54 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
bases of the four brick piers that once supported the crosstrees.
One or two half-rotten beams are lying near, and a millstone
forms part of a garden path close by.
MYCETOZOA IN EPPING FOREST IN 1946-7
BY JOSEPH ROSS
AS previously explained, I have for some years considered it
advisable to close the annual period for recording Myce-
tozoa at the end of February, because, with the prevalence of
chilly and drying winds in March, the appearance of these
organisms usually ceases for a time. That this is quite an
arbitrary practice the experience of 1946-7 has shown.
Given a favourable locality for development, the outstanding
factor affecting the appearance of Mycetozoa is the weather,
moist conditions being essential for the fruiting of most species.
Rainfall in 1946 was favourable on the whole; for Chingford
it amounted to 29.45 inches, that is 5 inches above the average.
The months May to August inclusive furnished 12.25 inches;
August with 4.05 inches was the wettest month of the year,
November coming next with 3.96 inches. October was a dry
month with strong chilly easterly winds. December had many
cold days and night frosts. January brought frost and snow
with a few brief mild spells. In February the countryside was
frostbound and in the main snow-covered. Thus, although rain-
fall was favourable, other conditions were at times very adverse.
Had this report been made on November 30th, sixty-five
species would probably have been recorded, of which fifty-five
had been found by the end of September, while the complete
period ended with sixty-eight species on the list. This is the
highest number I have reported in one year; it compares with
sixty-four for 1944-5 and fifty-nine for 1945-6. October pro-
duced forty-seven species; though it was a time of unfavourable
weather, the month benefited from the survival of species which
had matured previously in very favourable conditions. This is
the highest total I have reported in one month.
The number of species recorded each month, with some other
details, follows.
March—Two species.
April—Three species.
May—Eleven species including Margarita metallica.
June—Twenty-eight species including Stemonitis hyperopta.
July—Thirty-two species including Diderma spumarioides and Stemon-
itis splendens var. flaccida; the total since the end of February
was thirty-eight species.
August—Thirty-four species including Fuligo septica var. candida;
total since the end of February forty-three species.