318
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
ANNUAL FUNGUS FORAY IN EPPING FOREST
(661st MEETING).
SATURDAY, 12TH OCTOBER, 1929.
The abnormally dry summer and autumn, culminating in an officially-
recognised "absolute drought" of over thirty days' duration, gave no
least promise of success for our Fungus Foray this year, the fortnight
which had elapsed since the break-up of the drought being deemed
insufficiently long to enable the mycelia to develop and throw up their
sporophores. Yet the Foray was as numerously attended as ever, and
well over 120 members and visitors were present during some or other
portion of the day, and faith was again "justified of her children," for
the results of the collectors' labours, when massed for exhibition at the
headquarters, were surprisingly plentiful in view of the adverse climatic
conditions.
The referees were as follow :—
For the Basidiomycetes Miss A. Lorrain Smith, F.L.S.
Miss Elsie Wakefield, F.L.S,
and . . J Mr. F. G. Gould.
Mr. Arthur A. Pearson, F.L.S.
Ascomycetes Mr. J. Ramsbottom, O.B.E., F.L.S.
For the Myxomycetes.. .. Miss G. Lister, F.L.S.,
and the headquarters were established in the new Tea Annexe of the
"Wake Arms" inn, where the usual display of the specimens collected
was made during the afternoon.
The morning party foregathered at Loughton railway station at
10.41 o'clock and worked its way through the woodlands from Staples
Pond (or, rather from where Staples Pond formerly was before it was
drained), by way of Loughton Camp, to Little and Great Monk Woods,
where lunch was taken; thence proceeding via Broadstrood and Hangboy
Slade to the headquarters.
The afternoon party assembled at the same station at 2.37 o'clock,
and by a different route made its way through the woods to the "Wake
Arms."
Tea was served at 5 o'clock, after which a meeting of the Club was
held, with the President in the chair. The several referees were in turn
called upon for their report on the day's finds, and all alike expressed
their pleased surprise at the good numerical results obtained, in spite
of the recent drought.
Mr. Gould called attention to the relative abundance that day of the
Polyporaceae, fine specimens of Polyporus squamosus, P. betulinus, P. hispidus
and Fistulina hepatica having been collected ; equally noteworthy was
the total absence of the Tricholomas and Lactarii, and the rarity of Russulas
and other genera which were usually so abundant. He remarked that
the Collybias were frequent that day, C. platyphylla, usually a rare form
in the Forest, having been recorded.
Mr. Pearson considered that one of the most interesting forms met
with was Schizophyllum commune, a form usually of rare occurrence. He
has since furnished the following report :—