128
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
the Origin of the Moorfields Marsh—The Growth of Roman London,
illustrated by the distribution of Remains of various Dates.
The President thanked Mr. Lambert for his admirable lecture, and
alluded to the important work which had recently been carried on by the
lecturer, Mr. Francis W. Reader, and others—work which had largely in-
creased our knowledge of the obscure history of Roman London. He
dwelt also upon the difficulties encountered in "dating" small fragments
of pottery and similar objects.
A vigorous discussion was carried on by Mr. Howard, Mr. Dalton,
Mr. Thompson, Dr. Armstrong-Jones, Mr. Avery, and Mr. T. W. Reader.
Mr. Lambert replied to the questions raised. He was heartily thanked
for his lecture.
ORDINARY MEETING (THE 457th MEETING).
SATURDAY, 26TH FEBRUARY 1916).
The fourth meeting of the Winter Session was held, as usual, at 3 o'clock,
in the Technical Institute, Stratford, Mr. Hazzledine Warren, President,
in the chair.
Peltigera polydactyla in Fruit.—Mr. Percy Thompson presented
to the Museum a fine specimen of a Lichen, Peltigera polydactyla Hoffm.,
found by him growing on swampy ground near the "Wake Arms" in
Epping Forest, on 5th February. He remarked that this lichen, though
common in the forest, was there rarely met with in fruit, but the specimen
exhibited showed scores of finely-developed apothecia and was quite a
good example in that condition.
Oribata lapidaria.—Mr. Thompson also exhibited, on behalf of Mr.
Miller Christy, some preserved mites, Oribata lapidaria, which had been
ft und by him, in August 1910, on a tombstone in South Benfleet Church-
yard. Many thousand individuals were crowded together, forming a
dark mass as large as one's hands could cover—a most unusual assembl-
age, as the mite was normally to be met with in small numbers only
amongst moss. The specimens had been kindly identified by Mr. Stanley
Hirst, of the British Museum of Natural History.
Supposed Portrait of Samuel Dale.—Mr. W. H. Dalton exhibited three
oil-paintings which were supposed to be portraits of the celebrated Dr.
Samuel Dale, the physician and botanist, of Braintree, his first wife, Judah,
and his son respectively. Mr. Dalton said that the pictures (originally
four in number) were formerly in possession of Dr. Parrott, of Braintree.
Upon his death, somewhere about the middle of the last century, his
representatives selected such of his effects as they wished to retain, and
the remainder were sold by auction. The pictures formed part of a
"job-lot," and his (Mr. Dalton's) wife's father (Mr. Everard) obtained
them for a trifle. One, the portrait of a little girl, was too much damaged
to be worth removal. Mrs. Everard told her daughter (Mrs. Dalton):
that the lady represented bore the singular name of "Judy" (clearly
identifiable with Judah, Dr. Dale's first wife). As to the portrait supposed
to represent Dale, the picture itself is the sole evidence of its representing
that gentleman. To aid in comparison with the unquestioned portrait
of some thirty or forty years later, with reversed aspect, Mr. Dalton