THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
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Reservoir in Middlesex, were all infested with the endoparasites. The
Walthamstow individual retained its winter plumage until its death in
June.
Mr. Mothersole exhibited an unusually shaped waterworn piece of
quartzite which some might regard as a whetstone ; he had found the
specimen at Stone Point, Walton-on-Naze, and invited opinions as to its
character ; these were unanimously unfavourable to the idea of its being
artificial.
The Curator showed and described a series of photographs of the Lea
Improvement Scheme in the Stratford district, which had been in progress
for the past four years ; also an album of large-scale maps of West Ham
dating from 1848 to 1851 and, in some cases, a little later.
At 4.55 o'clock the meeting adjourned for tea.
CRYPTOGAMIC FORAY (751ST MEETING).
SATURDAY, 9TH NOVEMBER, 1935.
A morning of heavy rain, following several days of downpour, did not
deter a party of over thirty members and visitors from attending this
annual botanical function, although the prospect of a day such as this
promised to be, exposed to the weather in the wilds of Epping Forest, did
not seem an altogether alluring one. But bravery was rewarded, for on
our arrival at Theydon Bois at just before 11 o'clock the rain had ceased,
and the afternoon turned out bright and sunny. The party, on reaching
the woodlands, split up into small groups according to their special in-
terests, whether desirous of collecting algae, mosses, hepatics, lichens
or myxomycetes ; each group following its own route to its preferred
hunting-grounds. By 4 o'clock all the scattered parties had re-assembled
at the Roserville Retreat at Highbeach, where tea was taken.
At the ensuing Meeting with the President in the chair, the several
conductors were in turn called upon for reports on the day's results.
Miss Lister and Mr. Ross jointly reported a very good day as regards
the myxomycetes, 17 species having been noted, including Colloderma
oculatum, Arcyria ferruginea and Badhamia utricularis. As an outcome
of the recent heavy rains, most of the finds were noticed to be growing on
the undersides of logs, where alone they had had protection from being
washed away. Miss Lister exhibited a drawing of a remarkable abnormal
specimen of Comatricha elegans having very irregular sporangial stalks,
which had been found at our Fungus Foray last month.
Mr. Sherrin announced that during the day 44 bryophytes (37 mosses
and 7 liverworts) had been found, in addition to 3 sphagna.
Mr. Scourfield described some of the algae which he had noted during
the foray, such as Pleurococcus and other forms which grow on tree trunks,
Hormidium and Zygogonium which grow on damp ground, and others, as
Chlamydomonas, Glenodinium and Spirogyra, found floating or swimming
in ponds, all of which had been noted that day.
Mr. Thompson recorded 17 lichens noted during the day ; these in-
cluded one of the "reindeer mosses," Cladina sylvatica, "the Iceland moss"
Cetraria aculeata, Cladonia digitata, Cetraria glauca, Physcia ulothrix var.
virella and the two soil-lichens Lecidia uliginosa and L. granulosa ; he
added some remarks on lichens in general.