136 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Because of unfavourable weather, less hunting than usual
was undertaken in Wanstead Park, but a feature of the year was
the finding there of a fine development of Brefeldia maxima (Fr.)
Rost. by Mr. S. Waller on October 28th. The aethalium occurred
on an old stump in a part of the wood where undergrowth had
been cleared away. Miss G. Lister has kindly given the following
previous records of this species from Wanstead Park: February,
1887; January, 1888; December, 1893; November and
December, 1896; November and December, 1917. Later in the
season the stump on which the Brefeldia appeared produced a
large colony of Arcyria incarnata Pers., principally the variety
fulgens Lister.
Didymium laxifila G. Lister and Ross was found in the
plantation at the Warren, Loughton, when looked for, although
sometimes only in a weathered condition. The species was
again found in the strip of woodland south of the Forest
Superintendent's residence and was also discovered in February
(1948) in Hawk Wood near the western corner of Chingford
Plain. This spot is over a mile and a half from the Warren in a
direction somewhat south of west and at an approximate
elevation of 280 feet, the ridge at the Warren being 228 feet.
The Hawk Wood area is visible from the ridge at the Warren,
and easterly breezes may have carried spores from one locality
to the other. In Hawk Wood the species occurred on Oak and
Hornbeam leaves, where they bad collected among low brambles.
During August, 1948, the species was found at other spots in
Hawk Wood a little further east.
Hunting was mainly confined to the Chingford area and
though the total of species was satisfactory the number of
developments found was often disappointing. On the other
hand, species favouring decaying leaves, some of them not common
in the Forest, were fairly plentiful in January and February,
1948, and in the following month gave an excellent beginning
to the ensuing period.
PRELIMINARY NOTES ON A NEW FUNGUS DISEASE
OF SYCAMORE
BY S. WALLER
[Read November 27th, 1948]
THIS is merely a preliminary account of what I believe to be
a very serious unrecorded disease of the Sycamore.
About two years ago I first met with this disease in Wanstead
Park on a solitary tree of Sycamore (Acer Pseudoplatanus L.).