THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
41
FUNGUS FORAY IN EPPING FOREST (535th MEETING).
Saturday, 15TH October, 1921.
The abnormal drought of the past spring and summer, which, with
but few showers, had been prolonged into the autumn, did not promise
big results from our fungus-foray this year; nevertheless, although no
profusion of fungi met the casual eye of the wanderer through the woods,
a quite respectable yield of interesting forms rewarded the determined
seekers, and the subsequent display at the headquarters (the Roserville
Retreat at Highbeach) compared not unfavourably with that of previous
forays.
The referees were as under:—
 Miss A. Lorrain Smith, F.L.S.
For the Basidiomycetes 
 Miss Elsie Wakefield, F.L.S.
and Mr. F. G. Gould.
Ascomycetes
Mr. J. Ramsbottom, F.L.S.
For the Myxomycetes Miss G. Lister, F.L.S.
The route followed by the morning party, which assembled at Ching-
ford railway station at 11.4 o'clock, was by way of Fairmead to Highbeach,
while the afternoon party, starting from Loughton station at 2.54 o'clock,
proceeded by the shorter way of Staples Hill and Loughton Camp to the
same rallying point. As in former years, various members of other Societies
joined the Foray by invitation, some 120 persons in all being present.
Tea was served at the Roserville Retreat at 5 o'clock, following which
a meeting of the Club (the 535th Ordinary Meeting) was held, with the
President, Mr. Robert Paulson, F.L.S., F.R.M.S., in the chair.
The following were elected members of the Club:—
Mr. L. W. Godward, of 136, Kensington Avenue, East Ham, E.6.
Mr. George A. Hardy, of the Essex Museum, Romford Road, Stratford,
E.15, and
Mr. Ernest Meech, of 119, Kimpton Road, East Ham, E.6.
Four candidates for membership were nominated.
The President then called upon the several conductors for reports upon
the day's finds.
Miss A. Lorrain Smith expressed satisfaction at the number of speci-
mens found, notwithstanding the long drought.
Mr. J. Ramsbottom referred to the occurrence of Pyronema confluens,
a discomycete growing characteristically on burnt patches throughout
the higher grounds of the Forest as a result of the numerous fires of the
past dry summer.
He also remarked on the enormous production of spores by fungi, and
on their long fertility; mentioning that spores from a specimen of the
mould Fumago vagans Lk., a black fungus growing on living leaves of lime
and other trees, had germinated after 67 years' preservation in the her-
barium of a museum in an atmosphere saturated with camphor-fumes.
Mr. F. G. Gould referred to some noteworthy effects of the unusually
dry season upon the records of the day. He pointed out that contrary
to usual experience, very few specimens had been found on the clayey
ground. Species of Russula, 'tricholoma, Lactarius, Clitocybe and Cor-
tinarius, so abundant in normal years, were almost entirely absent. On