limestone the
features of the country are entirely changed. There is little arable
culture, meadow land predominates, till we rise to the grand expanse of
moorland, stretching to the watershed when we touch Cumberland. Here
and there are scraps of primeval forest. We have evidence that prior to
the denudation of the forests in the Roman times, for the working of the
lead mines, the district was well wooded, chiefly with the Scotch fir, of
which the stumps are found in the peat. Many streamlets run down
tiny dells fringed with stunted oak, rowan, and other trees. The dipper
or water-ousel may often be seen dipping and perching on a stone even
on the smallest brooklet. The ring-ousel remains on the moors from
early spring to late autumn, and fully appreciates the bird-cherry and
the rowan berry. A careful observer, as he strolls by the bed of the
upper Wear, may detect the pied flycatcher and perhaps the haw-
finch. When he ascends on to the moors he is greeted by the shrill
cry of the whaup (curlew) overhead, the wheatear jerks its tail as it
drops among the stones of a crumbling dyke, the ring-ousel skims
from a whin (furze) bush or perhaps at the foot of a neighbouring cliff;
and if it be before the dreaded 1 2th of August the grouse springs from
almost under his feet and startles him with its whirring flight. A few
years ago the merlin might often be seen skimming over the heather ;
now, alas, these beautiful little falcons are rarely seen, thanks to the
ignorant zeal of game preservers and their keepers. The peewit and, on
Kilhope Fell, the golden plover are plentiful, and occasionally a heron
from Raby lazily flaps its wings as it soars up from some pool in a
mountain burn. The true dotterel is said to have bred on the heights,
but I can find no proof of this, and the nearest breeding locality I know
of is Crossfell in Cumberland, where fifty years ago I took a nest of three
eggs. In one part of the upper Wear valley there has been extensive
planting of conifers within the last forty years, and in these woods the
crossbill has bred, and I believe does so still. One valuable game bird,
the blackcock, has very much diminished of late years, owing probably
to the reckless shooting of the hen birds by yearly game tenants, whose
176
BIRDS
only idea is to swell their bags, and who are perhaps not aware that the
blackcock is polygamous. The drainage of the marshy bottoms, with
their clumps of marsh myrtle in which these birds delight, has also
contributed to their threatened extinction.
Excluding these few species, the avifauna of West Durham is not
far different from what it was in past centuries except but it is a very
great exception the raptorial birds. Of these the peregrine falcon, the
kite, the buzzard, the marsh and hen harriers have vanished within living
memory. Of the golden eagle as a resident we find no trace, though the
name of EaglesclifFe, a village on the rocky bank of the Tees, may attest
its former existence. It very rarely passes over the county. On one
occasion, some thirty years ago, in the month of November, I was crossing
on foot from Teesdale to Nenthead above the source of the Wear. In
passing over Kilhope Fell a dense fog came on. The course, for there
is scarcely a road, is marked by tall posts at intervals for the benefit of
travellers during the winter snows. At the foot of one of them I sat
down till the mist should lift, for I could not see a yard in front of me.
Suddenly it lifted, I looked up, and to my amazement a golden eagle in
young plumage with its white tail was perching on the top of the pole.
I know not which of us was most astonished at the mutual recognition
it was off in a moment. A day or two after I read in a local paper that
a golden eagle had been seen near Redcar, and soon afterwards, alas, that
one had been shot in the East Riding.
The exhaustion of the lead mines, for centuries the chief industry of
West Durham, and the consequent diminution of the population, seem
likely to promote the increase of all the feathered tribe, except the birds
of prey, in our moorlands.
What the ornithological fauna of the coast once was may be gathered
from the following extract from the Cott. MS. (Grove's Hist, of Cleve-
land, p. 399) about the date 1670.
' Neere unto Dobham the Porte of the mouth of the Teese,' (now
known as Cargo Fleet, and covered with iron and cement works) ' the
shore lyes flatt, where a shelf of sand, raised above the highe water
marke, entertaines an infynite number of sea-fowle, which lay theyr
Egges heere and there, scatteringlie in such sorte, that in Tyme of
Breedinge, one can hardly sett his foote so warylye, that he spoyle not
many of theyr nests.'
The number of species which may be enumerated as of the county
of Durham, in accordance with the custom which includes every bird
which has ever occurred in a state of nature within its limits, is 249.
Of these the number of species permanently resident or breeding is 105.
Regular winter visitors, 33. Irregular but frequent visitors, 39. Merely
accidental visitors, 72. The following are extinct as breeding species
within our limits, though some of them still occur occasionally : Nut-
hatch, raven, marsh-harrier, hen-harrier, Montagu's harrier, kite, buzzard,
peregrine falcon, bittern, sheldrake, pintail duck, pochard, dotterel, ruff,
black-headed gull, lesser black-backed gull.
i 177 23
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES
1. White's Thrush. Turdus varius, Pallas.
A specimen, the eighth recorded in Britain,
was taken 31 January, 1872, in Castle Eden
Dene, having been shot and wounded a fort-
night before, by Mr. Rowland Burdon. It
lived three weeks after its capture. Mr. Bur-
don gave it to me. On examination the
furculum was found to have been long since
fractured, but to have coalesced, though very
clumsily.
2. Missel-Thrush. Turdus viscivorus, Linn.
Resident, but not numerous, in suitable
localities. Had largely increased within the
last sixty years, but has latterly diminished,
probably from the increase of human popu-
lation.
3. Song-Thrush. Turdus musicus, Linn.
Abundant except in winter, when most
migrate. A few remain, even in the severest
seasons, but they will not venture to come to
the window sills for food until several days
after the blackbirds have set them the example.
I have observed that in a hard frost while
numbers of redwings perish, the song-thrush
survives.
4. Redwing. Turdus Uiacus, Linn.
A regular winter visitor. In mild seasons
it generally disappears till the beginning of
spring, while in severe winters many remain
only to succumb to a long frost.
5. Fieldfare. Turdus pi/aris, Linn.
A winter migrant, arriving generally in large
flocks about the end of October. If there be
a continuance of severe frost they disappear
as soon as they have stripped the rowan and
holly berries, halting again for a few days on
their return north in spring.
6. Blackbird. Turdus meru/a, Linn.
Very abundant. Remains through the
severest weather.
7. Ring-Ousel. Turdus tort/uatus, Linn.
A regular summer resident, arriving in April
and remaining till October in the moorlands
of the west of the county. It is by no means
gregarious during its stay.
8. Wheatear. Saxicola aenanthe (Linn.).
Abundant in the 'wild west' of the county;
a few in other parts arrive at the beginning of
April. It affects the dry stone dykes of Wear-
dale and Teesdale, where it nests.
9. Whinchat. Pratincola rubetra (Linn.).
Locally, Haychat.
A summer resident, not uncommon even
in populous districts. Arrives towards the end
of April and leaves in October.
10. Stonechat. Pratincola rubicola (Linn.).
A resident in small numbers and generally
distributed, especially about fox coverts. It
builds almost always in whin (furze) bushes,
and should really be called whinchat, rather
than its congener.
1 1 . Redstart. Ruticilla phtenlcurw (Linn.).
A regular spring and summer resident,
arriving about the middle of April, but by no
means numerous. A few years ago, a pair
bred in an ivy-clad tree close to a public walk
in the 'Banks ' in the city of Durham.
12. Black Redstart. Ruticilla titys (Scopoli).
A rare occasional visitor. But while in the
south of England it is looked upon rather as
a winter visitor, here it has only been noticed
from spring to autumn. In the year 1845 a
pair built their nest on a cherry tree trained
on a wall in the garden of the Rev. Dr. Raine,
at Crook Hall, in the suburbs of Durham city.
I regret to say the birds were shot. The
male is in Durham Museum ; the nest and an
egg were given to the late John Hancock.
13. Red-spotted Bluethroat. Cyanecula suecica
(Linn.).
One obtained by H. G. Stobart, Esq., at
Wolsingham, 26 September, 1893. Another
at Chester-le-Street about the same date, and
another two or three years ago.
14. Redbreast, or Robin. Erithacus rubecula
(Linn.).
Universal.
15. Whitethroat. Sylvia cinerea. (Bechstein).
An abundant summer visitor everywhere.
1 6. Lesser Whitethroat. Sylvia curruca (Linn.).
A summer visitor, breeding in several parts
of the county, but extremely scarce and local.
Mr. Hancock mentions a nest taken close to
Newcastle but in the county of Durham.
17. Blackcap. Sylvia atricapilla (Linn.).
Very common from early spring to late
autumn. Occasionally met with as late as
December.
1 8. Garden-Warbler. Sylvia hortensis (Bech-
stein).
Not so common as the last, arriving later.
19. Goldcrest. Regulus cristatus, K. L. Koch.
A resident, and abundant in all our fir
plantations. Its numbers are largely rein-
forced towards the end of autumn.
178
BIRDS
20. Firecrest. Regulus ignicapillus (Brehm).
A rare and accidental visitor. I possess a
specimen shot at Brancepeth by Mr. Dale,
keeper to Lord Boyne, in April, 1852.
21. Chiffchaff. Phylloscof>us rujus (Bechstein).
Our first spring arrival, and abundant
wherever there are old trees, and in pleasure
grounds.
22. Willow- Warbler, or Willow -Wren.
Phylloscopus trochilus (Linn.).
The most abundant of all our summer
visitors, arriving early in April.
23. Wood-Warbler, or Wood-Wren. Phyllo-
scopus sibilatrix (Bechstein).
Arrives about the beginning of May. Is
plentiful in wooded districts only.
24. Reed-Warbler. Acrocephalut streperui
(Vieillot).
The only known instance of its occurrence
is a nest of four eggs taken by Mr. T. Thomp-
son, of Winlaton, nearly forty years ago, between
Blaydon and Derwenthough. The nest has
been carefully preserved, and is unmistakable.
(N. H. Trans. Northumh. and Dur. xiv. 1 1 9.)
25. Great Reed-Warbler. Acrocephaltu tur-
doides (Meyer).
The first specimen of this species known
to have been taken in Britain was shot at
Swalwell on the Tyne on 28 May, 1847
(Ann. and Mag. xx. p. 135). It has not since
occurred in the district.
26. Sedge-Warbler. Acrocephalus phragmitis
(Bechstein).
An abundant summer visitor. A few years
ago a pair bred in the dwarf willows on the
banks of the Wear in the city of Durham,
close to the public walk.
27. Grasshopper-Warbler. Locustella ntrvia
(Boddaert).
A regular summer visitor to certain loca-
lities, especially the banks of the Tyne and
the Derwent. I once had three nests with
their unmistakable eggs brought to me from
near Gateshead.
28. Hedge-Sparrow. Accentor modularis, Linn.
Common except on the moors.
29. Dipper or Water Ousel. Cinclus aquaticus
(Bechstein).
Resident on all the burns and rocky streams
in the west and occasionally by the streams
near the coast. Much persecuted through the
ignorance of anglers.
30. British Long-tailed Tit. Atredula rosea
(Blyth).
Generally distributed throughout the county,
but not very numerous. The whiteheaded
continental form A. caudata (Linn.), though
more than once taken on the north bank of
the Tyne, has not yet been recorded within
our limits.
31. Great Tit. Parus major , Linn.
Abundant everywhere. Resident through-
out the year.
32. Coal-Tit. Parus ater t Linn.
Common, but by no means as numerous as
the preceding species.
33. Marsh-Tit. Parus palustris. Linn.
Plentiful, and I think more numerous in
this county than the coal-tit, but more shy,
resorting generally to ' woods and scrub.'
While the three other species come regularly
to a window sill to be fed, it is only after a
long continued frost that the marsh-tit ven-
tures to approach.
34. Blue Tit. Parus carru/eus, Linn.
Quite as numerous as the great tit. Resident.
35. Nuthatch. Sitta aesia, Wolf.
Now only an accidental straggler. A cen-
tury ago it appears to have been well known
in suitable localities in the county. Sixty
years ago it used to breed in Auckland Castle
Park, but for the last fifty years the only record
I can find of its occurrence is one shot at
Wolsingham in 1873, and another at Elton
about ten years ago.
36. Wren. Troglodytes parvu/us, Koch.
Resident. Common everywhere.
37. Tree-Creeper. Certhia familiaris, Linn.
A permanent resident wherever there are
woods, and especially old trees.
38. Pied Wagtail. Motacilla lugubrii, Tem-
minck.
Common. A few remain through the
winter, but the majority go south.
39. White Wagtail. Motacilla atta, Linn.
This, the continental form of the preceding,
is an accidental visitor. One was brought to
me in the spring of 1904. Noticed in the
4 Banks ' at Durham by Mr. Cullingford the
same year.
40. Grey Wagtail. Motacilla melanope y Pallas.
Generally distributed in summer. A few
remain through the winter.
179
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
41. Blue-headed Wagtail. Motacilla flava,
Linn.
An irregular spring and summer visitor.
Has bred several times between the Tyne and
the Derwent.
42. Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla rait (Bona-
parte).
A regular summer visitor arriving early in
April, and leaving in September.
43. Tree-Pipit. Anthus trivialis (Linn.).
A summer visitor. Abundant. Arrives in
the middle of April.
44. Meadow-Pipit. Jlnthus pratensis (Linn.).
A resident species, abundant in the west,
but found wherever there is open ground.
45. Rock-Pipit. Anthus obscurus (Latham).
Frequently obtained on our coast. I am
not aware of its breeding here, though it
does on the coasts of Northumberland and
Yorkshire.
46. Golden Oriole. Oriolus galbula, Linn.
A female was taken at Hebburn in 1831,
now in Newcastle Museum.
47. Great Grey Shrike. Lanius excubitor,
Linn.
A winter seldom passes without one or
more captures being reported. A few years
ago one remained for several days about the
shrubberies and gardens near Durham city.
The bird with only one bar on the wing,
known as Lanius major (Pallas) has frequently
occurred.
48. Red-backed Shrike. Laneus collurio, Linn.
A rare accidental visitor.
49. Waxwing. Ampelis garru/us, Linn.
An irregular winter visitor. When it does
arrive, it is generally in considerable numbers.
In 1849 and 1866 it was very numerous in
South Durham. Though not in flocks, I
noticed daily, walking in different directions,
three or four perched on trees by the highway.
Another flight was in 1876, and a few in 1871.
50. Pied Flycatcher. Muscicapa atricapilla,
Linn.
A summer visitor, not so rare as is generally
supposed. It breeds regularly in several parts
of the county. One year a pair inhabited the
' Banks,' a public wooded walk by the river
side, in the city of Durham, for nearly a
month. They were undoubtedly breeding
when they were shot by a miscreant. In
1866 several pairs bred near Barnard Castle,
and in 1901, many pairs about Wolsingham
and Stanhope.
51. Spotted Flycatcher. Muscicapa griso/a,
Linn.
A most abundant summer visitor. Found
anywhere from the end of April.
52. Swallow. Hirundo rustica, Linn.
Nothing can be more distressing to the
lover of nature, than the rapid diminution of
the swallow tribe within the last ten years.
Where there used to be fifty skimming about,
there are now but two or three. This year
there is scarcely a swallow to be seen in the
neighbourhood of the city of Durham. I am
at a loss to account for the disappearance, for
it is not from persecution on the spot, and the
reduction has been gradual. Perhaps it is
due to the awful slaughter of the returning
migrants on the south coast of France.
53. House-Martin. Chelidon urbica (Linn.).
Arrives generally a day or two later than
the swallow. Formerly most abundant, but
of late years becoming fewer and fewer, till
now in the eastern and central parts of the
county it is almost extinct. Ten years ago
it nested in numbers about the Cathedral
windows, and on many houses in and about
the city of Durham. This year there is not
one. The destructive instincts of urban
housemaids, but chiefly the seizure of its nests
by that avian rat, the house-sparrow, may
partly, but only partly, account for the
change.
54. Sand-Martin. Cattle riparia (Linn.).
Generally arrives a few days before its con-
geners. It seems to have maintained its num-
bers fairly, wherever there are suitable banks
for nesting.
55. Greenfinch. Ligurinus chloris (Linn.).
A common resident. Often seen in flocks
during the winter.
56. Hawfinch. C/3ccothraustesvulgaris,Pa\lzs.
Formerly a rare casual visitor, but of late
years steadily increasing, and that in all parts
of the county. In 1902 I knew of nests in
a garden near Durham, also in the most
secluded part of Upper Weardale, and in other
places too numerous to mention.
57. Goldfinch. Carduelis elegans, Stephens.
An occasional visitor, generally in autumn.
I have been unable to find any proof of its
having bred in the county, though it is said to
have done so near the Tees.
180
BIRDS
58. Siskin. Carduelis spinus (Linn.).
A regular winter visitor ; sometimes, but
rarely, remaining to breed. The nest and
eggs have been taken several times ; the first
recorded was at Brancepeth, 5 May, 1848.
I had a nest and four eggs from Weardale in
1874.
59. House-Sparrow. Passer domesticus (Linn.)
Everywhere, except on the moors, an in-
creasing nuisance.
60. Tree-Sparrow. Passer montanus (Linn.).
A constant resident in a few localities,
where it especially affects old trees. Always
to be found among the trees on the ' Banks '
of Durham city.
61. Chaffinch. Fringilla caflebs, Linn.
Common and universal. The females, and
apparently some of the males, leave us in
winter.
62. Brambling. Fringilla montifringilla, Linn.
A regular winter visitor, but in very varying
numbers ; in some seasons large flocks are
met with.
63. Linnet. L'nota cannabina (Linn.).
A common resident.
64. Meally Redpoll. Linata linaria (Linn.).
A frequent winter visitor.
65. Greenland Redpoll. Linota hornemanni.
Holboell.
The only recorded example from the
British Isles was taken on Whitburn
sea banks on 24 April, 1855. It had been
noticed flying about there for some days. It is
now in the Hancock Museum, Ncwcastle-on-
Tyne.
66. Lesser Redpoll. Linota rufescens (Vieillot).
Not very plentiful except at the seasons of
migration, but many are resident, and breed
in young plantations and thickets.
67. Twite. Linota flaviros tris (Linn.).
A resident on all our moors, where it breeds.
68. Bullfinch. Pyrrhula europtra, Vieillot.
A constant resident, but not very abundant.
69. Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra t Linn.
A constant resident in woods and fir planta-
tions in Weardale. It breeds as early as Feb-
ruary. It was first noticed as a nesting bird
in the county in 1838, but since then has
certainly increased.
70. Corn-Bunting. Emberiza mi/iaria, Linn.
Common and resident.
71. Yellow Hammer. Emberiza citrinella y
Linn.
Common and resident. Decreased much
in numbers of late years.
72. Little Bunting. Emberiza pusilla, Pallas.
The second recorded occurrence of this
Siberian wanderer in Britain was a male bird
taken at Bishop Auckland, II October, 1902
(Zoologist, 1902, p. 466).
73. Reed - Bunting. Emberiza schatniclus,
Linn.
Resident. Not uncommon by streams and
in marshes.
74. Snow - Bunting. Plectrophanes nivalis
(Linn.).
A regular winter visitor, often in large
flocks.
75. Lapland Bunting. Plectrophanes lapponicus
(Linn.).
An accidental winter visitor. One was
shot in January 1860, out of a flock of
snow-buntings close to Durham, and is now
in our Museum.
76. Starling. Sturnus vu/garis, Linn.
Most abundant. Has enormously increased
of late years. Its numbers diminish in
winter.
77. Rose-coloured Starling. Pastor roseus
(Linn.).
An accidental wanderer. More than a
dozen instances of its capture in the county
have been reported in the last few years.
78. Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.).
The misdirected energies of the game-
keeper have all but exterminated the jay in
the eastern and central parts of the county,
where in the memory of man it was not
uncommon. A few may be seen in Wear-
dale and in Raby Park.
79. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli).
The magpie, like the jay, has almost dis-
appeared, and from the same cause. Very
occasionally a brood may be raised in some
sequestered wood.
80. Jackdaw. Corvus montdula, Linn.
Abundant, though not so numerous as ten
years ago.
181
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
81. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn.
Never now seen, save as a chance wan-
derer. Within my memory bred in several
places, but the native race has been utterly
exterminated.
82. Carrion-Crow. Corvus carone, Linn.
Very rare except on the moors, where it
may occasionally be seen.
83. Hooded Crow. Corvus cornlx, Linn.
Very common in winter, especially on the
sea coast.
84. Rook. Corvus frugilegus. Linn.
Abundant in every wooded domain.
85. Sky-Lark. Alauda arvensis. Linn.
Common in spring, but in rapidly diminish-
ing numbers. Many migrants from the
north visit in late autumn.
86. Wood-Lark. Alauda arbor ea, Linn.
I know only of one instance of its capture
in the county. A pair were shot at Swal-
well in March 1844, and are now in the
Hancock Museum, Newcastle.
87. Shore-Lark. Otocorys alpestris (Linn.).
An irregular winter visitant. Several
were captured in 1855, 1857, ant ^ 1867.
In the winter of 187071, four specimens
were taken on Seaton Snook, and several
others seen.
88. Swift. Cypselus afus (Linn.).
This charming bird was very common
twenty years ago, but alas, is now really
rare. Formerly at least twenty pair nested
in the western towers of Durham Cathedral ;
but during a so-called restoration every resort
of the swift, as of the barn-owl, was carefully
plastered up, and not a bird remains. One
solitary pair were the only ones left in the
city or vicinity in 1903.
89. Nightjar. Caprimulgus europ&us, Linn.
Not a very uncommon summer visitor,
especially on our western moorlands. In the
summer of 1862 a pair nested in a corner of
Greatham churchyard, not far from the
coast.
90. Wryneck. Jynx torquilla. Linn.
Only an occasional visitor, though it has
been known to breed several times in the
county.
91. Green Woodpecker. Gecinus viridis
(Linn.).
Formerly common, now rare. It still
breeds in a few woods and parks, as at Raby.
92. Great Spotted Woodpecker. Dendro-
copus major (Linn.).
Occasionally met with at all times of the
year in the wooded parts of the county, and
breeds regularly in some few localities.
93. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn.
In spite of relentless persecution the king-
fisher maintains its existence, though in
diminishing numbers, on all our rivers and
streams.
94. Roller. Coradas garru/us, Linn.
A rare accidental visitor. One was taken
in 1847 on the Tees, and another by Mr.
Gornall at Bishop Auckland, 25 May, 1872.
95. Hoopoe. Upupa epops, Linn.
A rare accidental visitor. Mr. T. H. Nel-
son has one obtained by the late Mr. Gornall
of Bishop Auckland, and Mr. Cullingford had
one which was killed near Durham twenty
years ago.
96. Cuckoo. Cuculus canorus, Linn.
A common spring visitor, universally dis-
tributed. Arrives about the middle of April.
97. White or Barn-Owl. Strix flammea,
Linn.
A resident species, formerly common, now
becoming rare.
98. Long-eared Owl. Asia otus (Linn.).
A resident in wooded districts, but threat-
ened with extermination by gamekeepers.
99. Short -eared Owl. Ao accipitrinus
(Pallas).
Generally an autumnal visitor, but some
remain on the moors throughout the year.
It has been known occasionally to breed. I
once took a nestling which I kept alive for
two years. In the year of the visitation of
field voles this owl was very common.
Their numbers vary greatly in different
years.
100. Tawny Owl. Syrnium aluco (Linn.).
The least rare of all the owls. A perma-
nent resident. Two or three pairs frequent
the ' Banks ' in the city of Durham, nesting
in ivy-clad trees in the gardens close to the
houses. Two years ago a pair bred in the
garden of the Rev. Dr. Greenwell. He was
in the habit of feeding them daily, and on
leaving home charged his servant to feed them
every evening. On his return after some
weeks, the servant told him she had set por-
ridge regularly for the owls, and that they
had always eaten it. On his exclaiming
182
BIRDS
' Nonsense ! ' and going to the tree, he found
abundance of pellets, showing that the por-
ridge had been a successful bait for the rats
and mice and saved the owls the trouble of
going far afield.
101. Tengmalm's Owl. Nycta/a tengmalmi
(J. F. Gmelin).
An accidental visitor. One was taken at
Whitburn, n October, 1848, now in the
Hancock Museum. Several others have been
reported since that date.
The Scops Owl, Seeps giu (Scopoli), has been
set down as occurring in Durham but with-
out sufficient evidence.
102. Snowy Owl. Nyctea xandiaca (Linn.).
One was shot near Bishop Auckland on
7 November, 1858.
103. Marsh-Harrier. Circus * ruginesus(L,\nn.).
Formerly resident, and nesting. Now ex-
terminated. The last bird of which I have
heard was in 1840. In my youth I have
several times taken the nest.
104. Hen-Harrier. Circus cyaneus (Linn.).
Common and bred regularly in certain
localities till about the year 1876. Now
only an accidental visitor.
Circus
cmeracem
105. Montagu's Harrier.
(Montagu).
Formerly a resident breeding, but now
extinct. The last known nest was in 1835.
Three or four specimens have been taken in
the last fifty years.
106. Common Buzzard. Buteevu/garis,L,each.
Locally Glede.
Now a rare occasional straggler. Within
living memory it regularly bred in many
parts of the county, but has been exterminated
by game preservers aided by egg collectors.
I remember, when a boy, having taken three
nests of four eggs each, in one season, I think
in 1 834, none of the nests being a mile apart.
107. Rough-legged Buzzard. But to lagopus
(J. F. Gmelin).
A rare winter visitor. One in Newcastle
Museum was taken by the late G. T. Fox at
Marsden. Several were shot on the Tees,
and one at Bishop Auckland in 1840. I
only know of one other instance since that
date. The late Raph Carr Ellison of Hedge-
ley informed me that in the seventies a solitary
rough-legged buzzard took up its quarters for
three winters running, in the woods close to
his house. Being a keen naturalist, the bird
was strictly preserved by him, and never left
the place, which swarmed with rabbits. I
saw the bird myself on one occasion.
1 08. Golden Eagle. Aquila chrysaftus (Linn.).
We have no record of the golden eagle
nesting in this county, though it bred in North-
umberland on Cheviot as late as about 1760.
It is now the rarest of casual visitors. One
in first year's plumage was seen by me, as
mentioned in the introduction, on Kilhope
Fell. Seldom a year passes but there is a
statement in the newspapers of an eagle being
seen, generally near the coast, but of which
species cannot be ascertained.
109. White-tailed or Sea Eagle. Haliaftus
albicilla (Linn.).
A very rare visitor. A specimen was shot
on the Tees on 5 November, 1823. Mr.
Hancock observed closely a bird of this species
in Lambton Park for several days. It went
thence on to Ravensworth, where it remained
for some time, and finally departed unharmed.
no. Goshawk. Astur palumbarius (Linn.).
Does not seem ever in historic times to
have been a resident. It is now the rarest of
occasional visitors to the county. One, a female,
shot in Castle Eden Dene in 1872, and which
I saw in the flesh, now in the possession of
Col. Rowland Burdon, is the only unquestioned
instance I can find.
111. Sparrow-Hawk. Accipittr nisus (Linn.).
Very rarely to be seen. In Upper Wear-
dale, and in woods near the Tees, a few pairs
have hitherto escaped destruction.
112. Kite. Milvus ictinus, Savigny.
LocafyRcd Glebe.
Formerly bred in our woods. Now extinct.
Three were shot at Bishop Auckland in 1834,
one of which is in Newcastle Museum. I
have heard of one or two instances in later
years of its occurrence near Stockton.
113. Honey-Buzzard. Pernis apivorus (Linn.).
Occurs not infrequently on spring and
autumn migration. Though it is known to
have bred in Northumberland, I cannot ascer-
tain that the nest has ever been taken in
Durham.
Falco pertgrinus.
114. Peregrine Falcon.
Tunstall.
Stated by Selby eighty years ago to be 'not
uncommon.' Up to 1860 it bred near
Weardale Head. The late Mr. Rowland
Burdon, of Castle Eden, has often pointed out
183
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
to me the niche in the cliff above Gunner's
Pool in Castle Eden Dene, where the pere-
grine annually bred in his boyhood (circ.
1810), strictly preserved by his father. When
the falcons disappeared the little platform was
taken possession of by a pair of kestrels, and
for many years the kestrels reared their young
there. Now the peregrine is seen occasionally
on the coast and rarely on the moors, in any
case only a passing stranger.
115. Hobby. Falco subbuteo. Linn.
A casual visitor, but has frequently occurred.
Mr. Hogg mentions one shot at Norton ;
Mr. Hancock had one taken in Streatlam
Park ; a specimen in Durham Museum was
shot at Thornley, in November 1822, and I
obtained one at Greatham in 1868. It has
been stated, though without sufficient proof,
to have nested in Streatlam Park.
1 1 6. Merlin. Falco aesalon, Tunstall.
This beautiful little falcon was formerly
one of the most interesting objects on all our
moors, where it bred regularly among the
heather or the rocks. It is now but rarely
seen, owing to the exterminator, the game-
keeper. There may be a few pairs on the
Weardale moors, but I have not seen any of
late years.
117. Red-footed Falcon. Falco vespertinus,
Linn.
Once recorded from the county; a specimen,
now in Newcastle Museum, in full male
plumage, having been shot near South Shields
in October 1836.
1 1 8. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus, Linn.
The commonest of our raptorial birds,
though vastly reduced in numbers within the
last fifty years. Some intelligent game pre-
servers, recognising its value, have forbidden
its destruction. I once met a gamekeeper
who had just killed a kestrel, averring that its
crop was full of young partridges. We opened
it it contained 127 wire-worms. The
keeper was silent.
119. Osprey. Pandion haliaftus (Linn.).
A rare occasional visitor, and probably
never resident. One, now in the Newcastle
Museum, was taken near Heworth on 23 Sep-
tember, 1841. Another was shot at Aldin
Grange, near the city of Durham, on 22 Oc-
tober, 1883.
1 2O. Cormorant. Pbalacrocorax carboa, Linn.
Frequent on the coast. Does not now
breed in the county. Many years ago it
nested on Marsden rocks. It often ascends
the rivers many miles into the interior.
121. Shag or Green Cormorant. Pbalacrocorax
graculus (Linn.).
Not uncommon on the coast, but not so
frequent as the former species.
122. Gannet or Solan Goose. Sula bassana
(Linn.).
Frequently seen on the coast, occasionally
far inland.
123. Heron. Ardea cinerea. Linn.
The only remaining heronryin the county
is that in the park of Raby Castle. There
was formerly another at Ravensworth, the
seat of the Earl of Ravensworth, but some of
the trees having been cut down the whole
colony forsook the neighbourhood, and took
to an island in Lake Derwentwater, where
they nested on the brushwood. In the
beginning of the nineteenth century there
were heronries near Sedgefield and Gainford.
1 24. Little Bittern. Ardetta minuta (Linn.).
Is recorded as having once been taken at
Stanhope in 1869 (Zoologist, 1884, p. 101),
though it has occurred several times in North-
umberland and frequently in Yorkshire.
The squacco heron Ardea ralloides, Scopoli,
is said by Seebohm to have occurred once in
Durham, but I have been unable to verify
this statement. Mr. Saunders (Yarrell, iv.
196) mentions Durham as an accidental
locality for the night-heron Nycticorax griseus
(Linn.). I think this is doubtful.
125. Bittern. Botaurus stellarls (Linn.).
The bittern was a resident in some marshy
districts within living memory. It is now
only an irregular winter visitor, but always
late, generally in the month of February. An
aged fowler told me some forty years ago,
that in his youth a pair always bred in Cowpen
marshes, near Stockton. One was shot there
in January 1901. Several have been taken
near the Tees.
126. Black Stork. Ciconla mgra (Linn.).
One morning in August, 1862, my children
came running into my study at Greatham
Vicarage, to tell me a black stork was walk-
ing about in the Seaton fields. (They were
familiar with the bird, as a mounted specimen
stood in the hall.) I went out and watched
the bird for an hour, marching about in a
swampy meadow. The next morning it was
still there, but was shot in the afternoon by a
man from Hartlepool. It is now in the
Hartlepool Museum.
184
BIRDS
127. Glossy Ibis. Plegadisfalcinellus(Linn.).
The only occurrence of this occasional
straggler to our coasts, was one shot at Billing-
ham, near Stockton on 25 November, 1900.
128. Grey Lag-Goose. Anser cinereus, Meyer.
Generally occurs in the marshes near Tees-
mouth in winter, but in very small numbers.
The scarcest of all our familiar wild geese,
though for thirteen years that I lived close to
the marshes seldom a season passed without
one specimen at least being brought to me.
in twelve years by the gunners on Cowpen
Marsh. None of them showed any signs of
having been in captivity.]
135. Whooper Swan. Cygmu musicus, Bech-
stein.
Frequently taken, especially in hard winters,
on the coast.
1 29. White-fronted Goose.
(Scopoli).
A not uncommon winter visitor on the
coast, especially in hard weather. Seldom in
any large number.
130. Bean-Goose. Amer segetum (J. F.
Gmelin).
The most abundant of all our geese in
winter, arriving early in November. They
often come far inland to feed, but always
roost by the sea shore.
136. Bewick's Swan. Cygmu bewicki. Yarrell.
By no means so rare as is frequently sup-
posed. It visits us irregularly in hard winters,
sometimes in flocks. Three were taken to-
Anser albifrons gether at Blaydon in February 1887.
131. Pink-footed Goose. Anser brachyrhynchus
Baillon.
Frequent in winter on our coast and in the
estuary of the Tees.
132. Red-breasted Goose. Bernicla ruficollit
(Pallas).
The first two specimens of this bird known
to have occurred were taken at the beginning
of the year 1776. One shot near London,
which came into the possession of Mr. Tun-
stall, is now with the rest of the WycliflFe
Museum in Newcastle Museum, and is figured
by Bewick ; the other was taken alive on the
Tees, and lived for nine years with ducks on
a pond near Mr. TunstalPs residence. One
is stated to have been shot in 1845 m Cowpen
Marsh, which has produced so many rarities,
by Mr. J. Hikely, and two are said to have
been seen the same year on the Tees.
133. Bernacle Goose. Bernicla leucopsis
(Bechstein).
A winter visitor. Not so common as the
brent.
134. Brent Goose. Bernicla brenta (Pallas).
A common autumn and winter visitor to
the coast.
[Egyptian Goose. Cbenalopex tegyptiacus
(Linn.).
Shot several times on the coast, never inland.
Three were brought to me at different times
137. Mute Swan. Cygmu olor (J. F. Gmelin).
Not unfrequently shot in winter. These
may very possibly be wild birds from their
northern homes in Sweden and Denmark.
138. Common Sheldrake. Tadorna carnuto
(S. G. Gmelin).
Formerly a well-known breeding species on
the sandhills and rabbit warrens by the coast,
especially about Seaton and Teesmouth. Sixty
years ago there were several pair in the rabbit
warren of Middleton, now in the heart of
West Hartlepool. The bird is now only an
occasional straggler, though in Northumber-
land it still breeds.
139. Ruddy Sheldrake. Tadorna casarca
(Linn.).
The only recorded occurrence is the appear-
ance of a small flock in the interior of the
county, one of which was shot and brought
to Mr. Cullingford for preservation on 23 Sep-
tember, 1892.
140. Mallard or Wild Duck. Anas boscbas,
Linn.
Still found in all suitable localities. In
many, a breeding species.
141. Shoveller. Spatula clypeata (Linn.).
A rather scarce spring and autumn migrant,
sometimes breeding. A pair nested at Sal-
holme in 1 88 1. (Zoologist, 1882, p. 90.)
142. Pintail. Dafila aceta (Linn.).
A rather scarce winter visitor. Said to have
formerly bred in the county.
143. Teal. Querquedula cricca (Linn.).
A resident. Still breeds in small numbers
in Upper Weardale and Teesdale.
144. Garganey. Querquedula cireia (Linn.).
A rare visitor. One was shot in Cowpen
Marsh on 3 September, 1882.
185
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
145. Wigeon. Mareca penelope (Linn.).
A common autumn and winter visitor.
146. Pochard. Fuligula ferlna (Linn.).
Frequently met with throughout the winter.
Said to breed here occasionally, but I have no
certain proof, though it breeds sometimes in
North Yorkshire and Northumberland.
147. Ferruginous Duck. Fuligula nyroca,
(GUldenstadt.).
Has been shot twice at the mouth of the
Tees.
148. Tufted Duck. Fuligula cristata (Leach).
A not very common winter visitor, though
breeding in Northumberland. A pair shot at
Elton, near Stockton, by Mr. Sutton.
149. Scaup-Duck. Fuligula marila (Linn.).
Abundant in winter on the coast.
150. Goldeneye. Clangula glaucion (Linn.).
A common winter visitor on the coast,
generally females or young.
151. Long-tailed Duck. Harelda glacialis,
(Linn.).
Occuis frequently on the coast in winter.
Many were shot at Teesmouth in 1887.
152. Eider Duck. Somateria mo/lisstma(Linn.').
Though largely increased, owing to protec-
tion in its breeding places in Northumberland,
it is only a winter straggler to the Durham
coast.
153. Common Scoter. (Edemia nigra (Linn.).
Common in winter on the coast.
154. Velvet-Scoter. (Edemia fusca (Linn.).
An irregular winter visitor, often in com-
pany with the common scoter. On the Tees
one was taken 18 October, 1881, and another
19 November, 1889. These were early visi-
tors.
155. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn.
A not uncommon winter visitor, often found
some distance up our rivers, and on inland
tarns. One was taken lately on the Wear in
the city of Durham.
156. Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus $er-
rator, Linn.
Scarcely so common as the last species, nor
does it habitually go so far inland, but found
every winter.
157. Smew. Mergus albellus, Linn.
An irregular and rare visitor. In the winter
of 186970 two males in full plumage were
taken in the city of Durham, and one at Bishop
Auckland in January 1838. All those that I
have known of have been taken inland.
158. Ring-Dove or Wood-Pigeon. Columba
palumbus, Linn.
A permanent resident, rapidly increasing.
In autumn its numbers are recruited by large
flocks from the north.
159. Stock-Dove. Columba anas, Linn.
Formerly utterly unknown in the north.
Its first recorded appearance was at Elton in
1862 or 1863. In 1867 and perhaps a year
or two earlier it bred there. It was first
noticed in Castle Eden Dene on 26 October,
1869. The specimen is now in Durham
Museum. In 1871 it bred in Castle Eden
Dene, as well as at Elton, and close to Dur-
ham. Since then it has spread over the whole
county as a spring and summer migrant. It
nests regularly in the ' Banks ' in the city of
Durham. I should mention that the Wear
forms a peninsula, and on both sides is the
city. The banks of the river are steep and
well wooded, with many old gardens sloping
to the water's edge. The stock-dove nests
in the old trees and in drains. There were
seven nests in 1902. A pair have regularly
laid their eggs in a drain in the centre of the
Prebends' Bridge, entering by a gurgoyle
quite out of the reach of boys. Another
took possession of a drain by the side of the
cathedral, entering by a similar gurgoyle in
the face of the cliff, and made their nest
immediately under a grating in the middle of
the gravel walk in the monks' garden. The
eggs were swept away by a thunder shower.
1 60. Rock-Dove. Columba Kvia,].F. Gmelin.
Breeds in decreasing numbers in Marsden
Rocks, and occasionally in the Blackball
Rocks near Castle Eden.
161. Turtle-Dove. Turlur communis, Selby.
Formerly unknown save as an occasional
straggler. Now a few are found every spring,
and 1 have reason to believe have bred at
Castle Eden, and near Sedgefield and Wol-
singham.
162. Pallas's Sand-Grouse. Syrrhaptes para-
doxus (Pallas).
This sand-grouse, first observed in Britain
in 1859, did not occur in Durham till the
great irruption of 1863. From the month
of May to July many were seen and taken
on the coast, on the sandhills of Seaton, and
Cowpen marshes. I saw a flock of nearly
twenty for several days, but I regret to say
186
BIRDS
most of them were shot. Another irruption,
during which numbers were shot all over the
county, was in the spring of 1888, when
Mr. Cullingford had over sixty specimens
brought to him.
163. Black Grouse. Tetrao tetrix, Linn.
Locally M oor- fo wl .
Formerly very abundant, and found in
every suitable part of the county. Now re-
stricted to a few wild localities in the west of
the county, where its numbers are every year
diminishing, chiefly from the indiscriminate
slaughter of the hens by strangers who hire
the shooting for a year. In the leases of the
Prior and Monks of Durham in the fourteenth
century we find conditions of supplying so
many moor-fowl a year. The grandfather of
the present Rowland Burden, of Castle Eden,
used to shoot black game on his estate close
to the sea a hundred and twenty years ago.
