HERTFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. Ixiii 



feathers had been derived, artistically executed by Mrs. Brightwen, 

 deserve special notice.* 



Field Meeting, 2nd June, 1881. 

 PANSHANGER, HERTFORD. 



The members and their friends assembled at Cole Green railway 

 station, and, entering tlio park by the Cole Green lodge, walked to 

 the bridge over the Mimram, near which a lady espied the first 

 yellow iris of the season (Iris Pseuda corns). 



After lingering in the welcome shade of the trees by the river, 

 the party proceeded to the Panshanger Oak, mentioned in Canon 

 Gee's paper on " Famous Trees in Hertfordshire,"! and from 

 thence to the beautiful gardens of Panshanger, which Avere kindly 

 thrown open by their noble owner, Earl Cowper. 



On the way to the Heitingfordbury lodge a solitary blossom of the 

 wild rose (liosa canina) was found, and on leaving the park a poppy 

 (Papaver Rhoe'ts) was seen in bloom. From here some of the 

 members went direct to Hertford along the road, while the re- 

 mainder branched off by a footpath to the left, and, after going 

 through two or three fields, one was reached which was quite 

 ablaze with poppies, which had evidently been out for two or three 

 days, although during a walk of some miles only one poppy had 

 previously been seen. This was considered a striking proof of the 

 necessity of having many phenological observers. 



The meeting was under the direction of Mr. Henry Warner. 



Field Meeting, Sth June, 1881. 

 MUNDEN PARK, WATFORD. 



From the place of meeting, Watford Station, the members walked 

 a short distance along the St. Albans road, and then across the 

 fields and by Bushey Mill to Otterspool, the residence of Mr. S. T 

 Holland. 



A chalk- and gravel-pit was first visited, and then, entering the 

 gardens opposite this pit, the springs from which Otterspool takes 

 its name were soon reached. Here the origin of the springs, the 

 position of which in the picturesque pool was distinctly seen, 

 formed a subject of discussion, and that the crevices in the chalk 

 from which they arise communicate with swallow-holes in the 

 neighbourhood of Aldenham or Butler's Green, was considered to 

 be the most probable supposition. For various points of interet, 

 connected with this pool and the chalk-pit near, reference masy 

 however, be made to the reports of former visits. J 



* Report by Mr. Littleboy. 



t ' Trans. Watford Xat. Hist. Soc.,' Vol. II, p. 9. 



X See ' Proc. Geol. Assoc.,' vol. ii, p. 44, and ' Trans. Watford Nat. Hist. 

 Soc.,' Vol. I, p. xvi. 



