60 



blackbirds and thrushes were everywhere, holes of the wood- 

 pecker were seen, nests of the chaffinch and willow-warbler 

 were found, and from a noisy reception it was evident that 

 the peewits were nesting in the open meadows. 



Of plants Mr. Step says: "Butcher's broom (Ruscus 

 aculeatus) is plentiful on the Common, but there is one 

 exceptionally fine clump of eight or nine female plants about 

 four feet high. Holly {Ilex aquifolium) and hawthorn 

 (Crataegus oayacantha) were well in flower. Greater stitch- 

 wort (Stcllaria Holostea). three-nerved sandwort (Arcnaria 

 trinervia), lousewort (Pedicularis sylvatica), tuberous bitter 

 vetch (Lathyrus macrorrhizus) , blue -bell (Scilla nutans), 

 needlewhin (Genista anglica), and bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus 

 corniculatus) were the most noticeable flowers. In the same 

 district earlier in the day, but not on the Common, Messrs. 

 Step and Turner had found the green-winged orchis (Orchis 

 morio) in abundance, and in the same fields, though of 

 course not yet in flower, a profusion of dyer's-greenweed 

 (Genista tinctoria),' adder's-tongue fern (Ophioglossum vulga- 

 iiini), and St. George's mushroom (Tricholoma gambosum)." 



JUNE St/i, 1907. 



Field Meeting on Netley Heath. 



Leader: Mr. W. J. Kaye, F.E.S. 



Upon this occasion the novel expedient was tried of an 

 al fresco tea on the collecting ground, and although very little 

 entomology was possible owing to the backward season in 

 this high and exposed locality, general enjoyment was very 

 freely expressed by the numerous members and friends who 

 took part. The large number of thirty-three attended, of 

 whom thirty-one actually sat down on Netley Heath, the 

 tea having been brought up by Mr. and Mrs. Kaye in their 

 motor-car. Doubtless the dearth of insects was also 

 partially due to the occurrence of an extensive fire about 

 fifteen months previously. Those, however, who walked to 

 the Heath via the Sheep Leas picked up some nice insects 

 by the way, and observed some interesting plants. Two of 

 the most interesting moths known to occur on the Heath 

 were hardly observed. Only one specimen of Hcmaris 

 fuciformis was seen, although the rhododendrons were well 

 in flower, the cold, damp weather that had prevailed 



