THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
29
the normal bronze-green hue of their wild ancestors no matter what
colour-variations they may assume when adult.
Mr. Main exhibited and described an ichneumon-fly (Agriotypus
armatus) which parasitises a caddis-worm, Silo pallipes, and which has
only recently been recorded from Surrey. He outlined the life-history
of the ichneumon, so far as it is at present known, and hinted at the
possibility of its complete life-history being related to the Club later on,
if investigations now in progress were successfully concluded.
Dr. Turner exhibited Stigeoclonium, a freshwater alga forming flat
circular discs on the sides of aquaria, from which vertical branched shoots
arise: the alga is propagated by means of the abundant emission of
zoospores.
Mr. Halton exhibited a foraminifer (Discorbina?) from estuarine mud
from Leigh-on-Sea, also various ciliate infusorians and Copepods from
sea-water.
Mr. Dennis exhibited some beautiful specimens of Salvinia auriculata
and Salvinia natans, also Azolla filiculoides. In connection with this
exhibit the President called attention to the water-repellant nature of
the fronds of these plants.
Mr. Bestow exhibited a specimen of the tube-dwelling rotiferon,
Melicerta ringens,
Mr. Guest exhibited a growth of Nostoc under a microscope.
Mr. Todd exhibited some rhizopods (Difflugia), whose tests were seen
to be built up of the frustules of diatoms.
The President exhibited and described Daphnia pulex, and Diaptomus
gracilis, Volvox aureus, Chlamydomonas, and young plants of OEdogonium
growing on Lemna.
A general exhibit of sixty prints and photographs of Barking was
displayed on the wall by the Curator.
The thanks of the meeting were accorded to the exhibitors and also
to Mr. Bridger for his trouble in providing an electric light supply for the
use of individual microscopes; the meeting then resolved itself into a
conversazione.
CRYPTOGAMIC FORAY IN EPPING FOREST
(663RD MEETING).
SATURDAY, 9TH NOVEMBER, I929.
Not for years past has our annual Cryptogamic Foray been graced
by such perfect weather and such entrancing surroundings as gladdened
the hearts of those who took part in this meeting. The long dry summer
had given the trees an unusually rich autumnal colouration, and the
absence of gales had spared them their leaves, so that the visitors walked
through a veritable fairyland of glowing colours : November was converted
into October with all its glorious wealth of colour, and it was difficult to
believe that the year was so far advanced.
The party of over thirty assembled at Theydon Bois station at
10.52 o'cock and proceeded through the village to Oak Hill, where the
Forest was entered.