164. Red Grouse. Lagopus scoticus (Latham).
Abundant on the moors in the west. The
Durham and North Yorkshire moors are said
to be the best stocked in the country, and the
birds are decidedly heavier than the Scottish
ones. A hundred years ago grouse still lin-
gered on the patches of heath and moorland
in the east of the county, as at Hartbushes
near Castle Eden.
165. Pheasant. Phasianus coichicus. Linn.
Universal wherever preserved. Generally
shews traces of the ringnecked species.
1 66. Partridge. Perdix cinerta t Latham.
Plentiful in ordinary seasons.
167. Red-legged Partridge. Caccabis rufa
(Linn.).
A rare accidental straggler. Breeds in the
East Riding of Yorkshire. A number were
turned out by Prince Duleep Singh when he
leased Mulgrave Castle, and since then they
are occasionally shot north of the Tees, as at
Elton.
1 68. Quail. Coturntx communis, Bonnaterre.
An irregular spring and summer visitor,
occasionally nesting. In the year 1868 a
brood of at least eight was raised in a meadow
at Greatham. Two young birds were shot
in September. The remainder I have every
reason to believe got away safely, but none
returned the next year.
169. Corn Crake, or Land-rail. Crex fra-
tensii, Bechstein.
A regular spring and summer visitor, but
much diminished of late years.
170. Spotted Crake. Porzana maruetta
(Leach).
A summer visitor, less rare than is com-
monly supposed. It has not unfrequently
nested in different parts of the county near
Durham city, and for several years on Bolden
Flats. It has been taken as late as 19 No-
vember.
171. Baillon's Crake. Porzana bailtoni
(Vieillot).
One specimen shot on the banks of the
Derwent, 12 July, 1874. Bewick mentions
the capture of the ' little crake,' but there
are no means now of ascertaining the species.
172. Water-Rail. Ral/us aquaticus, Linn.
Not uncommon in suitable localities.
Breeds occasionally.
173. Moor Hen, or Water Hen. Gallinula
chloropus (Linn.).
Very abundant. Resident throughout the
year.
174. Coot. Ful'tca atra, Linn.
By no means uncommon. Inhabits our
larger ponds and tarns.
175. Pratincole. Glareola pratincola. Linn.
The only instance on record is one taken
at Stanhope on 10 July, 1876.
176. Stone-Curlew. CEdicnemui scohpax (S.
G. Gmelin).
A rare accidental visitor. One was taken
near South Shields on 4 February, 1864, and
another at Teesmouth on 1 1 January, 1901.
177. Dotterel. Eudromias morinellus (Linn).
Passes every year in some numbers both at
spring and autumn migration. It is said to
have bred formerly on Kilhope, but not in my
memory.
178. Ringed Plover. /Egialitis hiaticula (Linn.).
A resident by the sea shore, where it
breeds on gravelly beaches.
179. Golden Plover. Charadrius p/uvia/is,
Linn.
A resident on the moorlands in the west,
where it breeds. In winter common by the
sea shore along with the lapwing.
1 80. Grey Plover. Squatarola helvetica (Linn.).
Not uncommon, chiefly on the coasts in
winter, but occurs at other seasons. In the
collection at Elton is a specimen in full
summer dress, shot there by Mr. Sutton.
Mr. Hancock mentions several other instances.
187
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
1 8 1. Lapwing or Peewit. Vanellui vulgaris,
Bechstein.
Locally Peesweep.
Common in the east, though in sadly
diminishing numbers. In the wilder parts of
the county very abundant.
182. Turnstone. Strepsilas interpret (Linn.).
A regular visitor to the coast.
183. Oyster-catcher. Hamatopus ostralegus,
Linn.
Not uncommon on the coast. Breeds here
occasionally.
184. Avocet. Recurvirostra avocetta, Linn.
Saunders' edition of Yarrell mentions its
having been taken two or three times at
Teesmouth. I have not been able to find
the authority. It has been taken at Hartley,
but that is in Northumberland.
185. Grey Phalarope. Phalaroptu Julicarius
(Linn.).
An irregular visitor on the coast. Two
taken in 1824 at Haverton Hill are mentioned
by Hogg.
1 86. Woodcock. Scclopax rusticula, Linn.
Has for over ten years bred in the county
and does so still, but the number shot have
considerably diminished of late years. Two
years ago there was a nest close to Durham
city.
187. Great Snipe. Gallinago major (J. F.
Gmelin).
Rarely an autumn passes without one or
more specimens being recorded. Selby men-
tions their appearance in 1826. I possess a
specimen, adult, shot in that autumn by Lord
Barrington's keeper at Sedgefield.
1 88. Common Snipe. Gallinago ccelestis
(Frenzel).
Still breeds in a few favoured and undrained
localities. By far the larger number are
migrants.
189. Jack Snipe. Gallinago galllnula (Linn.).
A regular autumn and winter visitor, but
in small numbers.
190. Pectoral Sandpiper. Tringa maculata,
Vieillot.
Accidental. Has been recorded three
times, from Hartlepool, Teesmouth, and
Bishop Auckland.
191. Dunlin. Tringa alfiina, Linn
In large numbers on the coast in winter.
Formerly bred on the moors in the west, and
possibly does so still in small numbers.
192. Little Stint. Tringa minuta, Leisler.
A rare visitor on its autumnal migration,
generally in September.
193. Temminck's Stint. Tringa temminci,
Leisler.
A very rare autumnal visitor. Has been
taken in the estuary of the Tees.
194. Curlew-Sandpiper. Tringa subarnuata
(Gttldenstadt).
In small numbers on the sea shore and
estuaries in winter, often in company with
dunlins.
195. Purple Sandpiper. Tringa striata,
Linn.
Occurs occasionally on the sea shore in
autumn and winter.
196. Knot. Tringa canutas, Linn.
A fairly common autumnal migrant. A
few remain on the coast through the winter.
197. Sanderling. Calidrii armaria (Linn.).
Common on the coast in autumn and
winter, especially in October. It has been
shot several times in June in full summer
plumage at Seaton and Teesmouth.
198. Ruff and Reeve. Machetes pugnax
(Linn.).
Now a rare and uncertain visitor. Bred in
Northumberland up to 1853, and said on
reliable authority to have formerly nested on
Bolden Flats. Was taken in Cowpen Marsh
on 3 September, 1881.
199. Common Sandpiper. Totanus hypoleucus
(Linn.).
A regular spring and autumn migrant,
breeding in suitable localities.
ZOO. Wood Sandpiper. Totanus glareola
(J. F. Gmelin).
A rare and uncertain autumn migrant.
201. Green Sandpiper. Totanus ochropus
(Linn.).
A rare and irregular visitor, generally inland.
Has been recorded from Hilton Castle, Octo-
ber, 1830; Streatlam Park, 1838; Elton,
1 88 ? Castle Eden Dene, 1860 ; Bishop
Auckland, 1849; Mainsforth, 1903.
188
202. Redshank. Totanus calidris (Linn).
Common in winter ; a few remain through-
out the year, but their former nesting resorts
are now drained. I am assured a few still
nest in Upper Weardalc.
203. Spotted Redshank. Totanus fusau
(Linn.).
An accidental straggler, recorded from
Blanchland 12 August, 1840, also Jarrow and
Elton, dates uncertain.
204. Greenshank. Totanus canescens (J. F.
Gmelin).
Occurs occasionally at spring and autumn
migration. Taken at Castle Eden and Elton.
205. Bar-tailed Godwit. Limosa lapponica
(Linn.).
Not uncommon in autumn on the coast.
A few occur occasionally in winter and
spring.
206. Black-tailed Godwit. Limosa tegtcepbala
(Linn.).
A rare visitor on autumnal and vernal
migration. I find no trace of its ever having
nested in the county.
207. Curlew. Numenius arquata (Linn.).
Local Whaup.
Resident. Many breed on the moors in
the west. In winter great numbers frequent
the sea shore and marshes.
208. Whimbrel. Numenius phaopus (Linn.).
Spends the winter regularly on the coast in
small parties, frequenting the salt marshes of
Cowpen.
209. Black Tern. Hydrochelidon nigra, Linn.
An occasional visitor. Specimens are in
the Castle Eden and Elton local collections.
One was taken in the Tees, 7 August, 1886.
210. White-winged Black Tern. Hydro-
ckelidon leucoptera, Schinz.
Once obtained at Port Clarence,Teesmouth,
on 1 5 May (year unknown), now in the New-
castle Museum.
211. Sandwich Tern. Sterna cantiaca,]. F.
Gmelin.
Not infrequent in summer, as numbers breed
in Northumberland.
BIRDS
213.
Sterna macrura. Nau-
Arctic Tern.
mann.
Common in summer and early autumn.
214. Little Tern. Sterna minuta, Linn.
A summer visitor, rather rare.
215. Sabine's Gull. Xema sabinii, J. Sabine.
One was shot at Seaham Harbour on
IO October, 1879, and is now in Newcastle
Museum.
2 1 6. Little Gull. Larus minutus, Pallas.
An almost regular autumn and winter
visitor, occurring in most local collections.
I had three specimens brought to me from
Cowpen Marsh in different years. Mr. Abel
Chapman shot one in 1886, at Whitburn, as
early as 28 August.
217. Black-headed Gull. Larui ridlbundm,
Linn.
Very common, though it has no breeding
place left in the county. Comes far inland,
and may be seen following the plough thirty
miles from the coast.
218. Common Gull. Larus canui, Linn.
Abundant, and resident throughout the year,
but does not breed in the district.
219. Herring Gull.
Gmelin.
Larus argentatuSy J. F.
A non-breeding resident.
Abundant.
Larus fui
220. Lesser black-backed Gull.
Linn.
A very common species. Resident through-
out the year, but breeding in Northumberland.
221. Great black-backed Gull. Larus marinus,
Linn.
Not abundant, but always to be found off
the coast in winter.
222. Glaucous Gull. Larus g/aucus, Fabricius.
A not very rare winter visitor, generally
in immature plumage.
223. Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla, Linn.
Common throughout the year, but has no
breeding station.
224. Ivory Gull. Pagopbila eburnea, Phipps.
A specimen in immature plumage was taken
at Seaton Carew in February 1837, and is
now in Sunderland Museum.
212. Common Tern. Sterna fluviati/is, 225
Naumann.
In summer, but not so abundant as the
Arctic tern.
Great Skua. Stercorarius catarrbactes,
Linn.
A rare winter visitor. One was captured
off the Tees on 14 October, 1887.
189
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
226. Pomatorhine Skua. Stercorarius poma-
torbinus, Temminck.
Occurs not unfrequently, especially in the
estuary of the Tees.
227. Arctic or Richardson's Skua. Sterco-
rarius crepidatus, J. F. Gmelin.
Frequent on the coast, chiefly in early
winter.
228. Long-tailed or Buffon's Skua. Sterco-
rarius parasitictu, Linn.
Occasionally in winter. At Whitburn in
1837. Several off the Tees in 1879. I know
of five other specimens trken in the county,
dates uncertain.
[Great Auk. Aha impennis, Linn.
Though we have every reason to believe
that the great auk was taken in Northumber-
land in the early part or middle of the
eighteenth century (Hancock, Birds of North-
umber land and Durham, p. 165), yet there is
no trace of it in Durham in historic times.
But it may claim a place here, from the dis-
covery in the spring of 1878, in one of the
seaworn caves in the face of the Whitburn
Lizards, of the remains of the great auk. The
birds had evidently been eaten by man, for
many human bones, including five skulls,
were found in the caves, as well as those of
all our domestic animals, and of the red deer,
roe, badger, marten-cat, and many others.
The bones are now in the Newcastle Museum.
See Nat. Hist. Trans,, Nortbumb., vii. 361,
Mff.]
229. Razorbill. Aha torda, Linn.
Common on the coast throughout the year.
230. Common Guillemot. Una troile, Linn.
Abundant at all seasons, but, like the razor-
bill, not breeding in our limits.
231. Black Guillemot. Uria grylle, Linn.
Occurs only in winter. Not uncommon.
232. Little Auk. Mergulm alle, Linn.
An uncertain winter visitor, sometimes
arriving in great numbers. One of these
irruptions was in October 1841, when hun-
dreds appeared off Hartlepool and the Tees,
and many were picked up far inland. An-
other invasion was on 5 December, 1895
to January 1896, when between thirty to
forty specimens were brought to Mr. Culling-
ford, Durham Museum, of which one at least
was picked up dead in the city.
233. Puffin. Fratercula arctica, Linn.
Common on the coast. Resident, but has
no breeding stations.
234. Great Northern Diver. Coiymbus gla-
cialis, Linn.
Occasional in winter. Seldom a season
passes without one or two being taken at
Teesmouth. Its occurrence in summer plum-
age is very rare.
235. Black-throated Diver. Colymbus arcticus,
Linn.
More frequent than the last. One was
captured on the Wear, near Durham city, in
full summer dress.
236. Red-throated Diver. Colymbus septen-
trionalis, Linn.
Not uncommon in winter, and occurs at
other seasons. I have had three specimens
from Cowpen Marsh in nuptial dress.
237. Great Crested Grebe. Podicipes cristatus,
Linn.
A rare straggler, only on the coast. One
at Elton, another taken at Teesmouth,
12 January, 1901.
238. Red-necked Grebe. Podicipes griseigena,
Boddaert.
An occasional winter visitor. There are
specimens in all our local museums, but with-
out dates. Off the Tees, 19 November, 1892.
239. Slavonian Grebe. Podicipes auritus,l,mn.
Not uncommon in winter. Hogg mentions
one near Stockton in 1823, but of late years
it has been frequently taken.
240. Eared Grebe. Podicipes nigricollis, Bre.
A very rare visitor. I only know of one
Durham specimen, in Mr. Sutton's collection.
241. Little Grebe or Dabchick. Podicipes
fluviatilis, Tunstall.
Still breeds on the Tees, and occasionally
on tarns and ponds throughout the county,
generally distributed.
242. Storm-Petrel. Procellaria pelagica, Linn.
Not unfrequently found after a storm, and
has been picked up dead some distance inland.
In December 1895 and January 1896 many
were taken. One was picked up dead in an
inn yard in the city of Durham.
243. Leach's Fork-tailed Petrel. Oceano-
droma leucorrhoa, Vieillot.
Accidental. One specimen washed ashore
north of Hartlepool, date uncertain.
190
BIRDS
244. Great Shearwater.
Fabri.
Puffinus major,
One captured off the Tees, January or
February 1874. A few years ago one was
picked up dead about the same place and
brought to Mr. Cullingford, Durham Museum.
Puffinus griseus, J. F.
245. Sooty Shearwater.
Gmelin.
A single specimen shot on the Tees off
Redcar. (Zoologist, 1884, p. 147.) The
first recorded British example was shot at the
mouth of the Tees in August, 1828 (Proc.
Zoo/. Soc., 1832, p. 129), described by Strick-
land.
246. Manx Shearwater. Puffinus anglorum,
Temminck.
An occasional visitor in winter. Has
occurred at Castle Eden, Hartlepool, and
Seaton Carew.
247. Fulmar. Fulmarus giaeialis, Linn.
A rare winter visitor. Has been obtained
five times of late years on our coast.
191
MAMMALS
The varied surface of the county of Durham offers, or has
offered in the past, congenial haunts for most of the British mammals.
In the western part of the county the extensive moorlands and the
secluded and wooded valleys have served as retreats for some of the
wilder species ; and though the coal mining and other industries have
had, from the naturalist's point of view, an unfavourable influence on the
eastern part, this has not been the case to nearly the extent that might
have been expected. The coast line also enriches the fauna by the
addition of a number of marine mammals, whilst the operations in caves
and bogs, and in the dredging of the larger rivers, have brought to light
many interesting evidences of the former presence of animals which have
long since disappeared from the district. The paucity of records for the
county of Durham in comparison with those for many other counties is
regrettable. An excellent summary of the known facts relating to the
mammal fauna up to the year 1863 is given in the catalogue by Messrs.
Mennell and Perkins 1 ; but since that time very little systematic observa-
tion has apparently been attempted. An especially interesting field for
investigation is presented by the local bats, to which hardly any critical
attention has been paid for many years. A few points regarding particular
animals are worthy of special note. The wild cat (Fe/is catus) appears to
have survived in the county until about fifty years ago ; the pine marten
(Mustela martes) and polecat (Putorius putorius) have only been exterminated
within comparatively few years, and recent occurrences in the neighbour-
ing counties even render it not altogether improbable that one or both
may yet stray within the borders again ; the old English black rat is
almost certainly still in existence in one or two towns within the county.
In reference to the cetaceans, it is a curious fact that while I am only able
to record five species for this county, at least double the number have been
obtained on the coast between the Tyne and the Tweed.
CHEIROPTERA
1 . Long-eared Bat. Plecotus auritus, Linn. in the southern part of the county. It is
This bat is abundant in the county, and is plentiful in places a little south of the Tees,
perhaps the commonest species. and * have the following records for the county
itself : Mr. H. G. Stobart has shot it at Croft ;
2. Great or White s Bat (Noctule). P lfu - Mr> j Greenwel i describes a bat, evidently of
trellm noctula, Schreber. this spedeS) which he frequendy sees at Es _
~Bz\\ScotophiIiis noctula. White Vespertine combe ; in the Naturalist for 1 886, Mr. W. D.
altivolans. Roebuck records the taking of twenty-five
I believe this fine species is not uncommon noctules from an oak near Barnard Castle ; and
1 Trans. TytttsiJe Naturalists' Field Clul, vi.
192
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
in the same volume Mr. T. H. Nelson men-
tions that one was shot at the Flats, near Bishop
Auckland, in the summer of 1885. Mennell
and Perkins do not give the species, but the
bat taken at Cleadon in 1836 and referred to
in their catalogue as a serotine has been
examined in the Newcastle Museum by
Messrs. Roebuck and Southwell and found by
them to be a noctule (Zoologist, 1887).
3. Pipistrelle. Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Schreber.
Bell Scotopbilus plflstrtUus.
This species is common throughout the
county.
4. Natterer's Bat. Myotis nattereri, Kuhl.
Bell yesfertiRo nattereri.
Mennell and Perkins record the taking of a
Natterer's bat ' on a tree in Hoffal Wood,
Durham,' on the authority of the late W.
Backhouse. I cannot hear of any subsequent
instance of the capture of this species in the
county.
5. Daubenton's Bat. Myotis daubentani,
Leisler.
Bell Vespertine daubentmll.
W. Backhouse, quoted by Mennell and
Perkins, reported the occurrence of this bat at
Darlington, apparently on good evidence. In
the same catalogue a white variety is men-
tioned, taken at 'Auckland St. Andrew,
Durham.' As the species is widely distributed
in Scotland and is also found in Yorkshire,
there is a strong probability that it occurs
fairly frequently in Durham.
6. Whiskered Bat. Afyotiimystacinus,L,eis\cr.
Bell Vespertine mystaclniu.
The whiskered bat is pretty generally dis-
tributed in Yorkshire (Roebuck and Clarke),
and has been taken several times in Cumber-
land (Zoologist, 1 890). It is therefore probably
not rare in the county of Durham ; but the
only records I know of are those of W. Back-
house from ' Shotley Bridge (Darlington ?),'
quoted in Mennell and Perkins' catalogue, and
the allusion in the Zoologist for 1888 to a
specimen from Durham.
INSECTIVORA
J. Hedgehog. Erinaceui europteus, Linn.
This animal is common in all the more
wooded parts of the county.
8. Mole. Talpa europtea, Linn.
Moles are as abundant here as elsewhere.
Varieties of a cream or silver-grey colour are
by no means uncommon, and I have records
of such from many parts of the county. These
varieties often have a more or less brilliant
tinge of orange on the under-side and flanks.
Several instances of this have been reported
from Winlaton by Mr. Thos. Thompson, and
a silver-grey mole with the orange tinge was
sent to the Newcastle Museum in 1903 from
the Woodlands, Consett, by Mr. W. B. van
Haansbergen.
9. Common Shrew. Sorex araneus, Linn.
This species is very abundant, as in all
parts of the country.
10. Pigmy Shrew. Sortie minutus, Pallas.
Bell Sorex pjgmteiu.
The only positive evidence of the occur-
rence of the pigmy shrew that I have been
able to find is that afforded by a specimen in
the Newcastle Museum. This is labelled as
having been taken at St. John's, Wolsingham,
by Wm. Backhouse ; it was sent by him to
John Hancock about 1850. The species is
probably not so scarce as the absence of further
records might suggest.
II. Water Shrew. Neomys fodiens, Pallas.
Bell Cnssopus fidiens.
This species is probably distributed gene-
rally through the county on quiet streams
and ponds, but is not often noticed, as is fre-
quently the case where it is quite common.
Mennell and Perkins gave records from Castle
Eden and Darlington ; Mr. R. Lofthouse
mentions it (Naturalist, 1887) as occurring on
the lower part of the Tees, and I have the
following additional records : near Wolsing-
ham, common (W. Backhouse) ; Upper
Teesdale, fairly common (W. Walton) ; on a
pond close to the city of Durham (J. Culling-
ford) ; on the small ' stells ' about Hartlepool
before these were built over (J. . Robson).
CARNIVORA
12. Wild Cat. Ftlii catui, Linn.
The wild cat held its ground in the county
of Durham down to considerably more recent
times than was the case in most parts of Eng-
land, as might have been expected from the
character of much of the district. Exact re-
cords are, however, almost entirely wanting ;
but the fact stated by Canon Tristram, that it
193
MAMMALS
was to be found up to about the year 1 840 in
Castle Eden Dene, by no means one of the
most secluded parts of the county, renders it
probable that in the more remote and unculti-
vated parts the wild cat was not exterminated
until at least the middle of the last century.
It is rather remarkable that no remains of this
animal appear to have been noticed in any of
the limestone caves that have been explored,
though bones of the wolf, badger, and even of
the marten, are not scarce.
13. Fox. Fulpes vu/pes, Linn.
Bell Vulpes vulgaris.
Foxes are plentiful in almost all parts of the
county.
14. Pine Marten. Mustela martes, Linn.
Bell Martes abietum.
At the time when Mennell and Perkins
were compiling their catalogue (1863) they
were able to say of the pine marten that
' although the animal cannot be called common,
it is widely distributed over both counties.' It
is difficult to imagine that the marten was not
somewhat scarcer at that date than the word-
ing of this statement might be taken to imply,
though its final extermination, due largely to
the increased use of steel traps, probably took
place very rapidly. The last known capture
in this county was on 31 May, 1882, at
Hoppyland, a few miles west of Bishop
Auckland ; it is recorded (Zoologist, 1882) by
Mr.X.H. Nelson, who also refers to the taking
of a nest with three young at the same place
thirty-three years previously. It is an interest-
ing fact that from among the remains of
human and other occupants discovered in a
cave near the coast at Whitburn, bones of the
marten were identified by the late Mr. John
Hancock (Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and
Durham, vii.).
15. Polecat. Putorius putorius, Linn.
Bell Mustela putorius.
From the information I have been able to
obtain, it would appear that the polecat has
been exterminated in the county only within
the last ten or twelve years. Mr. J. Culling-
ford had several before that time, but has had
none since ; and Mr. W. Walton reports two
killed near Middleton-in-Teesdale about fifteen
years ago, one being still in his possession.
Mr. G. E. Crawhall tells me that up to forty
years ago polecats were not infrequently killed
in Weardale, but that he has heard of none
there in more recent years. He remembers
a female and litter of young being caught
near Wolsingham. Mennell and Perkins de-
scribe it (1863) as 'still plentiful in both our
counties ' ; and the following is also quoted
from their catalogue : ' The Rev. G. C. Abbes
tells us that a very fine polecat visited his
garden at Cleadon a few years ago, and was
so bold and fearless that it came close to him
when gardening, and suffered him to push it
back with his rake when it interfered with his
work.'
1 6. Common Stoat. Putorius ermineus,
Linn.
Bell Mustela erminea.
The stoat is abundant in nearly all parts
of the district. Examples in the white winter
coat and in all stages of approach to it are
frequently killed or seen.
17. Weasel. Putorius nivalis, Linn.
Bell Mustela vulgaris.
As common here as elsewhere. An albino
example from upper Teesdale is reported by
Mr. W. Walton.
1 8. Badger. Me les meles y Linn
Bell Meles taxus.
The badger has held its ground successfully
in the county of Durham. It is fairly plentiful
in the more secluded western half of the county,
and also inhabits some of the quieter woodlands
of the eastern half. The Rev. Canon Tristram
has given me some interesting information
regarding the badgers in Castle Eden Dene.
They were common there at one time, but dis-
appeared for some years ; for the last five 01
six years, however, several pairs have been
known to be in the dene. A female with a
litter of young was once kept there in confine-
ment, living on good terms both with her
captors and with the pigs. Canon Tristram
tells me,' the local name of the badger is " pate,"
and a small subsidiary glen is known as the
" Pate-priest's Dene," from a French refugee
priest who lived a hermit life 1 1 o years ago
in the glen, and was much given to badger
hunting.' A large number of bones of the
badger were found in the Whitburn cave.
The late Richard Howse in mentioning this
fact (Nat. Hist. Trans, vii.) states that the
badger 'has now disappeared from our locality'
and only survives in some of the southern
counties, an opinion which seems to have been
general at the time (1878).
19. Otter. Lutra /utra, Linn.
Bell Lutra vulgaris.
Otters are still plentiful on the streams and
rivers of the county and frequently descend
to the neighbourhood of the towns. They
are occasionally seen near the bridges at Durham
(J. Cullingford), and individuals have been
194
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
captured in Middlesborough and Stockton
(R. Lofthouse).
20. Common Seal. Pboca vitulina, Linn.
A large colony of seals formerly existed and
bred on Seal Sand at the mouth of the Tees ;
but the great development of the Cleveland
iron industry and the consequent increase of
traffic on the river, together with the extensive
works of the Tees Commissioners, have led to
the complete desertion of the place. Mennell
and Perkins state that about a thousand seals
frequented the Tees mouth between 1820 and
1830 ; from the excellent account of the
colony given by Mr. R. Lofthouse in the
Naturalist for 1887, it appears that it was
reduced to twenty or thirty seals by about the
year 1867. The final desertion probably took
place not long afterwards. But seals are still
frequently seen on the coast (Canon Tristram,
R. Lofthouse, and others), and sometimes enter
the rivers. They appear to retain a preference
for the vicinity of Hartlepool and the Tees.
21. Grey Seal. Halich&rus grypus, Fabr.
This large seal probably visits the Durham
coast only very rarely. One was found at
Seaton Snook in 1871 (Clarke and Roebuck) ;
and Mr. R. Lofthouse mentions several
instances in which large seals, probably of this
species, have been seen about the mouth of
the Tees.
RODENTIA
22. Squirrel. Sciurus leucourus, Kerr.
Bell Sciurus vulgaru.
The squirrel is plentiful in the wooded parts,
though perhaps hardly so abundant on the
whole as in the more southern counties.
Formerly it appears to have been scarcer or at
least less evenly distributed than at present.
Canon Tristram writes,' in my boyhood it was
unknown here,' that is, about the city of
Durham, and in Mennell and Perkins'
catalogue he reported it as having been
' once seen ' at Castle Eden.
23. Dormouse. Mutcardinta avellanarius t
Linn.
Bell Myoxtu avtllanaritu.
The dormouse is certainly rare in the county,
but the recorded instances of its occurrence
suggest that it might be found more frequently
by careful watching. Mennell and Perkins
state that ' it has been taken occasionally in
the woods which clothe the valley of the
Derwent, at Gibside, Winlaton Mill, and
near Ebchester (Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. i., p. 335).'
It has also been seen by Mr. N. M'Lachlan
at Headlam (Zoologist, 1885); Mr.J. Grecnwell
mentions 'one taken near Hamsterley about
fifty years ago,' and Mr. J. Cullingford in-
forms me that he has had two from close to the
city of Durham within the last four years. A
mouse described by Mr. F. Fenwick from the
Wolsingham district is most likely of this
species ' chestnut coloured, with white breast,
builds its nest in hazel bushes of dried grass ;
rare.'
24. Brown Rat. MM dtcumanus, Pallas.
As common here as elsewhere. Mr. R.
Lofthouse (Naturalist, 1 887) notes the fact that
it 'swarms in all the reclamation embankments
constructed by the Tees Commissioners, par-
ticularly those constructed of slag.'
25. Black Rat. Mm rattus, Linn.
This interesting species is probably not yet
quite exterminated in the county of Durham.
Mennell and Perkins, in 1863, were able to
mention ' Stockton, where, as in many other
places in our district, the species still lingers,
though in constantly diminishing numbers.'
It still existed in old warehouses at Stockton
in 1887 (Lofthouse), and in all probability
survives there at the present day. Examples
from Stockton (1868) are in the Newcastle
Museum, and Canon Tristram also has one
from there (1873). For particulars of its
former presence in Durham I am again
indebted to Canon Tristram, who tells me in
a letter, ' There was a colony of black rats in
and about Durham Cathedral which had been
there from time immemorial. When at
Durham School, in the thirties,! knew of them,
and they were said to visit the school, which
was then in the churchyard. The last known
to have been taken was in the year 1879 ; a
trap was set for it by the verger.' Mr. J.
Cullingford doubts whether the black rat is
even now exterminated in Durham, and tells
me that about seven years ago one was killed
near the town by the late Mr. F. Greenwell.
26. House Mouse. Mus musculus, Linn.
Very common about habitations everywhere.
27. Long-tailed Field Mouse. Mus sylvaticus,
Linn.
This species is plentiful, at any rate in the
wooded and cultivated parts of the county.
28. Harvest Mouse. Mus minutus, Pallas.
The harvest mouse appears to have been
very rarely noticed in the county of Durham
195
MAMMALS
and is doubtless scarce ; though I have lately
seen it myself a very short distance north of
the Tyne.
Mr. W. Backhouse found it at St. John's,
Weardale, 800 feet above sea level (Trans.
Tyneside Nat. Field Club, iv.), and Mr. J.
Cullingford has had the nest recently from a
cornfield close to the city of Durham.
29. Water Vole. Microtus amphibius. Linn.
Bell Arvicola amphibius.
Common along all the streams.
30. Field Vole. Microtus agrestis, Linn.
Bell Arvicola agrestis.
Very abundant. A quiet observer may
often see it sitting at the entrance to its burrow
in a hedge bank. Mr. V. A. Reppon records
the killing of a black field vole in his park at
Frosterley in 1889.
31. Bank Vole. Evotomys glareolus, Schreber.
Bell Arvicola gkreolus.
The bank vole is doubtless as common in
the county of Durham as elsewhere ; for
Mr. R. I. Pocockhas shown (Zoologist, 1897)
that its supposed scarcity was due to the fact
that it is not to be trapped in the same way as
the field vole. Before this became generally
known the bank vole was sometimes recorded
as a comparative rarity from the county. The
Rev. H. H. Slater (Zoologist, 1887) had, how-
ever, found it to be by no means scarce in the
eastern district.
32. Common Hare. Lepus europteus, Pallas.
Bell Lepus timidus.
Hares are as numerous in many parts of the
county as in other similar districts in England,
though they seem to me to be hardly so abun-
dant on the whole as in Yorkshire. They
are naturally rather scarcer on the higher
moorlands. Mr. R. Lofthouse mentions
that they show a particular fondness for the
reclaimed land about the estuary of the
Tees.
33. Rabbit. Lepus cuniculus, Linn.
Very numerous in all suitable places.
UNGULATA
34. White Park Cattle. Bos taurus, Linn.
Herds of white cattle, such as the one still
maintained at Chillingham in Northumberland,
were formerly kept at Bishop Auckland and
Barnard Castle. A manuscript of the year
1635, quoted in the Annals of Nat. Hist. 1839,
describes the park at Bishop Auckland as
' a daintie stately parke wherein were wild
bulls and kine, wch had two calves runers ;
there are about twenty wild beasts, all white,
will nott eridure yo'r approach, butt if they
bee enraged or distressed, verye violent and
furious ; their calves will bee wondrous fatt.'
The Barnard Castle herd is alluded to by
Mr. J. Watson in the Naturalist for 1887.
35. Red Deer. Cervus elaphus, Linn.
The former abundance of the red deer in
the district is proved not only by old chronicles
(e.g. Leland's Itinerary, quoted by Mennell
and Perkins), but also by the numerous remains
found in all parts of the county in peat bogs,
river beds, caves and ancient camps. The
descendants of the original wild red deer of
Weardale were maintained in the bishop's park
at Stanhope until about 1640; in Teesdale
they were preserved to a somewhat later date,
for four hundred are recorded to have perished
there in the snow in 1673 (Egglestone's
Stanhope).
Well preserved antlers and bones of red
deer from Hartlepool, Whitburn Cave, and the
bed of the Tyne, amongst other places in the
district, are in the Newcastle Museum.
36. Fallow Deer. Cervus dama, Linn.
This is an introduced species kept in some
of the parks.
37. Roe Deer. Capreolus capreolus, Linn.
Bell Capreolus caprea.
Apart from the known fact that the roe
deer was once generally distributed in England,
there is definite evidence of its former presence
in the county of Durham. Its remains were
found in the Heathery .Burn Cave, near Stan-
hope, and in the Whitburn Cave on the coast.
Bones from the Whitburn Cave are in the
Newcastle Museum.
CETACEA
38. Cachalot Sperm Whale. Physeter mac-
rocephalus, Linn.
Mennell and Perkins allude to the bones of
a young cachalot deposited in the crypt of
Durham Cathedral, and state that the animal
was ' stranded near Hartlepool and sent to the
Bishop of Durham in the days when he
claimed " Jura Regalia " within the limits of
the See.' Canon Tristram informs me that
some of the bones still remain, and that it was
196
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
in the reign of Charles II. that the stranding
of this whale occurred. The authors quoted
above also record that ' the atlas of another
individual of this species was recently found
by Edward Backhouse, Esq., buried at some
depth in the sand near Scaton.'
39. Bottle-Nosed or Beaked Whale. Hy-
peroodon rostratus, Chemnitz.
Bell Hype root/on Butzkopf.
A skeleton of this species was found in the
bed of theTyne near Newcastle in 1857, and
is described in the Transactions of the Tyneside
Field Club, iv. This is one of the commoner
whales in British seas and has probably often
visited the Durham coast. One was captured
only just north of the Tyne about 1850.
40. White Whale Beluga. Delphinapterw
leucas y Pallas.
Bell Beluga leueat.
This forms the most recent and perhaps the
most interesting addition to the cetacean fauna
of the county. A full grown male, fourteen
feet in length, was captured at the South
Shields sands on 10 June, 1903, and after a
prolonged struggle was landed at North
Shields. Its skeleton is in the Newcastle
Museum.
Full details and a photograph are given in
the Transactions of the local natural history
society 1 by Mr. A. Meek, M.Sc., who
also reports the fact that since this capture
another white whale, possibly the mate, has
been seen at various points off the coast from
Northumberland down to Flamborough Head.
This is the first recorded occurrence of the
species on the east coast south of the Forth.
41. Grampus. Orca gladiator, Lacpede.
Bell Pboctfna orca.
I know of no instance of the actual strand-
ing of an individual of this species on the
Durham coast, but it is by no means uncom-
mon in the North Sea. I saw a grampus, or
at least its unmistakable dorsal fin, on one
occasion during the summer of 1901 a few
miles off the coast. Sir Cuthbert Sharp* men-
tions the grampus in a list of local animals.
42. Porpoise. Phoctena communis, Cuvier.
Porpoises arc abundant off the Durham
coast.
1 Train. Nat. Hist. Sot. Nortbumb. and Durham (new ser.), i.
History of Hartlepool, 1816.
I 9 7
HISTORY OF DURHAM
PRE-HISTG
The Einburgb G>jrpliil
THE VI CTORIA H1STORV
C REMAINS.
16'
RlrtRINCI
*f iKMllaneoui Flndi, XtoUOtic Imflimatlt. Ooua. tit.
X BroaB* Implements
:.:.
.'.a'
40'
E COUNTIES OF ENGLAND
T
EARLY MAN
f ^HE rarity of prehistoric antiquities in the county of Durham is a
circumstance to which more than one writer on the subject has
called attention. The county of Durham, though it lies between
districts which abound in the various remains of pre-Roman
times, and though it presents natural features apparently well adapting it
for early occupation, is markedly deficient in discoveries of weapons and
implements of the stone and bronze ages, as it is also wanting in fortified sites
and places of burial, of which latter only thirteen have been met with during
the various operations of agricultural and other work. 1 No remains of the
palaeolithic age have been found within the county, though the bones of
animals associated with that period have in a very few cases been discovered.
Nothing has ever come to light to prove that man occupied any part of
England as far north as Durham, or within a great distance south of it, in
palaeolithic times, and even at a very much later date, during the neolithic and
bronze periods, everything goes to show that Durham was a sparsely-populated
district. Nevertheless, some of the discoveries belonging to pre-Roman times,
particularly two of the bronze age, are of the highest importance, and have
furnished data of a very valuable kind.
THE NEOLITHIC AGE
The various stone implements and other objects which may be referred
to the neolithic age are not numerous, and many of them may belong to the
bronze age. These remains consist of ground or polished axes made of basalt
and other hard stone; axe-hammers of stone, quartzite hammer-stones, and
arrowheads of flint, some beautifully formed and finished ; and knives and
scrapers of the same material. One scraper of flint, now in the British
Museum, was associated with an interment at Copt Hill, Houghton le Spring;
it was found in a cinerary urn, and probably belonged to the bronze age.
The following is a list of stone weapons and implements found in the
county :
DURHAM COUNTY. Two ground axes, respectively 7} inches and 5^- inches in length.
GAINFORD. Perforated stone hammer. (Proc. Sac. Antiq. Newcastle, ser. iii. vol. ii. p. 74.)
HAMSTERLEY. Many arrowheads, scrapers, flakes, etc., of flint.
HOLLY BUSH (parish of Lanchester). Leaf-shape arrow-head of flint.
JARROW. Two axes with surfaces entirely ground, 7^- inches and 5$ inches long respectively.
(Archttologia Mliana, N.S. vol. v. p. 1 02 ; Evans, Stont Imp!, and ed. p. i o I .)
LANCHESTER COMMON. Arrow-head with square-ended barbs, now in the museum of the Soc. of
Antiq. of Ncwcastle-upon-Tyne. (Evans, Stone Im/>/., p. 383.)
MILNE HOUSE (near Frosterley). Perforated hammer made of micaceous sandstone.
NEWTON KETTON. Large numbers of flint arrow-heads and other flint implements.
QUEBEC. Polished stone axe belonging to Rev. F. G. Wesley, Hamsterley.
RABY CASTLE. Dark grey stone axe, ground, but of somewhat rough workmanship, nearly 7 inches
in length. (Evans, Stone Imp/. 2nd ed. p. 105.)
REDWORTH. A large axe-hammer.
1 Greenwell, British Barrows, p. 440.
199
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
SHERBORN HOSPITAL. Ground axe, 5$ inches long, oval in section and with conical butt, in the
collection of Dr. Sturge.
STANLEY (parish of Brancepeth). Well-made axe-hammer.
SUNDERLAND (in the river Wear, above the bridge). Axe-hammer beautifully made, in the museum
of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
SUNDERLAND (Millfield). Large axe-hammer, perforated for handle, in the collection of Dr. Sturge.
(Evans, Stone Impl. 2nd ed. p. 194.)
WEARDALE (Cowshill). Ground basalt axe, 9^ inches long, in the collection of Dr. Sturge. (Evans,
Stone Impl. 2nd ed. p. 106.)
WOLSINGHAM (Coves Houses). A circular-perforated article of basalt, 3 J inches in diameter, in the
collection of Dr. Sturge. (Evans, Stone Impl. 2nd ed. p. 229.)
The only burial-place which can be attributed to the neolithic period is
a barrow at Copt Hill, Houghton le Spring. It appears to have originally
been used for interments during the neolithic age. The original burials
consist of burnt bodies, and the way in which they had been burnt and the
manner of their deposit was of such a nature as to show they were of persons
living in the neolithic age. Secondary burials of the bronze age were also
found, one of which, that of a burnt body, was enclosed in a cinerary urn,
accompanied by a flint scraper. Near the surface was an Anglian burial of an
unburnt body in a cist of stone.
The association of this series of burials, quite distinct in time, is not
probably to be accounted for by their having been of persons who were in any
way connected, or of any sacredness or sentiment attached to the place. A
mound had been thrown up as a memorial to people living in neolithic days,
who were buried there. Sometime afterwards bronze-age folk dwelling in the
locality had made use of an existing barrow for their own burials, and had
enlarged and altered the shape of the original mound ; and still later on,
actuated by the same motives, Anglian settlers had utilised a conspicuous barrow
as a convenient mode of making a monument for their own dead, without the
labour of erecting one. Such a continuance of the use of a burial mound
over different and distant times has occurred elsewhere.
