THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
35
Afterwards, the 215th Ordinary Meeting was held, the President, Prof. R.
Meldola, in the chair.
New Members.—Mr. P. L. Leverson and Mr. Victor Taylor were elected
members of the Club.
The "Horace Brown" Collections.—The Secretary announced that
their member, Mr. Horace T. Brown, F.R.S., had presented to the Club the
whole of his extensive collection of British Fossils, a collection of Rock Specimens,
and a number of British Marine Mollusca. [The collection will be more
particularly described in a "Museum Note" in a future part.]
The President said that they were greatly indebted to Mr. Brown for this fine
collection, and although Mr. Brown was at present out of England, it was only
proper that they should take the first opportunity of expressing their high sense of
his kindness.
A vote of thanks to the donor was passed by acclamation.
Report on Spiders Observed.—Mr. Smith made a brief report on the
species observed during the afternoon's ramble. Several of them were rather
rare, and two or three were of interest in consequence of their habits. [The
list has since been compiled by Mr. Smith, and is printed in the present part,
ante pp. 22-3]
Protective Resemblance.—Prof. Meldola called attention to a beautiful
instance of this in the caterpillar of the "Large Thorn Moth" (Ennomos
autumnaria=alniaria), some specimens of which in the living state were exhibited
by Mr. J. A. Finzi, bred from eggs laid by a moth captured by Mr. Meldola at
Bognor, Sussex. The larvae, like most of its family, is extremely "stick-like."
and the special point noted by Mr. Meldola was that the second pair of claspers
are so formed and shaded as to closely resemble a bud projecting from the twig,
so wonderfully aiding the general affect.
Conference Meeting at Ipswich.—The Secretary stated that he had most
regretfully decided to abandon this meeting for the present year, in consequence
of great difficulties of organisation, the principal being the excessive cost of the
hire of a steamer for the proposed two days. It might be possible to arrange a
'Conference of the East Anglian Societies in some other town next year.
After the close of the meeting a very pleasant return ramble was taken across
the forest to Loughton Station.
THE ANNUAL "FUNGUS FORAY" AND 216th ORDINARY
MEETING.
Friday and Saturday, October 17th and i8th, 1902.
The meeting on the Friday was held in the neighbourhood of North Weald and
Toot Hill, Mr. Primrose McConnell, B.Sc, F.G.S., acting with the Secretaries as
local leader. The Ongar Park Woods were carefully searched over for Fungi, and
although the individual plants were few, yet by the persevering efforts of the party
a fairly good number of species was obtained. The weather was very fine and
sunny, and consequently the pleasant woodland ramble was much enjoyed.
Luncheon was served at the "Green Man" Inn, Toot Hill, and in the afternoon
the specimens were taken by the Secretaries to the temporary Headquarters for the
meeting, the "King's Oak Hotel," High Beach, where Dr. Cooke received and
determined the names of the fungi.
On the Saturday there were two parties; one starting about noon from Theydon