Journal of Proceedings.
cxix
carbonic acid in the cells of a section of meteorite; and the root of
a human hair, with its independent muscle attached. Mr. F. Oxley
exhibited microscopic sections of wood, plants and fruit.
Mr. Shenstone displayed his herbarium of plants from the Colchester
Districts, including about 800 species, and called special attention to one
of the rarest plants in Essex, Filago gallica L., from Berechurch, and
also to the very interesting maritime species from Mersea, Clacton,
Walton, and elsewhere. Dr. Wallace mentioned the fact that many
plants were peculiar both to the Essex coast and that opposite, showing,
he thought, that there had been a time when the sea did not interpose.
Mr. Harwood suggested the idea of seeds being carried by tides. Mr.
Shenstone questioned whether a long sea immersion would not destroy
the vitality of seeds. Mr. Meldola mentioned that Mr. Darwin had made
experiments with a view of testing the length of time that seeds would
bear immersion.
The various features of interest enabled visitors to pass a very
pleasant evening, and completed the success of the day's meeting. Many
members stayed the night in the town, the others leaving by the nine
o'clock express.
Friday and Saturday, October 3rd and 4th, 1884. Annual
Cryptogamic and Botanical Meeting.
The foray this year was again held in Epping Forest, more par-
ticularly in the northerly parts, High Beach, Monk Woods, Chingford,
Buckhurst Hill, &c. The season was by no means a good one for Fungi,
and the number of species observed in most parts of the kingdom was
much fewer than in previous years, some botanists even lamenting it as
the worst season for twenty years. Nevertheless, the Essex Field Club's
assembly was highly successful, and, in the opinion of the ' Gardener's
Chronicle,' it was the most important Cryptogamic botanical meeting
hitherto held in the neighbourhood of London.
A week previously, on the 27th of September, the Hackney Natural
History Society held their accustomed foray. The dry weather had the
effect of considerably limiting the number of species gathered, but two
interesting additions to the British Flora were determined. One of these
was Hydnum diversidens, Fr., found by Mr. H. T. Wharton and Mr. J.
C. Webb on a trunk near Fairmead ; the other was Boletus duriusculus,
Kalch., an ally of Boletus scaber, with which it had formerly been con-
founded.
Former meetings having been so much appreciated, it was deter-
mined to call the assembly for two days, Friday and Saturday, instead
of the Saturday only, as heretofore, the first day being intended to afford
additional opportunities for collecting. Accordingly, a body of mem-
bers met at Loughton on the Friday, and accompanied by Dr. M. C.