278 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Fungus Foray in Epping Forest (977th Meeting)
SUNDAY, 17 OCTOBER, 1954
Repeating the procedure adopted in recent years, members were divided
into two parties for the annual meeting devoted to the study of fungi and
mycetozoa. One party met at Loughton Garage under the leadership of
Mr. Dyce, and the other at Queen Elizabeth's Lodge, Chingford, under
the leadership of Mr. Pratt.
The day was fine and mild and, the distance to be covered by each party
not being very great, ample time was available for a leisurely walk through
the Forest with plenty of opportunity to search for and to study the fungi
with the willing assistance of Professor Ingold, who accompanied the
Loughton party, and of Professor Gregory, who was with the Chingford
party. The Chingford party also had the pleasure of the company of Mr.
Qvist, Superintendent of Epping Forest.
During the first part of the walk from Chingford, the Plain yielded little
but some good specimens of Clavaria inaequalis and a good clump of the
Ink-Cap (Coprinus atramentarius). On entering Bury Wood, it was found
that leaf-fall had barely started but owing to the wet summer many species
of fungi had developed early, and little was found here except some good
specimens of the Wood Blewit (Tricholoma nudum). It was not until after
lunch had been taken in the vicinity of Leppits Hill that the hunting
became more productive, and as the Beech and later the Birch woods were
traversed, plenty of specimens were found, both on logs and on the ground
in the damper spots.
The Loughton party walked by way of Monk Wood and the "Wake
Arms", and in this part of the Forest fungi were in good profusion both
on the ground and on tree-stumps and logs.
Punctually at 3.30 p.m. both parties began to arrive at the King's Oak
Hotel, High Beach, with, as usual, the baskets well filled with fungi. One
member brought in a large specimen of Polyporus giganteus worthy of a
place as the centre-piece of any fungus display. Professor Ingold and
Professor Gregory busied themselves in naming and labelling the fungi,
while Mr. Ross and Mr. Bernard Ward were occupied in naming and
displaying the smaller but no less interesting mycetozoa.
The systematic arrangement so well done in 1952 by Mr. and Mrs.
Boardman was sadly missed this year, but, nevertheless, a large number
of species were soon labelled, and available for study by the members.
It was apparent that in future, to avoid the available display space being
occupied by a large number of duplicates, it would be well for the experts,
with their chosen assistants, to have selected specimens for naming before
they were placed on the display tables.
About fifty members and visitors sat down to tea, and afterwards a
formal meeting was held under the chairmanship of the President, Professor
Ingold. The President said that, in his experience, the season had been a
poor one for fungi, and after a recent visit to his usual hunting-grounds
in Surrey, he had been very gratified to find such a good show of fungi
during his walk from Loughton. No one of those present could explain
why the Loughton area of the Forest produced today so large a display as
compared with the Chingford area, but in this connection Mr. Bernard
Ward stated that a few weeks ago the latter area had produced specimens
in plenty. The President particularly mentioned the abundance of
Russulas, including ochroleuca, fellea, fragilis and cyanoxtha, also of
Lactarius quietus, subdulcis and turpis. Collybia maculata was very
frequent, and of Amanita the species rubescens, citrina and muscaria were