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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
The Secretary gave notice, on behalf of the Council, that on and after the
1st of May next, the Head Quarters and Publishing Office of the Club
would be at the "Essex Local and Educational Museum of Natural History of
the Essex Field Club" (Passmore Edwards Museum) The Romford High
Road, Stratford, Essex.
The Meeting then broke up, and some Members of the party went to
Theydon Station, while others walked through the forest roads to Loughton.
JOINT MEETING ON THE FOREST WITH THE
CROYDON NATURAL HISTORY CLUB.
Saturday, May 19th, 1900.
The main "idea" of this meeting was not only to welcome our friends of
the Croydon Club (of which our esteemed Hon. Member, Mr. W. Whitaker,
F.R.S., is President, and with whom we had a ramble last year in their own
County at Charlton), but also to make a commencement of the observation of
the Micro-fungi of the County, in accordance with the suggestions made by
Dr. Cooke in his paper, "Suggestions on the Collecting and Study of the
Minute Fungi of Essex" (Essex Naturalist, Vol. IV. pp. 28—39), and more
particularly by Mr. Massee at our last Fungus Foray (E.N. XI. pp. 166 and
196, where a list of suitable books for the student was given). Mr. Massee
very kindly undertook to aid the observations of those Members wishful to
take up the study of these exceedingly interesting plants. Preliminary lists
will be found in former volumes ot our journal :—Ustilaginei and Aecidiomy-
cetes (by Dr. Cooke) in Vol I., pp. 184—186 ; Cryptogamic Flora of Kelvedon
(by Dr. Varenne) Vol. V. pp. 20—24 ; and the Discomycetes known to occur
were listed by Dr. Cooke in Vol. II., pp. 189—192.
Mr. Massee acted as Referee on this occasion, and Mr. N. F. Robarts
and Mr. F. J. Townend represented the officials of the Croydon Society.
The large party met at Loughton Station at about 3 o'clock, and at once
started on an extended ramble through some of the most beautiful parts of the
Forest. It is unnecessary to describe the ramble, which was similar to many
others undertaken by the Club. The woods were most inviting in the fresh
loveliness of the Spring, and strangers to the forest were loud in their ex-
pressions of surprise and pleasure at the wildness and charm of a district so
near London. Collecting of botanical and microscopical specimens was
carried out during the afternoon.
Mr. Massee reports that the species of Microscopical Fungi observed
during the afternoon were as follows :—
Cenangium pulveraceum, Fries. On holly.
Ascobolus aerugineus, Fries. On horse-dung.
Ascophanus argenteus, Bond. On cow-dung.
Pseudopeziza trifolii, Fckl. On living clover leaves.
Mollisia cinerea, Karst. On dead wood.
Erinella nylanderi, Rehm. On dead nettle stems.
Dasyscypha bicolor, Fckl. On dead branches of hornbeam.
D. nivea, Massee, On dead wood.