16 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
received much attention, certainly in this country, for most of
my information has been gleaned from ichthyological sources.
I do not think that an investigation such as that conducted in
Canada could be justified economically in this country, but
there can be little doubt that much useful evidence might be
collected by giving the matter greater publicity. I hope that
interest may be stimulated in Essex, and elsewhere, for at the
moment I know of no information from our county. I do not
wish to suggest that there is any reason to believe that fishes are
responsible for the reduction of wildfowl which has caused so
much alarm in recent years, but the possibility is one which should
not be overlooked.
I have confined my remarks to fishes, but I have collected
evidence which demonstrates that they are not the only aquatic
animals which are a menace to birds. Among others which
prey on birds may be mentioned otter, harp seal, sea-leopard,
sea-lion, common snapping turtle, Nile crocodile and common
bull frog: Cf. Ibis, 1945, p. 422 and 1946, p. 131.
MYCETOZOA
Records for Epping Forest
BY JOSEPH ROSS
[Read 23rd February, 1946.]
I HAVE tabulated the records of Mycetozoa for Epping
Forest for the last four and a half years. The dry spell
often experienced in West Essex in March and April is unfavour-
able to the appearance of these organisms and I find it convenient
to end the recording periods with February.
July and August, 1941 were times of heavy rainfall, over four
inches being recorded at Chingford for each of these months.
Records, then begun, have since been maintained, with the
result that in 41/2 years 81 of the 106 species that have been found
in the Forest have been recorded.
Thirteen species were found in one period only, viz:
1941-2 Badhamia rubiginosa var. dictyospora
Tubifera ferruginosa
Liceopsis lobata
Hemitrichia clavata
1942-3 Comatricha tenerrima
Hemitrichia leiotricha
Lachnobolus congestus
Perichaena vermicularis