Welsh Journals

May 3, 1893. BYE-GONES. 71 like his illustrious cousin, Prince Bismark, was des¬ cended from a noble German family, settled in the Mark of Brandenburg from very early times—the estate of Schbnhausen, from which it takes its well known name of Bismark-Schonhausen, haviDg been given with other lands in exchange for the more ancient possession of Burgstall, by an elector of Brandenburg, in the later half of the sixteenth century. The deceased Count relinquished this patronymic for that of his own estate of Schierstein by permission, some years since. His younger daughter, Countess Helen, was married at Wynn- stay to Mr Wilfrid Cripps in December, 1884, some few months only after the marriage of her first cousin, Lady Williams- Wynn, and the occasion was one of the last, if not the very last, on which the late Sir Watkin was seen in Ruabon church. Another daughter, Countess Marie Bismark, is un¬ married, and the Count is succeeded in the title by an only surviving son, now Count von Bismark- Sehierstein. IN THE FIELDS AND LANES. The cuckoo was heard at Welshpool yesterday week. A pack of otter hounds had an exciting chase after a wild cat in Carnarvonshire the other day. We are informed that there were one or two swarms of bees during the last week in the neigh¬ bourhood of Penley. Oswestry and Welshpool Naturalists' Field Club.—This Society made its first excursion for 1893 on Wednesday. A goodly party started from Ellesmere and drove to Uffington. They then walked to Sundorne Castle, and were shown over the house and gardens by the kind permission of the RevG. Corbet. There is a fine library, and pictures by Raphael, Titian, Vandyke, Rembrandt, and other famous artists. In the gardens an Abyssinian crab tree was a perfect sheet of bloom. Thence they crossed the fields to Haughmond Abbey. Founded by William Fitz Alan in the twelfth century for Augustinian Canons, there is little left but part of the Abbot's lodgings, the shell of a large hall with the outline of a noble window, a fine sculptured doorway, and the Chapter House with its triple- arched entrance and 14th century roof, which is nearly perfect. Some of the party also visited Sun- derton Camp, an earthwork of large size, possibly Roman ; they then returned by the pretty drive under Haughmond Hill to Uffington, where they did justice to an excellent tea, and drove back to Ellesmere. The season is unusually early, and blue bells, early purple orchis, and moschatel were found in bloom, and an orange-tip butterfly was seen. Caradoc and Severn Valley Field Clubs.— A joint meeting of these Clubs to formally complete amalgamation was held in Shrewsbury on Saturday week, the members present including the Rev T. Auden, Rev W. G. Dimock-Fletcher, Rev W. S. Ingram, Rev J. D. La Touche, Mr W. Beacall, Mr T, P. Blunt, Mr Bullock, Mr W.Burson,Dr Callaway, Dr Calvert, Mr H. W. Adnitt, Mr E. S. Cobbold, Mr W. E. Garnett-Botfield, Mr I. Knowles, Mr W. Phillips, Mr W. T. Southam, Mr T. S. Stooke, Mr R. Taylor, &c. The Rev T. Auden was voted to the chair, and Dr Callaway moved, and Mr W. E. Garnett-Botfield seconded, and it was unanimously resolved, " That the Caradoc and Severn Valley Field Clubs duly assembled here agree henceforth to form one club." "New rules were then adopted, the first of which declares that " The Society shall be called ' The Caradoc and Severn Valley Field Club,' and its object shall be the practical study of natural history, geology, and archaeology, especially in Shropshire." It was resolved that a scheme of evening meetings and afternoon excursions be for¬ mulated, and that the transactions of the Club be printed and issued to members only. The following officers of the new Club were then elected :—Presi¬ dent, Mr W. E. Garnett-Botfield; vice-presidents, Dr Callaway, Rev J. D. La Touche, Rev T. Auden, Mr C. J. Cooper, Mr R. Taylor, and Mr W. Phillips; secretary and treasurer, Mr E. S. Cobbold; assistant secretary, Mr H. E. Forrest. Field meetings were arranged for the season. ARRIVAL OF SUMMER BIRDS. April 10th, the chimney swallow. April 12th, the sandpiper. There was only one swallow seen on the 12th; on the 16th I observed several together flying about. The sandpiper was also a solitary specimen ; it is an elegant little bird, and adds much to the charm of our river scenery during the summer months. April 19th, the cuckoo heard near here for the first time; its earliest arrival is always about this date. Any cuckoo said to have been heard in the valley of the Dee much before the above-named date must be doubtful ; and, as the editor of the Field once said, " I do not believe in March cuckoos." On the 19th I also observed the blackcap and the pied flycatcher; both are up to their usual time of arrival. The pied flycatcher is an unas¬ suming little bird, and is but seldom seen away from its favourite haunts in old woods. On the 22nd I observed the sedge-warbler ; it was singing in a thick hedge of the willow-leaved spiraea, on the borders of a large bog near here. This charming songster is a few days earlier than its usual time of arrival. Thos. Ruddy. The Gardens, Pale, Corwen. MAY 3, 1893. NOTES. FREEMASONS AT WYNNSTAY. — The following is extracted from a letter in my posses¬ sion, dated August 19, 1851:—" We had a splen¬ did affair lately at Wynnstay. Sir Watkin is W.M. of our Lodge this year, and he most politely and liberally invited us to spend a day with him. We arrived soon after noon. In a little while a handsome luncheon was served, ale 106 years old in bottles. I did taste it for curiosity, but pre¬ ferred some most superb four years old. After¬ wards walked about the lovely park, saw the