THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
31
has been taken to be the same as that seen in the centre of the freshly
formed spore, and the fact that ripe spores of the Endosporeae had only
one nucleus while those of Ceratiomyxa had four was regarded as one of
the important features distinguishing the two subclasses. Droege has
shown, however, that this distinction has lost much of its significance.
He has observed in a large number of the species of Endosporeae that
the nucleus of the young spore does actually divide twice, but of the
four nuclei thus formed three degenerate and disappear, leaving only one
in the mature spore. In some developments of Didymium and Stemonitis
abnormal spores may be met with, having the contents divided into
two, three or even four bodies, each containing a nucleus. In the light
of Droege's discovery it seems probable that these nuclei are the survivors
of some or all of the original four of the ripe spore.
"It is interesting that a further link has been found connecting the
life-history of the two widely-differing groups of Eu-mycetozoa. It is
also interesting to have another instance of the survival of only one out
of four nuclei in the process of formation of reproductive cells, examples
of which are not infrequent amongst both animals and plants."
Cordial thanks were passed to the referees for their leadership during
the day and for their reports.
The walk back to Loughton through the Forest, dimly lighted by a
pale moon in its first quarter, was, as ever, a delightful climax to a
most enjoyable day.
ORDINARY MEETING (664TH MEETING).
Saturday, 30TH November, 1929.
This, the second meeting of the Winter Session, was held in the Physics
Lecture Theatre of the Municipal College, Romford Road, Stratford, on
the above afternoon, the President, Mr. D. J. Scourfield, I.S.O., F.L.S.,
etc., being in the chair. 52 members attended.
Miss W. M. Atkins, B.Sc., of 65, Warley Hill, Brentwood; Miss G. I.
Holland, of 44, Woodville Road, Leytonstone, E.11; and Miss I. M. Wilson,
B.Sc., of 108, Makepeace Mansions, Highgate, N.6, were elected to
membership.
Miss G. Lister exhibited sketches of the South European Dormouse,
known variously as the "Fat Dormouse" or the "Squirrel-tailed
Dormouse," and described its occurrence in recent years about Tring in
Hertfordshire and the possibility of its spreading to Epping Forest in
course of time. For comparison she showed a specimen of our much
smaller British Dormouse, together with its nest. Miss Lister remarked:—
"The 'Seven Sleepers' or 'Squirrel-tailed Dormouse' (Glis glis) is a
"native of the south and south-east of Europe, but was introduced
"some twenty-five years ago into the woods near Tring in Hertfordshire
"by Lord Rothschild, and is extending its range. It is a nocturnal
"creature, so is rarely seen; it is far larger than our common Dormouse
"and looks rather like a small grey squirrel, being about eleven inches in
"total length; it is grey above, white beneath and has a grey bushy
"tail. In its native land it becomes extremely fat as winter approaches,
"and then hibernates until the spring. In the wooded country around