linnets and yellow-hammers. These birds seemed to "be
everywhere on the Common. In the nearby woods, blue-tits
and long-tailed tits were also observed. Song thrushes and
blackbirds, too, were in song, as were willow warblers.
At the end of the meeting a count was made of the
birds seen and heard, this total was 26.
Mike Parker
September 13th. General Meeting No. 1164. Little Baddow
Nine members attended this meeting, on a cool and
doubtful day. We were fortunate in that the rain held off
until the very end of the meeting. In the morning we walked
through the Essex Naturalists' Trust Pheasanthouse Wood
Nature Reserve and into Birch Wood, also a Trust Reserve.
Stinkhorns were detected several times and one or two were
seen. Our President found one that was still in the "egg"
stage; when cut open, it showed the developing spores in the
mucous-filled space. It was noted that at this stage the
offensive smell is not produced, and they are said to be
edible. (See illustration on centre page).
Black horehound (Ballota nigra) caused some confusion,
but the identification was eventually agreed on.
In the afternoon we went through Poors Piece Nature
Reserve (Naturalists' Trust), then on to Twitty Fee and
returned through Woodham Walter Common. At Twitty Pee the
heath cudweed (Gnapthalium sylvaticum) and betony (Betonica
officinalis) were recorded. The green woodpecker was heard
but not seen.
Roy Masefield
September 19th. Hatfield Forest (Lichens)
This meeting was arranged as a joint gathering with the
Bishops Stortford Natural History Society, and between 15
and 20 people attended.
During the morning we walked some of the wide chases
in the Forest, including a visit to the site of the Doodle
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