THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
89
however, unable to accept, and to the publication during the past summer
of Miss Lorrain Smith's two indispensable works on lichens.
Miss Lister said that the weather conditions of frost following a long
drought were inimical to the active growth of myxomycetes, and con-
sequently it was not surprising that but one specimen had been seen
throughout the day; Trichia varia alone had defied the frost. Turning
to the fungi, she remarked on the sporadic growth of particular fungi
on burnt patches of ground, the result of the many forest fires of the past
summer. Thus, two months ago numerous patches of the discomycete,
Pyronema confluens, had been in evidence; to-day these had entirely dis-
appeared, but we had noticed, at Blackweir Hill, large patches of another
discomycete, Humaria (Peziza) macrocystis, which also specially affects
burnt soil.
Thanks were expressed to the conductors and the meeting then ter-
minated.
A brisk walk through the Forest, illumined by the pale rays of a nearly
full, but misty, moon, brought the party back to Loughton in time to
catch the 6.31 train for town.
ORDINARY MEETING (538th MEETING).
SATURDAY, 26TH NOVEMBER, I92I.
This meeting was held at 3 o'clock on the above afternoon, in the
Municipal College, Romford Road, Stratford, the President, Mr. Robert
Paulson, F.L.S., F.R.M.S., in the chair. 50 members attended.
The following persons were elected members of the Club:—
Miss E. R. Barty, of Woodford County High School.
Miss Elizabeth Childs, of 10, Speldhurst Road, E.9.
Mr. Geoffrey Dent, of "Ashlings," Ongar.
The Curator exhibited a specimen of the Yellow-necked Wood Mouse
(Apodemus flavicollis wintoni) which had been caught in a house ("Ash-
ling's") at Ongar a week earlier, and presented to the Club's Museum by
Mr. Geoffrey Dent. The donor reported that in the same cupboard in
which this specimen had been caught he had also caught three Bank Voles,
as well as House Mice. The occurrence of Bank Voles in an inhabited
dwelling house is unusual in this country, although common in Norway
in winter.
Mr. Thompson also exhibited the specimen of Atypus affinis shown
by Mr. Hugh Main at a previous meeting; during the last four days some
twenty or more baby spiders had made their appearance in the jar con-
taining the adult's tube, and a tiny new silken tube had been constructed
by one of them.
The Curator also produced the Club's Album containing the photo-
graphs taken by Mr. Daymond during the Club's visit to Colchester at
Easter, 1921. On the President's motion, the thanks of the meeting were
voted to Mr. Daymond for his gift.
Mr. Hazzledine Warren gave a demonstration on "Flint-Knapping in
1 Intending students of the lichens are reminded that the Club's Museum now contains a
very fine collection of these plants, which are available for study, while the Library includes
practically all the important works on the subject that have been published in England during
the last eighty years, including Miss Smith's recent books.—Ed.