To the Black Pond the distance was a short one, but yet some of 

 our party, who had strayed from the rest, failed to find it ; and as the 

 afternoon was wearing on, none were able to stay there any length of 

 time, though the delicate green of the birches against the sombre 

 tint of the firs makes a picture at this period of the year well worth 

 the time occupied in examining it. 



Leaving the pond by the corner near the large ants' nest, our path 

 lay along a swampy hollow with a thick undergrowth of Spanish 

 chestnut not yet in leaf, and tall tussocks of coarse grass. Here 

 there is plenty to occupy the attention of the naturalist, but we were 

 obliged to hurry on, stopping only to notice near the edge of a 

 plantation on the right a very peculiar beech tree. Two straight, 

 almost parallel trunks spring up from one root, and some yards above 

 the ground two large branches effectually reunite, forming a kind of 

 Siamese twins arrangement — the best instance of the kind that I 

 know, though I once saw a much stranger freak of the same kind 

 at Ashley Park, near ^^'alton, where a large bough of a hornbeam 

 had grown right through an oak, and come out on the other side in 

 two places, where it could be recognised by the leaves it bore. 



The swamp being left behind, the ground rose somewhat. We 

 passed the large pits of yellow sand on our left, and approached the 

 escarpment, from the edge of which we were able to look down on 

 the little hollow in which stands Oxshott station, hidden, however, 

 amongst the trees. Before descending most paused, no doubt to 

 look around, if only to locate the spot where on the horizon in front 

 can be seen distinctly the break in the hills, through which the Mole 

 passes at Box Hill. 



But the inner man was protesting against any further halt, for at 

 the foot of the slope could be seen the well-known cottage where 

 Mrs. Meikle had tea awaiting us. But a trying ordeal had to be 

 gone through before we might enjoy our well-earned rest. Mr. 

 Clarke had one plate left — a photographic one, I mean, — and as 

 the light was failing we had to obey his orders, and group ourselves 

 in front of a hedge close by. Needless to say the photograph was a 

 success, of which fact Mr. Clarke was kind enough to convince the 

 party in a very practical manner. 



Tea over, it was time for those who intended to catch the earlier 

 train to make for the station. A small number of the party, how- 

 ever, elected to stay for the later train to do a little "dusking." 

 The wind had dropped and the evening was pleasant, but very little 

 was moving, and the " bag," small enough before, was not sensibly 

 increased by the longer stay ; but the quiet stroll along the margin 

 of the darkening fir-woods made a fitting ending to an enjoyable 

 excursion. 



Now to turn our attention for a short time to the results of the 

 meeting from the collector's point of view. Mr. A. O. Rowden, who 

 attended to the Flora, was able to compile a list of some fifty species 

 found in blossom. There were five buttercups, Ratutnculus aquatih's, 



