THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 261
Mr. Scourfield showed examples of his Linnescope, which is intended
for low-power examination of flowers and other nature-objects in their
natural colours. He also exhibited a living Palaemonetes varians, a prawn
which is met with chiefly in brackish water, but which is occasionally
found in sea water and in practically freshwater ditches.
Miss Lister exhibited a number of beautiful coloured postcards of British
birds, by Roland Green. She appealed to members for gifts of spread
wings of birds to the Club's Museum, illustrating her appeal by an exhibit
of the wings and tail of Hazel Grouse : she also showed some coloured
sketches of the seeds of Elder and some ericaceous seeds, which were
found in the same bird's crop.
Mr. Dennis exhibited, and presented to the Museum collection, a
number of photographs of Colneford House, Earls Colne, and Sparrow Hall,
Twinstead, taken by himself: he also showed lantern-slides prepared
from these photographs.
The Curator exhibited a Button's Skua, a Reeve, a Wood Sandpiper
and a Temminck's Stint, all cased specimens from Finland, which had
recently been presented to the Stratford Museum by Mr. H. C. Playne,
the retiring headmaster of the Bancroft School at Woodford Wells.
He also showed a number of the cardboard disks which are employed
as stoppers to the glass milk vessels left by the morning milkman at
Loughton : the disks had been pecked to fragments by birds in successful
attempts to get at the cream in the necks of the vessels. The exhibitor
said he had several times surprised the culprit busily at work destroying
the disks : in each case a Great Tit was the offender.
Mr. Scourfield read his Report on the meeting of the Conference of
Delegates of Corresponding Societies in connection with the British Asso-
ciation Meeting in London in September, 1931.
The President called upon Dr. A. G. Francis, O.B.E., F.S.A., etc.,
who read a highly interesting paper "On Subsidence of the Thames
Estuary at Southchurch, Essex, since the Roman Period," which he
illustrated by various maps and sections. Followed a discussion, in which
Messrs. Thompson and Hazzledine Warren joined. The President voiced
the thanks of the meeting to Dr. Francis for his communication, and the
proceedings terminated.
CRYPTOGAMIC FORAY (693RD MEETING).
SATURDAY, I4TH NOVEMBER, 1931.
Over 50 members and visitors attended the autumn Cryptogamic
Foray which was held, as usual, in Epping Forest. The conductors
and referees were :—
The party assembled at Theydon Bois station shortly before 11 o'clock
and proceeded through the village to Oak Hill, where the Forest was