REPORTS OF MEETINGS 87
Comatricha typhoides Rost. T. decipiens Macbr.
C. pulchella Rost. T. floriformis G. Lister
Lamproderma scintillans Morgan Arcyria pomiformis Rost.
Dictydium cancellatum Macbr. A. denudata Wetts.
Enteridium olivaceum Ehrenb. A. incarnata Pers.
Lycogala epidendrum Fries A. nutans Grev.
Trichia scabra Rost. Perichaena depressa Libert
T. varia Pers.
Ordinary Meeting (1,003rd Meeting)
SATURDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 1956
This meeting was held at the West Ham College of Technology. Twenty-
seven attended and the chair was taken by the President, Mr. E. E. Syms.
The following two persons were elected to membership of the Club:—
Miss E. G. Cole, of 43, Chester Road, Chigwell
Mr. B. Hayward (Junior Member), of 50, Bakers Avenue, Leyton,
E.17.
Mr. Bartrop showed a photographic lantern slide of the Whipping Post
at Good Easter. He gave an account derived from an article by John Salmon
in The Essex Review for October, 1930. One hundred and fifty years ago every
village was required to have a whipping post and stocks. Mr. Salmon lists
only nine whipping posts remaining in Essex.
He also showed a colour photograph of a large cluster of marble galls con-
sisting of about sixty galls. This gall is formed in the leaf-buds of oak by the
gall-wasp Cynips kollari. It is recorded that the species was introduced to this
country about 1830 in imported galls; the reason for the importation is uncer-
tain but may have been in connection with the dyeing of cloth as they are rich
in tannin.
He also showed photographs of budgerigars which nested in his garden
at Margaretting and gave the following account of the birds.
Two hundred yards away is situated the aviary which houses the homing
budgerigars established by Mrs. Upton in her garden at Park Lodge. On the
loth January, 1956, a budgerigar was seen prospecting a nesting-box in a large
oak tree in the garden and during the early days of February—a really cold
period—a pair was in and out of this tree, and on the 4th February one wa3
found inside a hole in the tree. Mrs. Upton thought that the birds were returning
to her aviary at dusk each evening, and late afternoon inspection of the hole
showed it to be empty. Mr. Bartrop expressed surprise that the birds were
nest prospecting so early in the year and was amazed to learn that Mrs.
Upton had young budgerigars three days old in an outdoor aviary on the
4th February in 20 degrees of frost. A week later with icy winds bringing
snow from the north a budgerigar was observed scattering the snow which
had piled up in the entrance to the hole. On 19th some photographs were
taken of a pair which appeared to be courting. The temperature at this time
was 20°F. The mating of a pair was seen on 3rd March and the same evening
there was one egg in the hole. Inspection of the hole on subsequent evenings
revealed no budgerigars so it was assumed that the birds were returning to
the aviary (and food) each evening. The egg was not hatched.