THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
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alpine species, often abundant on turi near the edge of melting snow ;
it has not been obtained in Britain.
Didymium nigripes Fries.—Abundant on holly leaves.
D. squamulosum (A. & S.) Fries.—On holly leaves.
Colloderma oculatum (Lippert) G. Lister.—A group of three pale
young sporangia was found by Mr. Ross on one of the living hornbeams
near where he had observed it during the previous winter. We saw
none on the mossy turf (consisting of Campylopus pyriformis) around
the base of a birch stump where it had flourished two years ago, but
I brought home a lump of moss from this spot and after keeping it moist
for four weeks a crop of Colloderma sporangia made its appearance, showing
that the plasmodium was still living in its old haunt in the moss.
Stemonitis fusca Roth.—Several conspicuous masses of white plas-
modium were found on dead wood, which developed into typical sporangia
indoors.
Comatricha nigra (Pers.) Schroet.—On sticks.
Enteridium olivaceum Ehrenb.—Found on a living hornbeam trunk
some distance from the ground, but probably on wood that was dead,
in rosy pink plasmodium. This matured later into typical dark brown
aethalia. In this stage, it is very inconspicuous, and may often escape
detection.
Diclydiaethalium plumbeum (Schum.) Rost.—One aethalium was
found on a log.
Lycogala epidendrum (L.) Fries.—One weathered aethalium obtained.
Trichia verrucosa Berk.—When first found the clusters of immature
oval white sporangia on long reddish stalks, were striking objects as
they were seen projecting from the lower side of an old oak log. After
being kept moist for a week, the sporangia assumed the typical yellow
colour and the elaters and spores became perfectly developed. This
is a new record for Essex. It is not a common species in Britain, but
I have seen specimens from Surrey, Sussex, Hertfordshire. Notting-
hamshire, Yorkshire, Northumberland, from North and South Wales,
from Moffat, and from near Forres. The only European specimen I know
of is from Portugal ; but T. verrucosa is a widely-distributed species, and
has been obtained from the State of Washington, from Mexico, Chili,
Brazil, the West Indies, Japan, and, abundantly, from New Zealand
and New South Wales.
Trichia varia Pers.—Many specimens were found on logs and old
stumps.
T. decipiens (Pers.) Macbr.—Weathered sporangia only seen.
T. Botrytis Pers.—Young purple sporangia were forming on dead wood.
Arcyria cinerea (Bull.) Pers., A. pomiformis (Leers) Rost., A. denudata
(L.) Sheldon, A. nutans, and Perichaena depressa were also found sparingly
on dead wood.
After tea, short addresses on the finds of the day were given by our
Conductors, and votes of thanks were accorded to them by acclama-
tion. Then the Members wended their way in the deep dusk through
the Forest back to Loughton and Chingford stations.