ig6 THF. ESSKX FIELD CLUB. 



The Secretary exhibited the plans and drawings of the cases and other 

 httings for the Essex Museum of Natural History, to be purchased out of the 

 munificent donation of Mr. Passmore Edwards, who had presented the 

 Museum with ;^i,ooo for this purpose, which uas in addition to the ^'3,000 

 already given bv him towards the erection of the building. 



Dr. M. C. Cooke then gave his usual report on the observations of the 

 day, and in doing so, emphasised the fact of the marvellous abundance of 

 Fungi this autumn ; such a good season had not occurred in his experience for 

 10 years past. The list of the species observed that day numbered 134, many 

 of them usually by no means common. [Dr. Cooke has since prepared a com- 

 plete list of the species gathered, which will be kept in the library for future 

 reference and comparison.] Dr. Cooke also referred to the abundance of the 

 common mushrooms ; they had been extraordinarily plentiful in most parts of 

 the country, and fine gatherings had been sold in London for 4d. per lb., a 

 price quite unprecedented. 



Dr. Cooke concluded by reading one of his partly humorous and partly 

 pathetic "copy of verses" descriptive of the adventures and delights of 

 previous "Fungus Forays" with the Woolhope Club, and with many 

 allusions to deceased botanists and the plants that puzzled them in days gone 

 by:- 



" An old man sate on his study stool, 



Hey ninny, nonny. 

 And considered himself a confounded fool, 



Hey ninny, nonny. 

 For he dreamt of the past, in years that are gone, 

 When friendships were many, and enemies none, 

 'Till now he sits perched on his stool all alone ; 



Hey ninny, nonny. 



" Of rambles and forays, and dinner at six. 



Hey ninny nonny. 

 Of bushels of toadstools and pustules on sticks. 



Hey ninny, nonny. 

 Of scrambles up Dinedor, or down by the Wye, 

 Through Heywood, or Dinmore or Ludlow or nij^h, 

 By Downton, Stoke Edith, or only a sigh, 



For Hey, ninny nonny !" 



Mr. Massee followed with an interesting address on the .study of crypto- 

 gamic plants, and especially recommended intending workers to take up the 

 less-known minute forms. He offered to give all the assistance in his power, 

 and proposed that a few meetings for the obser\ation of leaf-fungi and other 

 like forms should be held next season, not only in the autumn but also in the 

 spring and summer months. Some of Mr. Massee's observations on this 

 occasion are embodied in his report before referred to. 



The President most heartily thanked Dr. Cooke in the name of the Club 

 for his kind and valuable services given at these Fungus Meetings since the 

 first one in October, 1880 [see Journal of Proceedings, vol. i., pp. xlviii-liii) and 

 continued almost without break until that present day. The vote was passed 

 by acclamatitm. 



Votes of thanks were also pas.-.ed to Mr. Massee and Prof. Boulger for 

 .their valuable assistance. 



