176
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
the party that day, although only just recovering from illness and still ob-
viously unwell.
The visitors next paid a visit to Rettendon Church (dedicated to All
Saints), a building which contains very much of interest. Especial note
may be made of the 15th cent. Choir Stalls, with richly carved backs and
bench ends with poppyheads of unusual interest: they included a bear
and ragged staff (badge of the Warwick family), eagle and child (emblem
of the Lathoms), of which the eagle is missing, only its claws remaining,
three monkeys, one with its head turned backward, a lion and a pine-cone.
The Early English piscina with trefoil head and dog-tooth ornament,
and the double sedilia, are interesting examples, and three good brasses,
not to mention the huge pretentious monument to Edmund Humphrey
(1727) which fills the whole end of the N. aisle, are other features of note-
Above the 15th cent. vestry is a Priest's Chamber, approached by a
circular stair, having a small window overlooking the high altar, and with
a couple of stone benches under arches, presumably the couches on which
slept the attendant priests.
Altogether a most attractive church: its noble W. Tower of stone,
is a prominent landmark.
The day's programme ended with a roundabout walk to Battlesbridge
station, covering nearly 2 miles, which in part followed the north bank of
the river Crouch and enabled the botanists to add some Saltmarsh plants,
such as Aster tripolium, Obione portulacoides, Helminthia echioides, Artem-
isia maritima, and Tamarix gallica in flower to their list.
The total number of wild flowers recorded on the ramble was 84,
a rather poor yield, doubtless due to the exceptional drought conditions
this year in eastern England: it was remarked how stunted many of the
forms were.
THE ANNUAL FUNGUS FORAY (795TH MEETING).
SATURDAY, 15TH OCTOBER, 1938.
This popular function, held as usual in Epping Forest, was graced by
exceptionally fine sunny weather, the more welcome since it followed a
period of heavy rain and strong gales. As a consequence, a gathering of,
in all, some hundred and forty persons (of whom one hundred stayed to
tea), met at Theydon Bois station at 10.52 o'clock. The woodlands were
entered at Theydon church, the company soon separating into smaller
parties which scoured the northern parts of the Forest in divers directions
and by very devious paths, alike intent on searching out the fungal trea-
sures of the district. The ground chosen on this occasion had not been
traversed by preceding Forays for many years, and it was hoped that the
change of locality might result in some unusual discoveries: but this
expectation was not justified, for neither in quantity nor novelty was the
fungus-yield superior to that of former years, the Forest proving, not-
withstanding the abundant rains of the past few weeks, to be surprisingly
dry.
By mid-afternoon, basket-loads of finds began to be delivered at the
day's headquarters, where Mr. F. G. Gould and willing helpers arranged