1-54 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 



Prof. Marshall Ward, F.R.S., then gave an address on the Scientific 

 Study of Fungi. The Professor urged the importance of studying the "life- 

 histories" of these plants, and said that he would be pleased to see any 

 member desiring to take up the study at Cambridge, and to show the 

 methods of investigation there adopted. 



The Curator had prepared a report on the Varenne Cryptogamic 

 Herbariuin, which was taken as read, and which will be found in the 

 " Museum Notes" in the present part. 



Cordial votes of thanks were passed to Prof. Ward, to Dr. Cooke, and to 

 Mr. Massee, and also to the other botanists who had assisted in various ways 

 in aid of the meeting. 



The meeting was a very large one ; about loo members and friends 

 attending it. 



THE 206TH ORDINARY MEETING. 

 Saturday, October 26th, igor. 



The first meeting of the Winter Session, being the 206th Ordinary- 

 Meeting, was held in the Physical Lecture Theatre of the Municipal 

 Technical Institute, West Ham, at 6.30 p.m., the President, Prof. R. Meldola, 

 F.R.S., in the chair. 



Mr. Edmond J. Boake, B.A , and Mrs. W. D. Cansdale, were elected 

 members. 



Mr. Cole exhibited some sets of specimens which he had arranged for the 

 Museum in illustration of the subject of " Protective Resemblance" amongst 

 insects. 



He also exhibited specimens of Sphinx cnnvolvnli, which had been taken at 

 the electric lamps in the Romford Road, near the Museum. Several others 

 had been brought into the Museum in a mutilated condition, and he had 

 heard of the capture of many specimens in Essex Indeed the insect had 

 occurred in numbers in many parts of England, and 1901 would merit 

 remembrance by entomologists as one of the great " coiivolvuli years " 



Mr. A. Harrison sent for exhibition six fine specimens of Sphinx convolvu'i 

 taken on September 24th and 25th, also in the Romford Road, Stratford. 



Mr. Cole also exhibited a specimen of Linienitis sibylla, the " White 

 Admiral Butterfly," which had been caught in August in Mr. Cole's garden at 

 East Mersea, by Master Harold Elliott, who reported that he had seen 

 another also. Mr. Cole said that the butterfly still occurred in the woods 

 near Colchester, and there waj a series in Dr. Laver's collection, but as far as 

 he knew Master Elliott's specimen was the first recorded for Mersea. 

 Master Elliott had kindly presented the butterfly to the cabinet of the Club. 



Mr. John Spiller exhibited a fine crystal of Selenite from Aylesbury. 



Mr. Cole said that small crystals of Selenite were to be seen very abun- 

 dantly in the London Clay exposed during the excavations now being carried 

 on in constructing the new railroad across the Roding Valley from Woodford 

 to Chigwell, but he had not seen any equal in size to Mr. Spillers specimen. 



