294
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Mr. Massee made a verbal report on the more interesting species of
Fungi observed during the day ; this is embodied in the list by him. printed
in the present part of the Essex Naturalist.
Dr. M. C. Cooke made one of his characteristic speeches, referring to the
early days of Fungus hunting and study, and to his own work during the last
50 years. He gave many interesting reminiscences of the origin of Crypto-
gamic research in Great Britain, and contrasted the many aids to the
beginner now available with the utter dearth of books and experts in the study
in his young days.
Mr. Robert Paulson read his Preliminary Report on the cause of the
death of Birch trees in the forest and in many other places. This Report is
printed in the present part of our Journal (pp. 273-84). The author illustrated
his remarks by the exhibition of numerous photographs and specimens of the
infected branches of birch most carefully prepared and sectioned.
A discussion was carried on by the President, Mr. Massee, Mr. Elliott,
and the author, and Mr. Paulson was cordially thanked for his com-
munication.
Mr. F. P. Smith made some observations on the mode of occurrence of
Spiders, and the methods to be employed in their collection and preservation.
Mr. F. O. Pickard-Cambridge also spoke on the same subject. He
reported that a considerable number of species of spiders had been captured
in the woods that day, many being new to the Forest list. He exhibited
some very beautiful drawings of British Spiders made by himself, and gave
some useful hints on the study. He hoped that more attention would now be
paid to the group by members and friends of the Club, now that a beginning
had been made in collecting the spiders of the Forest.
Mr. Pickard-Cambridge also alluded to the forthcoming production of
the volumes of the Victorian History of the Counties of England, He himself
had undertaken the enumeration and description of the Arachnida of Essex,
and he asked for help in making the records more complete.
Mr. F. P. Smith and Mr. Pickard-Cambridge subsequently furnished
the Editor with lists of the species observed. These have been combined by
Mr. Cambridge in the Report printed in the present part of the Essex
Naturalist.
Mr. W. Mark Webb, F.L.S., exhibited and presented to the Museum a
series of Holocene Mollusca from Shalford, Essex. The collection is referred
to in the paper on the ''Post-Pliocene Non-Marine Mollusca of Essex'' by
Messrs. Kennard and Woodward in the Xth Volume of the Essex
Naturalist, page 95. Mr. Webb's donation was rendered the more accept-
able by the careful way in which the specimens had been mounted in glass-
top boxes.
Prof. Silvanus Thompson, F.R.S , made some observations on the
diffraction spectra exhibited by the dissepiment of the seed pods of the well-
known garden plant called "Honesty" (Lunaria) and similar phenomena
exhibited by the surfaces of some natural minerals, &c.