92 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
not so far distant when the only approach to the village was by the seven-
mile-long Broomway—a track across the sands, only passable at low tide
and marked by besoms to prevent passengers straying into the quicksands.
On this occasion the coach was able to get right up to the sea-wall at
Fisherman's Head and so, without any physical effort, the party were able
to settle down to a picnic lunch and at the same time to make some pre-
liminary study through glasses of the birds feeding along the tide-line. The
day was ideally sunny and warm and a number of butterflies were seen on
the wing, including several specimens of the Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)
an immigrant species which this year has been seen in numbers
all over the country.
Lunch being concluded, a move was made on foot to Foulness Point.
The characteristic plants of the salt-marsh were noted en route and, on
reaching the banks which had been seen afar off gleaming white in the sun-
light, members were interested to find that they were composed entirely of
cockle shells washed up by the tides. A sailing vessel lay loading the shells,
and the banks provided an ideal vantage point on which a considerable
time was spent enjoying the seaward view and observing through glasses
the great congregation of gulls, oyster catchers and other birds on the tidal
flats.
Returning to the coach, the road was retraced to Churchend where, by
the courtesy of the local sports club, members were enabled to enjoy an
appetising tea.
An interesting set of herbarium specimens of local plants was laid out
by Capt. Sparrow for examination by the visitors, and then the party
proceeded to Courtend where stands the building formerly used as a court
house. Here Mr. Wells led the members to a ditch where he had recently
discovered a hitherto undescribed prawn. His dismay on finding that many
hundreds of this crustacean lay dead upon the surface was shared by the
visitors, but opportunity was taken to collect some of the specimens, obviously
only recently dead, for further examination. Mr. Weils expressed his
intention of investigating the cause of the trouble, and it was hoped that
the pollution, if such it was, would be found to be limited in extent.
Thanks were accorded to the local naturalists for their assistance and
the coach was then regained for the journey home by way of the Southend
arterial road.
Mr. Bernard Ward reports as follows: Ornithologically the day was
disappointing despite the excellent weather, probably because the party
arrived at the sea-wall as the tide was ebbing so that the birds could only
be observed at very long range. In addition a slight "shimmer" made it
difficult to discern characteristic plumage with certainty. The most satis-
factory observation made was of a congregation of corn buntings at Court-
end when up to 150 of this species were seen in very good light strung out
along the power wires for a distance of about a quarter of a mile.
The following species were noted with accuracy during the day on Foul-
ness Island:—Rook, Jackdaw, Starling, Greenfinch, Linnet, House Sparrow,
Corn Bunting, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Blackbird, House Martin, Kestrel,
Oyster Catcher, Lapwing, Dunlin, Common Redshank. Common Curlew,
Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Common Partridge.
The excursion yielded some sixty species of wild plants including, of
course, the usual maritime forms. Of the more interesting species noted
may be mentioned Yellow horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum), Sea Aster
(Aster Tripolium) both rayed and rayless forms, Ox-tongue (Helminthia
(Picris) Echioides), Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus), Sea Lavender
(Limonium vulgare), Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima), Marsh Samphire or
Glasswort (Salicornia herbacea), Seablite (Suaeda maritima), Orache (Atriplex
patula), Cordgrass (Spartina stricta).