THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 221
Miss G. Lister exhibited a mature specimen of a myxomycete, Fuligo
cinerea var. ecorticata, which had developed from plasmodium gathered
on holly leaves at Theydon Bois during the late Fungus Foray.
She also showed drawings of various composite flowers (Mugwort,
Centaurea montana. Yarrow, Dandelion and Cudweed) in illustration of
various methods of pollination, by insects or by wind.
Mr. Crouch read an account of Gilbert Slater, a forgotten gardener-
botanist of Leyton, and exhibited various documents (bookplate, pedigree,
etc.) and also an album of views of "Livingstone College," the present-day
name of Slater's residence at Knotts Green.
Mr. Graddon exhibited Catinella olivacea, a discomycetous fungus
found by him in Epping Forest on the recent Fungus Foray, a species
which, although probably not uncommon, did not appear to have been
recorded for Essex.
Mr. Jackson exhibited a coloured cinematograph film of various insects
"pursuing their lawful avocations": his selection included the so-called
"phantom larva," bees, blue- and green-bottles, hoverflies, ladybirds
and solitary wasps.
Mr. Scourfield showed, under microscopes, streaming plasmodium
of Badhamia; also Euglena mutabilis, a flagellate alga with no flagellum,
which creeps over the bottom of, shallow ponds and sometimes forms a
dark green carpet: this, too, was from Epping Forest.
Mr. Main exhibited various creatures which he had found in a mass
of sawdust near Berlin: they included eggs of the Common Grass Snake,
from which three or four young snakes (also exhibited) had been hatched,
some nymphs of Field Crickets, and larvae of a Rhinoceros Beetle. He also
showed some living House Crickets.
The Curator exhibited sixteen photographs of old houses in N. Essex,
taken by Mr. A. W. Dennis and presented by him to the Pictorial Survey
collection. Mr. Thompson also showed 50 views of Dagenham and
Chingford, our two latest Essex boroughs. He also exhibited an old
oil painting, showing mediaeval buildings which formerly stood on the
site of the present Stratford Town Hall.
CRYPTOGAMIC FORAY (797th MEETING).
SATURDAY, I2TH NOVEMBER, 1938.
An unfavourable weather report, plus a downpour in early morning,
did not presage a very comfortable tramp through Epping Forest and
no doubt accounted for the few who attended this Foray : but, as has so
often happened before, the day was better than its promise and the score
of active workers who formed the party had nothing to complain of in
respect either of weather or of results.
Starting from Loughton station at 10.45 o'clock, the Forest was
entered at Staples Hill; here at once the party divided into smaller groups,
going in different directions according as individual interest decided. Mr.
Scourfield led his followers to certain ponds where representative algae
might be found, Mr. Sherrin and his group visited likely spots for mosses
and liverworts, Mr. Ross and his adherents concentrated on the myxo-