Journal of Proccedinij.s. >^li 



Thuhsday, July 21st, 1881.— Field Meeting. 



A )-eunion of the Club was held on this day in Epping Forest, for the 

 purpose of meeting the members of the Hertfordshire Natural History 

 Society, and showing them some of the most interesting features of the 

 Essex woodlands. The weather was charming, but, owing partly to the 

 day of meeting being an inconvenient one for city men, and partly to 

 the fact that many members of both Societies were away from home, the 

 attendance was not so large as is usual on these occasions. The presence 

 and assistance of two well-known naturalists had been hoped for, but 

 professional engagements prevented their attendance at the last moment. 

 About forty members of the two societies were present, including several 

 ladies. The members of the Hertfordshire Club came by train from 

 their county town to Waltham Abbey, and thence by coach to the "Wake 

 Arms," the appointed rendezvous, under the conduct of one of the 

 Secretaries, Lieut. Croft, E.N., F.L.S., arriving about one o'clock. Our 

 own members reached the spot in detachments, some strolling over through 

 the woods from the various forest villages, and others took train to 

 Theydon Bois, and rode or walked up to the "Wake Arms." After 

 pleasant greetings and a hasty luncheon, the united parties made for 

 Monk's Woods, stopping occasionally to botanize, to examine and 

 determine some doubtful insect, or to fish up in Uttle bottles the 

 microscopic inhabitants of the forest ponds and ditches. The late rain 

 and the bright gHnt of the sunshine enhanced the fresh beauty of the 

 beechwoods, and many were the expressions of pleasure and surprise 

 from those who thus made their first acquaintance with the Forest. 

 Although our looked-for experts were unable to attend, we were not 

 without skilled assistance; indeed we had with us some very good 

 observers, and the flora and fauna of the woods were fairly well 

 investigated during our somewhat hurried peregrinations. The Hert- 

 fordshire contingent had with them their well-known botanical member, 

 Mr. Bates Blow, while the Microzoa and Protophyta were registered by 

 Mr. T. W. Phillips. With our Club were several amateur entomologists 

 and botanists, and our visitor, Mr. James J. King (representing the 

 Glasgow Natural History Society) was very busy among his own 

 particular pets— the Neuroptera. In Monk's Woods the beautiful rose 

 willow {Epilohium angustifolium) was gladly welcomed in full bloom as 

 an old friend, and the abundance of the " stag's-horn " club-moss {Lyco- 

 jwdium clavatum) struck many of our visitors as a notable circumstance. 

 In boggy places were seen that favourite of the biologist, the carnivorous 

 Drosera, and the pretty AnagalUs tenella (bog pimpernel); whilst in 

 shady places the Httle bell-flower {Campamda hedemcea) lifted its heart- 

 shaped leaves and delicate blue corollas from its damp bed of Spluuinum 

 moss. By one large pond, near High Beach, grew the two bullrushes 

 {Typha latifolia and amiusti folia), and in the pond itself were found 

 several species of Chara, notably Cham translucens. Here Mr. PhilHps 



/ 



