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Report of the Mickleham Field Meeting-, June 22nd, 1901. 



By W. J. AsHDOWN and E. Step, F.L.S. Read August ?>th. 



It is probable that the large attendance of members at this field 

 meeting was mainly due to the fact that eleven years had elapsed 

 since our last visit to the same ground. The meeting-place was 

 Ashtead Station, and several members who had gone thither by an 

 earlier train spent the interval on the common, beating the haw- 

 thorns and blackthorns for larvse and getting many Tliecia betulie 

 among other species. The train by which the majority travelled was 

 late, so that it was nearly 4 p.m. when a start was made for Ashtead 

 village. Hence, by the lane to the right of the " Leg of Mutton and 

 Cauliflower," we proceeded to the higher land of the chalk downs. 



At a little distance from the village our lane became a narrow 

 track between tall, untrimmed bushes of hazel, wayfaring-tree, sweet 

 chestnut, beech, and a few walnuts. Here, on the seed-pods of hedge- 

 garlic, the larvse of E. cardauiines were fairly plentiful. Our foot- 

 path soon brought us to an expanse of rough, uncultivated land, 

 where the greater knapweed {Centaurea scabiosa) was the most con- 

 spicuous plant. A note from Mr. Turner (whom we had not yet 

 seen) was found here directing attention to the abundant broom- 

 rapes, of which some fine specimens were found, including the great 

 broomrape {Orobatiche major), its sub-species {O. elatior), and the 

 small broomrape {O. minor). Here were also the two wild 

 mignonettes {Reseda lutea and R. luteola), the wild parsnip 

 iyPeucedanum sativum), the rock-rose i^Helianthemum vulgare), etc. 

 Young partridges and pheasants were noted, and a nest with eggs of 

 the meadow pipit {Anthus pratensis) was photographed. 



A little further and we turned into the ancient Ermyn Street, 

 which we followed southward, now between wood and copse of 

 beech, hazel, and dogwood, where wild hop {Huimilus lupulus) and 

 traveller's joy {^Clematis vitalba) scrambled over the bushes, and 

 where in one place we saw the two bryonies {Bryo7iia dioica 

 and Tanius co??imufiis) twined together, and both flowering. 

 Peewits were screaming over the uplands, and a robin's nest with 

 two young birds was discovered in a bank. A steep section of the 

 path now brought us to the more open land of Leatherhead Downs, 

 and a corresponding rise introduced us to fir plantations, between 

 which the ground was carpeted with heath bedstraw (^Galium 

 saxatile), wild thyme {Thymus serpyllu^n), yellow stonecrop {Seduju 

 acre), more rock-rose and milkwort {Po/ygala vulgaris). Here, too, were 

 barberry {Berberis vulgaris), pepperwort {Lepidium campestre), which 

 afforded a few more E. cardamines larvae, and an abundance of sombre- 

 hued junipers {Juniperus communis) and yews {Taxns baccata). There 



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