THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. ig5 



than the Secretary, who when down at Fowlness, arranging details of the 

 meeting about a fortnight previously with Mr. H. A. Cole, was benighted and 

 had to remain 'till next day ! 



THE ANNUAL CRYPTOGAMIC MEETING. 



Friday and Saturday, October 27TH and 28th, 1899. 



Conductors: — Dr. M. C. Cooke, M.A., LL.D., A.L.S., &c. ; George Masses, 



Esq., F.L.S. (Kew Museum) ; and Prof. G. S. Boulger, F.L.S., F.G.S. 



The Meeting on the Friday was fixed in the hope that the extra day 

 would allow of specimens being collected for the exhibition on Saturday. But 

 the weather was very bad; only a small party (but including two ladies!) 

 assembled at Loughton at 11 o'clock, and after consultation, decided to brave 

 the wet and carry out the programme. A ramble was taken through Monk 

 Wood and so to the meeting rooms at Theydon, where a very welcome tea 

 awaited the little party. In spite of the rain, the baskets were filled, fungi 

 proving much more plentiful than had been anticipated. Many handsome 

 species were collected, and carried to the meeting-rooms. 



Newcomers to our woods marvelled at the brilliant vistas presented by the 

 beechen groves in the last stages of their autumn dress ; the rain had varnished 

 the leaves with moisture, and thus revealed their colours with astonishing 

 eflect. One of our lady members (Miss Read), a stranger to the forest, 

 who wrote a poetical account of the ramble, thus recorded her impressions 



of the scene ; — 



" The walls of mist had sunk away 



To distant haze of purple-grey : 



The mossy floor of emerald stain 



Was silvered o'er with pearls of rain ; 



This was the heart-core of the wood 



Where smooth-stemmed beeches circling stood, 



In autumn's loveliest attire, 



A garment woven all of fire. 



The rain had washed the dropt leaves clean 



Where spread they hid the mossy green ; 



Above a canopy of flame. 



Below, a carpet of the same. 



" .\nd lurking 'neath the fallen trunk 



In cleft of bough, in tree-root sunk. 



Great groups ot fungi one could trace ; 



While wanton in the open space, 



The blood-red Fly-.Agarics stood, 



The painted beauties of the wood !." 



The meeting-place on the Saturday was Messrs. Riggs and Sons' rooms at 

 Theydon Bois, where tables were laid out for the reception of specimens and 

 botanical books of reference provided. The weather was a great improve- 

 ment on the previous day. The sun shone, brightly at intervals and there 

 was no rain. The members came down by various trains and the morning 

 and early afternoon were occupied in collecting excursions into the Theydon 

 Woods, Epping Thicks, &c. Fungi were far more abundant than they have 

 been for many years past. Among the birches were large and handsome 

 Boleti and many splendid congregations of the scarlet Fly-Agaric (Agariais 

 muscarius) were again observed with admiration. The tables in the meeting- 

 room were quickly loaded with a fine show ot specimens, which were examined 

 and identified by Dr. Cooke and Mr. Massee. The general character of the 

 gatherings is indicated by Mr. Massee in his report in the present part of the 

 Essex Naturalist [ante p. 166 . 



The usual Club tea was served early in the evening, and afterwards an 

 Ordinary Meeting (the igoth) was held, Mr. D Howard, President, in the 

 chair. 



