170 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
and Lloydia serotina, a Liliaceous plant occurring in Britain only in the Snowdon
district of North Wales, where it occurs on limestone at 2,000 feet or over, in
spots difficult of access.
They also exhibited specimens of three "critical" rushes, Juncus effusus,
Juncus effusus var. compactus and J. conglomeratus, plants which are frequently
confused.
Mr. Glegg contributed a note on the invasion of Waxwings (Bombycilla
garrulus), which has been remarked during the present winter, especially in
Scotland and the North of England, although on a smaller scale compared with
similar invasions in other years as in 1936-7.
Mr. Syms exhibited specimens of Chameleon Flies (Stratiomys chamaeleon
S. potamida, S. furcata and S. longicornis) and a large chalcid, Smicra siapes,
and described their structure and life-histories. He also showed a copy of
Swammerdam's History of Insects, the English translation of 1758, with beautiful
illustrations.
Mr. Graddon sent for exhibition a collection of discomycetous fungi belonging
to the Mollisiaceae group, with some micro-photographs of their spores and
notes on the exhibit : he expressed the belief that the character and measurement
of the spores could decide the identification of the various species in most cases.
Mr. Ross showed fruits of hornbeam which had been split by hawfinches and
greenfinches to extract the seed. He remarked that flocks of hawfinches were
frequent in January last, and again recently, in the Higham's Park district and
at Chingford Hatch ; also that Bramblings were frequent this winter at Highbeach.
He also exhibited two of the rarer liverworts found in Epping Forest, Ptilidium
pulcherrimum and Madotheca platyphylla.
The President showed a glass bead of Roman date from near Ongar, and
also a well-made bronze object of axeheadlike form, alleged to have been found
at Collier Row, Romford, but of doubtful antiquity.
The Curator exhibited and described photographs and pen-and-ink sketches
of Chigwell and Wanstead, and a rare print of St. John's Church, Stratford,
of date circa 1850, which showed some features of special interest.
The meeting came to an end shortly before 4 o'clock.
ANNUAL MEETING (824th MEETING).
. SATURDAY, 28TH MARCH, 1942.
This, the first Annual Meeting possible since 1940, owing to war conditions,
was held at "Brooklands," 37, Churchfields, Woodford, at 2 o'clock on the
above date, with the President in the chair. Twenty-four members were present.
Mr. A. Browning, senior, of 74, Warren Road, Leyton, E.10, was elected a
member of the Club.
The President moved the following resolution from the chair :—
"That the existing members of the Council and the Officers of the Club
"be retained in their respective posts for the duration of the war."
The motion was unanimously agreed.
Mr. Warren then read his Presidential Address on "The Drifts of South-
"West Essex," which he illustrated by various diagrams and by the exhibition
of Palaeolithic flint implements and Pleistocene fossils, from his private collection.
At the conclusion of the Address the Hon. Secretary thanked the President
for an important contribution, and requested that it be allowed to be printed
in the Club's journal; permission was duly accorded.
The Hon. Secretary made a preliminary announcement as to field meetings
in prospect for the coming summer, and exhibited photographs from the Pictorial
Survey collection illustrating the Netteswell, Latton and Harlow neighbourhoods.
At 3.45 o'clock the meeting adjourned for tea.
The Editor regrets that, owing to the drastic restrictions on the use of paper
imposed by the Paper Control Orders of the Ministry of Supply, the size of the
Essex Naturalist is for the present compulsory reduced.