THE BRONZE AGE
The discovery of the uses of metal and the method of smelting and
working it indicates the beginning of a new era of human culture. It is
difficult to over-estimate the importance and value of this discovery. It must
have meant for stone-using man an advance as great as the general use of steam
or electricity in modern times.
One of the most interesting discoveries in Durham of articles be-
longing to this age was made before the year 1812. A hoard of bronze
weapons and implements was found near Stanhope, in the valley of the
Wear, in the western part of the county. An account of the discovery,
written by the Rev. W. Wilson, rector of Wolsingham, and published by the
Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne x in 1 8 1 6, gives some interesting
particulars and some rather amusing speculations as to the nature of the several
components of the hoard. 'They were found,' writes the author 'by a
labourer, upwards of four years ago, in the parish of Stanhope, in the county
of Durham, under some large rough stones casually scattered upon the
pa JEliana, 410. ser. i. 13-16.
200
EARLY MAN
GOLD AULI.T.
HOLLOW GOLD RING.
BRONZE SOCKETED Kxin.
BitoNzt SOCKITID K.MFL.
BRONZE SHAR-READ.
BON SOCKETED AXE.
HALF A CELT MOULD.
BRONZE TANGRD RAIOE.
ARTICLES FOUND IN HEATHERY BURN CAVE. I.
201
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
declivity of a mountain, and covering nearly an acre of land. The place is
at a little distance from the river Wear . . . They had probably been hidden
there by some deserter, and, in my opinion, are the arms, etc., of a single
Roman foot soldier, one of the velites, consisting of five spear-heads or hastae,
in sequences of different sizes, part of a sword, fragments of a pectorale or
breast-plate, together with all the tools or accoutrements for repairing,
sharpening, and burnishing these arms.'
There can be no doubt that this hoard was a deposit of the bronze age,
none of the objects showing any trace of Roman influence. The sword,
leaf-shape spear-heads with their rather pronounced midrib, socketed axes,
gouge, and portions of what may be decorative discs worn on the breast, point,
however, to the later part of that period, when the art of casting and elaborately
finishing articles in bronze had reached its highest development. The whole
find corresponds, to a great extent, with the articles found in Heathery Burn
Cave, and the weapons, etc., are so similar in each case that they might
have come from the same workshop.
The Heathery Burn Cave discovery is justly regarded as one of the most
valuable finds of the bronze age ever made in Britain, and it requires a some-
what detailed description. The cave was situated a little more than a mile to
the north of Stanhope, 800 feet above sea-level, and more than thirty miles
distant from the coast. It opened out from the side of a ravine formed by
Heathery Burn, a small affluent of Stanhope Burn, a tributary of the Wear.
The floor of the cave was about 10 feet above the present level of the burn,
which runs through a narrow and steep-sided gorge, clothed, as it probably
always has been, with wood. The rock here is carboniferous or mountain
limestone, and the cavern has evidently been formed by the chemical and
physical action of water passing through a fissure in it.
As long ago as 1843, when the entrance to the cave was destroyed
in making a tramway, eight bronze rings were found. They were plain in
character, of different sizes, and similar to other rings which have since been
discovered in the cave. They are said to have been placed when found on a
piece of bronze wire.
Further discoveries were made in 1859, and at various intervals between
that year and 1 872, but owing to the discontinuance of the quarrying at the spot
nothing since then has been found. Before the place where the quarrying
ceased was reached all signs of occupation had disappeared; nor is it likely
that anything remains in that part of the cave which has not been explored.
A good many accounts 1 of the cave and its remarkable contents have been
published. The great importance of this discovery consists in the fact that
the objects found in the cave constituted the whole equipment of a family of the
bronze age. Everything which was in the dwelling-place when the occupants
perished, probably by drowning, had remained there undisturbed on the floor
under a layer of stalagmite until the time when the various relics were acci-
dentally found. 2 More remarkable and valuable than the actual remains were
the nature and circumstances of the discovery itself. Other sites have yielded
bronze-age objects in greater numbers and of equally skilful workmanship,
1 Arch. liv. 87-1 14 ; Proc. Soc. Antiq. of Land. (2nd ser.), ii. 127 and v. 426 ; Arch Journal, xix. 358 ;
Geologist, v. 34, 167 ; etc.
* Guide to the Bronze Age Antiquities in the B.M.
2O2
EARLY MAN
BRONZI ARMLIT.
BRONZI ARULIT.
BRONU PIN.
BRONZI Piss.
BRONZI BOTTOM : FRONT AND BACK
BRONZE Due : BACK AND FRONT.
ARTICLES FOUND IN HEATHERY BURN CAVE. IL
203
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
but in no other case has the entire personal property of a family at the moment
when they were living and were dead been found.
With reference to the cave itself it may be explained that its main axis
had a direction nearly north and south, and was, more or less, parallel to the
ravine through which Heathery Burn finds its course. At the south end it
came in contact with a vein of ironstone, which stopped its further extension
in that direction. It then turned abruptly at a right angle to the east, and so
continued for a distance of 65 feet, forming an eastern limb or extension
which had an average width of about 12 feet.
The limestone floor of the cave had become covered with a deposit of
gravel and sand which was not continuous over the entire floor, nor was it of
uniform thickness, the average being about a foot. Above it was a bed of
stalagmite varying in thickness from 3 to 6 inches. The height did not in
any part exceed 10 feet, and in some parts it was much less. The width
varied from 10 feet to 30 feet, but in one part it was only 2 feet.
The following list comprises the most important articles found in the cave:
An armlet of gold of penannular form, with the ends slightly dilated, made by a narrow band
of thin metal, with the edges turned over.
Penannular hollow ring of gold, skilfully made by joining two thin plates, one turned over the
other at the outer edge. This, which is no doubt to some extent an ornamental object, has usually
been found associated with armlets ; its use is uncertain.
Bronze swords, two complete specimens, one of which is broken into three pieces, and a portion
of a third ; they are of the ordinary leaf-shape form, well cast and finished, with handle-plate and
rivet-holes for the attachment of bone or wood to complete the handle.
Bronze spear-heads, eight or more in number, all of leaf-shape pattern, varying in length from
6f inches to n inches. They are very well made, and two are beautiful specimens of graceful
form and good proportion, having a slight rib, which runs on each side parallel to the midrib, or
socket-ridge, which forms a most tasteful addition to them.
Implements, as might be expected, are more numerous than weapons. They consist of several
kinds, namely :
Three knives, two of which have sockets with rivet holes, and a third a tang. One of the
socketed knives is ornamented with six knobs, survivals, no doubt, of the heads of rivets. The tanged
one shows signs of long-continued use on its whetted edges.
One bronze 'razor' with a tang, and the usual triangular-shaped notch with a small perforation
beneath its point. This class of implement may have been used for cutting leather or hides rather
than for shaving, but they more probably served as razors.
At least nineteen socketed axes, which varied in length from 3^ inches to 4 inches. The
larger proportion are decorated with three vertical ribs, a very common feature, which occurs in one
of the axes in the Stanhope hoard. Others are quite plain ; but one has an ornament now and then
met with on socketed axes which suggests the survival of the curved wings of the flanged axe.
Half of a celt mould, a pair of tongs, a waste runner of bronze, and a piece of rough copper,
found in the cave, afford sufficient evidence that these people made their own tools. Some of the
axes were probably cast in the mould, of which one-half was found.
Two small bronze chisels, one socketed, the other having the opposite end pointed as if it were
intended to be used as an awl or borer.
Three socketed gouges, or hollow chisels.
Fifteen or more bronze pins, of lengths varying from 2% inches to 5f inches.
Fourteen or more rings, in addition to the eight already mentioned as having been found in
1 843. They are all quite plain, and of varying sizes and thickness.
Three bronze armlets, and a portion of a fourth. Two of them are penannular with expanding
ends ; the third, however, is of a quite different form, being made of a piece of thin wire doubled
over with a loop in the middle, having the two ends of the wire so bent round as to clasp the loop.
Eight cylindrical hoops of thin bronze, probably armlets. They have been cast in one piece
with great skill, and have on the inside a groove which corresponds to a raised rib running round the
middle of the armlet outside. If they were armlets, of which there cannot be any doubt, they were
probably worn on the upper part of the arm. They are certainly not, as has been suggested, the naves
of chariot wheels.
204
EARLY MAN
PixrotATiD OBJECT or Dm HON.
OIJECT or Dill Hos.
AUU.CT or LIGNITE.
BONE SriNDLt-WHOBL.
BONI IMFLIMENT.
BONE PIN.
BONE PIN.
ARTICLES FOUND IN HEATHERY BURN CAVE. III.
205
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Six discs of bronze, four of which have a diameter of 5f inches and two of sj inches, slightly
convex, with a hole in the centre, a raised rounded moulding at the edge, and four loops at the back
for attachment to some soft material. They are of rare occurrence, and probably formed ornamental
adjuncts to a dress, and were worn as decorations for the breast, serving the same or a similar purpose,
as the bronze plates found in the Stanhope hoard.
Two bronze buttons one ornamented with nine concentric raised ribs on its face, and having
five loops for attachment at the back ; the other having a boss on the upper side and a loop on the
under side.
One bronze finger ring(?) made out of a thin piece of wire, the ends of which, after having
been flattened and widened, have been turned over, the one upon the other.
One bronze cauldron (18 inches high and 14^ inches wide at the mouth), made of three sheets
of metal neatly riveted, and furnished with two massive handles and strengthening frame on the
bottom. It had been used for cooking purposes, and when found had a deposit of carbon upon it.
There were various other objects of metal found above the stalagmite bed which had no relation
to the bronze-age occupants of the cave ; among them was a bronze key, probably Roman, and a
penny of George II.
Implements of stone found in the cave comprise a thick flake of flint 3^ inches long, possibly
used as a strike-a-light. Three other flakes of flint one may have been used as a borer were also
found. There were also a well-shaped circular and perforated piece of limestone, perhaps a spindle-
whorl, and two whetstones.
Ornaments of stone comprised four armlets of lignite, three of which were imperfect ; two
beads formed of stalagmite, a single bead of dark-coloured amber, a long bead of bone, and two small
perforated water-rolled pebbles of stone. There was also a humble necklace of three sea-shells, viz.,
two periwinkles and a small whelk.
Bone and deer's horn implements were rather numerous. They comprised a long, narrow
implement made of the leg-bone of a deer or some such animal, shaped like a modern paper-knife,
of which a number were found. They may have been skinning knives, or perhaps implements used
in weaving for driving back the woof in the manufacture of woven goods. There was also a knife
made from the split and sharpened tusk of a boar. Bone pins in considerable number and one of
lignite were found, of which at least twenty-three have been preserved. They have usually been
manufactured out of the leg-bone of some small animal. There were also found three bone
spindle-whorls, or they may have served as buttons ; also three horse's and two dog's teeth pierced for
suspension, and used as pendent ornaments.
Some enigmatical objects, made from tines and beams of the antlers of the red deer, were
discovered. They are both straight and curved in form, five of them are pierced with three holes,
of which the middle one is larger than those at the ends, and pierces the horn in a direction at right
angles to them. Similar curved articles of deer's horn have been found in lake dwellings of the
bronze age in Switzerland, and in the river Thames. The suggestion has been made that they have
served as the cheek pieces of bridle bits, but this theory lacks proof. Several straight pieces of deer's
antlers perforated at the middle were also found. In addition to the above there were other imple-
ments of bone, horn, etc., the precise use of which cannot be determined. There was no complete
vessel of pottery found, but several small fragments were preserved. It had all been hand-made, and
was principally unornamented, of a pale yellowish tinge with a tendency to red. Some bones,
including three imperfect skulls, of the occupants of the cave, were recovered, and were examined
by Professor Huxley and Mr. Carter Blake. They have unfortunately been lost. 1
There were very numerous remains of animals in the form of bones, horns, tusks, teeth, etc.
Many of the bones had, as usual, been broken in order that the marrow might be extracted. 2
It is evident, judging from the large number and variety of objects found
here, that this cave, damp, dark, and inconvenient as it must have been, was
the dwelling place of several people for a considerable period. It may not
have been the permanent living place of this family, but occupied only on
special occasions and for some special purposes.
In addition to the discoveries in Heathery Burn Cave, and the hoard of
bronze weapons, etc., both in the parish of Stanhope, some other bronze-age
antiquities have been found in various parts of the county. 8
1 Geologist, v. 204.
8 There is a full account of this cave and its remarkable contents in Arch. vol. liv. 871 14.
* Thanks are due, and are hereby accorded, to Mr. Robert Blair, F.S.A., Dr. Sturge, and Mr. E. Wooller
of Darlington for some of the information contained in this list.
206
111
DRINKING CUP FROM SACRISTON.
BRONZE SWORD
FROM RIVER TEES
OPPOSITE
MIDDLESBROUGH.
BRONZE RAPIER-
BLADF. FROM
RIVER TYNE AT
NEWCASTLE.
BRONZE DAGGER
FROM
RIVER TYNE
ABOVE
NEWCASTLE.
BRONZE SPEAR-HEAD
FROM Kl\m TYNJ
ABOVE NEWCASTLE.
BRONZE RAPIER-
BLADE FROM RIVER
TYNE AT
NEWCASTLE.
BRONZE RAPIER-
BLADE FROM RIVER
WEAR AT
CLAXHEUGH.
To fact fap 106.
EARLY MAN
BARNARD CASTLE. A sepulchral urn was found here which is now in the British Museum.
BRANDON. Socketed axe.
BROOMYHOLME. A circular bronze shield with central boss was discovered there, but the finder,
who was unaware of its archaeological value, in order to gratify his friends, cut it up like a
cake and sent to each a slice. The greater part is preserved in the Museum of the Society of
Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is of the usual type of the British shields of the
time, the face covered with concentric, alternate bands of raised ribs and of rows of dots.
CHESTER LE STREET. A bronze axe was found at this place and is now in the Museum of the
Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
DURHAM CITY. A flat copper celt which was found here is now in the British Museum. It is of
the early type, and the composition of the metal, as shown by analysis by Professor Gowland,
contains only a very slight proportion of tin.
ESHWOOD NEAR FiAss. Flanged axe.
FAWNLESS NEAR WOLSINGHAM. Flanged axe.
HARTON. Socketed celt or axe-head, found on the Trow Rocks. It has one loop and longitudinal
ribbed ornamentation. (Information from Mr. Robert Blair, F.S.A.)
HOUGHTON LE SPRING, COPT HILL. An urn 13 inches high, containing burnt bones, and a flint
scraper, found in a barrow, are now in the British Museum. The rim of the urn is decorated
with oblique incised lines.
HOWDEN-LE-\VEAR. Looped palstave, now in the British Museum.
HURBUCK, NEAR LANCASTER. Two stone moulds for casting the plain flat axes were found here.
They are both about the same size (7 J inches by 5^ inches and 3 inches thick) and each contains
the hollows for casting three axes, two on one face and one on the other. The largest axe
would have been 6 inches long and 4$ inches wide at the cutting edge, the smallest 2$ inches
long and I J inches wide.
MEDOMSLEY. Leaf-shape bronze sword, accompanied by two rings used in connection with the
belt. Several bronze articles were also found at another place near Medomsley.
MORDEN CARR. Socketed axe.
PIERCEBRIDGE. Flanged axe.
SOUTH SHIELDS. A flint knife found with an unburnt body in a cist at the Trow Rocks, Westoe,
near South Shields, is now in the British Museum.
SUNDERLAND, HILTON (in river). Socketed axe.
TEESDALE, HOLWICK. In the British Museum there are two jet beads approximately square in
form, and ornamented with series of dots or short dashes arranged in parallel lines so as to
occupy spaces of somewhat elongated lozenge shape.
TRIMDON GRANGE, TRIMDON. Fragment of cinerary urn found in a barrow, and now preserved
in the Greenwell Collection at the British Museum.
RIVER TEES, OPPOSITE MIDDLESBROUGH. A leaf-shape sword with long slot in handle-plate and
four rivet-holes for attachment to handle.
RIVER TYNE, BELOW NEWCASTLE. An extremely fine bronze sword (27^- inches long and ij- inches
wide), the broad tang or handle-plate being pierced with eight holes for securing the handle ;
now in the Greenwell Collection at Durham. A very similar sword, found in the Tyne at
Newcastle, is now in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
RIVER TYNE, KING'S MEADOWS, ABOVE NEWCASTLE. A socketed spear-head, with two lunate
openings in the blade : also a massive dagger (13 inches long) with three rivets and two narrow
ribs running the entire length, one on each side of the curved midrib.
RIVER TYNE, NEWCASTLE. A beautifully shaped rapier blade (19^ inches long), with pronounced
narrow midrib, and two small nicks for attachment to the handle : also a well-shaped rapier
blade (15^ inches long). Two rivets in handle-plate.
RIVER TYNE, ABOVE NEWCASTLE BRIDGE. Large spear-head.
RIVER WEAR, NORTH SHORE, AT CLAXHEUGH, ABOVE SUNDERLAND. A rapier blade, with two rivet
holes in the handle-plate.
BARROWS AND OTHER SEPULCHRAL DEPOSITS
The prehistoric burials in the county of Durham, as is the case with the
implements, weapons, and other traces of early man, appear to belong almost
entirely to the age of bronze, but the burial mound at Copt Hill, Houghton
le Spring, was originally a neolithic barrow, with secondary interments
belonging to the bronze age introduced.
207
HISTORY OF DURHAM
ANGLO-SA:
26
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THE VI CTORIA HI STORY C
IN REMAINS.
REFKRENCI
Inurnwnu 55
Mlcollineou F1nd>
O Sculptured Stonn
A Sundials
TEES & A Y
E COUNTIES OF ENGLAND
ANGLO-SAXON
REMAINS
WITH the exception of sculptured memorial crosses of standing form,
and recumbent grave-covers, complete or in a fragmentary con-
dition, the remains indicating the state of the arts and cultiva-
tion in the present county of Durham during the post-Roman and
the pre-Norman periods, are exceedingly meagre. Of glass vessels only one is
available for description, and bronze ornaments for personal use are very scarce.
Again, in the matter of weapons, with the exception of the valuable hoard
from Hurbuck, there are few to be mentioned. Cemeteries have been found
at Hartlepool and Monkwearmouth directly connected with churches, and at
Darlington where no such connection is apparent, while single burials that
may indicate sites of cemeteries have been brought to light at Castle Eden
and Heworth, 1 which also were probably connected with churches.
The discovery at Darlington, perhaps the most important, was made in
1876, by Mr. Haxby Dougill, a builder of that town, when making excava-
tions for a sewer, to be laid between Dodd Street and Selborne Terrace on
the Greenbank estate, which lies to the north of the parish church. The
importance of the find was fortunately realized by a local antiquary, Mr. J. T.
Abbott,* who made observations on the site, and collected a number of objects
found associated with the burials. About a dozen skeletons of males, females,
and children were found, and, at the head of each, was a small urn, of burnt
clay. The bodies had been laid with the feet to the east. Among the articles
accompanying them were a number of brooches, of various sizes, some of
which showed traces of gilding ; two circular brooches ; a pair of tweezers ;
a number of broken brooches and pins ; and two large cruciform brooches, 8
all of bronze ; also a necklace composed of amber, glass, and stone beads, and
, a chalk object, no doubt a spindle whorl, which may have been round the
neck of one of the persons interred. The weapons found were iron swords
and spear-heads, and two or more iron bosses of shields. The period to
which these articles point is that of the very early Anglian occupation, possibly
before the introduction of Christianity into Northumbria. Three spear-heads
preserved measure respectively loj inches, I2j inches, and 16 inches in
length. They are of the early Anglo-Saxon form, the sockets being split
up to show part of the shaft. The three spear-heads and a fibula are in the
possession of Mr. Edward Wooler of Darlington, the shield bosses are in that
of Canon Greenwell of Durham, and some other objects are in the collection
of Sir John Evans.
1 The rock burial at East Boldon to be referred to below may be mentioned in this connection.
* Mr. Abbott contributed an account of the find to the Nortb-Eastern Independent of Saturday, I February,
1879.
1 Five similar examples are figured on Plate V. of The Induitrial Artt of the Anglo-Saxont, De Baye.
211
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
The cemetery at Hartlepool was discovered in July, 1833, during
excavations in a field called Cross Close, about 150 yards south-east of the
ancient church of St. Hilda, and was possibly connected with the nunnery
over which that saint presided about the middle of the seventh century. 1 It
is a misfortune that no accurate observations were made at the time of the
discovery by any competent archasologist, as many of the stones accompanying
the burials were dispersed and destroyed before their unusual and interesting
character was noticed. Several skeletons were found buried at a depth of
of about 3! feet and lying on the limestone rock. They were laid north
and south with their heads resting on small, square flat stones (hence called
pillow-stones) ; while above the skeletons were other stones of a memorial
character. Of these, only seven complete stones have been preserved;
the number originally found is unknown. Four of them are in the British
Museum, two in the museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, and one is in the Cathedral Library at Durham. They are all
of rectangular form and vary in size, the greatest length being only 1 1 J inches.
Some fragments of another stone of circular form, 13! inches in diameter,
were found. When complete this stone had contained, in incised lines, an
elegant cross, with circular boss in the centre, and circular terminations to the
four arms. A border of lines and sunk circles surrounded the stone, and the
remaining fragments contained most of the letters forming the words
REQUIESCAT IN PACE. The letters are of the Saxon form, the square c being
used.
In referring to these stones, it will be convenient to number them as in
Dr. Haigh's list. 8 Nos. 3, 5, 7 and 8 are in the British Museum. No. 3
is 7^ inches by 5^ inches, and shows a raised cross and border formed by
sinking the field. The cross has semicircular terminations, or half bosses,
at the extremities of the limbs, and a boss at the intersection. Across
the lower part the letters EDILUINI in Saxon minuscules are incised. No. 5
is 8J inches by 7 inches, and has also a raised cross and border formed in
the same manner. The cross is of a very unusual form ; its limbs termi-
nate in steps of two degrees on either side each limb, and the centre boss is
of the lozenge form stepped into four degrees in each angle. On the field
is incised an inscription in five lines in minuscules, ORATE PRO EDILUINI
ORATE PRO UERMUND ET TORTHSUiD, which is remarkable, as it repeats
the names which occur singly on three other stones. No. 7 is 8 inches by
7! inches, and has again the characteristic type of cross, but formed by in-
cised lines only, with the name HANEGNEVB also incised ; the letters are
uncial with the exception of the G, which is minuscule. No. 8 is lof inches
by 8| inches, and has an elegant cross formed of broad double and treble in-
cised lines, the arms ending in circles with outer circles and curious scroll
terminations. The surface is unfortunately damaged, but retains the letters
. . . OUGUID in minuscules. The two fragments of the circular stone, and
No. i on Dr. Haigh's list are lost.
The two rectangular stones preserved at Newcastle (2 and 4) have each
a cross of the same form, in one case in relief, in the other incised. The
1 The fact that the bodies were laid north and south, it has been argued, is against the suggestion that
they were the remains of Christians.
* Brit. Arch. Assoc. Journ. i. 185-196. Arch. xxvi. 497, pi. Hi.
212
w
HARTLEPOOL : GRAVESTONE No. 3.
HARTLEPOOL : GRAVESTONE No. 7.
HARTLEPOOL : GRAVESTONE No. 8.
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
inscription on the former is, in Saxon letters, ORA PRO VERMVND TORHTSVID,
and that on the latter, in runes, the female name HiLDDiGYTH. 1 The stone
at Durham (6) has also a cross in incised lines. In the upper part are the letters
Alpha and Omega, and below is the name BERCHTGYD in minuscule characters.
Further discoveries were made in the year 1838 and also in 1843,
when some pieces of coloured glass and a bone needle were found.
A curious object which accompanied one of the interments is in the
possession of the Rev. Canon Greenwell. It is composed of hard limestone,
and is in the form of the small mortars used for pounding drugs. It measures
7! inches in length and 5 inches in width, and 4$ inches in height. The
interior is 3! inches in diameter, and on one side is a sinking in the rim, no
doubt for the purpose of guiding the passage of the contents when reduced to
a powder. Its general appearance is that of the ' creeing trough ' of later
periods.
The only relic of the cemetery at Monkwearmouth which has been
discovered is the small stone, now in the British Museum, bearing upon it the
name TIDFIRTH,* in runes. This was found in 1834 at a great depth, about
20 feet from the south side of the ancient church of St. Peter, and within the
area of what is called the Manor House, where, probably, was the cemetery
connected with Biscop's Monastery. Tidfirth was the last bishop of Hex-
ham, and was deposed about the year 821. The occurrence of the stone
with his name at Monkwearmouth has been thought to imply that he was
on a journey, possibly to Rome, and having died before his intended
embarkation, was buried there.
Among the bronze ornaments of this period is a curious brooch or
buckle preserved in the museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne and found probably about the beginning of the nineteenth century
(the date has not been recorded), associated with a burial in a rock tomb at
East Boldon, near Sunderland, and was presented to the society by the late
Rev. G. C. Abbes of Cleadon. It is ornamented with three small circular
bosses of gold to enclose polished garnets, one of which is wanting.
The most important series of weapons of this period in the county came
to light in the year 1870, on the farm at Hurbuck, near Lanchester. They
were noticed by the late David Balleny, the owner of the farm, when fishing
in the Smallhope Burn, 2 miles west of Lanchester. 8 The hoard comprised
two swords, four scythes, two tools, one of which resembles a gouge, two
buckles or brooches, without pins, eight axes of different forms, several of
them being of the francisca type, and the pointed butt of a spear shaft,
which is slit up for half its length and retains the rivet which secured it to
the shaft. Of the above articles seventeen are in the possession of
Mr. Edmund Balleny of Little Greencroft, and two axes in that of Canon
Greenwell of Durham. The late Dr. Edward Charlton, of Newcastle, pro-
cured from the hoard one scythe and one axe, the present location of which
is unknown. The two swords are in very different states of preservation ;
the more perfect is an example of the long iron sword or spatha, and is 2 feet
1 1 inches long. The blade is double edged, 2 inches wide at the guard,
1 Brit. Arch. AUK. Journ. \. 185-196.
1 The Priory ofHexbam (Surtee* Soc.), vol. 44, introd. p. zl., and Arch. jERana, vi. 1 96.
8 Arch. Journ. xviii. 67.
213
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
and i inch at the tip. It is entirely of iron and a solid forging, and very
closely resembles a sword found at Canwick Common, near Lincoln. 1 The
guard is of the curved form, the hilt 3 inches long, and the pommel has a
curved base, the knob being solid and heavy in order to counterbalance the
weight of the blade. The attenuated form of the handle indicates that it
was furnished with a leather wrapping or wooden mount. The other sword
is now 28 inches in length, and is much corroded. It has been very highly
finished, and some portions of its polished surface retain considerable traces of
inlaying with gold. All indications of the guard, the hilt, and the pommel
are gone, and it is not unlikely that its original length was as much as
3 feet.
The scythes average 15 inches in length with blades if inches in width.
They have tangs at right angles to the blades, one of which is 4 inches
long, with which they were attached to whatever form of handle was used
to wield them. Two rings are possibly the remains of harness buckles.
The larger one is circular, 3^ inches in diameter, the ends overlap, and are
welded together with a strap, very rudely attached. The smaller one is of
rectangular form, 3^ inches by 2 inches. The two objects for which it is
most difficult to suggest a use are two bars, respectively 18 inches and
1 3 inches in length ; the longer one has a circular section and is pointed at
both ends, a long tapering point at one end and a blunt point at the other.
Its general appearance is that of a modern crowbar. The shorter tool has
also a circular section for the greater portion of its length, f inch in diameter ;
one end is widened out to the extent of an inch and flattened, the other is
also expanded to an inch in width, and resembles a rudely-formed spoon. It
may have been used as a gouge for shaping timber.
The eight axes are of special interest. They vary in form ; some of them
being of the Saxon 8 type, others resemble the francisca. The blade of the
largest axe is of the former kind, and is i o inches in length from the out-
side of the socket to the cutting edge of the blade. This is expanded and
measures 12 inches from one point to the other, with an average width of
an inch. The neck connecting the socket with the blade is f inch wide, and
has an average thickness of f inch. The socket measures if inches width
and depth, and is perforated to accommodate a shaft, of the usual oval form,
2 inches by i inch. Two smaller axes of the same form measure respectively
5! and 6 inches in total length. Another, of the francisca type, is 8 inches
in length, and 2j inches wide on the cutting edge. Two others are of a
similar form.
The last object to be described exactly resembles a miner's pick of the
present day, and was, no doubt, used for similar purposes. It is loj inches
long, pointed at both ends, and perforated in the centre to accommodate a shaft
2 inches by i inch. Viewed from the side, it is fashioned to a curve of about
i foot in radius ; while at the centre, the socket is expanded to a depth of
ij inches.
Of the two axes in Canon Greenwell's possession, one is of the Saxon
type, and is 9! inches long from the extremity of the socket to the edge of
1 Social England, i. 259. Notes to Illus. p. xxi.
8 Richard F. Burton, The Book of the SworJ, p. 94, fig. 98 ; Kemble, Horte Feraks, pi. 26 and 27,
pp. 207-208. Akerman's Pagan SaxonJom, pi. xxiii. ; Inventarium Sepulchrale passim, Lindenschmit Altertkummer,
vol. ii. heft iii. tof. 2 ; Lindenschmit, Handbuch, pt. i. 192-3 ; Demmin, Arms and Armour, 155.
214
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ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
the blade. The blade measures 12 inches in length. The axe of the fran-
cisca form is 5^ inches long and 3^ inches wide at the cutting edge, this
being set at an angle of 21 degrees to the axial line. Remains of the
wooden handle are in the socket.
In the excavation that was undertaken on the site of the destroyed portion
of the Chapter House at Durham in 1 874, an iron spear-head, coated with gold,
was found in association with one of the burials at a lower level than that at
which the bishops were interred. It therefore belonged to an interment of
the period between 995 and 1083. Such a spear was a common accom-
paniment of a male burial of the period. It measures 7 inches in length
and I*, inches in width. The socket is I inch in diameter, and retains the
rivets and a part of the shaft. It is preserved in the Cathedral Library, Durham.
Only one glass vessel of the Anglo-Saxon period is known to have been
found in the county. It is of singular interest and beauty, and was discovered
in 1775 at Castle Eden by some workmen employed in uprooting a hedge
about 100 yards from the bridge which spans the burn dividing the
church from the castle. It was associated with a burial, and the con-
temporary description of the find states that ' The mouth of the vase was
applied to a human skull, so near the surface, as to leave the bottom of the
vase exposed in the gutter of the hedge, the body had been deposited
horizontally with the head towards the east and had been covered with a
heap of common field stones. The labourer represented the skull and bones
as appearing entire ; but he was prevented by the clergyman of Castle Eden
from making any further research. The ground was, however, again opened
soon after by Mr. Burden's directions ; and a cavity was discovered beneath
the cairn, or heap of stones, large enough to contain a body of ordinary
dimensions, with a quantity of deep coloured soil, the remains probably of
the bones which had mouldered on the admission of the air. The vase was
full of earth, and, when emptied, appeared to retain a subtle, aromatic smell.'
It may be added that the place of discovery is almost exactly opposite the
spot where the grant of William de Thorp fixes the cemetery of the ancient
chapel of St. James in the twelfth century : ' Costera sub cemeterio.'
This glass cup, which belongs to a well-known type, is quite isolated in
the north of England and deserves more than a passing notice. It is in
excellent preservation, and its blue colour is somewhat exceptional, glass of the
period being generally of an amber yellow or an olive green. Several examples
are included in the national collection, but it is very seldom that a specimen is
found entire. Continental examples from the Rhine valley and Normandy
have long been known, and it would be unwise to claim an exclusive Anglo-
Saxon origin for them, though many have been found in Kent and our
southern counties, and fragments have been obtained as far north as Northants. 1
Of itself the Durham specimen proves nothing as to the tribal connections of
the inhabitants during the sixth and seventh centuries, as it might easily have
been obtained by commerce, or in a raid on the south ; but it should always
be borne in mind that the so-called Anglian cinerary urns practically cease at
the Yorkshire border. It would be interesting, however, to derive some clue as
to the earliest Anglo-Saxon occupants of what is now Durham from the contents
of the graves. In this connection it may be noticed that though at Darlington
1 y. C. H. Northants, \. 244.
215
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
the skeletons lay with their feet at the east end of the grave, obviously
Christian interments in the cemetery of Hartlepool nunnery were north and
south. The presence of weapons and grave furniture in the former case
seeming to imply that the east-and-west burials at Darlington were not those
of Christian converts. Orientation may eventually prove of importance in
determining the date and character of Anglo-Saxon burials.
A curious coincidence should be mentioned in connection with a barrow
(grave-mound) at Cambois, Northumberland. With a burial were found an
enamelled bronze brooch and part of a bone comb, 1 which can be approxi-
mately dated. Many combs of this kind, with a stout handle tapering to the
head of the comb, and one row of teeth, are to be seen in the York Museum,
and can be assigned with little hesitation to the Danish period. Apart from
this association it would be difficult to place the brooch, which has a flat
circular centre enclosing a bird, apparently with a branch in its beak, the
ground being filled with blue, green, and white enamel of the c&/eve kind.
Round the centre, but on a lower level, is a band of embossed work, probably
meant for running-scrolls. Another, modelled perhaps from the same original,
but further from the prototype, and somewhat debased and smaller was pro-
bably found on the site of Hyde Abbey, near Winchester, well-known as the
burial place of Alfred. The enamel colours are somewhat indistinct, but the
design is the same, and the diameter is about if inches. 8 That these two
enamelled brooches were of Danish manufacture is not probable, and they
may be English work, or have come from Gaul or the Rhine district, where
the bird was in use as a Christian symbol.
The only hoard of coins of this period which has been discovered in
the county was a small one of about a dozen pieces, found while digging
a grave in the burial ground attached to the chapel at Heworth, near Gates-
head, about the year 1822. They were contained in a curiously shaped
vessel of coarse earthenware, poorly glazed, 2j inches high and 2 J inches in
diameter in its widest part. The mouth measures if inches by i inch
inside, and is formed into a rudely formed lip. Opposite to the lip a broken
patch seems to indicate that the vessel was originally supplied with a handle
in the form of a hook. It may be generally described as somewhat resem-
bling a small cream jug. In two places blackened patches show that it had
been in contact with fire. The coins are of bronze, of the type known as
stycas, and are all of the reign of Ecgfrith (670685). On the obverse they
bear the letters, + ECGFRID REX, and on the reverse the single word LVX ; inter-
spersed with these three letters are a number of radiating lines which may
represent the rays of the sun. The Rev. John Hodgson, 8 in exhibiting one
of the coins at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, conjectured that the motto LVX was either complimentary to the
character of Ecgfrith, or as an allusion to the flourishing state of Christianity
during his reign.
Mr. LongstafFe mentions four silver pennies of Alfred's time, found at
Gainford about 1865.* They were then in the possession of the Rev. J.
Edleston, and were discovered together outside the north-west angle of the
chancel of Gainford church.
1 Both are in the British Museum. V. C. H. Hants, i. 397.
8 Arch. sESana, i. 1 24, pi. vi. * Ibid. vi. 233-4.
316
GLASS VESSEL FOUND AT CASTLE EDEN IN 1775.
To fatt fag, 216.
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
SCULPTURED STONES
The county of Durham contains a very large number of architectural
and sculptured remains of the period. In this section, only the sculptured
stones which are of a memorial character will be dealt with. Those which
are clearly architectural details will be referred to in the section on archi-
tecture. The art of the memorial stones may be said to be entirely of
Christian character. The earlier examples are the more beautiful, and dis-
tinctly of the Anglian school ; while the later are manifestly inferior both in
design and execution. Dealing in detail with the various stones it will be
convenient to adopt a topographical and alphabetical arrangement.
Auckland, In the church of St. Andrew, commonly called South
Church, is a very interesting collection, nearly the whole of which was
taken out of the walls of the south transept at the time it was rebuilt in
1 88 1. The existence of these stones in the walls of this part of the church
is a fact of some interest, as the transept was an extension of an earlier
building, and was built upon a portion of the ancient burial-ground on the
south of the older church. The crosses, therefore, were probably in situ
when the extension was made, and were broken up and used in the walls as
building material.
Five of the fragments belong, apparently, to the same memorial, and
may conveniently be described together. They consist of a portion of the
pedestal or base-stone which carried the shaft and cross, the latter being
represented by three other pieces. The base was apparently split up into
eight portions for use as walling stones. Of these, three remain, and show
the width and height of the original. There is considerable ' batter ' on all
four sides, and a triple bead-moulding is carried round the upper angles and
down the sides to the termination of the figure subjects. The side which is
most perfect contains three nimbed figures, the centre one of which has a
book in the left hand, with the right hand raised and the two first fingers
pointing towards the figure on the left. Of the two outer figures one has
the right hand raised, and the other the left, the open hand points to the
central figure. 1 Portions of two of the returned faces remain, each containing
the greater part of a nimbed figure.
The two pieces of the shaft of the cross show that it was one of great
interest and beauty, and has higher artistic merits than any other example of
like work in the county. A small portion of the bottom of one of the sides,
when compared in its width with the much larger fragment, indicates that
the shaft was a lofty one and that the greater part of it is wanting. This
comparison, assisted by the arrangement of the sculpture on the Bewcastle
cross, shows pretty clearly that the larger fragment came from near the top
of the shaft. The front and back of the shaft have pictorial subjects in
panels, the upper of which in each case is almost entire and has a semicircular
head. Each contains two figures, of which one holds in his hand a sceptre
tipped with three balls; another, in the other picture, a scroll rolled up.
The drapery of the figures represented with raised hands, flows over the arm
in easy folds, while the vestment in another case is enriched with bands
1 The Rev. J. F. Hodgson conjectures that the scene is one of the later events in the life of our Lord.
Arch. jEliana, xz. 30.
I 217 28
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
containing lines of raised pellets. Below are portions of two other subjects.
One of these is a Crucifixion with three nimbed figures having curled hair
like that of the evangelists in the Lindisfarne Gospels, and of David in the
Durham Cassiodorus. 1 This is important as suggesting that this memorial
is probably as early as c. 700. In any case it seems to belong to the very
best period of Anglo-Saxon sculpture. Over the head of the figure of our
Lord is a square panel with the letters p A s, an abbreviation of ' passus est,'
the final letter being of the Greek form as used in the pictures of the
evangelists in the Lindisfarne Gospels. The angles are treated with the
usual triple bead, the outer bead being worked into a cable moulding. 8 These
beads are carried across the shaft as divisions between the subjects. Both
sides are ornamented with a very finely sculptured rolling scroll, similar to
those on the stones at Jarrow, Jedburgh, Bewcastle, Ruth well, Easby and
elsewhere. The whorls enclose animals and birds, which are represented in
all cases as eating the fruit which forms the terminations of the various stems.
At the lower termination on one side is the upper part of a human figure,
the upraised hands of which hold a bow and arrow, pointed at one of the
animals. The small fragment which formed the foot of one of the sides has
upon it the commencement of a scroll of that peculiar expanded form which
occurs at Bewcastle and Ruthwell. Standing upon this is a figure repre-
sented as ascending, only the feet and legs of which remain.
Another stone is an almost perfect example of a horizontal grave-cover,
or possibly a headstone. It is a rectangular slab 2 feet 6 inches by I foot
8j inches, and has upon it a cross, the head of which is of the square patee
form. At the intersection of the arms is a boss, and the arms and the stem
are covered with shallow knot- work. In the spaces on either side of the
shaft are long shallow knots with double cords. Above the arms are ten
raised pellets in each space, probably meant to represent stars. 1
Ayclijfe. There have been found here twelve fragments of cross-shafts
and headstones, (i) A small head or foot stone, 1 6 inches high, 1 1 inches
wide, and 7 inches thick, now deposited in the museum of Archaeology and
Ethnology, Cambridge. The sides are tapered and the head is semicircular.
The edges are worked with flat knot-work, very much decayed ; the front
and back have each two nimbed figures of full height. They are represented
as clad in short tunics, hollowed or raised above the knees ; the legs are
bare, the hands folded and pressed on the breast. The faces are thin and of a
pointed oval form, around which the hair is indicated. One of the figures
holds an object with a trefoil pointed end, possibly a lily. As the two figures
are slightly different in height they may possibly be intended to commemorate
two children, (ii) A small semicircular headstone measuring 1 3 inches high,
14^ inches wide, and 6 inches thick, has on either face a cross of the Anglian
form, raised on a sunk ground. At the intersection of the arms is a circular
boss. A single cord passes over the whole, and is knotted at each termination
in three loops. The angles are beaded, and the same design occurs on both
faces, while carried round the edge of the stone is a flat-knotted band of a
1 Dur. Cath. Libr. MSS. B. II. 30.
s Rev. G. F. Browne (the bishop of Bristol), Magazine of Art, part 52, pp. 156-7.
