28 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Mr. Kenworthy in most of the Essex parishes. So many sections in soft
materials lose their clearness and value in a few weeks or even days. Records
of any would be valuable if the nature of the material and the spot where the
section appeared were noted by an intelligent local observer with sufficient
exactness.
Mr. D. J. Scourfield then gave a lecture entitled "Some illustrations of
Pond-life, with especial reference to forms occurring in Epping Forest." The
lecture was in the, nature of a demonstration of a remarkable series of coloured
lantern slides representing some of the choicest examples of our fresh-water
Protozoa, Rotifers, Polyzoa, &c. The slides, which were the work of Mr.
H. M. J. Underbill, of Oxford, had been very kindly lent for the purpose by
Mr. J.J. Vezey, Treasurer of the Quekett Microscopical Club.
It would be quite impossible to describe in detail these very excellent
slides, remarkable alike for fidelity to nature and artistic treatment. The
following notes, however, may serve to indicate the general scope of the
series :—
The Rhizopods were represented by such forms as Amalia, Actinophrys,
and Raphidiophrys. The last named is a most interesting form on account of
its colonial habits, each zooid being joined to its neighbours by little bridges
of streaming protoplasm. Mr. Scourfield said that although most of the other
Rhizopods were pretty common in the Epping Forest district, Raphidiophrys
appeared to be very rare as he had only found it in one little pond in
Wanstead Park.
The Infusoria formed a large detachment. There were examples of the
exquisite little "collared" flagellate forms like Codosiza and Salpingaeca, of the
ciliate forms such as Vorticella, Ophrydium, &c., and of the suctorial group such
as Acineta, Podophya, and Dendrosoma. All these have been recorded from the
Forest area and most of them are in fact quite common.
The Sponges were illustrated by Spongilla fluviatilis in various stages.
This species and probably also one or two others occur in the Lea and the
Roding and at Wanstead Park.
The Hydroids comprise the three species of Hydra (H, vulgaris, H. fusca,
and H. viridis) all of which occur commonly in our ponds and pools, and
Cordylophora lacustris a brackish water form which seems to be pushing its way
more and more into fresh water, but has not yet been seen in Epping Forest
area It might be worth while looking for it in the Lea and its associated
waters.
'The Rotifers were only represented by the sedentary species (Rhizota)
but the drawings of these creatures were exceptionally fine. The chief kinds
shown were Floscularia, Stephanoceros Oecistes, Melicerta, and Lacinularia. The
last mentioned form has apparently never been seen in the Forest district, but
the others are for the most part fairly common.
The Polyzoa or Bryozoa were well illustrated by charming drawings of
Fredericella, Paludicella, Alcyonella, Plumatella, and Cristatella. Wanstead Park
and Higham Park have yielded at different times specimens of all these forms.
Hearty votes of thanks were passed to the authors of the papers, and to
Mr. Scourfield for his most interesting lecture, and the meeting ended with
the usual service of light refreshment in one of the lecture-rooms of the
Institute.