clxxiv Journal of Proceedings.
The search party returned with their spoils to the " Roebuck Hotel,"
where the remainder of the day was devoted to the naming and arrange-
ment of the specimens collected, and other exhibits.
On the Saturday, a very large, number of members and botanical friends
arrived by various trains at Loughton, and separate parties went on to the
Forest to explore Monk Wood, the woods near Theydon, Chingford, Buck-
hurst Hill, ke. Among the botanists who aided at the meeting (in addi-
tion to those mentioned above), may be mentioned Mr. A. V. Jennings,
Mr. E. M. Holmes, Dr. Spurrell, Messrs. Worthington G. Smith, Henry
Groves, Rev. J. M. Crombie, Mr. F. W. Hanbury, Mr. J. T. Powell, Mr. R.
Paulson, Mr. W. W. Reeves, Mr. D. Houston, Dr. H. T. Wharton, and
many others.
The day was brilliantly fine, but, owing to the prevalence of dry
weather during the late summer, and the somewhat cold autumn, the
mycological flora was greatly injured, and the number of tine specimens
was far less than in some previous years. But notwithstanding this
drawback, owing to the large number of collectors present, a good
series of species accumulated on the tables in the large hall at the inn,
and being carefully arranged and named by the experts, they formed a
most interesting and instructive series. Among the more notable addi-
tions to the Forest list, Dr. Cooke enumerates the following :—Agaricus
(Coll.) confluens, Ag. (Pleur.) septicus, Ag. (Myc.) haematopus, Ag.
(Crep.) mollis, Ag. (Jno.) euthelus, Ag. (Pan.) phlaenarum, Cortinarius
armillatus, C. tains, C. paleaceus, Marasmius erythropus, Boletus larici-
nus and Clavaria contorta, together with Cortinarius decolorans, and
C. evernius.
Mr. E. M. Holmes noted the following plants growing between the
"Robin Hood" and Monk Wood:—LICHENS: Baeomyces rufus, Une
and abundant in Monk Wood ; Opegrapha atra. Mosses : Neckera
pumila, Hypnum riparium (in fruit), H. exannulatum, II. schreberi,
Zygodon viridissimus, Weisia cirrhata, Pottia truncata (fruit), Dicra-
num majus, and D. bonjeanii. Scale Mosses : Metzgeria furcata, Fos-
sombronia pusilla, Scapania nemorosa, S. curta, Cephalozia bicuspidata,
C. divaricata, Lophocolea cuspidata, Kantia arguta and Diplophyllum
albicans. And among the Algae Vaucheria ovoidea was noticed.
As in previous years, an interesting exhibition of specimens was, by the
the flow towards the direction in which the plant is moving being the fuller, and of
greater duration.
" The finest specimen crept up the side of the glass shade, and then underneath
it, and collected in an orange mass on the outside; then it again retreated into the
damp atmosphere on the cover and continued its wanderings until the ninth day,
when it formed itself into the well-known clusters of golden balls about the size of
rape seed, which, in a couple of days changed to the dark colour which they assume ;
when the entire contents developed into a mass of purple echinulated spores,
traversed by the pure white, porcelain-like capillitium. It would be worth while for
the microscopical members of the Club to study these strange creatures in favour-
able seasons like the present, for there is a good deal yet to be learned about them."