3 Similar pellets occur on a stone, clearly of early Saxon date, at Simondburn in Northumberland, and on
the tympanum of an early Norman doorway at Wold Newton in Yorkshire, where they are associated with an
annular object probably intended to represent the moon. Keyser, 'Norman Tympana and Lintels, fig. 1 6.
218
7
;
:
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o
s.
2 t
C/3 <
r<>/ /j^, us
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
single cord, (iii) A fragment of the arm of a cross of Anglian form. It has
knot-work of simple character on the two faces and the end of the arm.
(iv) A piece of a cross-shaft 12 inches by 9 inches by 5^ inches, having the
lower portions of two figures, and beneath them the head and part of the
twisted body of a monster. One edge has a well-cut double plait, the other
a single plait, (v) Another exhibits on one side two nimbed figures with
their hands clasped, and on the other an eagle preening its feathers. The
edges have well-cut knot-work, (vi) Another has portions of only two
sides decipherable. One side has two figures precisely similar to the last,
while a simple flat knot occurs on the other, (vii) A fragment which has
been worked for a window sill and only shows its original use on one side.
This has been divided into panels, each containing knot-work. One of these
has a large, complicated plait, of which but a portion remains, while below
it is a narrow panel crossing the shaft, with a simple four-cord knot, (viii) A
fragment used to form the bowl of a thirteenth-century piscina. It has a
delicate and finely worked six-cord plait on one side, but from the other the
original ornament has been obliterated.
All the above stones, except that now at Cambridge, are lying in the
porch or the churchyard, and were taken out of the walls of the church
during the restoration of 18812.
(ix, x) Built into the south wall of the chancel, inside, are two frag-
ments, the larger of which has two panels, each containing two figures of
similar character to those already described. The other, much smaller, is
part of a broader stone which has had panels, each containing three
figures. Only the heads of one triplet and the feet of another have survived.
(xi, xii) In the churchyard are the remains of two large and important
crosses. One stands just outside the south door of the chancel, and the other
some yards to the south-west of it. The base stone of the former is ancient,
and the lower part of the shaft appears never to have been removed from it.
The shaft is now complete for its whole length, and the only portions wanting
are the arms or keys of the cross-head. About 1845 the upper part of this
cross and the remaining portion of the shaft of the other, which was originally
very much larger and sculptured in a better manner, were used as lintels over
openings in the tower of the thirteenth-century church. They were subse-
quently erected inside the tower, 1 but some years ago the upper portion of
the smaller cross was added to the piece of the shaft in the base in the
churchyard,* and the shaft of the larger one fixed into a modern base stone.
The dimensions of the more perfect cross are : base stone, 2 feet 3 inches by
I foot 9 inches by 2 feet ; shaft, 5 feet 1 1 inches high/ and the base to the
top i foot 5 inches wide and 7 inches thick. On the south side the greater
portion of the shaft is occupied with a design in which two monsters with
their heads downwards and having prominent snouts and ears arc involved
with interlacing bands which originate in the feet of the monsters. Rising
to the head they form a large number of irregular loops, and returning down-
wards seem to terminate in the mouths of the beasts. The central part of the
crosshead is a large circular disc, and is treated similarly on both sides. The
cross symbol is emphasised by the disc being divided into four portions, each
> Arch. Journ. iii. 259-261. * LongstafFe, History of DarGagfon, 215.
1 Trans. Dur. Northumb. Arch. Sat. iii. 5 I .
219
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
of which is filled with a ' triquetra.' These are connected together so that
the whole forms a large and symmetrical circular interlacement. The north
side has at the foot a band of fine plait-work crossing it ; above this, in a
panel almost square, is a curiously drawn centaur. The right arm grasps a
spear, while the left is turned back along the body and grasps the tail. This,
above the point where it is held by the hand, is formed into a knot of seven
loops. In the longer panel above are two monsters with their heads upwards,
having in the mouths of each two balls, while between the heads are two
rings. The necks are in each case divided into two, thus forming four bands
which interlace over the whole panels in a much more regular manner than
similar bands on the opposite side. In the remaining upper arm of the cross
is a piece of simple knot-work. The two side arms were cut off to adapt the
' stone for use as a lintel. The side facing west has a monster with its head
downwards and its body rising in undulations to the top, returning to the
bottom again and forming a knot in the spaces left by the undulations.
The other cross-shaft is clearly very much reduced from its original
height, as the upper part is wanting. The remaining portion is 4 feet
9 inches in length. It is worthy of notice that the sides have hardly any
taper as they rise. On the side now facing east are four panels : the lower
contains a Crucifixion, the cross of which has rectangular arms and head.
The body of our Lord is represented standing on the ground with the face
turned to the left. Beneath are the two soldiers, the one to His right
holding a spear, the other an annular object on a long shaft, representing
the sponge or cup. In the spaces above the arms of the cross the sun and
moon are shown. The panel above is a transverse band, containing knot-work ;
over it is a larger panel with three nimbed figures all alike, their feet turned
sideways to the right and the hands clasped on the breast. They wear long
tunics which descend almost to the ankles, with girdles somewhat below the
waist. The remaining portion of the upper panel has the tails of two
monsters, which curling outwards are reduced to bands which entangle the
bodies. On the opposite side, now facing west, are four divisions, the lowest
a transverse band of knot-work, above which are three equal panels, the first
containing three figures all alike with feet pointing outwards. They wear
girdled tunics, and the hands are bound with cords. What is apparently a
nimbus may be a cord binding the heads, as it is a continuous band passing
from one to the other. The panel contains above this two figures only,
similarly vested and bound. The cord (?) passing over the heads is looped
into three loops between the heads and beyond them. In the uppermost
panel are two figures, their heads unfortunately much shattered. Each one
holds in his hand a weapon in an inclined position with the point to the
right. One weapon looks like a mace and another a spear. They are
habited very differently from the other figures, the skirts of their tunics
having loose folds and scallops. No doubt the whole six panels have a
symbolical meaning, and the two figures holding weapons may be meant
to represent soldiers guarding the five bound figures below them. 1
The two sides are very differently treated : that now facing south has
three divisions, the lowest containing two four-legged creatures with long
1 The Rev. W. S. Calverley attempts to show that the sculptures on some of the crosses represent subjects
described in the heathen sagas. Arch. Journ. xl. 143 ; P. C. H. Cumb. i. 266.
220
i
3
U
x
u
a
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X
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I
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U
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
bodies, the legs and tails of which form interlacing bands, hampering the
bodies, which are strikingly similar to those which occur so frequently in the
illuminations in the Lindisfarne Gospels and other contemporary manuscripts.
The division above contains a crucified figure with the head downwards.
The head and arms of the cross are rectangular and very broad. The feet
are placed facing outwards and the tunic is long and girdled. Above this is
a division containing knot-work. On the other side the lower panel has
been obliterated. In the upper portion are two panels of well-designed and
skilfully-executed knot-work.
EUlingham. Built into the walls of the tower of the church are several
pieces of cross-shafts with sculpture of this period. Three of these can be
identified among the larger stones on the south side. They are, however, in
such an advanced state of disintegration on the exposed surfaces that unless
they are removed from the walls no accurate description of them is possible.
In the porch of the same church is a very beautiful fragment of sculpture,
but as this is an architectural detail it will be dealt with in the description ot
the church.
In the British Museum is a fragment of an interesting small grave-
cover of the Hartlepool type, which originally measured about 10 inches by
14 inches. The cross border lines and letters are all incised. The cross has
semicircular terminations to the arms, and no doubt had a circle at the inter-
section. In the upper part of the field were the letters A and n in large
Roman Capitals. The A only remains. In the border, between incised
lines, was an inscription in uncials, of which only the letters ORATE PRO
p . . . remain. In the more perfect arm of the cross are some other and
smaller letters, forming apparently the word nimbus.
In the cathedral library, Durham, is a small stone from Billingham. It
is sculptured on all its four sides. On one face a seated figure is represented
as resting on a straight plank, great prominence being given to the knees. 1
Beneath the figure are small remains of some scroll foliage of an unusual type.
On the opposite face the only remaining details are the legs of a human
figure, ' representing probably part of the figure of our Lord upon the cross.'
A third side has portions of two panels of good knot-work, and the remaining
side has a creature resembling a bird.
Chester le Street. The church here contains in its walls some portions of
pre-Conquest work, and from time to time numerous pieces of sculpture have
been found. A number of these stood for many years in the porch,
and about 1882 one of the finest disappeared and has been searched for in
vain. The largest of the stones is in the room above the * anchorage.' It
is the base stone of a memorial cross and measures 2 feet 3 inches in height,
i foot 7 inches in width, and i foot 4 inches in depth. The sinking, to
contain the foot of the cross-shaft, measures 14 inches by loj inches by
3 inches, and in the centre of the bottom of it is a dowel hole 2 inches in
diameter and 4 inches deep. The stone is rectangular and its sides are
vertical. It is fortunately entire, except that the sculpture has been cut away
from one of its sides. On the face a scene is represented which is thus
1 Haverfield and Greenwell, Cat. Sculptured and Inuribtd Stones Dur., 95, No. xxix. This curious treat-
ment of the knees is observable in the representation of the human figure at this period both on stones and in
illuminations. It is particularly noticeable in the tenth century MS. of Cacdmon's Metrical Paraphrase.
Arch. vol. xxiv., pi. is. z. etc.
221
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
described by the bishop of Bristol. 1 ' The main subject must represent our
Lord fulfilling the promise that the seed of Eve should bruise the serpent's
head. On the highly interesting stone at Dereham in Cumberland 2 there
are three figures in a row, under semicircular arcades, with a gross serpent
rolling under their feet, the right foot of the dexter figure on the creature's
mouth. At Kirkdale the serpent lies beneath the feet of the Saviour on the
cross. At Chester le Street, as elsewhere, the serpent becomes a dragon, and
the form of dragon selected here is of the deer-shaped type, with huge teeth.
Its attitude betokens overthrow, while still it rears its neck and tries to tear
the feet which trample on its head. One fore leg seems to be helpless in the
corner of the panel, the other is held up under the head and is hampered
by the tail. . . . The figures on each side of our Lord may have either
of the meanings, while it is quite possible that they may mean something very
different from both. ... If the dexter figure has a cock's head and the
similar figure the head of the fox they will represent pride and avarice, two
of the sins which have been named as slaying our Lord.' 3 The opposite side
has had two large holes cut in it. The remaining surface contains an inter-
laced design of a very rude and irregular character. The remaining side has
a bold example of interlacing bands, in the upper part of which an indepen-
dent circle occurs.
The other stones are collected in the Parochial Institute, which
is on the opposite side of a lane to the west of the church. Four of these
are portions of cross-shafts, and are placed on small wooden pedestals against
the east wall of the room. The one at the south end measures 33 inches by
10 inches by 8 inches. The sides exhibit various patterns of plaited cords of
flat and somewhat coarse workmanship. The next stone, measuring 30 inches
by i ij inches by 8jinch.es, has on the front a tolerably well cut four-cord
plait, the cords being double. The sides have four-cord twists. The angles
are worked with a cable moulding.
The next is a more important relic than any of the others, as it contains
a figure subject, consisting of a mounted warrior on whose left arm is a large
circular shield with a well-developed boss.* Above him are the heads of two
dragons, pointing downwards towards the horseman. Above their bodies and
partly upon them are the letters E A D M v N r>, the M and N being runes.
Bishop Browne remarks that this subject represents the evil spirits being
withstood by the Scandinavian hero, as on the cross at Gosforth in Cumber-
land. The two panels below are boldly executed but ill designed, with
interlacements of circular form independent of one another, the upper one
having two concentric and independent circles, with an endless band interlaced
with them, while the lower one consists of a circle with two pairs of diagonal
bands, the ends of which interlace with an independent circle. The bands
are all double. The sides have four-cord plaits of a design which occurs in
various places, as at Brescia, Hexham, Ripon, 6 Hart, etc.
The last of these cross-shafts measures 25 J inches by loj inches by
8j inches, and has on the upper part of the face for about half its length a
1 Blunt, A Thousand Tears of the Church in Chester le Street, 185.
2 V. C. H. Cumb. i. 276. Blunt, of. fit. 185. * Arch. Mliana, x 88.
6 Romilly Allen, Analysis of Celtic Interlaced Ornament: Proc. Sac. Ant. Scot. xvii. 225 sqq. fig. 123;
Cattaneo, Architecture in Italy, Engl. ed. 151.
222
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
four-cord divided plait, the rest of the surface being left plain. The ornament
on the other three sides has been chiselled away.
Lying in one corner of the room are a large number of detached frag-
ments of various dates. Ten of these are pre-Norman. The largest and
most important is half of the base stone or pedestal of a standing cross. It is
27 inches high and 18 inches wide, and the depth of the remaining
portion is 12 inches. The front is occupied by a large cross of the patee
form, the centre of which is emphasised by an incised circle. Above it is a
transverse band of knot-work, the upper portion of which has been cut away.
The dexter side bears two human figures which Bishop Browne assumes to
represent the Salutation or the Return of the Prodigal, for one of the figures
is kneeling with head bent down. The sinister side has a monster or dragon
with twisted body and a tail placed in the mouth. The remaining fragments
are : (i) a piece 12 inches by 8 inches carved with a lacertine monster; (ii) a
piece of a cross-shaft 16 inches by 12 inches by 9 inches, on one side a rudely-
drawn nondescript animal, on the others simple knot-work very much worn ;
(iii) fragment of a cross-head 1 2 inches by 1 1 inches by 6 inches, containing
cross knot-work with double cords ; (iv) piece of a shaft 1 1 inches by 8 inches
by 6 inches with knots on its four sides, similar to that on the lower panel of
the 'Eadmund' stone; (v) a piece of shaft n inches by 7 inches by 9 inches
long, knot-work on two of its sides, a key pattern on another, and a lacertine
monster on the last; (vi) a fragment 16 inches by 1 1 inches by 7 inches, with
large knots coarsely worked on two sides, the other two surfaces broken away;
(vii) a fragment 1 5 inches by 1 1 inches by 7$ inches has on the face a four-
cord plait divided, on the side is a simple looped cord, the angles worked
with a cable moulding; (viii) a fragment 15 inches by 9^ inches by
6J inches, knot-work on three of its sides, on the other a triple spiral
figure and circles in the unoccupied angles. The last fragment (ix) is a
portion of a sundial, which will be dealt with among the other sundials.
Coniscliffe. There was a church here in Anglo-Saxon days dedicated in
honour of St. Edwin. Traces of this building are to be found in several
fragments of sculptured crosses built into the present church, which dates
from the last years of the twelfth century. On the north side of the tower
is a small fragment 8 inches by 6 inches, the exposed face of which shows a
few loops of an undivided plait design. On the west side of the tower, about
1 5 feet from the ground, is a stone 1 6 inches by 5 inches on the face, appa-
rently a portion of the upper part of one side of a cross-shaft. A bead is run
round its angles, and the design upon it begins with a four-cord plait, which
after making four or five crossings changes into a series of interrupted knots,
of which two remain.
A more interesting and important relic is an early grave-cover, which is
built in, face downwards, as a lintel in the western window in the third stage
of the tower. The visible portion is 2 feet 6 inches long, 1 1 inches wide at
one end and 10 inches at the other. One part of its surface is covered with
a four-cord plait, without breaks, divided from which by three transverse
beads is a pair of shears 9 inches long, of the form used to indicate the burial
of a female, and a design consisting of a series of sunk triangles placed alter-
nately point to base in parallel rows, a design commonly used in surface
ornament in the Norman period. This is the only instance which has come
223
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
under the writer's observation of the shears occurring in association with
ornament which in all probability is anterior to the middle of the eleventh
century.
Darlington. In the fine church of St. Cuthbert are preserved the heads
of two pre-Conquest crosses. The larger one is complete and retains a part
of the upper portion of the shaft, showing that the head and shaft were all
worked out of one stone. Both sides are alike and have a raised boss in their
centres. The form of the head is Anglian, and is ornamented with a double
continuous band which, passing the boss, is carried into each of the four
arms, where it forms triquetras. The smaller fragment has lost two of the
arms. The raised boss is larger than in the other cross and the interlacing
band is single but similarly treated.
Dinsdale. Eight fragments of pre-Conquest crosses are built into the
walls of the porch of this church. Amongst them are two cross-heads, one
of which has two birds upon it, and the other interlacing designs. One
portion of a cross-shaft shows the lower part of a panel containing two human
figures. In the chancel is the greater part of a hog-backed stone of exactly
the same type as the stones found at Brompton in Allertonshire, Arncliffe in
Cleveland, and Sockburn. At either end is the large muzzled bear, while on
the sides are three separate square panels, each containing two pointed loops
interlaced. 1 Along the top is a simple square fret. In the lower part of
each side is a semicircular-headed recess, which occurs on similar stones at
Brompton and Sockburn, and very conspicuously on that from Arncliffe ; * its
purpose has yet to be explained. 8 In the churchyard is the lower portion of
the shaft of a large memorial cross, fixed in the ground. It bears coarsely
executed interlaced designs on a large scale. On the side facing west is the
unusual feature of a compartment in the form of a heater-shaped shield,
containing a curious design with triquetra terminations and small isolated
bosses. A somewhat similar feature occurs on one of the stones at Sockburn.
Lying near to this cross is a huge and rudely worked stone coffin with
its lid complete. There is little doubt that this is of pre-Conquest date.
The lid is slightly coped and along its ridge is a large plain cross in high
relief.*
Durham. In the city of Durham two distinct groups of pre-Conquest
stones have been brought to light. These groups are both of unusual
importance and interest and stand out in marked contrast to the other small
and isolated fragments which have been from time to time discovered, but
which have no connection with these two series. The tradition which has
come down from Leland's time, of the bearers of St. Cuthbert's body bringing
with them a carved stone cross from Lindisfarne 6 and setting it up at
Durham, no doubt rests on a foundation of fact, but the identification of this
particular cross with one in the wall of St. Oswald's church must now be
regarded as an archaeological error of the last century. St. Oswald's church, on
the evidence of no less than five pre-Conquest crosses found in its walls
and vicinity, appears to have bad a predecessor, at a date anterior to the
1 Proc. Sac. Antiq. Neivtast/e-on-Tyne, ix. 62. Haverfield and Greenwell, of. cit. iz6, No. bciv.
8 Canon Greenwell suggests that these recesses are meant to indicate the doorways of man's last house,
which the hog-backed stone is believed to typify.
* Hodges, Refyuary, New ser. p. 79. ' f Symeon of Durham (Rolls Ser.), i. 101.
224
BILLINGHAM : FRAGMENT OF GRAVESTONE, NOW IN BRITISH MUSEUM.
ST. OSWALD'S, DURHAM :
PORTION OF CROSS-SHAFT.
JARROW : FRAGMENT OF CROSS-SHAFT IN NORTH PORCH.
DURHAM : COPED GRAVE COVER IN CATHEDRAL LIBRARY.
To fact ffft 124,
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
arrival of the congregation of St. Cuthbert and the building of the first
church on the plateau.
The most important of these crosses was built into the west wall of the
fifteenth-century tower of the existing church and was in two pieces. One
piece was removed from the church to the Cathedral Library in 1880. A
few years later another portion of the same cross was taken from the tower,
and these two were found to fit each other. In 1895 the other stones
forming this group were taken out of the wall of the churchyard which
divides it from Church Street. 1 As there can be no question of their early
date, the finding of those additional examples is an important factor in the
history of this portion of the city. The ornamentation on the largest cross
is well executed and extends to all four faces. Two of the designs exhibit
the lacertine monsters already referred to in other cases. One of these has
two beasts, their heads respectively pointing upwards and downwards, their
bodies contorted, and the limbs and tails elongated into bands, which are
interlaced with, and hamper, the bodies. On the opposite side the lowest
panel also has two somewhat similar monsters, but differently treated. Their
bodies are crossed saltire-wise and their heads and tails roll inwards in a
spiral form. The remaining panels contain interlaced designs similar to those
of the local type. Another cross-shaft is 4 feet 1 1 inches long, i foot 6 inches
wide and 9 inches thick. The lower portion of the cross-head remains, and
as the shaft is complete at the foot it is evident that the whole was worked
out of one stone, and when complete would be about 8 feet in height.
The knot-work is flatly executed and is of simple but effective character.
The two sides are alike and contain two groups, each of them independent
circles, through which four bands are plaited and joined at their ends. One
of the narrow sides has five parallel bands interlaced at either end and at two
intermediate places. The other side has similar bands treated somewhat
differently. The angles have a bead moulding, which is double on the two
broader sides. Another cross, of practically the same size, also containing
the lower portion of the head, has on either of its sides a single ornamented
panel consisting of two complete circles through which are passed diagonally
four bands joined at their ends. The sides are plain. A small fragment of
the head of a cross is I foot 10 inches long and 9 inches wide. It seems to
be the upper and lower arm, and is ornamented with knot-work. In the
centre is a raised boss. A fragment of a cross-shaft, 8 inches high, has a
portion of one side and the half of the two faces. It is ornamented with
knot-work of the local type. It was found loose under the ' Black Staircase '
at Durham Castle, and there is no record of its previous history.
The most important find of sculptured stones in the city of Durham occurred
in the spring of 1891, when the foundations of the eastern portion of the
Chapter House, part of which had been erected during the episcopate of Geoffrey
Rufus (1133-1140), and destroyed in 1796, were taken up to be replaced
with new foundations. It is known that the cemetery of the monks was in
the open ground to the south of the quire, and east of the Chapter House,
and occupied the same spot as the cemetery of the old congregation of
St. Cuthbert, which occupied the church at Durham from 995 to 1083.
l Haverficld and Greenwell, tf. (it. 73, 78 ; Trani. Dur. Ntrthumb. Arch. Sor. iii. 32 and plate ; iv. 281,
pi. 1-4.
1 225 29
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
The east end of the Chapter House encroached on the site of the cemetery,
and the memorial crosses and grave covers must have been broken up and
used in the foundations of the new building. They consist of the heads,
more or less complete, of four crosses, the greater portion of a large coped
grave cover, broken into three pieces, and a smaller grave cover, with a cross
in relief upon it. The accompanying illustrations render a minute description
unnecessary. It will
be convenient to
mention them in the
same order as that in
which they occur in
the Durham Cata-
logue. 1
(A) This is the
largest and most com-
plete of the series.
The head, which is of
the Anglian type, has,
within a circle in the
centre of one face,
the Holy Lamb, re-
presented as standing
in front of a cross
fixed in a base on the
ground. In front of
the lamb is a circle,
the meaning of which
is obscure, unless it is
meant to represent
the sun.* In the up-
per limb is an angel
with four wings, and
on either side of the
angel's head is a
human face, looking
outwards. The side
limbs contain figures
of winged monsters
and cherubs. The
other face has in a cir-
cle a group of three
figures, which no
BACK OK PORTION OF CROSS (A) FROM THE CHAPTER HOUSE, DURHAM. d ubt re P resent S the
baptism of Christ. 3
In the upper limb is a bird with wings extended and a long tail. The side
* In Canon Greenwell's Paper on these crosses, Trans. Dur. Northumb. Arch.Soc. iv. 123, plates 1-6, this
order is reversed.
It does not occur in any one of the examples of this emblem on the Norman tympana illustrated i
Mr. Keyser's work. Figs. 98 to 108.
3 A similar subject occurs on across in Kells churchyard, co. Meath. Illus. Arch. i. 165.
226
FROST OF PORTION OF CROSS (A) FROM THE CHAPTER Housi, DURHAM.
in
FRONT OF PORTION OF CROSS (C) FROM THI
. CHAPTER HOUSE, DURHAM.
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
limbs have each the same subject, two figures holding books ; the outer
figure is the larger, and holds a cross as well as a book. The ends of
the arms and the sides of the upper limbs have upon them panels of interlaced
work.
(B) This fragment consists of a cen-
tral portion and side limbs only. On
one side it has the representation of a
Crucifixion. The figure of our Lord is
nearly all broken away. On either side
of the cross are two figures, with the
arms folded. In the side limbs are again
the same figures as described in A. On
the opposite side is the representation of
the Baptism of our Lord as on A.
(C) This fragment has the centre,
one arm, and the lower limb of a cross
head. In the centre, within a circle, is
the Crucifixion, with a single figure on
either side of the cross. In the side
limb are two monsters placed in saltire,
the heads outwards, and the bodies ham-
pered by an interlaced band. In the lower limb is a draped kneeling figure
holding a tree, beyond which is a long-legged bird looking towards the
figure. The trees have terminations like bunches of grapes. On the opposite
side the Baptism occurs again, and above it the tail of a bird, as in A. In
the lower limbs is an animal, which may represent a lion combating with
a snake which is biting the lion's ear. On the body of the lion are incised
lines, representing a twisted
band with three loops.
All these three cross heads
are made of the same kind of
stone, and were probably all
carved by the same hand, and
at nearly the same time.
(D) Head of a cross nearly
complete, of much coarser stone
and ruder workmanship than
the others. On one face is a
figure having arms of a length
out of all proportion to the
figure itself, and which are ex-
tended and grasp the limbs of
two monsters which occupy the
side limbs of the cross, and are
FRONT or PORTION OP CROSS (D) FROM THE CHAPTER HOUSE, . , j ... . , , . ,
DURHAM, involved with interlaced bands.
In the triangular spaces above
and below the arms of the figure there are, in those above, two birds with their
beaks touching, while below are triquetras. On the opposite face, within a
circle, the Holy Lamb, behind which is the cross standing on the ground, and
227
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
over the back the circular object previously mentioned. The upper limb has
two monsters involved with interlaced hands. The side limbs have knot
work. The lower retains a small portion of the body of a monster. The ends
of the arms have knot-work
upon them.
The remains of the massive
coped grave cover are of espe-
cial interest, and it is to be
regretted that the whole of it
was not recovered ; something
like one quarter is wanting.
The sloping sides are divided
into panels, each of which con-
tains an intricate design of
interlacing knot-work. On
the remaining end, although
the stone itself is rectangular,
the ornament finishes in a
semi-circular form. The tri-
angular spaces thus produced
are filled with interlacements
which accommodate them-
selves to the spaces. Two of these are correctly worked out, but that filling
the end space is very irregular, and the under and over principle is not
consistently maintained. The chief interest lies in the way in which the ridge
and hips of the coped top of the stone are treated. Along the ridge are the
bodies of two serpents, carried parallel to one another. They descend along
the angles or hips, whence their heads point outwards. The stone is much
defaced on the ridge, but it is probable that the bodies crossed at the point
where they reached its end. The tails were on the piece which is wanting. 1
The dimensions are 4 feet 6 inches long (originally probably 6 feet), I foot
10 inches wide, and i foot 2 inches high.*
The larger portion of a flat grave-cover with raised cross has the sculpture
very rudely worked. In the centre of the cross is a circle containing a cross
patee. The upper limb is broken away. Each limb contains a figure, two
of which are beasts and one human. They were no doubt intended to
represent the evangelistic symbols. On the shaft of the cross is a human
figure with wings and nimbed. A small fragment, 9 inches high, has sculp-
ture on one of its sides representing portions of two human figures. 8
A fragment which once formed a side limb of a cross-head,
measuring 8j inches long, 8j inches wide, and 3^ inches thick, has well
designed and carefully executed knot-work on the two sides and the end of
the arm.*
BACK OF PORTION OF CROSS (D) FROM THB CHAPTER HOUSE,
DURHAM.
1 Twisted serpents occur on the jambs of the western doorway of the ancient church at Monkwearmouth,
where the tails terminate in a curious expansion instead of a tapering point. Trans. Dur. Northumb. Arth. Sw.
i. pi. 4, 7; ReKjuary,vii. 145.
* Trans. Dur. Northumb. Arch. Soc. iv. pi. E.F. Pre-Conquest grave covers of this form are rare.
Boutell figures two examples from Bakewell and St. Dionys, York. Christian Monuments, 12, 14.
* Haverfield and Greenwell, of. fit. 89, No. xxvi.
* Found since the Catalog* was published in 1 899.
228
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
Elivick Hall. Built into the wall on either side of the chancel arch of
the church are two stones, on one of which is a sculpture said to represent
the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. The figures seem to repre-
sent the angel and Adam and Eve, with trees above them. The other stone
has a cross head of Anglian form in relief, with beaded angles formed by an
incised line, and two incised circles at the intersection. The head of the
stone is semicircular and the triangular spaces above the arms of the cross each
contain a ' triquetra.' Below the arms are the beginnings of interlaced
designs, consisting of four-cord plaits which have continued down the sides
of the shaft, showing that the remaining portion is only the head of a head-
stone or a grave-cover. 1
Escomb. Preserved in the ancient church are five stones of the pre-
Norman period. Two of these are portions of a cross-shaft bearing upon
them well-designed scrolls containing birds and animals interspersed with
foliage scrolls belonging to the same school of work as those which have been
described as being of the Hexham type. The angles of this cross have been
worked with a cable moulding. Another fragment has interlaced work upon
it. There is also in the chancel a grave-cover with a plain cross in a sunk
panel with semicircular head, on the cross are raised bosses, and on the side
of the shaft two raised circles.* The cross has a tapering shaft and a square
base. The other is only a small portion of a semicircular headstone of
tapering form. It has a plain square-limbed cross worked on either of its
sides, and is probably not earlier than the eleventh century.* On a rockery
in the vicarage garden are one or two small fragments with interlaced work
upon them. From the wall of a house in Escomb there has been removed to
Durham * a small stone measuring 9 inches by 5 inches, having upon it part
of a very beautiful design of foliage and grapes.
Gainford on the Tees. The church here has produced a larger number
of fragments of this period than any other in the county. Nineteen of these
stones were removed to the Cathedral Library at Durham in 1896." The
largest is a cross, complete, with the exception of the side limbs of the head.
It has raised bosses on either side at the intersection. One face has a long
panel in which are two monsters one above the other interspersed with
knotted bands. Below is a panel containing regular plait work without any
break." The opposite face has three panels, the upper one containing a com-
bination of a regular plait with knots above it ; the centre one two figures
which appear to be bound together at their waist, and the third, a rectangular
panel containing a circular knot-work design. The sides have bands of knot-
work, and similar ornament fills the spaces in the arms of the cross. A con-
siderable portion of the lower part of the shaft is left plain.
Another portion of a shaft of a large cross has upon one face two monsters
in similar relative positions to those already described. They are in a better
state of preservation, and have their limbs and bodies bound and hampered
with very irregularly drawn knotted bands. The opposite face has a monster
1 Prix. Sof. Ant. Newcaitk-on-Tjne. ' Building Newt, Nov. 28, 1879.
* Ibid. ii. 97; Reliquary, viii. 69 ; lUtu. Arth<tologitt, i. 225 ; Baldwin- Brown, Tht Arti in Early England,
\\. passim.
4 Since the Catalogue of the stones there was published.
1 Havcrficld and Greenwe!!, of. fit., Nos. xxzi-xlviii.
' Romilly Allen, Celtic Ait in Pagan and Christian Timtt, p. 259.
229
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
curled in spiral fashion, its body divided into three sections by parallel lines.
Its tail divides on leaving the body, and forms a regular plait, without break,
of double cords ; it returns and crosses the body, and disappears where the
stone is broken. The sides have knot-work designs.
The head of a cross, almost complete, has raised bosses at the intersec-
tions, containing four triquetras joined together. The arms are filled with
interlacing plaits divided down the middle. A small fragment is the central
part of a crosshead and has an open cross in the boss and knot-work on the
surface. A still smaller fragment is the centre of a cross-head, the circular
boss of which contains a key pattern. Another fragment is part of a limb of
a cross-head, much weathered, but on one face an interlaced pattern is visible.
Another consists of a portion of the lower limb and the upper part of the
shaft of a cross. It is ornamented with knot-work, having divided bands
arranged in a very unusual manner.
Two more fragments are parts of the limbs of cross-heads with simple
but bold knot work.
The next is a portion of a shaft of a cross. On one face is a complete
panel and a portion of another. The former contains three figures with their
arms raised and placed together, behind
which passes a bar or cord which binds
them all together. In their hands are square
objects which may represent books. The
broken panel contains the lower portions of
two figures. The other face has what ap-
pears to be the stem of a cross, tapering,
and divided into three.
The next is a portion of the top of a
cross-shaft, sculptured on all four sides. On
one face is a man on horseback, his hair
curled behind, and a spear on his right side.
On the opposite face is part of a figure with
hair curled on two sides of the head. An-
other face has the head of an animal, a com-
plete bird, and knot-work combined with
them. The last face has a simple knot-work
design with a divided band.
Four small fragments have carving on
two of their sides, mostly of simple knot-work. One has a fret pattern on
one of its sides.
A portion of a grave-cover is of very unusual character. Its angles are
beaded, one having a cable moulding, another a plaited cord moulding. On
one of the edges is part of a much-worn inscription which appears to read :
ALDIHESETAE.
Two pieces of another grave-cover have on one side two bands of
carving, the upper showing a twisted band forming a continuous looped
cord, 1 the lower a four-cord plait with divided bands.
Another grave-cover to be noticed here is of a very unusual form.
It is rectangular with straight and slightly tapering sides, with a flat top.
1 Romilly Allen, Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot. xvii. 225, Fig. n.
230,
PORTION OF CROSS SHAFT FROM GAINFORD.
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
Along the top is a band with an interlaced ribbon. The ornamented side
has an arcade of six members worked upon it. The arches are semicircular,
and have capitals and columns beneath them. The wider end has two arches
of the arcade worked upon it, the other a square cross patee. As one side
is plain it is probable that this stone was placed against a wall inside the
early church. There are still remaining at Gainford a number of stones.
In the porch of the church are two flat grave covers, used as portions of the
stone seats. That on the east side has a cross, with broad tapering shaft
worked in a sunk panel with semi-circular head. The angles of the shaft
are beaded. The cross-head is of the circular patee form, and all four
limbs are completely developed. In the spaces between the limbs are large
balls. The panel has beaded angles produced by grooves.
That on the west side has a square cross patee with all the limbs equally
developed and enclosed by a circle. The stem has parallel sides for a distance
equal to the diameter of the circle. It then divides and forms two and
a half lozenges before it reaches the foot. The lozenges enclose smaller ones,
and the spaces between them become chevrons, or they may be described as
three parallel chevroned bands produced by four incised lines. The whole
design seems to anticipate the chevron work of the Norman period. In
general character however it appears to be of early date, and as similarly
formed chevrons occur on the portion of a cross-shaft in the tower, associated
with distinctly pre-Conquest designs, there can be little doubt that this grave-
cover also belongs to this period.
Built into the walls of the porch are several other stones. One of these
is a headstone with rounded top, 14 inches wide and 16 inches high. The
bottom is left rough for inserting into the ground. The upper part has a
sunk panel containing a small cross patee 6 inches square, with a shaft only
i J inches high. In the north angle of the porch are two small fragments
with some remains of sculpture with lacertine designs, but not sufficient to
indicate what they may have been.
Over the doorway, between the newel staircase of the tower and the
ringing chamber, and forming the lintel to it, are two pieces of cross-shafts.
The position they occupy only allows one side of one of them and two sides
of the other to be examined. On one is a series of designs produced by
incised lines, two of which are visible. One has eight chevrons with their
points towards the centre of the shaft, the other is a surface pattern produced
by lines crossing at angles of about 40 deg. and i inches apart, forming a
series of small lozenges. The other stone has on the face a design very
similar to the spiral monster with tail forming the regular plait-work
described above. l The side visible has upon it an interlaced design with a
series of circles looped together with a continuous band.
At the east end of the south aisle is a small fragment measuring 7 inches
by 7 inches on the face, with a plain knot design. On the east side of the
exterior of the porch is another piece 16 inches by 9 inches with a six-cord
plait of divided bands. In the same wall is another stone, which appears to be
the edge of a grave-cover, worked with a design resembling an interlaced arcade.
In the garden wall of the vicarage is a stone measuring 1 1 inches by
9 inches with knot-work on the face.
1 Havcrfield and Grcenwell, tf. cit. 99, No. xxiii.
231
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Hart. In the church are six portions of pre-Conquest crosses, a sun-
dial, and two pieces of turned balusters. One of the fragments built into the
west wall of the nave is part of the shaft of a cross, with a panel with two
figures in relief upon it. The fragment with the best work measures
1 8 inches by 1 1 inches by 7$ inches. From one side the ornament has been
chiselled away. The remaining face shows that the fragment is from the
top of a cross-shaft. The angles are beaded. The ornament begins with
two conjoined ' triquetras,' below which is the frequently recurring design of
three complete circles, through which four bands, placed saltire-wise, interlace
and have their ends joined. The other face also has the design already
described in connexion with the ' Eadmund ' stone at Ch ester- le-Street.
In the Hart example the design is well set out, and there is a sequence
of three loops on either side of a centre line, occupying a length of
iij inches. On the uninjured side the same design occurs again on a
smaller scale, but as the width is less, a sequence of four loops is required
to fill the same length.
Another fragment measures 15 inches by 10 inches by 6 J inches. Upon
the uninjured face the design just described occurs again. It is divided
into two sections by a transverse band, the surviving portions being therefore
the lower portion of one and the upper portion of another. The sides
contain four-cord plaits.
Another fragment measures 17 inches by 11 inches by 7 inches. One
face contains a panel filled with regular plait-work. Below this is the upper
portion of the figure of a man on horseback, with a spear in his right hand
and appearing over his shoulder. The opposite face has the same plait.
The two sides are occupied with knot-work, one of which is No. 1 1 in
Mr. Romilly Allen's Analysis? The other is similar to No. 106 in the
same list.
Another is a portion of the end of the arm of a cross with knot-work
on the end and one of the sides.
Another is a small fragment of a cross-shaft with knot-work on three of
its sides.
Another fragment has sculpture on two of its sides, one of which
indicates that it is part of the head of a cross which had a circular cross
patee in a circle.
The sundial is described among the others below.
Haughton-le-Skerne . The ancient church here was one of the last in
the county to undergo the process of enlargement and restoration, which
took place in 1890. In the walls of the chancel were several portions of
pre-Conquest crosses. These were taken out, but others, which were found
during the alterations, were unfortunately built into the walls of the porch
and the north wall of the nave, and much of their interest has been lost.
The two stones in the porch are small ; one shows some irregular knot-work
on its face, and the other, not quite half of a small cross patee, is no doubt
a portion of a grave-cover. The other stones are arranged in two groups in
recesses in the north wall of the nave. In the western group are four
stones, the most important being a small grave-cover or headstone, 2 feet
long and 1 1 inches wide. It has a semicircular head and contains a cross
1 Prof. Sac. Ant. Scotland, xvii. 232, 248.
232
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
patee, the lower arm of which disappears in the shaft. It is represented as
having beaded edges, but no other ornamentation. Two of the other stones
in the same group are fragments of cross-shafts, having crudely executed
knot-work upon them. Another very small fragment, only 8 inches long
and 4 inches wide, appears to be a portion of the ridge of a hog-backed stone,
as it has upon it the fret ornament which occurs on more than one of this
class in the Durham collection.
In the eastern group are three stones. One of these is a portion of a
cross-shaft, measuring 4 feet in length and 14 inches in width, and about
5 inches in thickness. The surface is very much defaced, but it appears to
have had panels containing monsters in connexion with interlacing bands.
The side visible has a simple interlaced design upon it. The other stones
are all of small dimensions. One has a rudely worked key pattern, and
another a portion of a panel with simple plait-work. The last is the most
important of all. It is a fragment measuring 15 inches by 6 inches, and has
upon it a beautifully executed sculpture, in a good state of preservation, of
twisted monsters. It is remarkable that such a delicate piece of work should
be found here, where all the other specimens are of crude and debased
character.
Hurworth. The church has been entirely rebuilt. A single stone,
contemporary with the earliest church here, is in the Durham collection, and
is here figured. It is a small
portion of one of the upper
angles of the base stone of a
cross, and is i foot 3 inches
long, 10 inches high, and
6 J inches wide. 1 It has sloping
sides and the usual triple bead
on the angles. The larger face
has a well executed key pattern.
The other has a small portion of
a panel filled with knot-work.
In both cases the bands are
divided.
Jarrow. The classic site of
the monastery of St. Paul still retains some fragments of the sculpture of
this period. In the porch attached to the modern nave are several stones
which must be dealt with in this section, although by far the larger number
of them are detached architectural details.
On the west side of the porch are two small stones which are possibly
both fragments from the same cross. They contain sculpture of the highest
artistic merit, and belong to the time when the Anglian school was at its
zenith. One has a single whorl of a rolling scroll with trefoil and other
foliage terminations to its stems, and involving a human figure of juvenile
appearance, holding in the left hand a small circular shield, and in the right
some weapon with which he attacks a creature in the scroll facing him.
