THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
67
Death of Professor Howes.—The President said that the Council had
received with great regret the news of the death of Prof. G. B. Howes,
LL.D.. D.Sc., F.R.S., &c., one of the Honorary Members of the Club. He
made some very interesting and appreciative remarks on the life and work of the
lamented scientist, and proposed that the meeting should unite with the Council
in recording their sense of the loss the Club had sustained, and that a letter of
condolence should be sent to Mrs. Howes by the Secretary, This was cordially
approved.
New Member.—Mr. Mark Wilks, 24, Lower Clapton Road, N.E., was
elected.
Nomination of Officers and New Members of Council.—In view
of the annual meeting, nominations of officers and members of Council were made
(See report of Annual Meeting on April 8th).
New Cockroach in Essex.— The Secretary exhibited on behalf of Mr. E.
C.Horrell, F.L.S., specimens of Leucophaea surinamensis, which had occurred
in a garden near Chelmsford (See "Notes," E.N. Vol. XIII , p. 365).
Injurious Fungi on Hornbeam Trees.—Mr. Robert Paulson exhibited
some photographs he had made of twigs of Hornbeam attacked by Corticium
comedens. This fungus does much harm, and Mr. Paulson made some remarks
on the life-history of the pest. He also showed a photograph of the "Witches'
Broom" caused by the attacks of Envascus carpini on hornbeams, and of
Stereum hirsutum, found on old stumps.
Mr. Cole said that the late Miss Ormerod had described the Witches' Broom
as being caused by a Mite (Acarus), belonging to the Phytopti, in a paper in
volume x. (1877) of The Entomologist (pp. 83-6), "Phytoptus of the Birch-
knots." Miss Ormerod traced the development of the infected buds, which grow
clustered together, and their abnormal growth in the course of years caused the
buds to expand from a small cluster to a great bunch of twigs sometimes as much
as a yard in diameter. Mr. Cole said that the matter evidently needed investiga-
tion. Of course it was possible that the "Witches' Broom" might be caused in
two ways or it might be a case of dual parasitism.
Medallion Portrait of Peter Muilman.—Mr. J. Avery exhibited a medal
struck to commemorate the 40th Marriage-day of Peter Muilman, patron of the
well-known History of Essex, By a Gentleman (1770). It was believed that no
other portrait of Muilman was in existence, and the medallion was consequently
of very considerable interest.
The several exhibitors were thanked tor their communications.
"The Family and Life of Gilberd of Colchester."—Professor Silvanus
P. Thompson, D.Sc., F.R.S., &c., then delivered a Lecture on this subject, which
was illustrated by the exhibition of rare books, autographs, and by a series of
lantern-slides. The Lecturer dwelt principally on the many interesting problems
connected with the pedigree of the family and of Gilberd's professional life in
London. The lecture was a measure supplemental to Professor Thompson's
former lecture which was printed in volume v. of the Essex Naturalist, and
it is to be hoped that a full abstract of the Address may be published at some
future time.
The Lecturer was most cordially thanked by the President, and Professor
Meldola made some remarks upon Gilberd's position in the history of scientific
thought, and referred to his high character as probably the first real experi-
mentalist in English science.