94
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Miss Coulling sent for exhibition, and presented to the Museum, a fine
specimen of fruits and leaves of the Indian Bean (Catalpa bignonioides) from
Kent.
Mr. Howard showed the complete slough of a grass-snake. 35 inches in
length ; he also showed fronds of the ferns Dryopteris montana Kuntze and
Lastrea Thelypteris Gray, both of Essex provenance.
Mr. Pratt showed various Lepidoptera, including Clouded Yellow butter-
fly from Hainault Forest, Convolvulus Hawk moth found in Stratford on
September 23rd last and White Satin moth bred from Hackney Marshes
larvae. He also showed and presented specimens of the earth-star fungus
(Geaster Bryantii Berk.) collected close to Whipps Cross Road, Leytonstone.
This had been kindly identified by Miss Lister, who showed her water-
colour drawings of the species.
Mr. Scourfield showed living water-fleas (Daphnia magna), which mem-
bers were able to examine with the aid of his Linnescope.
Mr. Crouch exhibited four large wash-drawings of the grounds of
Wanstead Grove, probably by Hon. Anne Rushout, also a photograph
after a painting of that lady, and read an account of the Grove; he also
showed book-plates of some of the Bowles and Rushout families who
successively owned Wanstead Grove.
Mr. Ross read a report on Epping Forest Mycetozoa found by him in
September last; he described the effect of the abnormal drought on the
occurrence of these organisms and exhibited several species.
The Curator and Miss Greaves showed a number of photographs of
Coggeshall, Cressing Temple and Matching, from the Museum collection.
The President exhibited several colour drawings of various blue-green
algae, including Anabaena, which is known to have the ability to fix nitrogen.
Miss Lister showed fruits of Clerodendron trichotomum and a drawing
of the same. 
CRYPTOGAMIC FORAY IN EPPING FOREST (881st Meeting)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH, 1947
Fifteen members met at Queen Elizabeth's Lodge, Chingford, at 11 a.m.,
for the first Cryptogamic foray to be held by the Club since the war.
Weather conditions were rather unfavourable, and the rain of the previous
night had given place to a bitter wind which caused the party to hasten
across the exposed plain to the comparative shelter of the wooded Forest.
After an hour or two of collecting, lunch was taken—somewhat more
hastily than usual on account of the cold—at Grimston's Oak. Thence a
route was followed across Fairmead Bottom by the lower road to High
Beach Church and on to the Duke of Wellington Inn.
The meeting was attended by Professor W. H. Pearsall, D.Sc., F.R.S..
and Miss F. L. Stephens, M.Sc., who kindly gave their expert services in
identifying the specimens which were collected during the day and which
were laid out for inspection before tea was taken.
At the close of the meal Mr. William Howard was elected to the chair.
He tendered the sincere thanks of the Club to Miss Stephens, who had
unfortunately to leave before tea, and to Professor Pearsall for their valuable
assistance, and said that all present had undoubtedly learnt much of interest.
He then pointed out how desirable it was that young people should be
encouraged to join the Club and share its benefits. His remarks were
heartily applauded.
Owing to the dry summer and autumn and the unfavourable weather
conditions of the day, which were not conducive to enthusiastic collecting,
the day's list was rather short. Of the sixteen species of fungi identified,