180
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
The Cryptogamic and Botanical Meeting and Ordinary Meeting.
Saturday, November 4th, 1893.
The usual "Fungus Foray" of the Club was held on this day, the headquarters
being the saloon at the King's Head Hotel, High Beach, Epping Forest.
The Hon. Secretaries were early on the ground, and met Dr. Cooke at the
Chingford Station at 11 o'clock. The weather was changeable, although fine in
the afternoon. Members and friends were met with a two-horse drag on arrival
of the trains at Loughton, and specimens and microscopes were taken up to the
inn. Probably fifty members and friends attended the meeting. The saloon
formed an excellent exhibition room, and the tables were well filled with interest-
ing specimens. But fungi were exceedingly scarce, and the exertions of the
numerous collectors furnished but few specimens of fresh fungi for exhibition. The
late droughts and some recent sharp frosts had- been most detrimental to the
growth and development of these delicate plants. But very few species of interest
were obtained, the credit of the day being only saved by the discovery by Dr.
Cooke of one species new to the Forest list, viz., Agaricus corticola, which occurred
on trunks of trees in Monk's Wood. Mr. Barnard, of Woodford, brought up a
species found growing on rotten wood at that place, which Dr. Cooke subsequently
identified as Formes roseus, Fr., a plant not only new to the Forest but to Britain.
Other species observed hardly call for special notice, and the specimens were in
most cases badly grown and damaged by the frosts. By persistent exertions, how-
ever, the numerous collecting parties working in Woodford, Fair Mead, High
Beach, Loughton Woods, Monk Woods, etc., gathered a sufficient number of
species to form a fair show, and Dr. Cooke, Dr. Wharton, and other fungologists
present gave much information to those willing to learn.
Several large tables were well filled with specimens of botanical interest.
Among them may be noticed the following :—
Messrs. H. and J. Groves showed a series of dried specimens of British
Umbelliferae ; a noticeable feature was the way in which the larger specimens
were mounted on two or more ordinary herbarium sheets so as to piece together
into one, and thus give an adequate idea of the plants. The Essex rarities were
conspicuous—Bupleurum falcatum, Peucedanum officinale, and Tordylium maximum.
The very fine Herbarium of Marine Algae of the Harwich district, presented to
the Club by Mr. G. P. Hope, of Upminster Hall.
Mr. J. T. Powell—His herbarium of species of Rubi or Brambles, from Epping
Forest
Dr. M. C. Cooke—Original drawings, by himself, of the British Desmids, after-
wards altered in size and arrangement and published in Cooke's "British Des-
mids" ; also a set of coloured plates illustrative of Cooke's "British Fresh-water
Algae."
Mr. W. Cole—Specimens of some of the more uncommon plants of Essex,
presented many years ago to the Museum by the late G. S. Gibson, author of the
"Flora of Essex" ; also several small old herbaria from the Museum, containing
many rare species of British plants.
Examples of the methods of putting up type-specimens of plants and animals
for instruction in village classes and for the educational series in the Club's
Museum. Prepared under the direction of Mr. David Houston, F.L.S.
Mr. Sauze and Mr, Oldham showed several cases of Insects of various orders,
many from the Forest districts.