Ix PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



course it was found to have taken temporary possession of the road, 

 a detour having to be made into the adjoining fiekis to avoid it, 

 and at Bourne End it was observed to be flowing through the 

 usually dry culvert under the high road in a powerful stream. 



The party then dispersed, most of the members of both Societies 

 walking to Boxmoor Station. 



PiELD Meeting, 19th May, 1883. 

 ALDENHAM, WATFORD. 



The members assembled on Bushey Mill biidge and walked 

 through Berry Grove to Aldenham, collecting on the way wild 

 flowers and other natural objects with which this swampy wood 

 abounds. Even after a long period of dry weather the foot-path 

 through the wood is wet, in fact under water in places, owing to 

 the very impervious bed of clay which forms the subsoil and fre- 

 quently the actual surface, and to which, probably, this and the 

 contiguous woods owe their survival, being remnants of a forest 

 at one time of considerable extent. The blue-bell and the wood- 

 anemone were noticed to be the plants in flower in the greatest 

 abundance, but the latter was nearly over. Athyrium Filix-foemina, 

 Lastrea spinulosa, and other ferns were gathered. 



At Aldenham the church was visited under the guidance of the 

 vicar, the Rev. C. L. Royds ; and in the Yicarage garden and 

 adjoining meadow the rare Anemone Apennina was pointed out by 

 him. The blue petals had fallen, but the plant was recognised by 

 its leaves, and Mr. Royds showed some pressed specimens which 

 he had gathered whilst the plant was in flower. 



Mr. A. E. Gibbs then made a few remarks upon the Hertfordshire 

 anemones. Only two species of Anemone were, he said, truly 

 indigenous to Britain, A. nemorosa, the wood-anemone, which is 

 common in Hertfordshire, and A. Pulsatilla, the pasque-flower, 

 which occurs on our chalky pastures and hill-sides. Two intro- 

 duced species had also become established here and there in England, 

 A. ranunculoides, the yellow anemone, reported as being found near 

 Abbot's Langley, and the plant now seen, A. Apennina, the mountain 

 anemone, which in the ' Elora Hertfordiensis ' was stated to occur 

 in three localities in Hertfordshire — Stanstead, Berkhampstead, and 

 " a wood at Aldenham." This he thought was most likely to have 

 been Berry Grove wood, which was believed to have furnished the 

 plants introduced by Lady Rendlesham, about 30 years ago, into 

 the vicarage meadow. Thus Hertfordshire possessed all the four 

 species of the genus Anemone known to be indigenous to or 

 naturalised in Britain. 



Erom the church the members proceeded to Aldenham Abbey, 

 where they were most kindly received by Mr. and Mrs. McGregor. 

 The fernery was first visited, and here Mr. Littleboy enumerated 

 the following species of ferns which he had found in Hertfordshire, 



