THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 115
present in this "Index," and, on the President's motion, it was agreed
unanimously to send a special letter of thanks to Mr. Brand for his gift.
CRYPTOGAMIC FORAY (782ND MEETING).
SATURDAY, 13TH NOVEMBER, 1937.
This Foray was held as usual in Epping Forest, the route traversed being
from Theydon Bois to Highbeach. Some thirty members and friends
attended. The leaders were Mr. D. J. Scourfield, I.S.O., F.L.S., for algae,
Mr. J. Ross for mycetozoa, Mr. W. R. Sherrin, A.L.S., for mosses and
hepatics and the Hon. Secretary for lichens.
Owing no doubt to the weather of late having been unfavourable,
specimens were unusually scarce and poorly developed, this being especially
true of the lichens. As compensation for this disappointment, the day
was bright and sunny and the ground dry underfoot, rendering the ramble
through the woodlands in itself delightful.
After tea at 4 o'clock at the Roserville Retreat, at Highbeach, a meeting
of the Club was held, with Mr. D. J. Scourfield in the chair, when the
conductors reported on the somewhat meagre results of the day's researches-
Mr. Sherrin reported a "bag" of 28 mosses and about a dozen hepatics :
he suggested that in future forays a different part of the Forest might
well be searched.
Mr. Thompson said 16 different lichens represented his haul of lichens :
he made some remarks on the periodicity of lichens, drawn from his own
past experience.
Mr. Ross had noted 12 forms of mycetozoa: he commented on the
almost total absence of leaf-growing specimens on this occasion.
Mr. Scourfield mentioned some of the algae he had observed during the
day : one of the more interesting forms was a Porphrydium, appearing as
a dark-reddish gelatinous mass at the base of a wall in Theydon Bois.
He described the way in which the alga Cystococcus was associated with a
fungus to form an incipient lichen-thallus, appearing as a grey-green
powdery mass on trunks of trees.
The usual pleasant walk through the Forest, illumined by a week-old
moon, concluded a delightful day in the woodlands.
Mr. Graddon had a close-up view of a Magpie at Highbeach : this
bird is a sufficiently rara avis in our district to justify this record.
ORDINARY MEETING (783RD MEETING).
SATURDAY, 27TH NOVEMBER, 1937.
This meeting was held at 3 o'clock on the above afternoon in the
Physics Lecture Theatre of the Municipal College, Romford Road, Strat-
ford, with the President, Mr. John Ramsbottom, O.B.E., Pres. L.S., etc.,
in the chair. 38 members attended.
Mrs. Kay Gilmour, of Priest's House, Peldon, near Colchester, and
of the Lyceum Club, London, was elected a member.
Mr. Scourfield, as delegate of the Club, read his report on the Meeting
of Delegates of Corresponding Societies, British Association Meeting, 1937.
On the President's motion, thanks were awarded to Mr. Scourfield for his
attendance and report.