400 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Essex Field Club, vol. iii., pp. 1-29, and lists of the Molluscan and
Mammalian and other remains then obtained was given. A set of these
specimens is in the British Museum and a smaller one in the Epping Forest
Museum. The sections shown during the construction of the "Lady
Warwick" Reservoirs in 1896-7 were described by Mr. T. Hay Wilson in the
Essex Naturalist for 1897, vol. x., p. no. Lists of the Mollusca will also
be found in Mr. J. E. Greenhill's pamphlet on "Prehistoric Hackney,
Part II., Neolithic Age" (1883), and the Molluscan Fauna of the beds
is fully discussed in Messrs. Kennard and Woodward's paper on " The Post-
Pliocene Non-Marine Mollusca of Essex" in the Essex Naturalist, vol. x.,
pp. 87-109. Reference should also be made to Mr. Holmes' paper on the
" Geology of the Lea Valley " (E. N., vol. viii., pp. 198-201), the " Geology of
Epping Forest " (E. N., vol. ix. pp. 161-165) and to Whitaker's "Geology of
London and Part of the Thames Valley," vol. i, pp. 272-4.
The members assembled at 3 o'clock at the entrance near Tottenham
Lock, nearly opposite the Old Ferry Boat Inn, an ancient hostelry, formerly
well known to boating men on the Lea. Among those forming the party
were Mr. Andrew Johnston, Mr. Eliot Howard, Dr. J. C. Thresh, Prof.
Meldola, Mr. W. Crouch, Mr. Float, late Mayor of Maldon, and others.
Mr. T. V. Holmes acted as Geological conductor. In the unavoidable
absence of Col. Bryan, who had been called away into the country, Mr. Ashley,
the Assistant Engineer to the Company, met the party at the gates, and to his
kindness and efficiency as a guide the members were indebted for much of the
interest of the afternoon. The weather was delightful, and the ramble
along the crown of the sloping banks of the reservoirs was most enjoyable.
In the spring the flora of these banks and those of the numerous ditches or
rivulets is very varied and interesting. At the time of our visit, unfortunately,
the grass of the slopes had just been cut for hay, and with it the flowers. The
abundance of Water-Plantain (Alisma) and Arrow-head (Saggittaria) in the
ditches was remarkable, and on some of the slopes the Dewberry (Rubus caesius)
was most luxuriant. It was stated that in the winter the number of
birds frequenting the lakes was often great. The reservoirs were an attrac-
tion in themselves, but where they could boast a thickly-wooded island in the
centre, they were exceedingly picturesque. Mr. Ashley did not favour the
idea that the islands were raised in the centre with this intention, but thought
it probable that they fulfilled the function of breaking the force of the impact on
the sides of the reservoirs when waves several feet high were thrown up during
south-westerly gales.
Mr. Scourfield (author of the papers on the Forest Entomostraca in late
parts of the Essex Naturalist) made several collections of these tiny
animals in the reservoirs, chiefly in the hope of obtaining specimens of some of
the rarer pelagic species such as Leptodora hyalina, which, it was thought,
might possibly find a congenial home in pieces of water of such considerable
size. None of these rarer species were found, but a very good series of
gatherings was nevertheless obtained, including one species, Prionocypris serrata,
which had not been previously obtained in the district (See ante p. 321.)
Specimens of the rare fresh-water Copepod, Eurytemora lacinulata, which had
only been previously found in the district at Higham Park, were also obtained.
On the whole, the reservoirs seem likely to be extremely good collecting
stations for the Entomostraca.