THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 119
Mr. Francis Goodman Dell, of 55, Russell Road, Buckhurst Hill,
Essex, was elected a member.
Exhibits and short Papers by Members were as follow :—
Mr. E. E. Syms exhibited specimens of five species of Earwigs which
occur in Britain, of which four have been recorded from Essex. These
latter are Labia minor (L.), believed to have been first recorded from
Essex by Mr. F. Walker, of George Lane, Wanstead, in 1869 ; Forficula
auricularia L., the commonest form, F. lesnei Finot, recorded from
Colchester by Harwood in 1899 and Apterygida albipennis Megerle, also
a record by Harwood, from the Essex side of the Stour in 1916. The
fifth species, Labidura riparia Pallas, is rare in this country, occurring
only along the south coast on shingle beaches.
Labia minor, the only species known to fly, uses its rear forceps to
fold its wings after flight.
In the absence of the author, Mr. W. D. Graddon, the Hon. Secretary
read his notes on various interesting Essex plants found by him during
the last two years.
Mr. J. Ross showed the galls of the "Cherry Gall" on oak-leaves and
the hymenopterous flies which caused them ; he gave an account of the
life-history of the insects and of his own experiences in breeding them
from the galls, and referred to the confused nomenclature of this particular
species.
Miss E. Prince exhibited and described many different types of plants
characteristic of heathlands and spoke of their various methods of checking
transpiration, as necessitated by their habitat on scur peaty soil, as, for
instance, sunken stomata, densely packed or rolled-back leaves, leaf-hairs,
etc., and she referred to such partially parasitic forms as red-rattle and
eyebright. Miss Prince also exhibited some of her own carefully executed
paintings of these and other plants.
Mr. W. E. Glegg sent a detailed account of the Tring Museum, which
was bequeathed by the late Lionel, Baron Rothschild, of Tring Park,
in 1937, both the building and its contents, to the Trustees of the British
Museum. He traced the history of the museum from its beginnings as
a small private collection of butterflies, moths and birds to its present
distinction as "one of the crowns of British Natural History," and this
notwithstanding its serious depletion in 1932, when almost the entire
bird-collection was sold to the American Museum of Natural History in
New York.
Mr. C. Hall Crouch exhibited a copy of the documents of title of the
former extensive estate at Woodford known as "The Rookery," with
coloured plans, an old print and other items, including book plates of the
Godfreys, who occupied the property at the close of the 17th century.
He gave an account of the later owners and occupiers and of the changes
which the estate had undergone until recent times. Mr. Crouch also gave
an account of "Mill Cottage," Walthamstow, and its tenants, of whom
Edward Forster, the botanist, was the most noteworthy.
The Curator showed various prints and photographs of Woodford in.
further illustration of Mr. Crouch's remarks.
The meeting adjourned at 4 o'clock.