The other has double scrolls starting from a central vertical stem. The two
whorls, which are nearly complete, have birds perched upon stems with
1 Haverfield and Grcenwcll, of. cit. 96, No. zzx.
I 233 30
PORTION OF BASE STONE OF CROSS FROM HURWORTH
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
trefoil foliage terminations. On the opposite side of the porch is a portion
of a cross-shaft with three separate designs upon it ; the upper one very
imperfect, the intermediate one the plait mentioned as occurring at Chester
le Street, Hart, and elsewhere ; the lower the regular plait without breaks.
Perhaps the most interesting stone of all is given a conspicuous place in
the centre of the group. It is part of a grave-stone, and retains the lower
arm and shaft of a cross of the form which had square block terminations
to its limbs and a similar block at the intersection. The surface of the stone
round the cross is sunk and the angles of the cross beaded. The angles of
the slab have a cable moulding, and the surface contains a portion of an
inscription which reads: IN HOC SINGVLAR[I SIG]NO VITA REDDITVR MUNDo. 1
A portion of the same cross appears to have been worked on the edge of an
inscribed Roman stone, now in the Black Gate Museum, Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, as it contains the side limbs and intersection of the cross, and the cable
moulding on the angle. If this assumption is correct it would appear that
the memorial was incorporated with the wall of some building, the stone
which is worked on the edge serving the purpose of a bonding or tie stone,
while above and below it were two slabs, carrying the remainder of the design.
In the Durham collection is the stone here figured from Jarrow. It
was found outside the churchyard to the south-west of the church.
In the Black Gate Museum at Newcastle-upon-Tyne is another portion
of a memorial slab with a cross upon it, in a semicircular recess. The cross
is of the form just described as remaining at Jarrow, but has bosses which
appear to have had interlaced work upon them in each of the five squares.
The stone measures i foot loj inches long, i foot 9} inches wide, and
6J inches thick. There are no traces of an inscription.*
Monk-wear mouth. There are considerable remains of the ancient church
in the vestry of the existing church, a large collection of fragments of various
dates having been built into its walls. Amongst them are some architectural
details and portions of sepulchral memorials. One is a large slab bearing
a cross, with square block terminations to the head, the two side limbs, and
the foot of the shaft. It bears the inscription : HIC IN SEPVLCRO REQVIESCIT
CORPORE HEREBERICHT pRB. The angles of the slab have a bead moulding
which has ended, just above the head of the cross, in two scrolls. There
are two small fragments, each of which contains interlaced designs of con-
siderable intricacy and refinement.* In addition to these is a small portion
of a panel which has upon it the representation of a combat. The two
figures engaged have short tunics and bare legs. The sculpture is very much
broken and the heads are both gone. The dexter figure has a circular shield
in the left hand. He appears to have disarmed his opponent, as a sword of
the ' spatha ' form is doubled up and lying on the ground.
Norton. Built into the jamb of the chancel arch of the church is a
small fragment measuring 14^ inches by 9 inches. It exhibits portions of
two panels containing knot-work, both incomplete.
1 Hlibncr, Inscrif times Britanniif Christian*. Berlin, 1876; Arch. MRana (New ser.), x. 195
xi. 27 ; zxii. 30.
1 The dedicatory inscription at Jarrow will be dealt with in connection with the church itself.
8 Described by the bishop of Bristol ' it comes nearer to a representation in stone of one of the marvellou
pages of the Lindisfarne Gospels than anything else which can be shown.' Notes on Church of St. Peter,
Monkwearmoutk, 1886, p. 13.
234
MONKWEARUOUTH I GRAVESTONE OF HtRhBtRIUM.
To fact ffge 134.
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
Sockburn. The ruined church here occupies the southernmost point of
the county. The ruins were cleared of rubbish and the Conyers porch
repaired and roofed in 1900. It was known, before this was done, that a
large number of remains of the pre-Conquest period existed on the site,
for when the church was unroofed and abandoned in 1838 many fragments
were taken from the walls. All these are now collected together in the repaired
Conyers porch, and are arranged so that they can be examined without
difficulty. Twenty-five are of the pre-Conquest period. For convenience
of reference it has been thought well to take them as they would naturally
be referred to from a plan of the porch. Facing east, and ranging from left
to right, there are six rows of stones fixed in bases or lying on the floor.
The others are detached fragments. The larger cross-shafts are fixed in
stone bases, the smaller ones are cemented to the floor. The first measures
2 feet 3 inches high, i foot wide, and 8 inches thick. Only the side facing
west retains its ornament. In the upper part are the lower portions of the
bodies of four serpents twisted together in pairs, while below these the surface
is covered with an undivided plait without breaks.
The second stone measures 3 feet high by i foot 8 inches wide by 7 inches
thick. The remaining ornamentation is confined to the side facing west, and
is in a very damaged condition. It seems to consist of a very irregularly
arranged double band connected with monsters.
The next is of a very coarse-grained sandstone and measures 2 feet 3 inches
by i foot 7 inches by 6 inches. The ornament is again confined to the west
face and consists of a series of circular rings forming a chain, with a straight
band carried vertically through their centres. All are double or divided. 1
The second row are hog-backed stones, which are all described together
below.
The first in the third row is a portion of the upper part of a cross-shaft
which measures 2 feet 9 inches high, i foot i inch wide, and i o inches thick,
and shows that the whole was in one stone, as it retains part of the lower
arm of the cross. Carving remains on all four sides, that facing west showing
that the head of the cross was ornamented with the usual triquetras with
divided bands. Below this a large serpent appears, his body tied into a knot
and his head downwards. Beneath is a man on horseback, hawking. His
right hand holds the bridle, his left the hawk. The horse, with head inclined
downwards, stands on a transverse twisted band. Under this is a portion of a
scene representing a combat between two men. Their arms are crossed, and
the dexter figure appears to be wounded in the head. Between them, and
below their arms, is a circular shield with a boss. On the side facing east
are again two figures apparently in combat, much damaged, but they appear
to wear helmets. Under them is a double spiral, and below that a six-cord
plait with divided bands. The side facing north has a very curious and
unusual design of a chain, the links of which consist of triangular objects with
rounded tops, and are double, or divided by a line. Only a very small
portion of the fourth side remains. It shows the bodies of two monsters
twisted together.
The next measures 2 feet 2 inches by i foot 2 inches by 9 inches, and
has upon its west face a panel containing an animal, probably a deer. Its
1 Rorailly Allen, Prof. Soe. Ant. Scot. xvii. 125, Fig. 17.
235
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
head, which was turned backwards, looking towards the tail, is broken away.
The north face exhibits the legs only of two figures, and that towards the
south the termination of a shield-shape panel.
In the fourth row the first stone measures 2 feet 4 inches by i foot
by 7J inches. It has a panel which contains the standing figure of a warrior.
He has a circular shield on his left arm, and his right hand grasps a spear, the
shaft of which rests upon the ground and the point rises above his head. He
wears a helmet.
The next stone is apparently not part of a cross-shaft. It measures
1 2 inches in height, 2 feet i inch in length, and 9 inches in thickness. On
the side facing the east are two warriors on horseback. The horses are shown
as if trotting, their heads raised. Their tails are long and tied into knots.
The men wear helmets, and hold the bridles in their left hands, and in their
right long spears with the points inclined downwards. The saddles have high
peaks at the back which end in knobs. Altogether, this is the most inter-
esting sculpture of the series. The forms represented should be compared
with those of the knights in the woven silk tissues which were taken from
St. Cuthbert's body. 1 The top of the stone is broken ; the ends and foot are
plain. The other side has a knot-work design of intricate character, but in
an advanced state of dilapidation. It seems to consist of a six-cord plait,
every alternate crossing of which is bound by a continuous ring.
The fifth row has three hog-backs.
The first in the sixth row is a portion of a cross-shaft 2 feet 1 1 inches
high, i foot 2j inches wide, and 1 1 inches thick. It retains ornament on all
its four sides. On that facing west is an interlaced design of a six-cord plait
with divided bands. That facing east has in the upper part two figures very
much damaged. Below them the plait is repeated for a short distance, and
below this again two figures appear apparently in combat. The two sides
have each the chain of curious triangular links previously described. In
one the links form a simple chain, in the other they are more closely com-
bined, each link interlocking with two others on each side of it.
The next one measures 3 feet i o inches by 1 1 inches by 8 inches. The
west face retains three panels, the upper one having a six-cord plait, undivided.
The next shows a man who wore a helmet of conical form. The portion of
the stone carrying the helmet and the head has unfortunately flaked off. The
right hand grasps a long spear, and in the left is a short sword with a broad,
double-edged blade. Below is a stag. The opposite face has three panels,
with a six-cord plait in the upper one, two divided loops with pointed ends
interlaced in the next, and in the lower a dog with curled tail and head looking
backwards. The two sides have double looped cords,* and below them, on the
side facing north, is a triquetra.
The next is the largest stone in the series. It is the greater portion of
the shaft of a tall cross and measures 7 feet in height, i foot 2 inches by
9 inches square at the base, and 9 inches by 5! inches at the top, where it is
broken away. For a distance of 4 feet 4 inches from the base the surface is
plain, from which point to the top it is ornamented on all four sides. The
character of this ornament is so unusual and of such interest that it is much
to be regretted that the remainder was not recovered. The side facing west
1 Tram. Dur. Nortbumb. Arch. Sue. i. 53. Romill/ Allen, op. cit. No. 12.
236
SOCKBURN : PORTION OF CROSS-SHAFT
(FIRST IN SIXTH Row).
SOCKBURN : UPPER PART OF CROSS-SHAFT
(FIRST IN THIRD Row).
, SOCKBURN : STONE WITH Two WARRIORS ON HORSEBACK (SECOND IN FOURTH Row).
To fact fagt 2}6.
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
is divided into panels. The upper one is rectangular and is filled with a key
pattern, the next has a six-cord plait, and the next a monster with a bushy tail
curled over its back and a ball in its mouth. The lowest panel is in the form of
a shield ornamented with a key pattern. Between the panels and the angle
beads on this side is a band which is split at the angle of each panel and the
portions interlocked, thus forming a kind of square-linked chain. The
opposite side contains a series of interlaced monsters of intricate form. The
side facing north has a combined knot pattern l of common occurrence, here
particularly well wrought. The side facing south has a knot pattern similar
to one which occurs at Gainford and other places. 8 Near the centre of the
length the knot is curiously changed with a special form for one division.
The angle beads are a line of barrel-shape balusters divided by narrow bands.
Below they become plain and are carried to the centre of each face of the
cross in the form of inverted arches, ending in heads, and similar heads are
worked where the bands divide the angles.
The next stone, which measures 2 feet 8 inches by I foot 6 inches by
9 inches has a cable moulding at each angle between two beads. The east
face contains two incised spirals; their connection with anything else it would
be impossible to guess at.
The last of the fixed stones is 3 feet 2 inches high, I2j inches wide, and
9 inches thick. It is a portion of the upper part of the shaft of a cross, but is
without ornament.
Lying near the door of the chapel is a flat grave-cover broken into two
pieces, 4 feet 4$ inches long, 15 inches wide, and 7 inches thick. It has upon
its surface a cross with square terminations to the arms and head ; the foot
being of an expanded or pyramidal form. A narrow border is carried all
round it, beyond which the surface is ornamented in the spaces at the sides of
the head, one filled with triquetras, and those at the sides of the shaft with a
four-cord plait with divided bands.
The hog-backed stones are an interesting group. The first in the second
row is merely a fragment. The next is in two pieces, but is otherwise
complete. It has bears at either end, which have all their four paws shown.
Along the top is a fret pattern, while each side is ornamented with a four-
cord plait. The next has the top broken away. It has bears at the ends,
which occupy an unusually large proportion of the surface. Either side
contains three panels of four-cord knots. In the base are the semicircular
recesses.
The next is almost a replica of that just mentioned, but of somewhat
coarser workmanship.
The three stones in the fifth row are of a totally different class. The
first is only half of a hog-backed stone. It has a triple ridge and three rows
of tegulations on each side, the points of which are of a pointed arch form.
The next is complete and is of similar design, except that the tegulations
arc of a triangular form. These two have their ends embraced by animals of
nondescript form and of very minute proportions when compared with the
large bears on the earlier stones.
The last is one of the most remarkable existing examples of this singular
class of memorial. It is 5 feet 7 inches long, I foot 6 inches high, 1 2 inches
Romilljr Allen, of. (it. No. 87. * Ibid. No. 141.
237
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
thick at the base, and 9 inches at the ends. The top is much broken, but on
one side it appears not to have lost much of its original height. In the centre
is a human figure, bare-headed and apparently naked, with arms extended.
His right hand is in the mouth of a beast, apparently a lion, and surrounding
him are other beasts and reptiles, which appear to be attacking him. The
other side has a similar central figure, among beasts, which appear to be in a
more quiescent state, and possibly represents Daniel in the den of lions.
Among the detached fragments are the heads of three crosses. One of
these has the interrupted circle connecting the arms. The sides have bosses
at the centre, surrounding which are interlaced designs of the normal form
used for filling the arms. The ends of the arms have the four-cord plaits.
Another is of the patee form ; is quite plain, and has the interrupted
circle of more pronounced character, extending almost to the extremities of
the limbs.
The third is again of the patee form, plain and much decayed, and
without the interrupted circle.
The three small fragments are not of importance. One has a dog and
part of a human hand : another is a fragment from the top of a hog-back ;
the last has a cable moulding on one angle. They lie on the sills of the
east and west windows of the chapel.
Stalndrop. In the church are a few small fragments of sculptured stones
which have upon them knot-work designs of a late and poor type, much
defaced. One of these is in the foundation of the easternmost twelfth
century pier on the south side of the nave, and two are to be seen over
the north door.
Stainton-le-Street. The ancient church was entirely removed and a new
one built in 1876. Taken from the walls of the old church were a number
of stones with pre-Conquest sculpture upon them. Two of these fragments,
both belonging to the same cross, were added to the Durham collection, and
are here figured. The designs upon it are of some interest, as amongst them
is the figure of a man holding a sword pointing downward, which is
double-edged with a groove along the middle of the blade. He appears to
wear a helmet with a pointed projection in front. He stands under a semi-
circular arch which rests on columns with capitals. The most complete side
has a key pattern upon it. Another has a four-cord interlaced design. Perhaps
the most interesting detail of this stone is the astragal or bead at the angles,
which is divided into representations of small balusters. This occurs on a
Roman stone in the crypt at Hexham, and in some stones from St. Wilfrid's
Church there. 1 There are several stones in the churchyard at Stainton and
in the rectory garden. One of those in the churchyard is part of a cross-
shaft, i foot 3 inches long, i foot 2 inches wide, and i foot thick. The
carving has been chiselled away from one side, but the other three have
interlaced designs. One of these designs is of frequent occurrence, and appears
at five places in Scotland, and at Jarrow, Aycliffe, Billingham, and Hart, and is
No. 7 in Mr. Romilly Allen's Analysis* There is also the roughly sculptured
base of a cross having the socket for insertion of the shaft. In the garden are
three portions of cross-shafts which are partly buried in the ground. Their
1 A similar design is worked on an altar at Cividale. Cattanco, op. cit. 107.
* Proc. Sec. Ant, Scot. xvii. 243-268.
238
SOCKBURN : PORTION OF CROSS-
IHAFT (SECOND IN SIXTH Row).
SOCKBURN : PORTION OF CROSS-SHAFT
(THIRD IN SIXTH Row).
SOCKBURN : PORTION OF CROSS-SHAFT
(THIRD IN SIXTH Row)
To face fagt 238.
ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS
uninjured sides all contain interlaced designs of somewhat poor and flat
character.
Winston-on-the-Tees. In the picturesquely situated church here is the
greater part of the centre and side limbs of a cross head. On one side is
a circular boss which has had a ring of pellets around it. The arms have two
stags facing each other, and below the boss is a dog springing at one of the
stags. A line of pellets is carried round the margin of the stone. The opposite
side has the remains of a figure, with an object which Mr. Longstaffe
conjectures to be a gridiron, and the figure that of St. Lawrence, and quotes
a brass matrix of a seal in the possession of Mr. Abbott, of Darlington, marked
SAVNCTE LAVRENC. 1 Dr. Haigh considers the object to be a chair or seat
on which the figure is resting, and compares it with a similar object on one
of the Sandbach crosses in Cheshire.' The pellets in the margin are repeated.
SONDIALS
The county of Durham presents an interesting series of early sundials,
the only one of which now in situ is probably the oldest. This is on
the south side of the nave of the ancient church at Escomb. It is in the
south wall, placed centrally from east to west, but at a considerable height,
at the level of the heads of the two original windows. The stone on which
the dial is cut is 2 feet 4 inches long and i foot 6 inches high. The dial
itself is much less than these dimensions, and is defined below by a semi-
circular raised bead, while above it is encompassed by a serpent in relief, with
the head to the west touching the base line of the stone. The tail is of that
curious expanded form which appears on the serpents on the Monkwearmouth
doorway. 1
The dial is divided into four parts by incised lines, and the hole for the
gnomon remains. Above it is a carved head projecting from the wall, which
is probably also in situ.*
Cbester-le-Street. There is a fragment here measuring 13^ inches by
9} inches and 4$ inches thick, with slightly more than half of a semicircular
dial indicated by incised lines. A horizontal line defines the diameter of the
semicircle, and two parallel lines its circumference. The area has been
divided into ten unequal portions. The mid-day line and that three divisions
from it have a distinguishing mark in the form of a small semicircle crossing
the lines where they end on the circumference. 1
Darlington. Here there is a stone with a dial cut on either side of it.
The slab is broken, but appears to have been 2 feet square and 5$ inches
thick. It was used as the sill of an aumbry, but is now detached and pre-
served in the church. It is described by Dr. Haigh in these words : * The
half quarter lines, not reaching to the centre, and the six concentric circles,
seem to invest it with a character of its own ; but I believe those only were
designed for use which are joined to the tide marks to define the length of
the mid-day shadow at the solstices and equinoxes ; the others are merely
ornamental additions. A mark will be observed, though almost effaced, some-
thing like the rune Daeg, in the same place as the Swastika at Aldborough,
1 Arch. Mliana, vi. 24, with lithogram (tic). ' Ibid. 61.
* BuiUiag New, Nov. 28, 1879. * lllus. Jrclxrohgiit, i. 128.
1 Similar marb occur on dials at Inniscaltra and Kilcummin. Haigh, Tarki. Arch. Jount. v. 156.
239
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
indicating the d&g-msd point sun in E.S.E. Not one of the divisional lines
is quite accurate ; least so are those above the equinoctial.' 1 The side here
shown was the one noticed by the
Rev. J.T. Fowler in 1 863. The other,
since brought to view, has eight con-
centric circles and the rune, in much
the same position.
Hamster ley. In the 'church
there is a circle with a central hole,
but no hour lines.' *
Hart. A fine example is here
built into the west wall of the nave.
It is cut on a slab i foot 6 inches by
SUNDIAL AT DARLINGTON. X ' inches \ a11 the lines are raised in
semi-circular section, f of an inch
high, and divide the semicircle into eight parts. The hole for the gnomon
remains. There are no distinguishing marks on the dividing lines.
Middleton St. George. An early dial is here built into the south wall of
the Early English church.
Pittington. The dial here figured is at Pittington Hallgarth. It is
manifestly of an early date, and is thus described by Dr. Haigh :* ' It exhibits
six divisions of day time. It will be
observed that the mid-day line has a
cross-bar ; that each of the lines be-
tween it and the equinoctial has a dot
at about two-thirds of its length ; and
that those and the mid-day line have
each a little square at its extremity.
This is a very remarkable feature. I
think it will be admitted that we have
here a reminiscence of a fashion of
dialling (of which the Wallsend example
is a relic) in which the trine marks were blocks of stone arranged in a circle
round the gnomon.'
Staindrop. In the wall to the north of and above the chancel arch is
rather more than half of an early dial. It is upside down. The semicircle
is divided into four, and is circumscribed by a raised bead. Curiously, the
field is not left flat, but is worked with a rise towards the gnomon, the hole
for which remains.*
1 The Book of Sundials (enlarged ed. Eden and Lloyd, 1900), 53 ; York. Arch. 3 turn. v. 154.
* Book of Sundials, op. cit. p. 53.
8 Ibid. 206-7. PI. iii. at p. 144 ; Irani. Dur. Northumb. Arch. Soc. iii. 29.
* Rev. H. C. Lipscomb, StainJrop Church and Monument!, PI. opp. p. 3 ; Rev. J. F. Hodgson, in Tram.
Dur. Northumb. Arch. Soc. iii. 76 n.
SUNDIAL AT PITTINCTON.
240
SOCKBURN : HOC-BACKED STONE.
SOCKBURN : HOC-BACKED STONE.
SOCKBURN : HOC-BACKED STONE.
To fact pap 2+ o.
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTH-
BERT'S SHRINE
PRESERVED IN THE DEAN AND CHAPTER LIBRARY,
DURHAM
When St. Cuthbert died on that Fame Island which is now called the
' House Island," on 20 March, 687,* he closed a life of pain and suffering ; *
yet his body had no rest, for it now began a wandering period which lasted,
with intervals, till the precious burden finally reached Durham in 995.
How old he was when he died will never be exactly known. He had
been a monk since 651,* and we are told that he was admitted as such * ab
ineunte adolescentia.' ' Latin dictionaries tell us that ' adolescentia ' begins
at 14, lasting to 28. If so, assuming his age on taking the vows to have
been 15, he would be about 51 at his death. It is not likely that he was
much older than this ; a man of delicate frame and uncertain health, who
lived an unwholesome life, ill-fed, recluse, emaciated how could he attain
to what we now call old age? In fact, at 51 or 52 he was already old,
bowed down with premature feebleness. It is true that Symeon of Durham
tells us of a vision in which a Durham cleric saw SS. Cuthbert and Oswald
in the cathedral, and that the former was ' aetatis mediae vir ' ; * yet his
infirmities had made him old before his time ; and he died worn out by
austerities and suffering. 7
The Lindisfarne Monks, remembering how he had consented to allow
his body to rest with them, would not leave it where he died, but brought
him reverently to Holy Island ; 8 here they placed him in a stone cist,
already conveniently lying there, covered him with vestments and wrappings,
and buried him under the pavement of their church, on the south side
of the altar.' Here he rested eleven years, till 698. 10 At that time,
says Bede, ' the divine dispensation ' was minded to let the world know
how glorious Cuthbert was after his death, and therefore moved the
brethren to disinter his remains. To their reverent amazement they found
the body still incorrupt. They invested him with new robes, given by
Bishop Eadbercht, and placed him in a new wooden coffin, which they had
1 See R. Surtees, Hist, and Antiq. of County Palatine of Durham, \. 5 note.
On the same day as his friend, the anchorite Herbert. Bede, Hist. Ecel. lib. iv. cap. xxvii.
Bede, Vit. Cudb. cap. jnmi.
When he entered Melrose, having seen a vision of St. Aidan. See Vita Anon. sec. 8 (printed in BeJae
Of. Hist. Min., rec. J. Stevenson, Engl. Hist. Soc.) and Symeon of Durham (Rolls Series), i. 21.
1 Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. iv. cap. rxv.
Sy. Our. (Rolls Series), i. 102. See also ibid. i. 104, 231, 232.
1 Bede Vit. Cudb,, cap. zzxvii. 8 Bede Hut. Eecl., lib. iv. cap. xxvii.
Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 35. 10 Bede, Hut. Eftiet., lib. iv. cap. zzviii.
I 2 4 I 31
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
previously prepared and adorned with carving ; in this they left him unburied
on the pavement of the south side of the altar in their sanctuary. 1
This new coffin of 698 is the chest of which Durham Cathedral still
possesses many interesting fragments. 8 It is no marvel that a thin, attenuated
frame, like that of St. Cuthbert, resisted decay, and remained, to the wonder
of mankind, as a ' corpus incorruptum ' for ages. 8
Here the body lay undisturbed till the northern invaders began to
threaten the coast. At first the south of England had offered more temptations ;
yet Northumbria was nearer home, and Lindisfarne was specially attractive ;
there was easy access to it, and for those who had the command of the sea it
was an excellent resting-place before or after invasions. It had, too, a
monastery tempting for plunder. So after taking York in 867, the Danes
pushed up northwards by land. Though checked awhile by the Tyne, their
advance soon went on again, till in 875 Halfdene threatened Lindisfarne. 4
The bishop and monks were powerless ; they gathered up their cherished
relics, placing in St. Cuthbert's wooden coffin (as Simeon of Durham tells
us) 6 the head of St. Oswald the king, some bones of St. Aidan, and remains
of past bishops of Lindisfarne. With these they crossed to the mainland,
and the long wandering began. Their drifting movements brought them at
last to the mouth of the river Derwent in Cumberland, 6 where Workington
now stands. There they shipped the coffin, with a copy of the four gospels
on the saint's breast, on board a little sailing vessel, and set out for Ireland.
A storm arose before they had gone far, and they were driven towards the
Scottish side of the Solway Firth ; here, in the tossing of the boat, the MS.
went overboard. They then abandoned the attempt to cross to Ireland, and
landed on the Scottish coast. Three days later the MS. was found on the
sands at Whithern in Galloway, at low tide. This relic of St. Cuthbert still
exists in safe keeping in the British Museum. 7 Wandering began again : in
883 they were at Crayke in Yorkshire ; thence Guthred, who had been made
king of Northumberland through a vision of St. Cuthbert, invited them
to return to the north. They set out, and found a home at Cuneacestre
(i.e., Chester-le-Street), of which place Eardulf, the last bishop of Lindis-
farne, became bishop. The Northumbrian king bestowed on the saint ' all
that land which lies between Wear and Tyne,' the cradle of the later magni-
ficent Palatine princedom. Here it was that king Athelstan made to
St. Cuthbert many splendid gifts ; among them, apparently, the Winchester
stole and other fine stuffs, which still remain to us. 8 Here St. Cuthbert's
body remained till 995, when a fresh invasion caused it to be once more
removed. 9 It was taken by Aldhun, last bishop of Chester-le-Street, to
Ripon, and tarried there from spring to autumn. Then, peaceful days
intervening, it was brought northwards again, the bearers aiming at either
Chester-le-Street or Lindisfarne. But marvellous guiding led them to a
desolate site, the strong peninsula of Dunholm, where Aldhun built a little
wattled church to shelter the saint and his treasures ; 10 we are told that a
1 Bede, Hist. Eccles. lib. iv. cap. xxviii.
2 Of this there can be no question. See Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 249, and Haverfield and Greenwell,
A Catalogue of the Sculptured and Inscribed Stones in the Cathedral Library, Durham (Durham, 1899), 134.
There are well-known instances of bodies drying up without decay, e.g., that of Charles I.
* Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 56. 6 Ibid . j. 57. 8 ibid. i. 63 seq.
Ibid. i. 66 and 67 note. Ibid. i. 75. Ibid. i. 78 seq. and ii. 136. 1<> Ibid. i. 79.
242
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN : OUTER LID.
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN : INNER LID.
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN : FRAGMENTS OF WOOD SHOWING ARCADINC.
243
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
larger building, called the White church, followed soon ; and finally a stone
church was erected into which, in 998, the saint's body in the ancient coffin,
with the other relics, was reverently brought, and deposited in the place of
honour. 1 Here, save for a year of panic in 1069-1070, when the body was
taken to Lindisfarne on the approach of William the Bastard, 3 St. Cuthbert
has ever since rested in safety.
Durham cathedral cherishes many relics of the saint ; and these we will
briefly describe, beginning with the coffin of 698.
THE COFFIN OF ST. CUTHBERT
No contemporary account exists of the carvings 8 on this remarkable
relic. They are inaccurately described, towards the end of the twelfth
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN : MODEL RESTORED.
century, by Reginald, a Benedictine of the Durham House. 4 Reginald
perhaps confused the figures on the wooden chest with the embroidered or
woven work still to be seen on the robes in which the saint's remains were
wrapped. 6
The outer coffin of St. Cuthbert 6 is of oak (' de quercu nigra,' says
Reginald), not shaped specially to carry a
body, but a nearly rectangular oblong, a little
wider at the head than at the feet. The mea-
surements of it are, length, 6 ft. 8 in. ; breadth
(at the head), i ft. 5 in. ; (at the feet), i ft.
4 in. ; and depth i ft. 5! in. Originally it
had two lids, the inner lid apparently sup-
ported by cross-pieces which rested in grooves
in the sides of the coffin. A false bottom
was added in 1 1 04 to keep the other bones
clear of the saint's body. 7 The two lids,
the four sides (two long and two short)
alone have work on them, chiefly, though perhaps not altogether, by one
i Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 82. * Ibid. i. 100, and ii. 189.
8 The anonymous author in the De miraculis et transMonibus, printed in Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 229,
gives no account of the carvings when the coffin was seen in 1 1 04.
4 Reginald of Durham, Lib. de admirandis Bead Cudb. virtutibus (Surtees Soc., vol. i.). The chapters xl.
to xliii. are given in the Appendix to Raine's St. Cuthbert (Durham, 1828).
6 Reg. of Durham, cap. 43. He speaks of ' beasts, flowers, and images.' The coffin has the symbols
of the Evangelists, the lily of Gabriel, and many figures.
6 See the account in Haverfield and Greenwell, Catalogue of the Inscribed Stones in the Cathedral Library.
7 Reg. of Durham (Surtees Soc., vol. i.).
244
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN : GROOVES FOR
CROSS-PIECES SUPPORTING THE INNER LID.
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE
Q
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245
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
hand. The designs were incised in the wood with a fine knife or chisel which
made V-shaped grooves ; sometimes a small gouge was used to make softer
and rounded lines. No traces of either of the two bottoms of the chest
remain. The carvings are a remarkable example of early Anglian work ;
they are executed with a freedom and accuracy of stroke which tells us that
the artist was a master in his simple art. There is no hesitation in the work,
no second cut, no slip over the grain, no sign of weakness in it or note of
indecision.
The bottom was fitted to rebates in the sides, and to grooves in the
ends, and the sides were also rebated to take
the ends, and all parts of the coffin were held
together, as Scandinavian work still is, with
wooden pegs ; l of these several remain. With
the saint's body were stored, at various times,
miscellaneous remains of north country saints, 8
collected for the most part by Elfrid Westoue,
ST. CUTHBERT S CoFFIN : GROOVE . r 1 ill 1 1 i 1
AND REBATES. sacrist of the cathedral, early in the eleventh
century. 3 Elfrid was wont to travel up and
down the north, an ecclesiastical bagman trafficking in relics, which he placed
in wealthy churches. As he distributed them he took toll of them, and
reverently deposited his prizes in Durham Cathedral, and chiefly in St. Cuth-
bert's shrine. 4 He shamelessly stole from the monks of Jarrow all that
portion of Bede's skeleton which still reposes in a later tomb in the Galilee
of the Cathedral. 6
No coffin, except that of 698, seems ever to have been used for the re-
mains ; Reginald of Durham, describing the events of 1 104, says that the coffin,
' externally carved with very marvellous graving,' was the original chest pre-
pared by the Lindisfarne monks. On cleaning the fragments of this coffin
which had been left since 1827 in one of the library cupboards, it was found
(as had been noticed by Mr. Raine) that there were runes as well as Roman
lettering over the figures ; the workmanship of both alphabets is the same. 6
The outer lid of the coffin has, in the middle, the figure of our Lord,
standing bare-footed, holding the Gospels with His left hand under His robe ;
the book, like the seventh-century Evangelistaries still preserved in the
Cathedral library, is nearly square ; the right hand is on the breast, apparently
(though the wood is broken here) not raised in blessing. This figure,
alone of all, has curled hair on both sides of the face. He is specially marked,
as is also the Christus in the Virgin and Child, with a cruciferous nimbus ;
He wears a robe reaching to the ankles. Above His head to the left
is a winged man or angel, symbol of St. Matthew ; to the right is the
winged lion, signifying St. Mark ; under his feet are St. Luke's bull and
the eagle of St. John. The names of Matthew, Mark, and John are
in runes.
Of the inner lid, which could be lifted by two iron rings, one of
1 Haverfield and Greenwell, Catalogue, 1 39.
8 At the flight of 875 many precious relics were taken. Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 57. In 1 104 only
the head of St. Oswald was allowed to remain. Ibid. i. 255.
Ibid. i. 87. * cum patris Cuthberti corpore.' Ibid. i. 88.
Ibid. i. 88, and Reg. of Durham (Surtees Soc. i.), cap. 26.
See Haverfield and Greenwell, Catalogue, 152, and plates at the end.
246
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN : HEAD WITH FIGURES OF ST. MICHAEL
AND ST. GABRIEL.
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN : FOOT WITH FICURBS OF VIRGIN AND CHILD
247
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
which still remains, only a few fragments are left. They are enough to show
that it was inscribed with a simple cross on two steps. 1
The right side of the coffin is inscribed with six archangel figures,
simple and somewhat monotonous in pose;
they also all have the right hand on the breast,
with variations in the ringers ; their left hands
all carry books, with the hand under the robe.
There is one variation ; the Archangel Gabriel
holds in his right hand the traditional lily.
Their hair is all curled, and carried down on
to the left shoulder only. The names Raphael
and Urial alone remain. 8
The left side of the coffin contained, in a
double row, fourteen figures, the twelve Apostles,
together with St. Paul and (probably) St. Bar-
nabas. Twelve figures now remain, in whole
ST. CRT'S'C!! F F, N : IRON R, NG . Or in P art ' These are treated much in the
same way as the Archangels. St. Peter comes
first, with the double keys. There are slight variations here also in the
fingers on the breast, and St. Paul is specially distinguished by a beard,
while he has no flowing hair at all. There was room for two more figures
at the end, but this portion of the plank is altogether lost. 8
The larger end, at the head, has two Archangels Michael and Gabriel.
To give a kind of composition to the piece, Gabriel carries his book in his
right hand.
Lastly comes, at the foot, the most interesting of the series the very
nai've and simple representation of the Virgin and Child. 4
This pourtrayal of the Virgin and Child, carved about 696,' is among
the earliest Western examples of a subject destined to become so common
afterwards in religious decoration. The infant Christ is not blessing ; in
His left hand He holds a kind of roll, perhaps to indicate the Gospel
message; His nimbus is cruciferous, while that of the Virgin is plain. She
wears a dress with closely-fitting sleeves, and her right hand is laid across the
knees of the Christ, the fingers of the left hand just show on His shoulder.
These remnants (with a half-sized model of the coffin) are preserved
in the Cathedral Library. If it seems wonderful that in the seventh century,
on a far away island, such work was possible, it should be remembered that
these Anglian monks took their inspiration and learning from the Irish
Christians, who have left us splendid examples of their skill both in
caligraphy and in illumination. One needs no better examples of their
art than the Evangelistary of St. Cuthbert, now in the British Museum ;
it is a very fine specimen of the work of the Lindisfarne monks of this
period. In fact, as Dr. Greenwell tells us, they felt, together with their
missionary fervour, a deep devotion to the learning and art of the West,
1 See Haverfield and Greenwell, Catalogue, 155.
8 The others are certainly Gabriel, who holds the lily, and probably Michael, as he appears alone with
Gabriel on the larger end of the coffin. For the other two there is choice between Chamial, Zadkiel and Jophiel.
8 See Haverfield and Greenwell, Catalogue, 149.
4 What is left of the ' Maria ' is in Roman character, the ' Jesus Christus ' in runes.
6 He was buried in 698, but the coffin had probably been prepared before this.
248
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE
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INSCRIPTIONS ON THB COFFIN
(I) Head : [S]cs Michael, [G]abrixl. (II) Outer lid : Matheus, Marcus, Lucas, Johannis. (Ill) Right side :
Raphael, Scs Uriafl], Scs , [Ch]uraia[l](?). (IV) Foot : [M]ar[ia], IHS XPS.
(V) Left side, upper row : Petrus, Jacobus, Johannis, Andreas. (VI) Left side, lower row : [Philip]pus,
Bar[tholomeus], Thomas, Pa[ulus], Matheae.
I 249
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
touched with Irish influences ; they aimed by simple piety and con-
secrated skill to impress the facts of the Christian faith on the simple
Northumbrians.
A large number of fragments of wood, found with the coffin, await
arrangement. One series, when put together, forms an arcade of semi-
circular arches ; it may be part of the outer case mentioned by the
anonymous writer in the Bollandist Acta Sanctorum, as existing at the time
of the translation in 1104. Or it may have been made at that time. 1
Other pieces of mouldings may belong to the coffin of 1 542.
THE BODY OF ST. CUTHBERT
Whether or no Durham Cathedral is still in charge of the genuine
remains of St. Cuthbert is a question that has often been discussed with
some unnecessary warmth. We shall find that very little certain evidence
is to be had ; the question rests on circumstantial arguments, and these always
leave things in some doubt. This case, however, is one in which the
balance of probabilities will be found to strengthen the belief that the bones
found in the Cathedral in 1827, and seen again in 1899, are those of the
saint. The contrary view can neither be proved nor disproved. The state-
ment that the Benedictines of the Cathedral House removed the saint and
concealed him in some other part of the Cathedral, while they substituted
for him the bones of a monk taken from the ' Gentry Garth ' hard by, is still
often made. It is said that between 1537 and 1542 St. Cuthbert's body
was reburied somewhere near the west end of the Cathedral, and that either
' St. Cuthbert's treasure ' or his body, or relics of him, (for all these phrases
are used of it) formed a secret and a mystery which at the time of the Re-
formation was entrusted to three Benedictines ; and that these brethren, when-
ever one of them died, appointed another ; and that thus the secret has been
faithfully kept from the sixteenth century to our days. 3 The three are well
known in the Benedictine Order. Sir Walter Scott in the early part of last
century, when visiting Mr. Surtees at Mainsford, often came over to
Durham, and must have heard this tradition ; for he refers to it in the well-
known lines of Marmion : 3
He chose his lordly seat at last
Where his Cathedral huge and vast
Looks down upon the Wear.
There deep in Durham's gothic shade
His relics are in secret laid,
But none may know the place,
Save of his holiest servants three,
Deep sworn to solemn secrecy,
Who share that wondrous grace.
This is the Benedictine tradition.
The 'secular tradition' is found in a MS. of the seventeenth century,
which was in Archbishop Eyre's hands in 1867; it is also in a paper ii
1 Haverfield and Greenwell, Catalogue, 155.
8 Those interested in the subject should read Rev. W. Brown, Where is St. Cuthbert Buried? (Durhan_ 7
1897); Monsignor Eyre (Archbishop of Glasgow), The History of St. Cuthbert (London, 1887); Canon
Fowler in Arch. 57, i. 1 8, 19 ; and Raine, St. Cuthbert (Durham, 1828).
8 Scott, Marmion, ii. 14.
250
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE
the handwriting of Bishop Maire (1725 1766). l These two papers state
definitely that the precious treasure is the body of St. Cuthbert ; they say
that it lies under the second and third steps of the staircase leading to the
Bell Tower, and one of the MSS. adds that it was near the great clock.
When this became known to the Chapter in 1867 a large and thorough inves-
tigation took place, both near the staircase leading to the great clock in the
south transept, and also at the stairs in the north-west tower which flanks the
west end of the nave, a tower in which some of the bells were formerly
hung. Nothing was found in either place. On the other hand the Bene-
dictine tradition points to some spot in the western part of the nave, not far
from the font. 8 These traditions may now be left while we consider the chief
matter that is, the probability that the body was not removed, and that the
bones now lying in the vault of 1542 in the platform behind the Neville
screen are the actual remains of St. Cuthbert. The known history of this
body is short. Three commissioners 8 of Henry VIII., probably in 1537,*
going their rounds in search of Church treasure came to the Cathedral. We
are told that the chest containing the saint's body was broken into by a
goldsmith with a great hammer, and that in so doing the man broke one of
the saint's legs. After this the remains were deposited for some time in the
Revestry ' of the church c till such time as they did further know the king's
pleasure' It was during this period that pious monks are said to have
carried the body away, substituting for it a skeleton taken from the Gentry
Garth. We have two accounts by eye-witnesses of the burial of the ancient
coffin with a body in it ; those who saw it detected no change. The bills
for making the vault and for carrying out the burial are still in the Cathedral
Library. 7 The body was laid in an ordinary vault ; and into the walls of it
were built the blue stones or ' marble ' as they are commonly called, which
had been at the base of the destroyed shrine. 8 Over the body they first
placed a large slab on which was engraved in bold lettering the name of
* Ricardus Heswell, Monachus,' who had been buried in the Gentry Garth
in the fifteenth century ; and above this, on the surface, a large blue marble
ledger stone without inscription. The marks of the feet of earlier worshippers
may still be plainly seen on both sides of this slab.
