THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 229
Two New Essex discomycetes.
Through the kindness of Mr. Ross, who collected and sent me the material,
I have been able to observe some discomycetes which developed on deer dung
from Epping Forest. The pellets were kept on damp cotton-wool for about a
month, and during this period six species developed and matured: Of these, two
have not previously been recorded for Essex, viz. :—
Ascozonus Leveilleanus, Renny.
Ascophanus ochraceus (Crouan), Boud.
The asci of the Ascozonus species present such unusual features that I thought
some notes on them might be acceptable. The species itself is minute, only
about 1/8mm, across.
In general the asci of the discomycetes open at the apex, for the ejection of
spores, in one of two ways, either by the expulsion of a small plug from a
circular orifice or by the opening of a hinged lid, but into the genus Ascozonus
are gathered together a few species unique in their method of ascus-opening which
is by splitting vertically into two lips. The asci of these species also develop
a thickened zonal ring round the upper part and this, it seems to me, serves
to prevent the split from travelling too far down the ascus : evidently if splitting
were to proceed right down, the power for projecting the spores into space would
be lost—the ascus would merely collapse.
Ascozonus is also one of the relatively few genera in which the spore content
of the ascus is other than eight : in A. Leveilleanus the number is ninety-six and
they are ejected from the ascus in one coherent mass.
I have the species on rabbit dung in Cheshire ; it is widely distributed, although
doubtless often overlooked on account of its minute size.
W. D. Graddon.
I saw at least a dozen specimens of the White Admiral Butterfly (Limenitis
sibylla) in Hatfield Forest on July 3rd : this is believed to be the first record of
this species for the Forest.
A male Corn-Bunting (Emberiza e. calandra) was seen and heard singing near
Harlow at the end of May ; this may indicate nesting in the locality.
The Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) was growing in abundance at Great Parndon
this year.
Geoffrey Dent.
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
By an Old Member.
A few years ago I chanced to meet a distinguished worker in the field of
Archa;ological Research. We were discussing the activities of certain local
Societies, and among others those of the Essex Field Club. "I know the Essex
"Field Club well." he said, "it is a live Club and one that is engaged in real
"work."
This pleased me not a little, for my recollections of the Field Club go
back to the days when we used to meet in the Annex of the Old Roebuck Inn—
a long wooden structure that had no pretentions to comfort. It was here that
we sat at the feet of Worthington Smith and listened in respectful silence to the
reading of the minutes by the Founder and Secretary, William Cole.
I never took an active part in the proceedings, and I was always somewhat of
an outsider, but there was much that interested me and was a source of
instruction even to a boy of 15. A few years later I ventured to seek information
from some of the leading members of the Club. The memory of three experiences
remain in my mind as very happy ones, and I should like to take this opportunity
of placing them on record.