THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 311
accompanied his exhibition by an account of some of his amusing
travel-experiences.
At the conclusion of Mr. Main's interesting show and "whan that we
hadde maad our rekeninges," some of the party made their way home
by omnibus direct from Highbeach, while others returned through the
woods to the Camp, where Mr. Warren repeated his account of the excava-
tions for the benefit of some later arrivals. Passing thence through the
Forest in the direction of Loughton, the starting point was reached at
about 7.30 o'clock, and an interesting ramble brought to an end.
FIELD MEETING AT WOODHAM WALTER (613TH
MEETING).
SATURDAY, 20TH JUNE, 1926.
A day of unalloyed pleasure ! So may truthfully be summed up
this expedition into a hitherto unexplored district of our beautiful county,
favoured as it was by exceptionally fine sunny weather.
Owing to the still persisting lack of railway facilities, the outcome of
the shortage of coal due to the unhappy stoppage of mining activities,
a private motor char-a-banc had been hired for the occasion, and duly left
the Club's headquarters, the Stratford Museum, at 10.30 o'clock, fully
loaded with its complement of 2S members. Further parties travelled
by motor-cars, making 38 members who assembled at the Bell Inn at
Woodham Walter, which was reached at 12.15 o'clock after a delightful
journey through the pleasant Essex countryside. On arrival the party
was joined by a contingent of a dozen members of the Chelmsford and
District Field Club under the leadership of our own member, Mr. Henry
Mothersole, who, with Mr. Francis W. Thorrington, acted as conductor
to the combined parties throughout the day.
Before entering upon an extended walk lunch was disposed of in a
field above the village, whence charming views over the surrounding
country and peeps into the blue distance across the Blackwater valley
were enjoyed.
A ramble through the fields and along private paths (not without
expostulation from a local resident) brought the party to Woodham
Walter Common, where some huge nests of the large Wood Ant (Formica
rufa L.) were studied from a discreet distance. The swarms of active ants,
some carrying their caterpillar-prey into the nest and giving off emanations
of formic acid, which could readily be scented by waving one's hand
close above the nest and then smelling it, attracted considerable interest.
Many plants of Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis), apparently
non-flowering, were seen growing on the Common, which was thickly
covered with scrub-oak, broom and bracken. En route some magnificent
spikes of Orchis maculata were noticed in damp spots, and Orchis morio
was also found in small quantity. Other floral trophies included Ranun-
culus sardous, Hypericum pulchrum, Linum catharticum, Trifolium
procumbens, Vicia tetrasperma, V. hirsuta, Lathyrus nissolia, Tragopogon
pratensis, Symphytum peregrinum, and many others.
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