THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
227
Miss Lister exhibited a copy of the Particulars of Sale in 1870 of
Upton House, the residence of the late Lord Lister, which included
a Plan of the Estate and a fine tinted lithograph showing the garden front
of the house. Miss Lister has kindly allowed photographs of this seemingly
rare Essex "item" to be taken for the Club's Photographic Survey.
Mr. Main exhibited, in an observation cage ("arenarium") of his own
invention, living male and female specimens of the Giant Shore Earwig,
Labidura riparia, which he had brought from the Mediterranean coast
of France.
Mr. Jane exhibited a nicely set specimen of the Convolvulus Hawk
Moth which had been taken on a fence at Custom House.
Mr. Scourfield exhibited, under a couple of microscopes, a specimen of
the mycetozoan Badhamia utricularis, showing the streaming plasmodium;
and also some further specimens of the sulphur-bacterium, Chromatium
okeni, from a pond at Fairmead Bottom in Epping Forest.
The Hon. Secretary exhibited two polished sections of trunks of
Common Oak and of Turkey Oak from Romford: the donor, Mr. Walter
Fox, kindly communicated the following notes on these sections and their
origin:—
''The two sections now presented to the Club were cut from trees growing
in Marshall's Park, Romford. The mansion is about 150 years old, and had
a park of 60 acres surrounding it, covered by well grown trees, mostly
elm; the soil being a very heavy clay the elms are to-day quite unfit for
any purpose, quite 60 per cent. being rotten at the heart, and so several
were felled for safety. Both Common Oak and Turkey Oak were very
well grown and numerous and in sound condition. A moderate number
of Sycamore, Lime, Hazel, Birch and Beech made up a very fine selection
of trees for a small park of 60 acres. The whole of the timber has been
sold, and very few trees still remain standing.
'The mansion and park were formerly in the ownership of Mrs. Macintosh
of Havering. On her death, in 1924, the estate was sold for building
purposes; the mansion was last occupied privately by Mrs. C. P. Matthews
in 1896. During the years 1921-4 it was occupied as a recuperation
hostel for shell-shocked soldiers. I have secured two views of the house,
and these are presented, with the sections, to the Club.
"The detailed measurements of the trees from which the two sections
were cut are as follow:—The larger section, Quercus Robur L., bole of
tree 40ft. in length and total height of tree some 60ft., the circumference
at the butt being 8ft.; at 3ft. from the butt, at which point the section
was cut, the circumference is 7ft. 6in. The smaller section, Turkey Oak,
Quercus Cerris L., was cut from a tree of very fine proportions, in height
80ft., and the bole 50ft. The bole was of regular and even growth and
circumference, at the butt being 5ft. 10in., at 20ft. 5ft. 4ms., and at 50ft.
4ft. 10in.; circumference of section 5ft. 11/2in., cut at about 20ft. from
the butt. The trees from which these sections were taken were felled in
October, 1924."
Mr. Thompson also exhibited a small collection of fossil shells from
the London Clay of Rayleigh, which had been collected and presented to
the Stratford Museum by Mr. Arthur Wrigley.
He further exhibited some specimens of Cyrena cuneiformis and C.