Here the coffin lay undisturbed till 1827. Then the Chapter ordered
investigations. In the broken coffin they found the bones closely wrapped
in ancient robes, among which were discovered several valuable relics of
St. Cuthbert, which had escaped the keen eyes of the commissioners. These
things answer to certain of the treasures enumerated at the opening which
took place in 1 104.' Mr. Raine, 10 an eye-witness in 1827, who unfortunately
1 Both are quoted in Arch. Ivii. (i.) \j, 1 8. * Ibid. 19.
* See Rites of Durham (Surtees Soc. crii. loz). * Ibid. 284.
1 Pulled down in 1802. ' Rites of Durham (Surtees Soc., cvii. 103).
* Durham Account RO//J, iii. 742 (Surtees Soc., xcii-ciii.). 8 Arch. Ivii. (i.), 14, 16.
* Sjm. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 252, 253 : Abbot Richard, of St. Alban's (1097-1119), was present at the
translation of 1 1 54, and the account of the event given by Matthew Paris is important. Abbot Richard had
a withered arm, which was miraculously restored by touching St. Cuthbcrt's body. The account is as
follows : While the holy and undecaycd body of the said Confessor was being lifted by the head and feet to
be transferred (to the new shrine), and was bending in the middle and threatened to collapse, Abbot Richard,
who was standing by, marvelling that it was flexible as though the saint were merely asleep, sprang forward,
and casting away his crozier, supported the body by the middle in his arms ; and straightway the arm which
before had been useless was restored entirely by the touch of the holy body. From this it seems dear that
the saint was taken out of his coffin in the process. Vitae Viginti Trium S. A. Abbatum (cd. Watts) 1006.
10 Raine, St. Cutkbert (Durham, 1828).
251
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
infused far too much local feeling and prejudice into his descriptions, enumerates
no less than six coverings or wrappings : on the outside a fine linen sheet, well
waxed ; then a somewhat thin and delicate robe of silk, with the figure of
what he styles an Anglo-Saxon knight on a ground of amber and ornamental
parts of leaf-gold ; thirdly, a robe of thick soft silk, with ' St. Cuthbert's
birds ' the eider ducks, and other things woven into it ; fourthly, an amber
silk robe ; then for fifth and sixth coverings, two more silken robes, one of
purple and crimson, the other of damask, also of the same colours. 1 In the
midst of these wrappings (under the three upper ones) lay hidden the re-
markable 'Cross of St. Cuthbert'; there were found also the remains of a
portable altar, an ivory comb, and the beautiful tenth-century stole, etc., of
Bishop Frithstan of Winchester. There was also a ring, commonly called
St. Cuthbert's ring; this, however, is not earlier than the thirteenth century;
it is kept with great honour at Ushaw.
After all that seemed valuable had been removed to the Cathedral
Library and the fragments of the coffin had also been stored away in a cup-
board, the remains were placed in a rough box of deal planks carelessly put
together, and again buried in the vault.
When in 1899 Dr. Greenwell 3 had undertaken to piece together, so far
as was possible, the fragments of the coffin, he asked leave to have the vault
re-opened to see whether any bits of carved work had been thrown back into
it in 1827. Some few portions, all small, of the carved wood were found
and fitted into their places ; the most of the wood was either in minute
fragments or in dust. In other respects the re-opening was of value. 8
Though the coffin of 1827 had broken asunder under the pressure of
rubbish over it, the bones of the chief body were found arranged loosely in
their natural order. There was also a second skull resting on the saint's arm,
that of St. Oswald. On examination of the bones there was found remaining
on them throughout portions of ligaments and considerable remains of the
' periosteum membrane,' a kind of skin which enwraps the bones and is so
delicate of texture and substance that it rapidly perishes if exposed to damp
earth or to the moisture of ordinary decay. 4 This fact, to which two
qualified anatomists testified, at once disposes of the suggestion that this
skeleton had been taken out of the Centry Garth by the monks; for the monks'
burial-yard was damp, and bones lying there could not have retained this
delicate membrane. It is most improbable too, that when such a substitution
took place the valuable vestments and other wrappings should have been left,
six deep on the body ; or that they should have failed to secure the cross or
the ancient comb and the most interesting portable altar. At any rate,
the fact is that the position of the cross found under three of the wrappings
is a direct proof that these had never been disturbed. 6
Then it was observed by Canon Fowler that in one of the eye sockets
of the skull was a something of which he says, ' I could distinguish not only
the exsiccated muscles diverging from a point at the back, but the circular
form of the iris, and the rows of the roots of the eyelashes I have
1 Raine, St. Cuthbert (Durham, 1828), 194.
8 Haverfield and Greenwell, Catahgue, 133-156.
8 See Arch. Ivii., (i) 1 1. Canon Fowler was present, as also the writer of this article. * Ibid. 20.
s All these were found in 1827. Reginald of Durham (Surtees Soc., i.), c. 41, mentions a gold fillet, and
Rame says there were traces of a mark that might have been left on the skull by contact with gold.
252
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE
no doubt that it was a shrivelled eyeball, including the lids.' 1 If this is so,
it is surely a strong confirmation of the original drying up without decay of
the 'corpus incorruptum." When the bones were laid out for us and counted
up, before being deposited in the new oaken coffin, it was found that only
one important member was missing, one of the thigh bones ; this may be
the 'leg' which was broken by the goldsmith with his hammer. Dr. Selby
Plummer 8 says that 'the partially worn though otherwise perfect condition
of the teeth, the conditions of the lower jaw, the partial ossification of the
larynx, the comparative thinness and lightness of the scapuhe, warrant us in
assigning the age of their owner as of about fifty-five years of age,' which also
corresponds closely enough to what we know respecting St. Cuthbert's age at
his death. Perhaps the most striking confirmation of the relation between
this skeleton and the original records is this ; in Bede's Life of St. Cuthbert*
we are told that after a great crisis the Saint recovered his health, save that
a tumour which had been external then ' took an internal direction and troubled
him all the rest of his life.' For when the bones were examined by us we
saw in the breast-bone a well-marked deep hole which had been eaten out
by a long and obstinate tumour; over about half the mouth of this hole
a piece of bone had grown, showing that much time had elapsed during
the progress of the malady. Dr. Plummer also adds that on this bone 'were
many perforations, due to some ulcerative process." In many ways it is
probable that St. Cuthbert was a great sufferer throughout his life ; and the
skeleton answers exactly to the descriptions of the ancient records, which show
us a man old before his days, oppressed with ill-health, and of a consumptive
tendency. And finally, contemporaries tell us that St. Cuthbert was ' neither
very tall nor very short,' and the skeleton as we carefully measured it was
about- five feet eight inches long. 6
These are cumulative probabilities which incline the mind towards a
belief that we have here the remains of St. Cuthbert. Future discovery, or,
it may be, the revealing of the Benedictine secret, may compel us to think
otherwise ; as it is, the sum of proof is strongly in favour of the genuineness
of the remains, though proof positive is wanting.
THE HEAD OF ST. OSWALD*
The history of this relic is briefly this : After the battle on the Maser-
field in 642 in which the King fell, 8 his remains were brutally treated by
Penda, the triumphant pagan king of Mercia; his head was stuck up on
a pole ; King Oswio later on took it down.' He carried it to Lindisfarne,
where it was received as a most precious relic. When the monks were forced
to take flight thence in 875, they tell us that they placed the head in
St. Cuthbert's coffin, 10 and William of Malmesbury adds that 'the head is
said to be held between the arms of the ever blessed Cuthbert.' l In the
translation of 1104 it is said that the head was restored to its place by the
1 Arch. Ivii. (i), 21 note, but see Rainc, Sf. Cuthbert, 214. * Ibid. 23 note.
Ibid. 20. * Cap. 8. * Arch. Ivii. (i), 10.
Ibid. 23-24. 7 See Reginald of Durham (Surtccs Soc. i.), cap. 42.
8 Bede, Hut. Eccl., lib. iii. cap. ix. Ibid. cap. xii.
10 Sym. Dur. (Rolls series), i. 57. u Ibid. i. 53.
253
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
side of St. Cuthbert. 1 This skull shows proof of such a violent death as
befell St. Oswald in the battle of Maserfelth. 3 It has a tremendous cut on the
skull, which must have killed him, inflicted by a sharp sword or axe ; and
there is also a second wound on the head, 8 perhaps inflicted after death, when
Penda savagely wreaked his anger on it.
THE CROSS
This ancient and most interesting relic was found in 1827 under three
thicknesses of silk on- the skeleton. It is of gold with four equal arms ; of
a type of workmanship well known to be that of the seventh century, as may
be seen by comparison with other and dated pieces of jeweller's work in
France or Belgium. In the centre it has a large reddish stone, or possibly a
substitute in glass for a garnet, and under this a cavity which probably con-
tained a relic. There is a corresponding stone in each angle and twelve
smaller stones on each branch. One of the limbs has been broken off and
riveted on again in early times : it has a ring through which a gold chain
was passed. This ring is of much later workmanship ; and under it may be
discerned a thin loop in gold wire worn through and replaced.
The inner ornament is not enamel : it is formed of some quasi-mosaic
pieces of stone or glass set in a thin edging of gold.
The discovery of this cross, hidden away for ages (for Reginald of
Durham, in his minute description of the contents of the coffin, does not
mention it), provides one of the strongest confirmations of the genuineness of
this skeleton. It points to a high probability that the inner vestments, etc.,
were never disturbed till 1827;* and it is evident that if they were left un-
touched the remains within them could not have suffered a secret translation.
ST. CUTHBERT'S COMB
The anonymous author writing of the translation of 1104 says that the
monks then replaced by the side of St. Cuthbert's body 'a great ivory comb,'
and Reginald of Durham 5 says 'The comb is perforated in the middle so
that almost three fingers may be inserted into the hole. The length of it
bears a suitable proportion to the breadth. For the length is almost equal to
the breadth, save that for ornament there is a slight difference. From lapse
of time it has got a reddish tinge ; the whiteness of bone which naturally
belongs to it is changed into a ruddy tint.' This comb was found in 1827
lying among the folds of one of the uppermost robes, on the lower part of
the saint's breast. On careful examination the comb was found to be certainly
ivory, not wood ; it has been skilfully fastened together again, for it was very
fragile and much broken. It does not appear to have been originally buried
1 It is fair to add that there is a skull at Epternach, an Anglo-Saxon settlement in Luxemburg, which a
said to be St. Oswald's head. See Bede (ed. Plummer), ii. 157.
8 Ibid. Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 255, and Bede, of. cit., lib. iii. c. 9. *Arch. Ivii. (i), 25.
4 The outside robes were removed at the translation of 698, but ' quae carni illius proxima aderant
prorsus tangere timebant.' Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 36. Then ' involutum novo amictu corpus, novaque in
theca reconditum, supra pavimentum sanctuarii posuerunt.' Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. iv. cap. xxviii. Some
robes were taken away and others added in 1 104. S. D. i. 255.
6 Reginald of Durham (Surtees Soc.), i. cap. 42.
254
ST. CUTHBERT'S CROSS ({).
ST. CUIHBERT'S COMB
To fact fag,
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE
with the saint ; we hear of it for the first time in the account of the doings
of Sacrist Elfrid, son of Westoue, about 1022, who made a new comb for
the saint's body, which is probably the comb now preserved in the Library.
THE PORTABLE ALTAR
Of all the relics the most puzzling is this altar, on which there is an
undecipherable inscription. It is simply an oaken board covered with silver,
forming a flat plate or tablet about five inches broad and four inches and a
half high. On this the elements were placed for consecration.
It is mentioned as being in the coffin by the anonymous monk and by
Reginald ; it is certainly coeval with St. Cuthbert. The oaken board was
covered with a too delicate silver plate fastened on by small silver nails.
This is unfortunately in a very bad state. Round a circular ornament in the
middle ran a bold inscription which has hitherto baffled ingenuity. There
exists also on the back of the original oaken slab a seventh-century inscription
carved in the wood with a sharp tool. It runs thus :
IN HONOR (EM). . S. PETRU.
It seems that the carver never thought of putting St. Peter's name in
the genitive case, and that it is a kind of' Lapidary Latin ' blunder. Under
these words are cut two crosses of unusual shape ; they are long and fine,
tapering away to a point.
The silver work has been transferred to a new oaken slab. On the front
of this portable altar there are many puzzles. In the middle (or nearly in the
middle, for it is nearer to one side than the other) is a circular centrepiece
with beautifully interlaced work of a very early date forming perhaps a
decorated cross in the middle. There is also a very clear cross half-way up
the left side ; there is nothing to tell us whether there were any crosses (to
make up the symbolic five) on the corresponding places on the other three
sides ; it looks as if there were not. Each corner is occupied by an
interesting ornament, and a fine beading runs all round the plate. The
centrepiece had a bold inscription. Mr. Raine says it is Greek in Latin
letters ; there seems little truth in this statement. Calculating the space and
the size of the letters, about six to seven letters are missing at the beginning
of the inscription and about the same number at the end. The letters
remaining are only eight in number, with two curled marks between them,
which may mean abbreviations for m or iam ; but it is more likely that they
are simply divisions between the words. Outside the central boss there are,
at the top, two very plain letters, O H. The letters which remain are fairly
clear, excepting the first, which was so near destruction that it has suffered
damage. Indeed, the first and second letters may be read either as a double I
(there is such a letter on the back of the original slab) ; or they may be a U
or a V ; they may also be such an N as we see on the back ; they might,
but not probably, be part of an H. Earlier in the inscription there is
apparently the lower part of an O, with room for about two letters between
it and the double I.
Reproducing the letters as we have them, they run thus :
o . . . . IIAIECIERA
255
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
There is no sign, as Raine would have it, of a Greek r at the beginning, nor
of a <coi, nor is there any * et.' l
BISHOP FRITHSTAN'S STOLE AND MANIPLE
The history of these rare and beautiful specimens of early needlework,
now about a thousand years old, and still almost as bright as they were when
they passed put of the artists' hands, is happily preserved for us on the work
itself. For both the Stole and the Maniple bear the inscription ' Pio
Episcopo FrrSestano,' as well as the name of the giver, '^Elffled fieri precepit.'
Frithstan was Bishop of Winchester from 909* to 931, when he resigned ;
he died in 933. He was a man of much piety, and became a local saint.
Rifled was the second wife of Edward the Elder, 8 and died not later
than 916.
This, then, gives a proximate date for this beautiful piece, and the place
also where it was worked. It was probably the work of the ladies of the
new Nunminster of Winchester, under guidance of Queen Rifled, as a tribute
of their affection for the saintly bishop.
Soon after Frithstan's death, King Athelstan, son of Edward (though not
by Queen Rifled),* was called up to the north, and as he passed through
Chester-le-Street B he worshipped at the shrine of St. Cuthbert, 6 and presented
to the saint * a stole and maniple 7 which St. Etheldreda gave to St. Wilfrid
in a small chest,' as we are told in the enumeration of relics. 8 Reginald of
Durham also, speaking of the year 1 104, says that ' he was decorated with a
stole and fanon their inner portions are hidden under the tunic
and dalmatic, but the extremities (which are in sight) appear to be of most
costly workmanship.' *
The stole, which is now in five pieces, has kept much of the brilliancy
of the gold thread, and shows very skilful handling throughout. The
groundwork is of thread of gold 'real gold thread' (Mr. Raine says), not
silver-gilt ; the figures and ornaments, inscriptions, etc., have been worked in
with the needle on spaces left for them ; the border on either side is woven.
Of the stole the middle point is occupied by a quatrefoil enclosing the
Lamb of God with a nimbus. It bears also the inscription ' Agnus Dei.'
From this the figures descend to right and left, each with its own inscription,
in letters scattered on the ground so as to avoid a stiff scroll ; the whole stole
is decorated with full-length figures of the prophets of the Old Testament :
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Amos, Obadiah, Hosea, Joel, Habakkuk, Jonah,
Zechariah, one whose name is lost, and, lastly, Nahum. On the front of one
of the ends is a half-length St. John the Evangelist, and at the back ' /Elfflasd
fieri precepit,' and on the other end a half-length figure of St. Thomas with,
on the reverse, ' Pio episcopo FrrSestano.'
The maniple is in similar work, though the details differ. In the
middle, here also, there is a quatrefoil in which is worked by the needle a
1 See Raine, S/. Cuthbert, 201, 202, particularly the plates at the end of the volume.
3 Anglo-Sax. Chron. gives date 93 2 as the date of his death, but see Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), ii. 1 24.
8 times Hist. (Rolls Series), i. 478. * Ibid.
' The shrine was there from 833 to 995. Sym. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 75.
7 Ibid - i- Z". Durham Account Rolls (Surtees Soc.). ii. 4.33.
Reg. of Dur. (Surtees Soc. i.), cap. xli.
256
ST. CI'THBERT'S PORTABLE ALTAR (|).
BRACELET OP GOLD THREAD
AND RED SILK FOUND IN
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN (J).
PORTION OF MAMPLE FOUND IN
ST. CUTHBERT'S COFFIN ().
To fact fagt 156.
THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE
hand outstretched from a cloud, with the inscription, ' Dextera Dei.' On the
one side is Pope Gregory the Great in act of benediction, and below him his
companion Peter the Deacon ; under these the maniple ends with a square
containing a half-length figure of St. John Baptist, with a second ' Pio
episcopo FriSestano.' On the other half there is St. Sixtus the Pope, and
beneath him Lawrence the Deacon ; and on the square end is, on the
front, a half-length figure of St. James the Apostle, with again the inscription
* jfElfflasd fieri precepit.' At each end of the maniple there hangs a fringe
of crimson or purple.
There were also found, a part of Athelstan's gift, a girdle and two
bracelets in similar work, but without figures. 1 A second maniple of a
later date was also discovered.
PIECES OF SILK CLOTH
In addition to the Frithstan vestments, the Library has also some remark-
able fragments of those five silk-woven pieces of ancient work, which have been
photographed full size and painted by hand by Mr. T. J. Williamson ; they
can be studied at South Kensington. The careful reproduction is more distinct
than the fragmentary and faded remains themselves, though preserved with
great care at Durham. That there is anything left to us is really due to
the infinite painstaking of Dr. Greenwell, the Cathedral Librarian. In
this, as in many another case, he has enormously enriched the Library by his
skill, knowledge, and devotion to antiquity. It has always been said that the
scenes of the Saint's life are here brought in the sea, the eider-ducks, or the
solan geese, the porpoises, the rabbits ; these, it was thought, proved ' that the
silk had been woven for St. Cuthbert ' and at Lindisfarne. It is far more pro-
bable that these incomparable fragments were presents brought from the East,
from Persia perhaps, or Syria, or from orientalised Sicily. It is, most pro-
bably, Persian work of the eleventh century. One knows how intimate was
the intercourse between East and West in old times ; and the texture and
manner of ornament is not western, but oriental.
i. The largest piece remaining is in thick soft silk. It appears to have
been a square, some part of the edging of it being still there ; the general effect
of colour, though much faded, being purple and crimson. The pattern of
this piece is chiefly confined within a circle of about two feet in diameter,
with a bordering in the circle of grapes and conventional leaves with pears,
or more probably mangoes, in couples, and other eastern fruits ; at the top
are 'golden apples,' i.e. oranges. The interstices between the repetitions of the
pattern are filled up with two geese (or more probably ducks) pecking at
bunches of grapes which fall from a vase or bracket standing on a pedestal.
Inside the circle, for nearly one-fourth of the height, is the sea, wherein swim
six fishes, and four ducks float on the water. Arising out of the sea between
the birds the upper part of the circle is filled with what may have been meant
for a great vase, standing on a base which rests on the sea ; or it may perhaps
be a conventional boat, with high ends rising almost to the top of the
circle and crowned with two large ornaments of pine-apple form. Much
of the space between these points is unhappily lost ; there is enough to show
1 Sym. Dur. (Rollt Scries), i. ill.
i 257 33
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
that it was filled up with a bunch of oranges, with foliage above, and an
ornamented belt of embroidery running from one side to the other and ending
in tasselled flowing folds gathered together on the outside. If it is a vase,
the base of it is easy to make out, though there seems to be no top to it.
The colours of this piece have been most brilliant.
2. This is the most curious piece. It covers a large surface and the
subject is repeated. There is in the middle a large circular plate with eight
lobes, and between the outer and inner borders a pattern which looks at first
sight rather like an oriental inscription, though it is nothing but ornament.
Inside this border is a horse and his rider. The horse is unconventional, but
drawn naturally ; it has trappings and hanging bells, its tail is tied up, and on a
saddle with stirrups the rider sits holding the reins in his right hand ; both reins
are on the right side of the horse's neck ; the bit is a kind of muzzle, on, not in,
the mouth. On the rider's left wrist a hawk is perched with wings extended
and a long, broad tail. The bird's head is distinctly hawk-shaped. Under the
horse is a very well-designed dog of the greyhound or ' whippet ' type. The
man wears no armour nor any sword ; he sits looking out full face, with a
peaked beard. 1 The ground of the silk is parseme with conventional oriental
flowers and cypress trees such as one sees on a Persian carpet to this day.
The whole piece has a double border composed of two lines of rope or chain
with a succession of identical stiff ornaments ; beyond this border comes a
row of well-drawn rabbits, and beyond this a fringe or braid of the same
colour fastened to the silk by the needle. This striking pattern of man,
horse, falcon, and dog, in a circular lobed cartouche, is twice repeated.
3. A piece of silk, still of most brilliant colouring, mostly crimson
and purple. Above these seems to have been an urn, now only indicated,
supported by two face to face winged beasts, lions or griffins, whose heads
are gone. In this piece the main figure, repeated thrice on the portion of stuff
preserved, is a two-headed peacock, standing in front of the spectator, with the
eyes and brilliant colours of his tail filling up all the space behind him.
4. The next fragment is a piece of silk, with a cruciform pattern often
repeated, in the same purple and crimson colours.
5. And lastly a silk piece of little ornament ; it is amber coloured and so
arranged that the threads of it appear to give alternately a light and a dark tint,
so creating a kind of wavy look on the surface. This piece was bordered by
a ribbon of thick lace rather more than an inch in breadth with a pattern
woven on it, very like, as Mr. Raine says, the * Coach-lace ' of his time. 2
Of these coverings of the saint's body some were certainly added in the
days of Reginald of Durham. He minutely describes the robes which were
then taken away and replaced by choicer work in still finer silk. It is these
substituted pieces that are preserved and carefully treasured in the Library of
Durham Cathedral.
'
1 In the church of St. Pol de Bate (an island off the north-west coast of Brittany) the writer discovered :
fragment of very ancient needlework with this same subject treated in a similar way. It is said to be a
part of the famous stole of St. Pol, with which the saint led a wicked and hungry dragon to its death. Be this
as it may, the work is very ancient and curious ; the cure of the parish said that the embroidery was oriental.
The St. Pol horseman rides a horse with hardly any trappings ; the bridle is treated in the same way, without
a bit ; but the dog, instead of being a tiny ' whippet,' is a huge boar-hound. The most remarkable point
about the Batz figure is the fact that the feet of the horse are toed very distinctly ; the horse itself is better
drawn than ours ; otherwise, the subjects are identical. St. Pol was a Celtic priest who had crossed over from
western England to Brittany in the sixth century. * Raine, St. Cuthbert, 1 96.
PORTIONS OF BISHOP FRITHSTAN'S STOLE (-J).
BISHOP FRITHM '
MANIPLK (i).
ENDS OF BISHOP FRITHSTAN' STOLE (}).
r
BOLDON BOOK
record known as Boldon Book affords the elements of a
picture of the social and economic conditions of the bishopric of
Durham at the close of the twelfth century, which, although it
may not be complete, will, as far as it goes, be accurate. The
nature and contents of this document have not always been correctly
described. It has been an accepted commonplace to say that Boldon Book
is the Domesday of the palatinate ever since Sir Henry Ellis printed the
record among the appendixes to the official edition of Domesday Book. And
yet this saying is far from representing the actual state of the case
would, indeed, that it did so. Boldon Book approaches more nearly the
type of a rental or extent than that of a survey 1 in the sense in which the
word is used in connexion with Domesday Book, and although it appears to
describe itself as a survey, it is in reality no more than a polyptichum designed
to meet the administrative needs of a great estate. It is not even what we
might under the circumstances have hoped for a chartulary. The antiquity
of the see and the peculiar position of the bishop, which was already passing
from landlordship to sovereignty, 1 made the preparation of a true chartulary at
once difficult and superfluous. The * patrimonium Sancti Cuthberti ' was
already formed and organized, and the traditional record of it preserved in the
Durham Chronicle and a few forged charters. 8 Moreover, since the great
re-adjustment at the close of the eleventh century, by which a convent of
monks was introduced into the cathedral church and the endowment of the
see divided between them and the bishop * the appointment, as they would
have said across the Channel, of a * mensa episcopalis ' and a ' mensa capitu-
laris ' there was none to bring the bishop's rights seriously into question.
The far-off royal government was destined not to molest him for two centuries
to come, and then the bishop would have his answer ready, a warrant better
than Warenne's rusty sword, and yet consisting essentially of general words
which, by exception, would succeed in ousting the king. So the legal side of
Boldon Book is scarcely apparent, and its economic side consists of what is
rather a report on the conditions of a great estate than the survey of a county.
Still it may be fairly assumed that what went on in the bishop's vills was
equally going on in those of the prior or the lay barons, and that Boldon Book
therefore affords enough material for a number of generalizations with regard
to what we may call the Third Estate of the bishopric at the close of the
twelfth century. Something may be said as well about the social superstruc-
1 'Fecit Dominus Hugo Dunolmensis Episcopns in presentia sua et suorum dcscribi omncs reddiros totius
Episcopatus sui assisaset consuetudines, sicut tune erant et ante fuerant,' Bullion Book (Surtees Soc.), p. I.
1 Lapsley, Co. Pal. of Dur. chs. i. ii. v.
8 Sjmeon of Durham (Rolls Scries), 2 vols. ; Liber Vitte Eccleiitf Ditnelmeniit (Surtees Soc.) ; and Canon
Greenwell's valuable discussion of the subject in FeoJarium Prioratui Dunelmm'u (Surtees Soc.) (henceforth
FeoJarium), prcf.
* Greenwell, loc. cit.
259
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
ture but here we shall get small help from Boldon Book, and must proceed
cautiously by means of inference and analogy, making use of the meagre
supply of documents at our disposal. It will be convenient, then, to proceed
from the bottom upward, to study and classify the information that Boldon
Book affords before attempting to supply that which it withholds.
To this end we may begin with the organization of the agricultural
community. It is desirable here to fasten our attention on the vill rather
than the manor, for our interests are economic rather than legal, and the
question of the formation of the manors of the bishopric is very largely a legal
one. Still it is a matter which we cannot afford to neglect, and it may be
well to interrupt our main inquiry at this point in order to ask ourselves what
was the meaning of the word ' manor ' in the bishopric, and how the thing
which the word represents came into being. The Domesday manor was far
less definite and regular an institution than that of the fourteenth century, but
whatever the manor of the eleventh and twelfth centuries may or may not
have been, one point is clear, its constituting element was the vill. Either the
manor composed itself of vills or else it decomposed vills into manors. In a
general way the first of these processes is characteristic of the north of
England, the second of the south. 1 The vill is an institution more permanent
and more stable than the manor. It is older withal, and stands in a closer
relation to the land and its inhabitants.
With this statement of the general difficulties of the case we may turn to
examine the particular problem presented by Boldon Book and the other
evidence at our disposal. Briefly it may be stated on this wise, how and
when were the bishop's vills grouped or arranged in those economic and
judicial units styled manors ? Since the bishopric was omitted from the
Domesday survey and not afterwards included in the regular administration of
the kingdom, whether judicial or financial, it will be seen that any argument
drawn from the fiscal or administrative purpose of the Domesday survey will
not necessarily fit our case. Nor, as we have seen, may we argue as though
Boldon Book, in respect to its aim and result, were on all fours with Domesday
Book. The chief aim of the Conqueror's inquest was to facilitate the collec-
tion of danegeld, a tax that was not raised in the bishopric of Durham,*
and the two documents are separated by a century which saw the lapse and
disappearance of that impost. We must seek, then, some other explana-
tion ; we are debarred from assuming that it was financial pressure that
grouped men and lands about some house which was responsible to the
king for his geld. 3
We may conduct our inquiry most conveniently by observing the now
classical method of proceeding from the known to the unknown. The known
in this case consists of the rich series of episcopal halmote rolls which begin
in the year 1345.* These documents record the doings of those loca~
1 Pollock and Maitland, Hist. ofEng. Law, 1st ed. i. 597, 598.
2 Lapsley, Co. Pal. of Dur., 29$, 296.
3 This convenient hypothesis, put forward by Professor Maitland (Dom. Book and Beyond, 128), is not
now generally accepted, see Tait in Eng. Hist. Rev. 1897, 770 ff; Round in ibid. 1900, 293 ff. ; and Vino-
gradoff, The Growth of the Manor, bk. iii., particularly pp. 300 ff.
4 These MSS., which are preserved at the Record Office and at Durham, were thoroughly examined
by Messrs. Hardy and Page, on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, with whose permission they have
very kindly placed at my disposal several volumes of transcripts. For the convenience of those who wish to
verify statements occurring in the text I give the references to the originals.
260
BOLDON BOOK
tribunals which we are accustomed to think of as manorial courts, but it is
very noticeable that the word * manor' does not occur in them until the Middle
Ages are past. They begin normally with the formula ' Pleas of the halmote
of A, held at such a place on such a day.' All the halmotes of the bishopric
were held by the bishop's steward, either in person or by deputy, 1 who for
this purpose made a circuit, called the ' turnus halmotorum,' three times a
year. The court was ordinarily held at a certain vill about which a number
of others were grouped. This arrangement is extremely important for our
purposes, and will presently be considered in greater detail when we deal with
the matter in its economic aspect. At present it should be remarked that for
judicial purposes the arrangement was very elastic. Thus in the pontificate
of Bishop Hatfield (13451381) there are three instances of the halmote of
Sadberge being held at Stockton. 1 This is particularly striking, for Sadberge
had, as we shall presently see, a greater unity than any other subdivision of
the episcopal estates. Then in Bishop Skirlaw's time (13881405), the court
of the Middleham group was held sometimes at Middleham and sometimes at
Sedgefield, another member of the same group. 1 In the eleventh year of the
same pontificate the halmote for four vills belonging to the Easington group
was taken at Sadberge.* Twice in the same pontificate Durham, usually
grouped with Chester, was taken at the court held at Easington.' These
appear to be the only cases of such redistribution in the fourteenth century,
but there are numerous instances of it in the records of the fifteenth and later
centuries. In the fifteenth century, indeed, there is a striking case of a single
court being held for all the bishop's vills.' Finally, the records of all these
transactions were returned into the bishop's chancery, where they were
engrossed and became part of the official records of the whole palatinate.
Now the obvious inference from all this would be that the bishops were
dealing with their vills as members of one vast manorial estate, or let us say
rather of a great franchise which was 5 manorial in so far as its proprietor
exercised rights of landlordship over certain parts of it. But no sharp line, it
would seem, was drawn between the exercise of these rights and those of a
political and administrative character in virtue of which the bishop enjoyed
his regality. But things can not always have been in this condition. Several
considerations enter into the account, and we must try to discover at what
time and under what circumstances the bishop became the landlord of the
vills in question, whether there was not some economic reason for their
arrangement in the way we have seen, and how they were administered before
the development of the complicated palatine judiciary.
Before dealing with these questions we must follow the fortunes of the
word 'manor' in connexion with the vills of the bishopric. In the survey
made by Bishop Hatfield at the close of the fourteenth century, 7 we find that
vills are grouped not in manors but in wards, a term which commonly
answers to the hundreds and wapentakes of other counties. 8 Still within
1 Lapsley, Co. Pal. ofDur. 78 ; Dur. Cursiton Rec. No. 42, m. I. Rec. Off.
1 Ibid. No. 12, fols. 121, I29d, i82d. Ibid. No. I3,fol$. I4d, I24d.
Ibid. fol. 2gid. * Ibid. No. 13, fols. 354, 396.
Ibid. No. 16, fol. 252. ' HatfitU Sure. (Surtees Soc.), 1857.
8 In the general receiver*! roll of Bishop Fordham (who succeeded Hatfield) the onus of every ward is
given followed by the quota of the vills comprised in the ward, the manorial arrangement appearing only from
the order in which the vills are enumerated. Ibid. 260-275.
261
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
these four wards the arrangement of the vills corresponds to that of the
halmote rolls, and as we shall see presently to that of Boldon Book as well.
The term 'manor,' however, occurs in Hatfield's Survey, where it is applied
to single vills held by free tenants, and seems to be equated with 'villa'. Thus
at Easington under the rubric * Liberi Tenentes ' we read ' Walterus de
Edirdacres tenet manerium de Edirdacres per certa servitia.' l On turning to
Hutton we find under the same rubric the following entry : ' Henricus de
Essh tenet villam de Huton . . . per servitium forinsecum.' * The next
document in chronological order is the great receipt roll of Bishop Beck, the
earliest account roll of the palatinate that has survived to us. 8 This records
the issues of the bishop's manors and accounts for receipts from manorial
bailiffs and for the expenses incident to holding the ' turnus halmotorum.'
Then there is the long series of the prior's halmote rolls, beginning in
1 296,* and these again avoid the term ' manor,' although they show a judicial
organization practically identical with that of the bishop's vills. Then quite
early in the thirteenth century we get in the record of the testimony taken
in a great law-suit a mention of a manor belonging to Bishop Philip
(i 197 I2o8). 5 And it is recorded that on the resignation of Bishop
Nicholas de Farnham in 1 249 the manors of Stockton and Easington were
assigned to him for his support ' cum omnibus eorundem maneriorum
membris, pertinenciis et libertatibus.' ' This is particularly interesting
because Stockton and Easington were the heads respectively of two of those
halmote groups which we shall have presently to examine. Finally, if we
turn to the national records we shall see that the king's officers had no
difficulty in finding manors in Durham. After the death of Bishop Pudsey
in 1195 the keepers of the temporalities accounted for the tallage of the
manors of the bishopric, but, as appears from the detailed list which follows,
the money was raised from the vills individually and not in manorial groups. 7
Again, in the earliest extant pipe roll the keepers in like manner are account-
ing for the cost of stocking the bishop's manors and. for certain manorial
profits which seem to have been the result of a tallage. 8
Yet in spite of all this the word ' manor ' does not occur in Boldon Book ; 9
the vill was the unit of the survey, and in like fashion the division of St.
Cuthbert's patrimony between the second Norman bishop and the monks
was made on a basis of vills, and not manors. 10
What then shall we say ? That the manor did not exist in Durham in
the twelfth century ? But there was something that the king's officers
treated as a manor, and the manor was not unknown in the next century.
We cannot on the other hand suppose that the manor, as the term was
understood throughout the kingdom, was to be found in the bishopric. For
1 HatfielTs Siirv. (Surtees Soc.), 127. * Ibid. 153.
8 Printed in Boldon Book (Surtees Soc.), App. pp. xxv-xxxix.
* Dttr. Halmote R. (Surtees Soc.), 1889. ' Attestaciones Testium, etc., in Feuf. 224.
1 From a document issued by a papal commission composed of three English prelates, in Historite Dunel-
mensts Serif tores Tres. (Surtees Soc.), 1839, App. No. lix. The local chronicler in recording this transaction
mentions the ' maneria episcopalia ' ; Graystanes, vi. in ibid. p. 42.
Pipe R. 8 Ric. I. in Boldon Book (Surtees Soc.), App. pp. vi. vii.
8 Ibid. 31 Hen. I. in. ibid. App. pp. i-iii.
The single instance of the use of the term in the Whickham entry is almost certainly no part of the
original record, vid. inf. App. No. ii.
10 See Canon GreenwelTs instructive account of this transaction in Fend. pref. xvi ff.
262
BOLDON BOOK
one thing, the institution that was occasionally called a manor had nothing to
do with the bishop's financial administration. To what extent may we regard
it as having served administrative and judicial ends ?
We have suggested that in the fourteenth century and later the halmote
groups in Durham lacked the individuality of the contemporary manor
owing to a system of judicial administration which regarded them all as
forming part of a single great estate and subject to a single tribunal which,
although presided over by a single officer and constituted under a single
authority, was for convenience sake held in various places. Now owing to
very different reasons something of the same sort may have been true at a
much earlier period. The tradition of the formation of the patrimonium of
St. Cuthbert is preserved in the eleventh-century compilation known as the
Historia de Sancto Cuthberto, and the twelfth-century chronicle that goes by
the name of Symeon of Durham. Although we must make a large allowance
for the bias of these documents, and the fact that they contain only the reflection
of vanished grants or instruments, we may still draw from them the main lines
of the development. The franchise of the see that was to be Durham began in
grants of land in what are now Northumberland and York. The bishop's
authority extended itself over the intervening region between Tyne and Tees
as forming part of his diocese. To this authority was added, either by
prescription or direct grant, some immunity (sake and soke) in the same
region. This political power (quite independent of any proprietary right
growing out of landlordship) seems at first to have been disregarded by the
Danish invaders, and then as they settled and assumed Christianity to have
been admitted and even perhaps extended. 1 Meanwhile the bishops seem to
have been extending their proprietary rights in the region in question by
purchase, perhaps by grant, and further by some form of internal coloniza-
tion. We get only indirect notice of this last and most important method,
but it may fairly be inferred from certain passages in the Historia Ecclesia?
and the Historia de Sancto Cuthberto. Bishop Egred gave to the see Gainford
and its appurtenances from Tees to Wear, * quarum ipse conditor fuerat,'
says Symeon : * * et . . . sedificavit duas villas . . . et dedit eas,' says the
Historia.*
The development of the political side of the franchise has been traced
elsewhere/ One thing is clear, at the time of the Norman Conquest and
probably much earlier the bishops were holding a court, a single court, in
which all their judicial business was transacted and which did not begin to
develop and subdivide until the second half of the twelfth century. Such a
tribunal would have included all those subjected to the bishop's jurisdiction
whether for tenurial or political reasons ; but until the palatine judiciary
began to develop upon the pattern of the royal judiciary this distinction
would naturally not be taken into account.
1 So much we may gather from the obviously legendary transactions ascribed to the Danish Guthred
and King Alfred, and from the striking passages in the Hist, de S. Cuth. 'Nam Ethred tupradictui
abbas emit a prxfato rege Guthred, et a Danorum ezercitu, qui sibi sub eo terram diviserant, has villas
et eas Sancto Cuthberto contulit.' ' Eodem tempore Cuthardus, cpiscopus fidclis, emit de pecunia sancti
Cuthberti villam quac vocatur Ceddesfeld, et quicquid ad earn pertinet, praeter quod tenebant tres homines,
Aculf, Ethelbriht, Frithlaf. Super hoc tamen habuit cpiscopus sacam et socnam.' Symeon of Durham (Rolls
Scr.), i. 107, 208
1 Ibid. i. 53. Ibid. aoi.
* Lapslcy, Co. Pal. ch. r.
263
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
It has been argued that the organization and definition of manorial
courts was by no means early, but followed and imitated that of the criminal
jurisdiction of the sheriff. That originally, in short, there had been but
a single court or halmote for all the tenants of the manor. 1 Now if we apply
this theory to the bishop's estates which the rapid development of his
sovereignty and the machinery for its application in the twelfth century
would have left in a direct and proprietary relation to him, and remember
the absence in the bishopric of any normalizing fiscal system, we may well
regard the episcopal halmote courts as a case of arrested development. The
great estate, as apart from the great franchise, would continue, in principle at
least, to be administered as a single whole.
Thus in the bishopric the financial force which contributed to the
formation of the manor did not exist and the judicial element had been
reduced to a minimum. It had, however, a certain importance. In practice
it must have been convenient to hold the halmote from place to place on the
plan which we have seen was customary in the fourteenth century. Such an
arrangement would naturally take account of any pre-existent grouping or
arrangement of vills, such as a parent community and its offshoots, or a
cluster of intercommoning vills, or the like. Where a court was held for a
number of vills that already had some principle of cohesion they would
obviously be drawn more closely together, for the business of the halmote
was almost as much administrative as judicial, and all sorts of common affairs
were regulated there. Then, following the custom of the kingdom, such
groups with newly developed or intensified solidarity might in the course of
the thirteenth century come naturally if not very accurately to be described
as manors.
