96 



THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 



■*7^'^ ySeWQi ditoTje Jlsse 



Sewardstone Meads in May-time. 

 Draivn by Henry A. Cole. 



Leaving Chingford Station about three o'clock, the party proceeded b}' Bury 

 Path to the Woodman and Bury Wood, where a halt was made for the capture of 

 larvae, by beating the bushes into an open umbrella, and some remarks were made 

 by the hon. secretary, Mr. W. Cole. Attention was called to the grievous 

 damage being done to the oaks in the forest by caterpillars, which Mr. Cole 

 pointed out were mainly of two kinds, the greatest culprit being that of the small 

 green oak moth {Tortrix viridand), one of the leaf-rolling caterpillars, which was 

 engaged in speedily defoliating many trees, and covering the branches and 

 trunks with layers of silk. Another very injurious caterpillar was that of the 

 winter moth (JOheimatobia britmata), so called because it comes out in the perfect 

 state in November, one of the " loopers," or Geometrida2. Thousands of these 

 could be seen on the oaks and hornbeams. Mr. Cole also exhibited and talked 

 about some of the spring butterflies and other insects likely to be seen that 

 afternoon. 



Thence by Davis's Lane, the Sewardstone Road was reached. By the way a 

 pretty but ill-smelling plant, the " Ramsons," or wild garlic, was pointed out, a 

 plant for which Bury Wool is notable, and a station for the " Traveller's-joy " 

 {Clematis) was shown, the plant being rare in this part of the Forest, probably 

 owing to the absence of chalk in the soil ; near Epping, where the Chalky Boulder 

 Clay appears, it is plentiful. 



A little way past the " Fox and Hounds " the field-path through The Meads 



