REPORTS OP MEETINGS 271
The Hon. Secretary gave preliminary notice of the first three of the field
meetings proposed for the forthcoming season.
The business of the Annual General Meeting was then taken.
The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting were read and approved
and were signed by the President.
The President announced that the Council's report for 1953 would be
published in the forthcoming issue of The Essex Naturalist and it was
therefore considered unnecessary for it to be read now.
The Hon. Treasurer then gave his report. The income and expenditure
account showed an excess of income over expenditure of £44 15s. The
membership showed a slight decrease and now stood at 197. There were
also eight Associate Societies and ten Local Authority Subscribers. He
estimated that the accounts for the forthcoming year would show a small
balance. This report was adopted by the meeting.
The President then read the names of the four members nominated at
the February meeting for seats on the Council, and they were duly elected.
He then read the names of members nominated as Honorary Officers at
the February meeting. These were duly elected.
The President then gave his address, "Fungi and Beech" (see p.000). The
lecture was fully illustrated by photographic lantern slides and drawings.
At its conclusion, Mr. Foster expressed the thanks of those present for a
most interesting lecture, and the President expressed his willingness to
answer questions relating to the subject. The Hon. Editor requested
permission to reproduce the address in The Essex Naturalist, and this was
granted by the President.
The meeting was then declared at an end and the members went down
to tea m one of the College rooms.
Spring Meeting in Epping Forest (972nd Meeting)
SUNDAY, 2 MAY, 1954
Thirty-seven members and friends gathered at Chingford Station at
11 a.m. on this showery morning and, led by Mr. Pratt, soon set off across
the Plain to Bury Wood. Skylarks were on the wing, and hopes for a
pleasant day were high, but rain soon set in and continued without a break
throughout the day.
Bury Wood provided a good number of bird-songs, and, on approaching
Yardley Hill, a Cuckoo was seen to fly overhead. A halt was called on
the northern slopes of Yardley Hill, and members took advantage of what
shelter was afforded by the well-grown Haw-thorns to eat their sandwiches
and hope wistfully that the rain would cease.
Some of the party then walked down the lane to the Sewardstone road,
where a glass or cup of liquid refreshment to wash down the sandwiches
could be obtained. The opportunity was taken to look over the gate to
the cut under the reservoir bank. Here some Yellow Wagtails were seen,
Swans were, as usual, on view, but nothing could be seen of the Sand-
Martins which nest in the drainage holes of the embankment.
A few members at this stage considered it wise to cut their walk short
owing to the persistent rain, and accordingly took the bus towards home.
The remainder walked back up the lane and thence through Gilwell Lane
to Sewardstone Green. Here a good number of House-Martins were flying
low over the pond at Carroll's Farm, apparently taking insects from the
surface of the water.