If this hypothesis prove acceptable, it will still be necessary to account
for the economic, as we have endeavoured to account for the judicial, forma-
tion of the episcopal manors, to show what earlier element of cohesion had
held the clusters of vills together. Here, fortunately, we have rather more
material at our disposal. The arrangement, as was natural, seems to have
been primarily a matter of vicinity, and this would include of course new
vills that sprang up on the waste land surrounding the elder ones. Then, as
will presently appear, certain vills were chargeable in pairs or larger groups
for services and renders, an arrangement which is in some cases older than the
Norman Conquest. Such a condition is quite what we should expect to find
when we remember that in the bishopric there was no uniform pressure
of taxation, no such fiscal system as was imposed on the rest of the
kingdom by the Domesday survey, which, whatever may be the details,
must still be regarded as a dynamic process in the formation of the English
manor.
This matter may best be illustrated by a comparison of the disposition
of the vills in the fourteenth-century manors with their arrangement in
Boldon Book.
Houghton Group in Halmote Rolls : Bishopswearmouth, Ryhope,
Burdon, Herrington, Newbottle, Morton, Wardon, Houghton.
Vills in the Boldon Book : Wearmouth and Tunstall ; Ryhope and
1 Maitland, Stltct Pleat in Manorial Ceurtt (Seldcn Soc.), Introd. ; Vinogradoff, VIMnage In England,
362-376.
264
BOLDON BOOK
Burdon ; Newbottle, Biddick, and Herrington ; Houghton, Warden, and
Morton. 1
Here our test works out very neatly. The vills forming the manor of
Houghton follow one another in order in the Boldon survey, moreover they
all have some further connexion. Wearmouth, Ryhope, and Burdon, came
to the bishop together as part of a reputed grant by King Athelstane.* In
Boldon Book the vills are arranged in the groups indicated. Wearmouth and
Tunstall are surveyed together, work, render, and have their demesne in
common ; and this is true also of Ryhope and Burdon. The third group is
connected by a common pinder and common mills. Warden and Morton
are dependent on Houghton, where they work and with which they have a
pinder in common. They all conform, moreover, to the Boldon or corn age-
paying type, and fit in therefore with that general classification of vills of
which we speak elsewhere.*
Easington Group in the Halmote Rolls : Sherburn, Cassop, Shotton,
Shadforth, Easington.
Vills in the Boldon Book : Easington, Thorp, and Shotton ; North
Sherburn, Shadforth, Cassop, Trillesden, and Whitwell.
Here again we find an economic connexion between the vills which go
to form this manor. Easington, Thorp, and Shotton were grouped as early
as A.D. 901, when Bishop Cutheard granted them to Elfred, son of
Birihtulfinc, in return for services,* and in the Boldon survey they follow one
another. The first two are connected by common renders, services, and
demesne. The second group is described in Boldon Book as Quarringtonshire,
and appears to have an organic connexion. Whitwell would be a new vill
erected in this region for its tenant William. In Hatfield's Survey it is being
held as a sub-manor by the Master of Sherburn Hospital, 1 and would there-
fore not be enumerated as one of the bishop's vills in the Halmote Rolls.
Trillesden also would seem to be an offshoot or member of Cassop.* Finally
the whole cluster conforms, as in the case of Houghton, to the Boldon or
cornage-paying type.
Chester Group in the Halmote Rolls : Ryton, Whickham, Whitburn,
Cleadon, Newton, Plawsworth, Boldon, Chester, Urpeth, Gateshead, Fram-
wellgate.
Vills in the Boldon Book : Chester and Urpeth ; Gateshead, Boldon,
Newton, and Plawsworth ; Cleadon and Whitburn ; Whickham ; Ryton and
Crawcrook.
Here the connexion of the minor groups is more apparent than that of
the whole. The villeins of Urpeth plough and harrow at Chester, and
although the entries are widely separated in Boldon Book, there is no doubt
1 The manorial grouping as derived from the episcopal halmote rolls is necessarily only approximate,
rid. sap. p. 261 I have given what seems to be the most usual or generally recognized arrangement of vills.
Cf. Durham Halmote R. pref. p. viii ff.
1 Symeoti of Durham (Rolls Ser.), i. in.
* There are some apparent exceptions to this. The villeins of Biddick are firming their rill at special
terms. Newbottle contains only cottiers and is a member of Herrington. Wardon and Morton in like
manner contain only 'firmarii,' and are members of Houghton. I cannot account for the omission of Tunstall
and Biddick, both of which are duly recorded in HaifieU'i Survey (Surtees Soc.), pp. 135, 153. Biddick is
there recorded as being held by charter.
* Symeoti of Durham (Rolls Ser.), i. 208.
* Hatfielfi Surv. (Surtees Soc.), 150. Ibid.
I 265 34
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
of the connexion between the two vills, particularly as the mill of Urpeth
(which was at farm) occurs immediately after the Chester entry. The
second group is more doubtful. If the Newton in question be the Newtona
juxta Dunolmum of Boldon Book and Hatfield's Survey, it would be like
Plawsworth, which immediately follows it in both records, an off-shoot of
Durham. If, however, it be Newton juxta Boldonam, it would be an
off-shoot of Boldon, having no connexion with Plawsworth or Durham.
Cleadon and Whitburn are connected both in Boldon Book and Hatfield's
Survey ; they have a common demesne and work and render together.
Whickham, Ryton, and Crawcrook follow one another in similar fashion, but
Boldon Book places them at some distance from the main group to which
they are seen to belong. But the villeins of Whickham did carriage-service
between Gateshead and Durham, and Ryton and Crawcrook have the obliga-
tion of carting wine in common. Framwellgate, another offshoot of Durham,
does not appear in Boldon Book. With this exception, and that of Gateshead,
Chester and Plawsworth, where details are lacking, the vills belong to the
Boldon type.
Middleham Group in the Halmote Rolls : Sedgefield, Cornford,
Middleham.
Vills in the Boldon Book : Sedgefield and Butterwick ; Middleham
and Cornford.
This group presents no difficulties and requires little comment. It was
already a great soke in the tenth century when Bishop Cutheard bought
for St. Cuthbert ' Sedgefield and all belonging to it.' l Middleham and
Cornford, which are surveyed together, follow immediately on the Sedgefield
notice in Boldon Book, and although the Butterwick entry stands at some
distance, the vill is charged with the service of ploughing at Sedgefield,
of which it appears in Hatfield's Survey as a dependent. 8
Stockton Group in the Halmote Rolls : Carlton, Hartburn, Norton,
Hardwick, Preston, and Stockton.
Vills in Boldon Book : Hardwick ; Norton ; Stockton, Hartburn, and
Preston ; Carlton.
Both Carlton and Norton seem to have formed part of the patrimony of
St. Cuthbert.* In Boldon Book Stockton, Hartburn, and Preston are grouped ;
the first two have a demesne in common, and a single pinder serves for all
three. Hardwick, on the other hand, stands between Sedgefield and Middle-
ham, but as it is in the hands of a tenant its services are not enumerated,
so that we cannot tell what connexion it may have had with the present
group, nor determine whether it belongs to the Boldon type to which all
the rest excepting Carlton conform.
Darlington Group in the Halmote Rolls : Cockerton, Whessoe,
Haughton, Blackwell, Bondgate-in-Darlington.
Vills in the Boldon Book : Darlington, Blackwell, Cockerton, Haugh-
ton, Whessoe.
This grouping goes back to the alleged grant of Styr son of Ulf, at the
end of the tenth century.*
1 Symeon of Durham (Rolls Ser.), i. 208. * Hatfielfs Sure. (Surtees Soc.), 1 86.
8 Symeon of Durham (Rolls Ser.), i. 215, 220 ; Liber Vita, 57.
4 Ibid. i. 212.
266
BOLDON BOOK
The vills of Oxenhall and Little Haughton are connected with Dar-
lington by services which they have to render there, but they do not figure
in the Halmote Rolls, although they reappear in Hatfield's Survey, where they
are held as sub-manors. 1 The whole group, however, is intimately connected
in the general classification of vills and forms, as we shall see, the second or
agricultural type.
Auckland Group in the Halmote Rolls : Ricknall, Middridge, Heigh-
ington, Killerby, West Thickley, West Auckland, Redworth, Coundon,
Byers, Escomb, East Thickley, Newton Cap, Bondgate-in-Auckland.
Vills in the Boldon Book : New Ricknall and Ricknall Alia ; Heigh-
ington and Killerby ; Middridge and Thickley ; Newton-by-Thickley (West
Thickley in Hatfield's Survey) ; Redworth and Old Thickley ; North Auck-
land, Escomb, Newton, and West Auckland ; Great Coundon, Little
Coundon, and Binchester ; Byers.
The grouping of these vills in Boldon Book comes out very clearly. The
Ricknalls have a common demesne, but they stand in the Survey between
Carlton and Darlington. Heighington and Killerby have the demesne, or at
least the hall, in common. Middridge and Thickley have a common demesne
and common pasture. Old Thickley, we are expressly told, was made of the
land of Redworth. Then North and West Auckland, Newton, and Escomb,
form a sub-division known as Aucklandshire, the terms of their tenure are
alike, and they have certain obligations in common. The Coundons and
Binchester are also connected, the first two by a common demesne, and the
last, although separated in the Survey, by ploughing services at Coundon.
Byers appears in Boldon Book as an assart held by a free tenant in connexion
with the vill of Hunwick. Bondgate-in-Auckland, like the settlement of
the same name in Darlington, is later than Boldon Book. 8 All these vills,
except Redworth, the Ricknalls, and the Coundons, conform to the Boldon
type.
Sadberge Group in the Halmote Rolls : Sadberge and Newbiggin.
Sadberge was not acquired by the Bishop until after the composition of
Boldon Book, and it does not therefore appear in that record. Bishop Pudsey
purchased it from Richard I., who had held it as a manor with a wapentake
appurtenant.* Its manorial organization was therefore complete when it
came under the Bishop's control.
Wolsingham Group in the Halmote Rolls : Stanhope, Lynesack,
Bishopley, Bedburn, Witton, Hamsterley, Wolsingham.
Vills in the Boldon Book : Wolsingham and Rogerley ; Broadwood ;
Stanhope.
The case here is curious, for all but two of the vills composing the
manor have come into being since the composition of Boldon Book. A little
attention to the type of the chief vills gives the explanation. Wolsingham
and Stanhope are the typical forest vills, and the manor no doubt grew and
increased as more and more forest land was taken under cultivation. In 1 183
these vills contained an unusually large number of tenants, who, if they were
1 HatfieLTi Stirr. (Surtees Soc.), 7, 9.
1 Canon Green well conjectures that the name ' which is not uncommon in some of oar older towns, it
derived from the bond-tenants living in that street.' Hatfitlft Sure. (Surtees Soc.), 277.
* 'Mancrium nostrum de Sadberge cum wapentagio ad idem mancrium pertinente,' Cart. Ric. I. in
Serif Kret Trti. (Surtees Soc.), App. No. xl. Cf. Coldingham, cap. ix. in ibid. p. 14, and App. No*, xli. xlii.
267
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
not actually free, still formed no part of the villein community, and paid rent
instead of rendering services. Under these circumstances, with an abundance
of waste land and a population more readily mobilised than the ordinary
villein class, the rapid growth of new vills, which naturally retained a
connexion with the parent settlement, is readily accounted for.
Lanchester Group in the Halmote Rolls : Benfieldside, Billingside,
Butsfield, Satley, Broomshields, Kyo, Pontop, Broom-with-Flass, Roughside,
Rowley, Lanchester.
Vills in Boldon Book : Lanchester.
Lanchester, like Wolsingham and Stanhope, was a forest vill, and the
same opportunity for growth would exist here as there. These new places
are duly recorded in Hatfield's Survey.
Bedlington Group in Halmote Rolls : Bedlington, East Sleckburn, West
Sleckburn, Cambois.
Vills in the Boldon Book : Bedlington, West Sleckburn, Netherton,
Choppington, Cambois, East Sleckburn.
The region known as Bedlingtonshire is locally situated within the
county of Northumberland. It came to the see, like Sadberge, en bloc and
by purchase, and seems as early as 901 to have had a certain organization. 1
From all this we shall be safe to conclude that from a pretty early time
the bishop's vills had for administrative and possibly judicial purposes been
arranged in groups which a later age had no difficulty in recognizing as
manors. What went on within these groups or how far they entered into the
public law relations of the bishopric are questions which it is easier to put
than to answer. The difficulty is that we are dealing with a single great
estate, the lord of which is also ' in loco regis ' in the county in which it lies.
It is hard to be sure, then, whether in any doubtful case the bishop is
exercising lordship or sovereignty, and one is fain to exclaim with the per-
plexed thirteenth-century reporter whom this double status confounded,
' Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo.' * Unhappily we cannot tell
how the bishop dealt with other people's manors, whether when a tax was
raised it was levied on the manors or on the vills composing them, or in
what relation the manorial courts stood to the palatine judiciary. General
taxation in the bishopric was irregular, extraordinary, and probably of late
introduction, 3 and the late and meagre judicial records which we command
afford no illustration of the second point. The earliest sheriffs account is of
the fourteenth century, and, as we have seen, the Halmote Rolls do not begin
until the same period. All we can say then is that for financial purposes
the bishop dealt with his own estates on the basis of vills, not of manors.
The inference therefore remains that manorial organization existed solely for
purposes of local administration, whether agricultural or judicial. In these
circumstances it may be assumed to have come into existence as early or as
late as the like organization of the rest of the kingdom. The name, of
1 Emit etiam idem cpiscopus (sc. Cuthardus) de pecunia sancti Cuthberti villam quae vocatur Bedlingtun
cum suis appendiciis, Nedertun, Grubba, Twisle, Cebbingtun, Sliceburne, Commer (Symeon of Durham (Rolls Ser.),
i. 208). On the identification of these names see the same work in Mr. Hodgson Hinde's ed. of Symeon (Surteej
Soc.), 1868, p. 147.
8 Rot. Cur. Reg. 7-8 Joh. No. 36, m. 13-, printed in Albrev. Plot. (Rec. Com.), 94, and in full in
Lapsley, Co. Pal. of Dur. 313-31 4. The quotation b of course from Horace.
* Lapsley, op. tit., 116-120, 271-275.
268
BOLDON BOOK
course, will not be earlier than the Norman Conquest, but the organization
of a great estate with a court for its tenants will long precede that event, and
whatever immediate effect William I.'s financial and administrative measures
had upon the English manor must have been lacking in Durham, where that
institution followed a free development.
We may now return to our task of drawing from the evidence of Boldon
Book some coherent account of the social and economic life of the bishopric
at the close of the twelfth century, and for this purpose we shall pass in review
first the various classes of the rural population and then the land on which
and by which they lived. The fulcrum of the mediaeval rural economy was
the villein community, those who tilled the soil in common for their own
benefit and for that of the lord to whom the land belonged. Whatever other
elements might compose the village population and they were many and
various the villeins with their land remained the core and centre of the
community, constituting what German scholars have happily called the 'engere
Gutsverband.' A free tenant might hold the demesne at farm from the lord,
but it was the villeins who worked the land. On the other hand, the village
would contain a cloud of minor tenants, farmers, cottars, bordars, crofters, and
perhaps a few bondmen, but the open fields, in which these men had little or
no portion, were worked by the villeins, who were obliged to make over a
share of the produce to the lord.
The system upon which the bishop's land was held and worked was
essentially the same as that obtaining throughout the greater part of England
at this time, and known to modern writers as the open-field system. 1 In
return for the use of the land the villeins owed their lords certain renders in
money and kind and certain days of labour on his demesne, together with
other services generally specified. The amount and nature of these renders
and services, however, were conditioned by the environment of the community,
and seem at the first glance to have differed from vill to vill. An attentive
reading of Boldon Book, however, makes it clear that in respect to the nature
and rate of their obligations the Durham vills may be arranged in a few
definite classes, and by following this order we shall best illustrate the question
in hand. First, there are four definite types, namely, pastoral, agricultural,
and forest vills, and the nascent boroughs. Beside these there is a fifth class
in regard to which Boldon Book gives us less information, recording the profit
or value of the vill only, without enumerating its services and renders.
Sometimes we are told that the vill is held by a tenant of the bishop, or
again the tenant is not named and there is merely a note that such a vill
renders so and so much, or finally a vill is described as owing so much
military service, generally expressed as the fractional part of a knight's fee.
Thus we have three subdivisions of the fifth class.
Boldon is typical of what, for reasons which will presently appear, we
have called the pastoral vill. The community here consists of twenty-two
1 Durham was a county of open fields and nucleated villages. An acquaintance with the open-field
lystem of agriculture may be assumed in view of the abundant literature of the subject which has appeared in
English in the course of the past thirty yean. See particularly E. Nasse, The Agricultural Community of the
Middle Ages, trans. H. Ouvry, 2 ed. 1871; F. Secbohm, The English Village Community, 4 ed. 1890;
C. M. Andrews, The Old English Manor, 1892 ; W. Cunningham, English Industry and Commerce, vol. i. (4 ed.
1905) ; W. J. Ashley, Economic Hiitory, vol. i. J ed. 1894 ; Maitland, Domtsdaj Bk. and BtyonJ, 1897 ; c
A. Mcitzen, Siedelung und Agrarvieien, ii. 97-140.
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
villeins (villein households or holdings would more nearly represent the
actual state of things) holding thirty acres 1 of land apiece. Every villein
owed certain regular and certain special services. Three days a week
throughout the year he must work for his lord, but exceptions were made
for Easter and Whitsun weeks and the twelve days between Christmas and
Epiphany. Then, in the autumn, when the lord's mowing was to be done,
the villein and his whole household, except the housewife, must do four days
of special work, also he must reap three rods of the oat-field and plough and
harrow the stubble, but at this time the burden of week-work was removed.
Then there were certain obligations incumbent upon the whole community
of the villeins. Every village plough must work and harrow (the plough-
team is what is meant, the instrument made little difference) two acres of
the demesne, but while this labour was proceeding week-work was again
suspended and the men received a dole of food. Every pair of villeins was
required to construct a booth for the annual fair held on St. Cuthbert's days
in March and September. The whole villein community might be required
to construct every year, if need were, a house forty feet long by fifteen wide, but
then they would be excused from ' averpenny,' a money payment in commu-
tation for carrying service otherwise required of them. Turning from services
to renders we find that every villein owed 2s. 6d. for scot and \6d. for aver-
penny, and rendered as well half a chalder of oats and five cartloads of wood
for fuel and two hens and ten eggs. Finally the whole vill rendered ijs,
cornage and one milch-cow, and this is the distinctive mark of the pastoral
vill, for cornage, as it will shortly be contended, is characteristic of a com-
munity which is, or at least which has been, primarily pastoral. This class
includes forty-five vills distributed throughout the four wards into which the
bishopric is divided. 3
We have called the second type of vills agricultural rather because it
wants the distinguishing pastoral mark of cornage than because it is more
exclusively agricultural than the first class. Darlington is the representative
of this type. The villeins there hold forty-eight bovates, but their number
is not recorded ; it would either be forty-eight or twenty-four, more probably
the latter, as the virgate of two bovates was the normal peasant-holding.
Their services are not arranged as at Boldon, under week-work and boon-
work. The community as a whole has the duty of mowing the Bishop's
meadow and making and carting his hay, and also they must enclose
his yard (curia) and copse. They render the customary services at the
mills, and three times a year they must cart wine, salt, and herrings. Then
_
1 This must be the sense of the words, ' ii bovatas terra de xxx acris,' although of course they could bear
another meaning. Mr. Seebohm, Village Community, 68-69, reac ^ s tne passage so, and we know of course that
the virgate of thirty acres was the normal peasant-holding. Cf. VinogradofF, Villainage in England, 238 ff.
* I. Chester Ward. Boldon, Newton, Cleadon, Whitburn, Whickham, Crawcrook, Great Usworth.
II. Easington Ward. Wearmouth, Tunstall, Ryhope, Burdon, Easington, Thorpe, Shotton, North
Sherburn, Shadforth, Cassop, Herrington, Hutton, Sheraton.
III. Stockton Ward. Sedgefield, Middleham, Cornford, Norton, Stockton, Hertburn, Preston, Butter-
wick.
IV. Darlington Ward. Heighington, Killerby, Middridge, Thickley, North Auckland, Escomb,
Newton, West Auckland, BrafFerton, Binchester.
V. Bedlingtonshire. Bedlington, West Sleckburn, Netherton, Choppington, Cambois, East Sleckburn.
The vills of Bedlingtonshire seem to have compounded for many or most of the Boldon ser-
vices. North and West Auckland with Newton and Escomb had certain forest obligations which
placed them half way between the Boldon and Stanhope types.
270
BOLDON BOOK
one load of wood had to be carted for every bovate, and when the bishop
travelled an indefinite amount of carnage service might be required of the
villeins. There was no render in kind, but every bovate had to pay 5*. All
of the vills of this type are situated in the Darlington ward. 1
The distinctive mark of the third class is service in the forest or in
connexion with the bishop's great autumn * battue ' known as the * magna
caza.' Stanhope, the typical forest vill, contained twenty villeins holding a
bovate apiece and paying every man zs. on his land. They were responsible
for the usual agricultural services and for carriage as well, but part of the
latter duty consisted in conveying game to Durham and Auckland. Then
at the time of the ' magna caza ' the whole villein community was required
to build and furnish the bishop's temporary lodgings, consisting of a kitchen,
a larder, and a kennel. The villeins of the neighbouring Aucklandshire
completed the encampment by supplying a hall sixty feet by sixteen, a
chapel forty feet by fifteen, a buttery, store-room, chamber, and privy ; and
by enclosing the whole temporary settlement with a hedge or fence. These
Stanhope tenants, moreover, were obliged to find whatever litter might be
required and to fetch the bishop's supplies from Wolsingham. Tenants of
other forest vills furnished ropes and dogs for the ' battue.' Services of this
sort, as well as the keep (and we may suppose the training) of dogs and
horses, and the care of the deer in their breeding season, were not confined to
the villeins, but were required, as we shall presently see, of the tenants in
drengage as well. 1
The boroughs of the bishopric will receive the separate treatment which
they demand in another part of this chapter. They are introduced here,
however, on account of their agricultural aspect, which was still prominent,
one might well say predominant. It is mainly as agricultural communities
that they figure in Boldon Book. Most of them, indeed, were of Bishop
Pudsey's creation, and, with the exception of Durham, may be regarded as
very rudimentary municipalities.
Over against the four well-defined types which we have been examining
stand the vills of which we know no more than their value, their services and
renders having been for one reason or another left unrecorded. These, again,
may be arranged in three subdivisions, although if the details were known
any one of the vills so grouped might conform to one of our first three
general types. The fourth type is excluded, for the erection of a vill into a
borough would not be passed over in silence. In the first place, there are
thirty-seven vills held of the bishop by tenants whose names are recorded in
Boldon Book. Six of these are held, feudally, either by knight-service or in
alms. 8 Sixteen more are held by a service which, as will presently be argued,
is a form of drengage.* The tenants of the remaining fifteen hold either by
some form of fee-farm, consisting of a money rent, or else by the bishop's
1 Darlington, Blackwell, Cockerton, Great Haughton, Whcssoe.
* The list of the forest vills follows. It It to be noted that the cornage-paying vills of Aucklandshire are
included as having forest-services. They form part, therefore, of two classes :
I. Darfington ffard. Stanhope, North Auckland, West Auckland, Escomb, Newton.
II. Clutter Ward. Lanchester, Iveston, Marley, Britlcy, Tribley, Holmcside.
* Pcncher, Edderacrcs, Trimdon, Muggleswick, Reyermore, Farnacres.
* Plawsworth, Little Usworth, Washington, Little Burdon, Twizell, Heworth, Ozenhall, Thickley
(Newton), Lutrington, Hcnknoll, Cornsay, Hedley, Edmondbyers, Hunstanworth, Hcrrington, Sheraton.
271
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
favour, and upon sufferance. 1 Three of these vills are noted in Hatfield's
Survey as paying cornage, and might therefore have been assimilated to our
first class. 8
In the second place, Boldon Book enumerates fourteen vills which render
a money payment only. 8 Since there is no mention either of a tenant or of
the services and obligations of the villeins, three possible explanations are
open to us. We may believe that the vill was in the hands of an unnamed
tenant who would be holding by fee-farm, or that it was being farmed for a
term of years either by an individual or by the villata, or body of villeins. I
am inclined to think that the first is the true explanation, partly because
either of the other arrangements would lack the relative permanence of fee-
farm, and partly because they occur and are specifically described in other
parts of Boldon Book. But the capriciousness of records of this kind in such
matters makes it almost impossible to argue from their silence, or to ascribe
much self-consistency to them, and it will be safer therefore to regard these
vills simply as held in some sort of farm.
Finally, there are five vills which, although no tenant is named, are
recorded as rendering the fractional part of the service of a knight's fee. 4 Here
we must suppose either that there was an unnamed tenant or that the vill was
in the bishop's hand ready to be granted out in return for the specified ser-
vices, which would then be in reality a valuation.
It is clear, then, that in essentials the villein community did the same
manorial work in all parts of the bishop's estate, although the adjustment
and some of the incidents of their renders and services differed with their
environment. The most difficult and perhaps the most important of all of
these incidents, the exact nature of which now demands our attention, is the
render known as cornage.
In the medieval records, whether national or local, that relate to the
four northern counties of England, the term cornage' occurs with some
frequency from the twelfth to the fourteenth centuries. The question of the
origin and nature of the institution to which this term applied has been
discussed with various degrees of learning and acumen since the time of
Littleton, without, unhappily, producing any explanation that has passed
unquestioned. The truth is that the documents at our disposal appear to
contradict one another, to lack self-consistency. The term cornage would
seem to describe now one thing, now another, according to the date of the
document or the region from which it emanates, and yet there is evidence
of an original and underlying unity which cannot be disregarded.
Here we must restrict ourselves to the discussion of the Durham evidence,
although we may presently indicate some ways in which the general antinomy
1 Newton-by-Durham, Pelaw, Picktre, Newton-by-Boldon, Hardwick, Grindon, Ketton, Hunwick,
Frosterley, Consett, Heley, Migley, Langley, Smallees, Stella.
2 Whitwell, Herrington, Sheraton.
8 Chester, School Aycliffe, Old Thickley, Harperley, Medomsley, Edmondsley, Crook, Pokerley, Newsham,
Barford, Hulam, Cornhill, Newbiggin, Upsedington (Ladykirk).
Ulkill's Biddick, Tillraouth, Heton, Twysell, Duddoe.
6 Other terms were also employed : ' geldum ' or 'cornagium animalium' in thePife-RoUo/j l Hen. I. (Rec.
Com., 1833); 'gablum animalium 'in a chart. otHen.l.,4bbrev.PIac. (Rec. Com., 181 l),66b,67a ; 'noutegeld'
in Pipe-Roll for the Cos. ofCumb., Westmorland, and Dur., during the Reigns of Hen. II. , Ric. I., and John (Soc.
of Ant. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1847); ' hornegelde,' Bracion't Note Bk. (1887), No. 1,270; cf. V.C.H.
Cumb. i. 314-315.
272
BOLDON BOOK
might be reconciled. 1 The earliest texts come from the reign of Henry I.
They consist of a charter of Bishop Ranulf Flambard,* restoring to the prior
and convent certain lands of which he had deprived them, and the king's
confirmation of that charter. The bishop conveys, inter alia, 'Burtun cum
solitis consuetudinibus ' ; the King is more explicit: 'cornagium de Bortona
quod Unspac tenet, scilicet, de unoquoque animali ad.' 8 Here, then, is a point
of departure ; cornage was a payment made by a vill not by the lord of the
vill on beasts at the rate of twopence per head. The natural inference
that in this case at least the payment was made for the right to pasture cattle
would be confirmed by the fact that in 1296 the * communitas ' of Burton
was permitting the tenant of every bovate in the vill to turn out two beasts
on the pasture.* After the death of Flambard, in 1128, the see was vacant
for five years, and its revenues therefore figure in the national accounts. In
the Pipe Roll of 31 Henry I., accordingly, we may read in the account of
Geoffrey Escolland, who was keeper of the temporalities sede vacanfe, ' de
cornagio animalium episcopatus, iio/. $s. 5^.' 6
It must not be supposed, however, that all the bishop's vills paid him
for the pasture of their cattle and that cornage was therefore a universal
institution and a source of considerable revenue. This may be shown from
testimony of Boldon Book. It will be remembered that the Boldon entry,
after enumerating the rents and services of the villeins, adds, ' Tota villa reddit
ijs. de cornagio et i. vaccam de metride.' The bishop's unfree tenants at
Boldon, that is, are making a payment for what we have inferred to be the
right to pasture cattle, and, further, are making it partly in money and partly
in kind, by the render of a milch cow. The villeins of many other of the
bishop's manors were also paying cornage. It should be noted, moreover,
that with a few exceptions, which will be dealt with presently, this obligation
rested on the unfree only. In Boldon, in 1183, there is no doubt that
cornage is merely an incident of unfree tenure, a seignorial due, and, if
compared with others, not a very important one.*
Now this due, and here is a point of importance, was not incumbent on
all the manors of the bishopric. Boldon Book deals with, roughly, about
141 vills ; of these, thirty are noted as rendering cornage and a milch cow,
and form, therefore, as we have already seen, a distinct type or class. Nine
more may be added because, although they pay no cornage, they render
either the milch cow or ' castleman ' (an incident distinct from cornage, but
!For a more general discussion of the subject than can be undertaken here, see Littleton, Tenures, 156,
with Coke's comment ; Neto Natura Brevium, 8vo, London, 1652, p. 200 ; Hutchinson, Hiit.of Dur., i. 147,
lii. 1 13-1 14 ; Surtees, ibid. i. 252, iii. 152 ; Hodgson, Hist. ofNorthumb., i. pt. i. pp. 258-263 ; Greenwell,
in Boldon Bk. (Surtees Soc.), gloss, s. v. 'cornage,' and HatfieliTs Surv., p. 278 ; Secbohm, Engl. Village Community,
68-72 ; Crump, in Palgrave, Diet, of Political Economy, i. 426-427 ; Maitland, in Engl. Hist. Rev., v. 627, ft,
and Domesday Bk. and Beyond, 147 ; Vinogradoff, Villainage In England, 295 ; Hall, in Red Bk. of the Exch.,
ii. pref. ccxxxvi.-ccl. ; Round, Commune of London, 278-288; Wilson, in V.C.H. Cumb., i. 295-335;
Lapsley, in Amer. Hist. Rev., ix. 670-695.
* Flambard became Bishop of Durham in 1099 ; he was deprived in noo, restored in 1107, and died
in 1128 ; W. Stubbs, Reg. Sac. Angl. (2nd ed. Oxf., 1897), 41 ; Le Neve, Fasti Eccl. Angl., ed. by T. D.
Hardy (Oxf., 1854), iii. 282-283 ; J- H. Ramsay, Foundations of Engl. (Lond., 1898), ii. 256.
1 Both charters are printed in Feodarium, 145 note ; cf. ibid. 149 note.
*Dur. Halmote R. (Surtees Soc.), 12.
1 Pipe Roll 31 Hen. I. (Rec. Com. 1833). A translation of the part of the record referring to Durham
may be read in Canon Greenwcll's edition of Boldon Bk. (Surtees Soc.), App. pp. i-iii.
The bishop took from Boldon 55*. scot and 28/. 6d. averpenny, as against iji. cornage plus 6s., the
regular tariff of composition for the milch cow.
i 273 35
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
characteristic of the type), or, as in the case of Norton, are relieved from
cornage ' pro defectu pasture.' Further, fourteen vills, having compounded
for all or nearly all their service for a money payment, might be regarded as
doubtful. Still, as one of these is noted in Boldon Book itself as paying a
composition for cornage, and two others in Bishop Hatfield's Survey, a four-
teenth-century record similar to Boldon Book, it may be inferred that the rest
are of another class. Finally, thirty-nine vills in Boldon Book are held of
the bishop in chief, and here the services are not enumerated ; but on turning
to Hatfield's Survey we find that only three of them are paying a cornage
composition. This rough calculation shows that of the 141 vills enume-
rated in Boldon Book only forty-five, or less than one-third, are of the
cornage type.
At the close of the twelfth century, then, cornage in Durham was an
incident of unfree tenure in certain specially situated vills. It was being paid
partly in kind and partly in a money payment specifically described as the
composition for the render of a cow (vacca de metride), indicating that the
institution was already ancient and had been made the subject of at least a
partial composition. 1 From the nature of the evidence connecting cornage
at every turn with cattle and pasture we are led to the inference that it was
a payment made for the agistment of cattle, and from the survival of the
render of a milch cow that it had originally consisted of an annual render of
cattle, perhaps a proportion of the increase of the herd.
On the other hand, Littleton says, * It is said that in the marches of
Scotland some hold of the king by cornage, that is to say to wind a horn to
give men of the country warning when they hear that the Scots or other
enemies are come or will enter England.' * It has been the fashion to deride
this as fantastic, as indeed it is, but there is no question that cornage is
described as a tenure in documents relating to all the northern counties
except Durham ; and some form of serjeanty, probably connected with forest
service, the note of which, so to say, was horn-blowing, occurs in various
parts of England throughout the Middle Ages. 8 An Oxfordshire manor was
held by the service of blowing a horn to keep a certain forest, and a similar
tenure which Camden noted at Bradford, in Yorkshire, was still in existence
when Gough was editing the Britannia at the end of the eighteenth-century. 4
The difficulty is serious, and one is quite prepared to admit that those
who contend that cornage in England was a seignorial due and was never
anything else ought to show some way of accounting for the perplexing
talk about cornage tenants in the other northern counties. It is impossible,
1 The word 'gild,' used in connexion with cornage in the forms 'geldum animalium,' 'noutegeld,' and
horngeld, is in itself an indication that a composition had occurred ; in this sense it is used interchangeably
with ' mal,' as in ' malmannus.' See Vinogradoff, op. fit. 293. An illustration of this may be seen in a kind
of glossary of hard or barbarous words occurring in legal documents which seem to have been current in
mediasval England. It was subjoined to the custumary of the soke of Rothley in Lincolnshire (1312), and
at Durham it was written into the ' Registrum Primum' of the Dean and Chapter, under the rubric,
' Exphcatio vocum veterum.' The passage is as follows, ' Gildi hoc est quietum de consuetudinibus servilibus
qua: quondam dare consueverint sicuti HorncbilJ. . . . Hernchild [hornbiel, and hornegeld in the Durham copy],
hoc est quietum de consuetudine exacta per talliam per totam Angliam terram scilicet de quacunque cornuta
bestia [de omni bestia cornuta, in the Durham copy].' See Vinogradoff, loc. cit. ; Arch., vol. xlvii., pt. i., QQ ff. :
Boldm Bk. (Surtees Soc.), App. p. lv.
8 Coke, Second Institute (many editions), Par. 156.
T. B. Trowsdale, in The Reliquary, xx. 157-160 (I owe this ref. to Prof. Gay, of Harvard).
These cases, the first of which is from Harl. MSS., No. 34, are cited by Mr. Trowsdale.
274
BOLDON BOOK
however, to undertake this without disregarding the limitations of the present
work, which confine one to problems arising within a single county.
We return now to our Durham evidence only to find that we may not
yet congratulate ourselves that we have reached the whole truth about cornage.
Some disconcerting texts remain to be examined. In the first place, Boldon
Book affords several instances of freemen paying cornage, a fact which appar-
ently traverses our theory that cornage was distinctively an incident of unfree
or villein-tenure. But if we suppose that, like many other such incidents,
this charge had by the twelfth century got itself fastened to the soil, and in
such a way, indeed, that every bovate in any vill was answerable for a fixed
portion of the cornage of that vill, then the difficulty disappears. If a free
tenant held several bovates in a corn age-pay ing vill he would naturally not be
grouped for the purpose of cornage with the villeins, nor, on the other hand,
would the bishop be deprived of his due by reason of his tenant's status.
Again, the same reasoning would hold in case the whole or the fraction of a
cornage-paying vill was granted to a freeman. With this hypothesis in mind,
we may examine the passages referred to. At Heighington there are sixteen
villeins, each of whom holds two bovates ; these render among other things
* %6s. de cornagio ' and one milch cow. Now follow two striking passages :
' Hugo Brunne tenet, quamdiu uxor ejus vixerit, ii. bovatas pro iis., quos
reddit ad cornagium . . . Simon hostiarius ibidem tenet terram quae fuit
Utredi, cum incrementis quas Dominus Episcopus ei fecit usque ad Ix. acras,
et reddit pro omnibus i. besancium 1 ad Penthecostem.' Now the first of these
gives us the cornage rate at Heighington. It was is. on the bovate, and the
words ' reddit ad cornagium ' certainly suggest a contribution to some larger
sum. Further, the phrasing of the text suggests a beneficial rating. Simon
held as much as 60 acres, but he paid only zs. for Utred's holding and the
addition which the bishop had made. Utred no doubt made the same
render for the smaller tenement which contained, of course, less than Simon's
60 acres. Let us suppose that it contained (or was rated at) just half, that
would be 30 acres, or to put it otherwise, 2 bovates. We are somewhat
justified in this assumption because it tallies with the render of zs, which were
paid as a contribution, we can scarcely doubt, to the cornage of the vill. For
observe that at the rate of is. on the bovate the sixteen villeins would pay
only 32.*., 4_r. short of the recorded cornage of the vill. Now if you add the
4_r. from the two free tenants you have exactly the sum, 36^. A similar case
occurs as Escomb, where our formula may again be tested. There are
fourteen villeins, ' quorum unusquisque habet i. bovatam, et reddit et operatur
omnibus modis sicut villani de North Aclet.' At North Auckland each
villein rendered iqd. cornage. Now at Escomb 'Elzibrid tenet dimidiam
bovatam, et reddit . . . yd. de cornagio'; that is, at the rate of igJ. per
bovate he is one penny short. The case of Herrington is very instructive.
The entry reads as follows : ' Duae partes de Heringtona, quas Hugo de
Hermas tenet, reddit (sic) zos. de cornagio et ii. partes i. vacca? de metride,'
1 i.e. 21. See the entries under Grindon, Heighington, Stanhope, and Farnacrcs. At Stanhope the best
texts give the value of the bcsant as 4/.,t>ut this is a slip. At Farnacres we get 'besancium vel iis.' The Liber
Pit* affords a similar proof, ' Aernisius de Aluertone . . . unum bisantium ... vel ii. solidos,' p. 107, cf. 82,
83. In 1227 the dean and canons of Chichester were paying an annual due of 1 besant or zi., Cal.of Chart. R.
i. 34. I am indebted to Prof. Gross for this reference ; cf. BoIJtm Bk., App. p. liii. ; Trice Martin, Record
Interpreter, 180.
275
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
etc. Observe that it is not the tenant Hugh who is described as paying the
cornage and the proportion of the milch cow, but the two parts of the vill
which he holds. This corroborates our inference that cornage had become a
burden on realty. Sheraton, again, is a case similar to Herrington. John
holds one-half of the vill ' pro iii. marcis, et est quietus de operationibus et
servitiis,' in return for Crawcrook, which he had quit-claimed to the bishop.
' Thomas tenet aliam medietatem de Shurutona et reddit 30^. de cornagio, et
dimidiam vaccam de metride,' etc. Finally, there is a curious case at Whit-
well. 'Whitewell, quam Willelmus tenet in escambium pro terra quam
Merimius tenebat in Querindune, reddit dimidiam marcam.' Now the group
of vills known as Quarringtonshire had pasture and paid cornage, and it is
probable, therefore, that when the exchange was made this incident would be
reckoned in the composition at which William was holding the new land.
On turning to Hatfield's Survey we find this expectation confirmed. The
manor of Whitwell there figures as a member of Quarrington. The Master
of Sherburn Hospital holds the manor and the pasture and renders inter alia
2s. for cornage. 1
We may conclude, then, that as early as the time of Bishop Pudsey's
survey cornage had begun to lose its original character as an incident of unfree
tenure, and to assume that of a burden on realty, so that where a freeman
received from the bishop a holding in a cornage-paying manor, or the whole
of the manor, he would be responsible to his lord for a proportion or the
whole of the cornage of the manor. Fortunately, we have a case illustrating
this change. In the middle of the twelfth century Laurence, prior of
Durham, conveyed to a certain Roger the land known as Pache, a member of
Monkton, one of the most ancient parts of the ' patrimonium S. Cuthberti.'
One of the conditions of tenure was, ' quod pro tota hac terra . . . pro
cornagio dabit 2s. in anno, scilicet, ad festum Sancti Cuthberti, et pro metreth
quantum ad eandem terram pertinet, ad festum Sancti Martini.' * This land
was returned to the convent in 1347 by a certain Walter Smyth. 8 In 1373
Thomas Willi was holding of the prior in Monkton eighty acres of land
' quondam Walteri Smyth de Monkton quas solebant reddere scaccario 2s. et
pro cornagio 2od.' *
Here, then, the cornage payment has fastened to the soil, has become a
burden on the land, a part of the ' forinsecum servicium,' the obligation, that
is, which the land owed to the king (in this case to the bishop), regardless of
what other tenurial relations might have been established in connexion with
it. In that phrase lies the key to the later history of cornage in the bishopric.
