20
NOTES.
the support of destitute cats was established at Cairo by one of the Mameluke
Sultans. Mr. Crouch believed that it still existed, but it was not now applied
to its original purpose.
Dr. E. Pearl exhibited many specimens of Microscopical Fungi, and showed
some of them under his microscope. Also a series of original coloured drawings
of the same from the pencil of Mrs. Pearl,
Dr. M. C. Cooke, M.A., then read a paper entitled, "Suggestions on the
Collecting and Study of the Minute Fungi of Essex" (see pp. 28—39), illustrat-
ing his remarks by drawings on the black-board, and specimens and drawings
of leaves of plants affected by species of Microscopical Fungi.
A cordial vote of thanks was passed to Dr. Cooke for his paper, and some
discussion on various points was carried on by Mr. Crouch, Dr. Pearl, Mr. W.
Cole, Rev. W. S. Lach-Szyrma, and Dr. Cooke.
The meeting concluded with the usual service of light refreshment.
Salmon Trout at Burnham.—A Salmon Trout weighing three pounds was
taken in the river Roach on Tuesday [Feb. 25th]. A fish of this description has
never before, within the recollection of the oldest fisherman, been caught in the
river.—"East Anglian Daily Times," Feb. 27th, 1890.
Cardinal Spider at Maldon.—Last Christmas-time Mr. John Sadd caught for
me a large spider, described as being too big to get into a tumbler, its legs being
over three inches long. When 1 found that this monster had escaped, ] thought
I might have lost a prize, but on New Year's Day Mr. Sadd brought me another
specimen, also caught in a hollow tree on his wharf, this time securely caged ; I
expected that it was the large Tegenaria guyonii, Guer-Men,, figured in Andrew Mur-
ray's "Economic Entomology," p. 78, but 1 sent it to Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge
to make sure. He replies, "The spider is Tegenaria guyonii, adult. It is found all
along the Thames valley and (though rarely) in some few other localities.
Generally it is a house spider, but would no doubt find a congenial home in a
hollow tree. I was rather in want of a fine specimen to preserve dry, and as this
is still living it serves me well, so I retain it with many thanks." In his "Spiders
of Dorset "Mr. Pickard-Cambridge includes this amongst the species not occur-
ring in the county, and says of it, "abundant at Oxford in cellars and in old cup-
boards and dark corners of unused rooms, found also in the London district and in
Cambridgeshire" (vol. ii. p. 474). It is well figured under the name of
Tegenaria domestica in Blackwall's fine work (pl. xi. fig. 105), who says "specimens
have been received from Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Middlesex" ("Hist :
of Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland," p. 163). A tradition exists at
Hampton Court that this was the spider that so terrified Cardinal Wolsey during
his residence there ; hence its trivial name (see Jesse's "Gleanings," i. 91). In
another work, Jesse says the Cardinals "are always found in pairs—at least, if
one is caught, another is sure to be seen directly afterward" ("Scenes and Occupa-
tions of Country Life," p. 305). It is curious how the history of our Maldon speci-
mens confirms this. This spider is not amongst the species found by Mr. Pickard—
Cambridge in June 1882 (Trans. E. F. C. iv. 41—5) and I believe this is the
first record of its occurrence in Essex.—Edward A. Fitch, Maldon.