The changes which occurred after the Norman Conquest acted on cornage as
on other institutions, fastening it to the soil. In such vills as remained in the
bishop's hand cornage continues to be paid by the villeins. 6 In the vills that
were granted out by him it became a part of the forinsec service which his
tenants rendered him and which, no doubt, they collected for themselves from
their unfree tenants. This point also may be illustrated by texts. In 1183
the vill of Great Usworth was in the bishop's hand ; the villeins rendered
1 Hatf ells Surv. (Surtees Soc.), 150. FetJ. 11411.
8 Ibid. The editor, Canon Greenwell, cites but does not print the charter.
4 Dur. Halmote R. (Surtees Soc.), i. 119.
6 e.g. Hatfield's Surv. (Surtees Soc.), 100, 129, 142, 183.
276
BOLDON BOOK
3OJ. c de cornagio ' and one milch cow. In 1 384 ' Willelmus de Hilton miles
tenet ii partes villas de Magna Useworth, et Alicia de Moderby terciam
partem dicta? villas per servitium forinsecum, et reddunt per annum ad iiii
terminos usuales I os. lidem Willelmus et Alicia . . . reddunt pro cornagio
dicta? villas per annum, ad festum Sancti Cuthberti in Septembri, 3OJ. lidem
reddunt pro i vacca de metrith, ad festum Sancti Martini, 6/.,' l etc. The
omitted portions contain a list of money payments for the renders and services
of the villeins as recorded in Boldon Book. Like cases will be found at
Iveston, Sheraton, and Herrington.'
Let us bring together now the results of our examination of the Durham
evidence. In the first place, whatever the origin of cornage may have been,
it was, when we meet with it in the documents of the twelfth century, an
incident of unfree tenure. Further, it was not universal in the bishopric, but
occurred only in such vills as had pasture, and here it represented at once the
villeins' recognition of their lord's proprietorship of the pasture and a payment
for the use of it by their cattle. This payment, it would seem, had originally
been made in kind out of the annual increase of the herd, but in the twelfth
century was already compounded for a money payment and the render of a
milch cow. Then we have marked in the twelfth-century documents the
tendency of this payment to fasten itself to the soil and become a burden on
the land without regard to the status of the holder. Finally, from later
documents we have been able to assert the predominance of this tendency
which caused cornage or rather the money composition for cornage and the
milch cow together to merge in the forinsec service of such lands as were
charged with this burden.
Certain other results, no less important because they are negative, may
also be stated as the outcome of our inquiry. We have seen no warrant for
describing cornage as a tenure such as might be co-ordinated with socage or
serjeanty or the like. It was rather one of many incidents of villein-tenure
peculiar to such vills as enjoyed certain advantages from their lord. Again,
we have met with no reason for connecting cornage with any special form of
military service incumbent on the entire bishopric. That is on the face of it
impossible, because cornage was not universal. This last objection, again,
will hold against any attempt to describe cornage as a general impost or tax.
The terms * yolwayting ' and ' michelmeth ' occur four times in Boldon
Book, always in the sense of some villein services which have been commuted
for a money payment. These obligations rested on the villeins, and on the
villeins only, 8 of Heighington, Killerby, Middridge, and Thickley. It is
noticeable that these vills are all of the cornage-paying type, all situated in the
Darlington ward, and all members of the same manor, that of Auckland.*
Yolwayting had been compounded for at the rate of is. per capita, michelmeth
at 4</. 6 These payments all recur in Hatfield's Survey,* and were therefore
surviving in the fourteenth century, but they are not mentioned in any other
1 Hatficlfi Surv. (Surtces Soc.;, 102
* Ibid. 119, 15*, 157. This point is very strikingly illustrated by the Northumberland texts, which are
brought together and discussed in Amer. Hiit. Rev. ix. 678-680.
* The entry in Canon Greenwell's text of Boldon Book which describe* the cottiers of Heighington as
Miociatcd with the villeins in the payment of yolwayting is an interpolation, vid. inf. App. No. ii.
* Vid. sup. pp. 267, 270. * A fraction over at Heighington and Killerby.
* HatfitLTs Surv. (Surtees Soc.), 18, 22, 24, 28.
277
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
Durham documents that I have been able to examine. Canon Greenwell
conjectured that the term 'yolwayting' should be connected with Yule and the
modern waits in the sense of watchmen, understanding the service as connected
with ' the protection of that manor-house in which the bishop happened to
be residing during the festivities of Christmas.' In support of this he cites a
notice from a fifteenth-century rental, ' de quadam placea vocata Yolwayte-
stand. ' l This is to a great extent a question for professional philologists who,
we may suspect, would find Dr. Greenwell's explanation tainted with popular
etymology. Another and equally serious objection lies in the fact that the
service of yolwayting was incident to tenure in Auckland Manor only, so
that the bishop, had he been disposed to keep his Christmas elsewhere, would
have been obliged to forego the special protection which Canon Greenwell
accords him throughout his estates. Mr. Hubert Hall, whose theory of
cornage as a mode of tenure requires an organic connexion between that
institution and castle-guard, understands yolwayting as a form of the latter
service. 8 His evidence comes from Suffolk and Northumberland, and really
proves no more than that the term ' wayte ' has the sense of protection or
guard. 8 He might have added the case of the manor of Narbrough ' held by
castle-guard which could be redeemed by wayt-fee.' * Without admitting
the validity of Mr. Hall's arguments in regard to cornage, the truth of the
matter under consideration may be detected in his explanation and in that of
Canon Greenwell also. The difficulty is that castle-guard appears to have
been a free-service, or rather a service incumbent upon free-men. 5 If, how-
ever, we regard yolwayting as a variation of the duty of furnishing ' castlemen'
common to many of the Durham vills, and see in this again a survival of some
parts of the ancient ' trinoda necessitas,' the difficulty vanishes. 8 This con-
jecture, however, is put forward with much diffidence, for it may turn out
that in removing one obstacle we have substituted another and more trouble-
some one.
With regard to ' michelmeth ' we can command even less material
than was at our disposal in dealing with ' yolwayting,' as we have only the
four occurrences of the term in Boldon Book. We fall back, therefore, provi-
sionally at least, upon Canon Greenwell's quite admissible conjecture, that the
service involved some special reaping at Michaelmas, 'beyond the weekly
works of tenants, arising from the exigencies of the reaping time.' 7 It will be
remarked, however, that regular week-work formed no part of the services of
the vills which were charged with ' michelmeth,' although at Boldon, to the
general type of which they conform, the villeins owed three days' week-work
throughout the year. It may be conjectured then that ' michelmeth ' repre-
1 Boldon Bk. App. p. Ixxii ; HatfieU"s Surv. (Surtees Soc.), 285.
* Red Bk. of the Exch. (Rolls Ser.), II. ccxxxvi, ff.
3 Jocelin de Brakelonde, Cronica in Memorial} of S. Edmunds (Rolls Ser.), i. 271 ; Northumb. Assize R.
(Surtees Soc.), 325.
* R. M. Gamier, Engl. Landed Interest, i. 147, citing Blount's Jocular Tenures.
6 Mr. Round has made this subject his own. See his papers in The Commune of London, 278-288 ; The
Arch. Jour., N. S., ix. 144-159 ; The Ancestor, July, 1903.
6 Castle-guard as a free service existed in Durham as well as the villein duty of rendering castlemen. See
a charter dating from the early years of the thirteenth century by which Reginald Basset granted his house in
Durham to the monks, reserving lodging for himself and stabling for four horses, ' cum . . . contigerit me vel
heredes meos stagium facere ad custodiam castelli Dunelmensis.' Feod. 196 n
1 Boldon Book, App. p. Ixiv. ; Hatfielfs Surv. 281.
278
BOLDON BOOK
sented some special form of week-work at a fixed season to which these
villeins, for the rest relieved from that burden, were subjected.
The question of the status, the social and legal position, of the twelfth-
century villein has been examined elsewhere under circumstances which
admitted the indispensable condition of the comparative method. Here,
where we are confined to a single county and have attempted only to indicate
the special conditions attaching to villeinage in Durham, it will be enough to
refer the reader to a few general treatises. 1 One point, however, ought to be
emphasized : the villeins were essentially a community whose life at every
turn was conditioned by its relation to the land, placed as it was 'in a constant
working submission to the manor, in constant co-operation with other plots
similarly arranged to help and to serve in the manor.'* Regardless of birth or
status, those who had villein land formed part as tenants of that land of an
intricate agricultural machinery developed under a system of natural economy
to provide the lord of the land with the labour necessary to till his demesne
and with a fair return as well upon the land in service. It is to this whole
complex that the convenient German phrase already quoted so happily
applies the * engere Gutsverband,' the narrow land-community.
There remain two classes of the village population consisting of persons
who like the villeins were treated as a group or community having equal
holdings and subject to uniform obligations, but who show certain interesting
points of divergence from the villeins. These are the ' firmarii ' and the
cottiers.
The term * firmarius ' was generally applied to a person who farmed the
demesne or the whole manor, rendering to the lord a stipulated amount of
agricultural produce ; 8 but the practice of farming or letting a manor or vill
to the villeins themselves was not unknown.* In Boldon Book the term
' firmarius ' seems more often to embody the second than the first of these
notions. At Warden, for example, there are nine ' firmarii ' who hold
eighteen bovates, every bovate containing 13^ acres. For every bovate they
render 8</. and work twenty days in the autumn with one man, and for every
two bovates they harrow four days with one horse. Then they do four boon-
days with all their household, except the housewife, within the aforesaid
twenty days' work, and they cart corn two days and hay one day. Finally
they render one hen and five eggs for every bovate.' Morton, South
Sherburn, Carlton, and Redworth conform to this type. But it should be
noticed that what we have before us is not quite the same thing as the case of
a vill farmed to the villeins. An instance of that is recorded in Boldon Book
and may be introduced here for purposes of comparison. The villeins of
South Biddick hold their vill at farm and render 5/. and a few trifling services
in addition. Now at Wardon there are no villeins, the agricultural community
1 VinogradofF, Villainage in England ; Ashley, Economic Hist,, vol. i. ch. i. ; Scebohm, ViUagf Community
chs. ii. iii. ; Maitland, Dm. Bk. and Beyond, 1-172 ; Hist, oj Engl. Law, i. bk. ii. ch. ii. par. 3 ; Gamier,
Landed Interest, \. chs. x. xv.
1 VinogradofF, op. cit. 171.
* Vinogradoff, of. cit. 301-305 ; Maitland, Dm. Bk. and Beyond, 62, 146-147 ; Ashley, Economic Hist.,
i. 44-45.
4 Dom. Bk. i. i*7b, cited by Maitland, op. cit.
1 Thii and similar cases in Boldon Book cast doubt on Professor VinogradofPs dictum, 'Chickens . . .
were given as an acknowledgment of bondage, eggs represented the number of acres a tenant held in the fields,'
The Growth of the Manor, p. 329.
279
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
consists of ' firmarii ' only. Their duties are less onerous than those of the
typical villeins on the bishop's estate, as may easily be seen by comparing the
Wardon entry with that, for example, of Boldon. Again, among the 'firmarii'
there seems to be no co-operative work. The services and the renders are
reckoned on the individual tenement, a pair of bovates, and even the plough-
ing is determined in the same way. Note also that this work is done by
a pair of horses, not by the usual team of oxen. There would be no question
then of the heavy village plough drawn by the full team of eight oxen in
short, no co-aration.
Vills of this sort, moreover, seem to escape certain communal obligations.
Thus the bishop's manor of Houghton was composed, with two exceptions,
of vills rendering cornage and a milch cow. These exceptions were Wardon
and Morton, where there were no villeins, but only ' firmarii,' and this will be
found true of the other vills of this type described in Boldon Book.
Thus far we have been dealing with the case of a vill composed
of ' firmarii ' only, but these tenants occur also in connexion with the
regular community of villeins. Sedgefield, for example, is a vill of the Boldon
type containing twenty villeins who hold two bovates apiece and work and
render as they of Boldon : ' moreover there are in the same vill twenty
" firmarii," every one of whom holds three bovates and renders 5*.' Then
follows a list of their services, which do not differ essentially from those of the
Wardon * firmarii.' This case recurs at Norton, Stockton, Darlington, Black-
well and Cockerton.
The status of the * firmarii ' may also be illustrated from Boldon Book.
The Carlton entry is instructive on the point. There are twenty-three
' firmarii ' whose tenements, renders, and services are enumerated, but one of
these, Gerobod, is singled out by name as being in the bishop's employ. He
holds four bovates and renders 2os. and is relieved from works as long as he
is in the bishop's service, but when he leaves that service ' operabitur sicut
praedicti firmarii in misericordia Domini Episcopi.' Nothing is said in the
Carlton or other entries in regard to the * firmarii ' about their status, and
this would appear to be a bit of gratuitous information recording something
that was or should have been a matter of common knowledge. The ' firmarii,'
then, were ' in the bishop's mercy,' they were unfree, and this conclusion is
confirmed by comparing the testimony of Boldon Book with that of Hatfield's
Survey. Four of the five vills which the earlier survey describes as held by
* firmarii ' reappear in the later document, 1 which, in describing three * of
these four, uses instead of the term ' firmarii ' the phrase ' terra? bondorum.'
But a comparison of the holdings and services in question shows that the two
terms are intended to be equated. If we turn, however, to those vills where
Boldon Book shows us a villein community beside or above the 'firmarii,'
we shall find that Hatfield's Survey equates ' firmarius ' not with ' bondus,'
but with ' malmannus.' Then at Sedgefield we have ' malmen,' at Norton
' malmanni sive firmarii,' and at Stockton simply ' firmarii,' and all of these
represent the ' firmarii ' of Boldon Book. Now the malmen (molmen) of the
English records have been made the subject of a good deal of special study
and some controversy. We learn that the term was * commonly used in the
feudal period for villeins who had been released from most of their services
1 South Sherburn is omitted from Hatfield's Survey. * Wardon, Morton, and Carlton.
280
BOLDON BOOK
by the lord on condition of paying certain rents.' 1 It has even been suggested
that the malmen should be assimilated to the class of humbler free-holders
competent to act as doomsmen in the county court.' The term occurs in the
bishopric as early as 1130, when the malmen are grouped for purposes of
taxation with the thegns and drengs, 8 an association which would raise a
presumption of their personal freedom, particularly as we find that in 1 197,
when the king tallaged the manors of the bishopric, the share paid by the
drengs and * firmarii ' is entered separately.* Malmen appear once in the
Boldon Book, at Newton by Boldon, where they are the sole tenants of the vill
on terms that scarcely differ from those obtaining at Warden, a vill where
there were only ' firmarii.' And yet these men worked c in misericordia
Episcopi ' and could be described as bondmen : how are we to reconcile the
contradiction ? Two passages in Hatfield's Survey offer us a possible way out
of the difficulty. At Norton, under the rubric ' Tenentes vocati Malmen
sive Firmarii,' it is recorded that the tenants, who are rendering unmistakably
the same rents and services as the Boldon Book ' firmarii,' hold one messuage
and four bovates of land, * quondam terras dominicae.' Then, * de viii. bov.
terrae de eadem tenura, ut patet in libro de Boldon, qui ostendit quod
quondam fuerunt xx. firmarii qui tenuerunt inter se xl. bov. terrae, sunt in
manu liberorum tenentium pred., videlicet,' * etc. Again, at Darlington the
' firmarii ' of Boldon Book have disappeared, but under the rubric * Terrae
Dominicae,' we have a list of rent-paying tenants, 6 of one of whom it is said
that he holds his land * sine operibus,' and it will be remembered that the
Darlington * firmarii ' of Boldon Book held their land free of services, and we
may regard them as represented, then, by these rent-paying tenants on the
demesne in the later survey. Then a further passage under the same rubric
lets us see that the demesne land held in this way could be contrasted with
the land of the free tenant, * Simon Acrys ten. i. bov. terras praeter ii. bov.
infra liberos tenentes, red. p. a. 2os.' Now, finally, it should be remarked that
in connexion with those vills where were ' firmarii ' only, Boldon Book
records no demesne.
It is clear, then, that the * firmarii,' like the villeins, were unfree, or at
least had begun by being unfree. But unlike the villeins, and by some special
arrangement, they were settled on the lord's demesne. From this fact, indeed,
and by analogy with the individual ' firmarius,' they may well have got their
name, being regarded as the demesne farmers instead of the demesne farmer.
Then the special terms, just now mentioned, consisted of pretty extensive
money compositions for villein service. Now, as we know that the twelfth
century was a period in which much new land was taken under cultivation to
meet the needs of an increasing population, we might fairly regard the
phenomenon before us as a phase or part of that general movement. Then in
the case of vills composed of farmers only we should see relatively new
communities allowed or encouraged by the bishop to grow up on his
1 VinogradofF, of. cit. 183 ff. and the literature there cited. The passage quoted in the text is on
p. 184. With regard to the continental ' malmanni,' see Waitz, Deutsche yerfajtttngsgeichichte, ed. 1874, v. *86.
Pollock and Maitland, Hut. ofEngl. Late, i. ed. i. 533.
Pipe R. 3 1 Hen. I. in Boldon Book (Surtees Soc.), App. p. ii.
Pipe R. 8 Ric. I. (Surtees Soc.) in Boldon Book, App. p. vii.
Hatfielfi Surv. (Surtees Soc.), 175, 177.
Ibid. 3, 4.
I 28l 36
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
demesne land, just as where farmers occur in connexion with villeins we
discern something that resembled rather an offshoot from an older vill than
the creation of a new one. Special facilities for the composition of services
would have been offered to promote this growth, and when this process
'of composition had begun it commonly advanced. In this way the farmers or
tenants on the demesne would have been set apart from the other tenants and
could easily come to be identified with the malmen, who, from what origin
we know not, had already made much progress toward the ultimate goal of
freedom by way of the substitution of rent for personal service. Such is the
inference suggested by our evidence, but this, it will be observed, either
leaves out of account the question of the original personal status of men
settled on the lord's demesne or else assumes implicitly that they were unfree.
It should be pointed out, therefore, that another conjecture is possible ; this
can only be mentioned in passing, since a discussion of it would lead us far
afield and bring us into a controversy for which this is scarcely a suitable
place. Briefly, then, it is possible to suppose that ' firmarii ' and malmen alike
represent earlier freemen who, by a process of personal commendation, or by
the acceptance of loans of land, had at an early period been drawn into the
complex of the great estate (Gutsverhaltniss) and fallen thereby into economic
dependence upon its lord. The similarity of their position to that of the
ordinary villein in the twelfth century would account for their being
described as unfree. On the other hand, their careful segregation from the
villeins in the documents, and their association with the drengs for purposes
of taxation would indicate some recollection of their original status. This,
then, is another and a possible way of interpreting the evidence before us. To
me, I confess, it seems also a probable one.
The case of the unfree tenants known as cottiers is simpler than that of
the ' firmarii.' The cottier formed no part of the villein community. His
holding was small and did not lie in the open-fields, or if he had a few acres
there it was by exception. 1 Still, the line which divided him from the
villeins is an economic rather than a legal one. 2 Cottiers occur in twenty-
seven of the bishop's vills. Generally they held a few acres besides their
tofts and crofts, but often these are not mentioned. Thus at Boldon twelve
cottiers held as many acres, and every man worked two days in the week and
rendered twelve hens and sixty eggs. But if these may be taken as marking
the normal cottier type, we find variations both above and below it. At
Houghton ' half-cottiers ' (dimidii cotmanni) occur ; at Heighington, on the
other hand, there are two cottiers holding 1 5 acres (or I bovate) apiece, and a
like case occurs at Middridge. These instances are particularly interesting,
because in the later recensions of Boldon Book these tenements are involved
in some of the villein obligations, and we may infer that in time they were
quietly absorbed into the villein community. Then at Norton and at Hert-
burn the cottiers' land lies in the open-fields. The twelve Norton cottiers
have one acre apiece beside their tofts and crofts, and the two of Hertburn
have twelve acres apiece. At both places the cottiers pay a money rent and
help in the hay-making. There is an example, too, of a vill peopled only
1 Vinogradoff, op. at. 148-149 ; cf. Seebohm, op. cit. 24, 29, 34, 69.
2 Maitland, Dora. Bk. and Beyond, 39.
aSa
BOLDON BOOK
by cottiers ; * at Little Coundon twelve cottiers hold 6 acres apiece, they
work two days a week in summer and one in winter, they do four boon-
works and render one hen and one hundred eggs. Finally, in five places
there are cottiers who neither work nor render in kind, but pay a money
rent only. 9
The term ' bordarius,' which occurs frequently in Domesday Book, is of
French origin and seems to have failed to take root in England. The person
it describes does not differ from the cottier. 8 In Normandy, where the term
was in current use, it seems to have been derived from the fact that the
bordar's holding was on the edge or border of the open-fields and that the
tenant represented a freedman originally settled there at the time of his
manumission.* The term occurs twice in Boldon Book, but the scribes seem
to have hesitated between 'bordarius' and 'bondarius' or 'bondus,' a clerical
uncertainty that was not confined to the bishopric, but occurs in other parts
of England.' The oldest text of the record certainly gives the form 'bondarii,'
a word which was well-established as a general appellation of the unfree by the
time of Hatfield's Survey. Still, the later reading 'bordarii' is to be preferred,
because the tenants described are certainly not bondmen in the twelfth-
century sense of that word, but rather bordars or cottiers. Thus at Sedgefield
there are five of them who hold a toft apiece and render 5-r. and do four
boon-works, and at Middleham and Cornford there are four more who hold a
toft apiece on the same terms.
It may be conjectured that if the cottiers and bordars escaped many of
the villein obligations they equally lacked some of the villein privileges,
notably in the matter of the use of commons. There is evidence that the
cottiers paid no cornage, and we have seen reason to believe that cornage was
a return made for the use of pasture. Thus the vills of Newbottle and Little
Coundon, which contained cottiers only, were not charged with cornage,
although they were members of the cornage-paying manors of Houghton and
Auckland.
Now the population of a vill included a good many persons who for various
reasons formed no organic part of the great agricultural machine of which we
have spoken. Some were higher in the social and economic scale than the
villeins, others were lower, and we may range all the way from the free
farmer of the demesne to the actual bondman without missing this common
characteristic of a greater or less degree of individualism. The villeins, the
farmers, and the cottiers existed as members of a community, as parts of a
machine, and it was their compact body, indissolubly connected with the
land they cultivated and occupied that owed such and such renders and
services. But the dreng, the rent-paying tenant, the ' hospes,' and the
freedman existed as individuals owing services and payments either personally
or by reason of their particular holdings to which these obligations were
1 This is taken as evidence that cottier-tenure was regarded as a mode of villeinage. It occurs in Dom. Bk. :
cf. Maitland, Dom. Bk. and Beyond, p. 39.
* Stockton, Lanchcster, Bedlington, East Sleckburn, Newbottle.
'Maitland, Dom. Bk. and Beyond, 36 ff. ; Vinogradoff, op. eit., 145-146; Gnxcth ef the Manor, 337-
338, 352-353-
* Kovalcvski, Die akonomische Enticickelung Eurofas, \\. pp. 401-406.
Vinogradoff, Villainage, 145-146. The term 'bondus' as the equivalent or even lubstitute for villein
teems to have come into general use in Durham at some period between the composition of Boldon Book and
that of Hatfield'i Survey. It is very common in the later document : cf. Dur. Ace. R. (Surtee Soc.), iii. 896.
283
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
adjusted and attached. Accordingly we pass from the villeins to consider
this penumbra of manorial population, which we shall attempt to decompose
into its elements, dealing with them in order.
Putting aside those tenants whom Boldon Book itself classifies for us,
such as the farmers, the cottiers, and the bordars, we are confronted with a
long list 1 of persons whose names, holdings, and services are recorded
separately, showing that they stood outside the narrow land community,
but who seem at first to have no other characteristic in common. Still, an
attentive examination of this list will enable us to arrive at some sort of
a classification. In the first place a number of these tenants may safely be
allotted to one or other of the categories furnished us by Boldon Book itself.
Thus, when we read that at Newbottle, John, son of Henry, held one toft and
12 acres and rendered ia</., we shall not be far wrong if we describe him
as a prosperous cottier, for, as we have just seen, the usual holding of
members of this class was a toft and croft and a few acres beside. In like
manner we may dispose of the tenure of Robert Blunt at Blackwell, who
had a ( parva terra ' and rendered 6</., or of that widow at Whessoe who had
one toft and croft who rendered 6d. and did six days' week-work and four
boon days.
The remaining tenants of this sort may be arranged for purposes of
discussion in seven classes. In the first place there are the drengs. The
discussion of this subject will carry us somewhat far afield, and outside the
limits of the vill within which for the moment we have fixed our attention,
for it is more common to find a man holding a vill of the bishop in drengage
than to find one who is holding in drengage of the bishop in a vill. Still, the
second case occurs a number of times and the whole subject maybe examined
at this place.
The institution of drengage has already been the subject of pretty full
treatment at Professor Maitland's hands, 3 and those who essay to follow him
will generally find that he has reaped the corners of the field and gathered
the gleanings of the harvest. Still, the matter cannot be neglected here, and
we may even hope to produce a little evidence that did not perhaps serve
Professor Maitland's purpose. 8 This tenure, the peculiarity of which in the
feudal age was to show attributes at once of the knight-service, serjeanty, and
villeinage, is indeed ' older than the lawyer's classification, older than the
Norman Conquest.' 4 Professor Maitland has dwelt at length on the
similarity between the riding men of Bishop Oswald of Worcester in the
tenth century, the radchenistres of Domesday Book, and the drengs of the
eleventh and twelfth centuries, 6 and has brought together a good deal of
evidence illustrating the social and legal position of the post-Conquest drengs. 8
Before the Conquest the term dreng seems to have been used to describe a
fighting-man, one whose business in life was warfare ; 7 but what relation it
iVid. inf. App. No. i.
i Eng/. Hist. Rev., v. 625 ff. ; Hist. ofEngl. Law, i. 258, 356 note ; Dam. Bk. and Beyond, 308-309.
8 The whole subject has been treated from a point of view somewhat different from that adopted here,
in an article by the present writer in the Amer. Hilt. Rev., be. 670-695, to which the reader has already
been referred.
4 Hist. ofEngl. Law, loc. cit. * Dm. Bk. and Beyond, 304-309.
6 Engl. Hist. Rev., v. 625 ff.
7 Toller-Bosworth, Anglo-Sax. Diet., s.v. Dreng, citing ByrhtnotKs Death (A.D. 991) and Layamon's
Brut (A.D. 1200-1204).
284
BOLDON BOOK
may have borne to the more familiar term thegn does not appear. Hinde
thought that the two were the same. 1 Spelman, followed by the editors of
Du Cange, suggested a Danish origin, which seems the more probable as
there is a cognate Danish word having an appropriate sense, and as the
earliest example of the use of the word in England, which the Toller-
Bosworth dictionary can cite, is as late as 991.* One phase of Anglo-Saxon
drengage must be emphasized. The dreng was by no means a base or
agricultural tenant, but rather a person of condition. This is illustrated by
a passage in Symeon of Durham's Historia Regum relating to the translation of
the body of Bishop Alchmund of Hexham, in the year 1032. The event
was naturally one of local importance, and it is to be remarked that the chief
figure in the transaction, the director as it were of the whole business, since
he was made the object of no less than two visions, is described as a certain
dreng, * quidam Dregno.' Symeon lets us see him, moreover, as a personage
in the community, l eum omnes vicini sui in magno honore habebant.' *
The drengs of Domesday Book have been sufficiently described by Professor
Maitland in the essay already cited. But the Durham records illustrate the
survival of this class in a region not included in the Great Survey. An English
charter of Bishop Ranulf Flambard (A.D. 10991128) is addressed to all his
thegns and drengs of Islandshire and Norhamshire.* Then there is a curious
document which, although it has reached us by devious ways and in its
present form is certainly post-Conquest, may still be cautiously admitted as
casting some light on the subject in hand. This is a memorandum that
stood at the head of a Durham gospel book that has now perished, recording
the ' consuetude et lex sancti patris Cuthberti . . . antiquitus instituta.'
Before the solemn celebration of the feast of St. Cuthbert, in September,
'omnes Barones, scilicet Teines et Dreinges, aliique probi homines, sub
Sancto prasdicto terram tenentes ' assembled at Durham to renew and con-
firm the peace of St. Cuthbert.* The point need not be further laboured ;
it is clear enough that up to and at the time of the Conquest the drengs
were persons of social consequence.
1 Hodgson, Hist, ofNorthumb., \. pt. i. 253 ff.
' Spelman, Glost. Arch., s.v. Drenches ; Du Cange, Gloss., etc, .v. Drench.
* Symeon of Durham (Rolls Ser.), ii. 47-50. See Mr. Arnold's editorial note in which he describes the
drengs as 'a class of respectable franklins introduced into the country by the Danish conquest.' But I cannot
agree with his further statement that their service* were civil, not military : cf. Robertson, Historical Essays,
In trod. xlvi.
4 FeoJ. 98, note ; also printed in Surtees, Durham, \. App. crrv. No. I, and by F. Licbermann, in
Archiv fur dot StuJium dtr neueren Sprachen und Litteratur, Bd. cxi. hft. 3-4.
1 Hist. Dunclm. Serif t. Trei., App. cccczxx.,No.ccczzxii. The gospel book containing this entry is described as
an offering of King Athelstane to St. Cuthbert, and was certainly earlier than the Norman Conquest. A record
of its donation is preserved in the compilation called the Historia tie Sancto Cuthbertu, which dates from the
first quarter of the eleventh century (Surtees Soc.), p. 149. It passed from Durham into the Cottonian
collection and was destroyed, or nearly so, in the fire of Ashburnh.im House in 1731. See the report of the
commissioners appointed to examine the Cottonian manuscripts after the fire, in Reports from Committees of the
House of Commons (reprinted, Lond. 1803), Misc. 1715-173;, i. 471. The manuscript in question was
classed as Otho B. IX. The entry cited in the text had been copied by John Rowcll into the register of the
Dean and Chapter of Durham, and in 1715 this copy was collated with the original by Mickleton, the Durham
antiquary ; sec Canon Raine's note in Scriptorei Tret., loc. cit. This is not the place to enter into the
' Quellenkritik ' of this curious document, but it may be remarked that, whatever the date of the form (and it
is manifestly post-Conquest), the assembly described in it cannot be older than A.D. 991, the year of the
translation of the body of St. Cuthbert, the event commemorated by the September feast ; see Ac ta Sanctorum
BollanJiana, Scptcmbris Tomus Secundus, 2 ; Martii Tomus Tertius, 1 26. The existence of the special peace
or grith might safely be referred to a somewhat earlier period.
285
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
There is an odd story preserved by Spelman, which although as it stands
it can have no value as evidence, yet seems to contain the root of the matter,
the fact, namely, that the post-Conquest drengs were the descendants .of those
Englishmen who for one reason or another were not dispossessed by William,
but transmitted their lands to their sons on the terms on which they had
received them from their fathers. 1 To what extent, if to any, these men
were touched by the great homage of 1085 cannot be determined.
Returning to the field of well-attested fact we find that after the Con-
quest the drengs of the bishopric were maintaining this tradition of social
consequence in spite of certain incidents of tenure which would seem to
approach them to the villein class. Our earliest pipe-roll shows that the
keepers of the temporalities accounted separately for the manorial payments
and those due from the drengs and malmen of the manors under their charge. 9
Then when the bishopric was again in the king's hand in 1197 and the
keepers were rendering an account of the tallage of the manors of the bishopric,
the quota of the drengs and farmers was again entered separately. 8
Boldon Book discloses the details of drengage in the second half of the
twelfth century. The incidents of the tenure at this time may be arranged
in three classes consisting respectively of personal services, money payments
and occasional obligations. Under the first of these week-work and boon-
days such as the villeins gave occur in all cases but one, 4 but these are
commonly rendered by the dreng's men or his ' whole household except the
housewife.' Carting of some kind, generally of wine, was also quite usual. 6
Probably the incidents most characteristic of drengage were the duty of
taking part in the bishop's hunt, the ' magna caza,' including the provision
of a horse and a dog, which had to be cared for throughout the year, and the
obligation of carrying the bishop's messages. ' Drengus pascit canem et
equum, et vadit in magna caza cum ii leporafiis et v cordis . . . et vadit in
legationibus ' 6 is a characteristic entry that frequently recurs, so frequently,
indeed, that Mr. Seebohm was led to disregard the other incidents of the
tenure. 7 But, as we have seen, men who were not drengs were holding by
services in the hunt and the forest, and drengage had other attributes. This
duty of going the bishop's errands, for example, appears at once as a survival
connecting the twelfth-century drengs with the riding-men and radchenistres
of an earlier time. This connexion is strengthened when we find that in
some cases the dreng was required to render what, under the name ' utware,'
1 Spelman, Glossarium, s.v. Drenches ; Ibid. Historia Familia de Sharnbum, in Reliquiae Spelmannianae
(Lond. 1723, pp. 189-200); Du Cange, Gloss, s.v. Drench. The manuscript in question, written in a
sixteenth-century hand, seems now to be in the Ashmolean collection ; its spuriousness has long been
recognized ; see Hist. ofNorf. (10 vols., Norwich, 1781 ff.), s.v. Smithdon, ix. 80-82; Francis Blomefield,
Norfolk (u vols., Lond. 1805-1810), x. 350-353 ; David Hume, Hist. ofEngl. (ed. Oxford, 1826), note H.,
i. 425 ; Joseph Nicolson and Richard Burn, Wcstmor. and Cumb. (2 vols., Lond. 1777), i. 22. There was
much speculation in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries as to what effect the Norman Conquest might have
had upon the status of non-combatants, and a tendency may be discerned to account for tenurial peculiarities
by the survival of such persons : cf. Diahgus de Scaccano, I. x. (ed. Hughes, Crump and Johnson), p. 100,
and the learned note of the editors, pp. 194-196 ; Bracton, fol. 7, cited in Vinogradoff, op. at., 121-126.
Professor Vinogradoff argues that the privileged villeins on ancient demesnes represent a survival from Anglo-
Saxon times, a case exactly parallel to the traditions recorded in the text.
Pipe R. 3 1 Hen. I. in BolJon Book (Surtees Soc.), App. p. iii.
8 Pipe R. 8 Ric. I. in Boldon Book (Surtees Soc.), App. p. vii.
* e.g. Oxenhall, Great Haughton, Whessoe, Sheraton. The exception is Thornton, where it is expressly
stated that the men are to come out for week-work from every house ' excepta domo drengi.'
e.g. Herrington. 6 Binchester. ^ Seebohm, Village Community, 71.
286
BOLDON BOOK
seems to have been a form of military service and a survival of the ancient
obligation of the * fyrd.' l Finally, the dreng owed suit at the bishop's
court.* Under the second head, money payments, we find two varieties of
obligation, the one a fixed charge, like a ferm or rent, the purpose of which
is not specified, and the other the render of occasional 'auxilia.' 8 At Whessoe
Robert Fitz-Meldred, who held a carucate as the fourth part of a drengage,
rendered IQJ. 8</. Finally, under the third head, tenure of this sort was
subject to a group of very interesting obligations. The first of these is the
familiar feudal incident of wardship, which as we know may be carried back
to the Conquest.* At West Auckland 4 bovates which Elstan the dreng had
held are in the Bishop's hands, ' donee filius Elstani sit adultus.' The Bishop
has allotted to Elstan's wife ' xii acras quietas ad pueros suos alendos.' The
rest of the land pays 131. and renders the services which used to be exacted
of Elstan.' Then, in striking contrast to the feudal incident of wardship, are
merchet, heriot, and metred or metriz, all of them characteristic attributes of
villein tenure. The nature of merchet and heriot has been much discussed,
many illusions, some of them mischievous ones, have been dispelled, and the
truth of the matter seems now pretty well established. Briefly, merchet
was a payment made to the lord for leave to marry one's daughter outside the
estate, for the lord must be reimbursed for a transaction by which he lost a
dependent tenant the possible mother of villeins. Heriot, on the other hand,
which commonly consisted of the best beast rendered to the lord by the heir
on behalf of his deceased predecessor, looks back to a time when the dependent
had received chattels or stock from his lord, and although it attached itself to
the soil is quite distinct from feudal relief.' Metred in this connexion has
reference to the 'vacca de metride,' the milch cow which the cornage-paying
vills were obliged to render to the bishop. The dreng would be required to
pay his share of the composition which was generally being substituted for
the render of the beast itself. Now these terms do not occur in connexion
with drengage in Boldon Book, but we can scarcely doubt, none the less, that
the drengs of the bishopric were subject to the obligations which they repre-
sent. Across the Tyne the drengs of Northumberland did not escape them. 7
Then they occur in a Durham charter, which however lacks the name
drengage. In this prior Laurence (A.D. 11491154) conveyed the land of
Pache in Monkton to a certain Roger. The passage must be quoted, the
1 'Willelmus . . . ficit quartam pattern unius dringagii . . . et facit utware quando positum fucrit
in episcopatu,' Oxenhall ; cf. Feod., 12911, 132 I33nn, 14.1 ; Neteminster Chartulary (Surtees Soc.), index s. v.
Utware. Professor Maitland has discussed the term in Engl. Hist. Rev., v. 625 ff. Professor Vinogradoff,
however, takes a different view, arguing that the inland (demesne) was quit of taxation in view of certain
specifically aristocratic functions which its lord had to perform, while the outland bore the burden of taxation.
Then the king's utware would be what the king got from the inland, i.e. geld. See The Growth of the Manor,
pp. 226-7, 284.
* e.g. Great Usworth, Herrington, Butterwick, Brafferton.
1 See Prior Bertram's charters, in FeoJ., I I4n, and cf. Testa de Nevill, 752.
* Maitland, Dom. Bk. and Beyond, 310.
8 Cf. Registrant Palatinum Dunelmense (Rolls Ser.), iii. 62. In 1 302 it was provided that the bishop should
have wardship of only such tenements in drengage as are held of himself and the prior. This is peculiarly
interesting, because there is good reason to believe that in the neighbouring county of Northumberland
drengage tenure was not a cause of wardship. See Northumb. Ais'tze R. (Surtees Soc.), 223-224, 237, and
the discussion of the case in Amer. Hist. Rev. ix. 680-681.
* Pollock and Maitland, Hist, of Engl. Law, i. 293-298, 354-356 ; Vinogradoff', Villainage, 153-156;
Tear Book, 1 5 Edw. III. (Rolls Ser.), Introd. xv.-xliii.
1 Teitade Nevill, 389.
287
A HISTORY OF DURHAM
land is to be held ' per hanc convencionem scilicet quod pro tota hac terra
simul reddet i6d. ad Rogaciones et i6d. ad festum Sancti Martini et pro
cornagio dabit zs. in anno, scilicet ad festum Sancti Cuthberti, et pro metreth
quantum ad eandem terram pertinet, ad festum Sancti Martini ; quater in
anno herciabit pro pradicta terra et semel arabit pro ipsa in anno i die tantum
et ipsam quam aravit terram herciabit ; in messis tempore iiii diebus metet
cum ii hominibus singulis diebus . . . pro heriet dabit vi oras, pro
merchet vi oras et pro forisfacto vi oras in misericordia ; de utware adquietabit
ipsam terram quantum ad earn pertinet.' 1 There can be no doubt that we
have to do here with a drengage tenure.
The amount of land held on these terms, the content of a normal
drengage tenement, is a perplexing point. We have seen that at Whessoe
Robert Fitz-Meldred's holding of one carucate was reckoned as the fourth
part of a drengage, and with that evidence alone one would be tempted to
say that a normal drengage ought to contain 4 carucates. 8 But the mischance
of those who have attempted to specify the content of a knight's fee teaches
one caution, and on turning to another part of Boldon Book we see that Elstan
had been a full dreng at West Auckland although he held but 4 bovates. In
truth there was no normal drengage holding ; on the one hand we may read
how at Escomb Elzibrid holds one half a bovate in drengage and pays yd.
cornage, and on the other how William holds the vill of Oxenhall and does the
service of the fourth part of a drengage. Or again we have the evidence of
a later record, which shows that Robert Binchester holds Binchester and
Hunwick ' per cartam Domini Episcopi per servitium forinsecum, quondam
tenetur in dryngagio per librum de Boldon.' 3 A drengage tenement then
might consist of an entire vill or of an allotment of land in a vill.
From this evidence we have been able to form a consistent notion of the
obligations and incidents of drengage 
