46 



Report of the Ranmore Common Field Meeting, 

 June 7th, 1902. 



By E. Step, F.L.S. Read July lot/i, 1902. 



No more unfortunate date could have been selected for a field 

 meeting, for though the morning was only showery with alternations 

 of sunshine, the afternoon was consistently wet throughout, varied 

 only by an occasional deluge. Although the attendance was com- 

 paratively small (nineteen), it was large when meteorological conditions 

 are taken into account. But it was altogether too wet for systematic 

 work, even for snail-hunting, which would have been a great success 

 in this neighbourhood on a merely showery day. Little wonder, 

 then, that I have been favoured with only one list, that of Lepidoptera 

 from Mr. Carr, which is as follows: — Anthocharis cardamines, Vanessa 

 polychloros, Thanaos tages, Lyae/ia iairies, Cya/iiris {Lyccena) argiolus, 

 Coenonympha pamphilus, Polyommatus phhi'as, Lithosia aureola 

 isoro)ruIa), Rumia cratcegata, Bap fa tamiuata, B. tetnerata, Asthena 

 candidata, Alelanippe rivata, Pyrausta purput-alis. 



Larv.b. — Tce7iiocampa cruda, Cosmia irapezi/ia, Cheimatobia 

 brumata, Hybernia defoliaria, Oporabia dilutata, Eicpithecia sobrinata. 



The only Mollusca actually observed were Cydostoma ekgans, 

 Helix pomatia, H. aspersa, and H. ca?iiia/ia. 



Respecting H. pojnatia, I would like to remind members that at 

 Reigate on June 9th, 1894, as recorded in our "Proceedings," we made 

 the discovery that an underground chamber as large as the shell is 

 excavated to receive the eggs of this snail, and is hidden by a roof 

 of earth agglutinated by slime. In all the intervening years, residence 

 far from pomatia's haunts always prevented my verification of the 

 observations then made. On June 7th, 1902, within a couple of 

 days of the Reigate date, I had the pleasure of showing several 

 members in Westhumble Lane the various stages in this egg-laying 

 process. There were specimens excavating the holes with the "foot," 

 there were others actually ovipositing, and some who were roofing in 

 the furnished egg-chamber. I think this is worth recording, as it 

 seems to indicate that June 7th is about the regular date to observe 

 this process. 



The following plants were in flower : — Aquilegia vulgaris, Cheli- 

 donimn juajus, Polygala vulgaris, Geranium robertianmn, Geum 

 urbanum, Poterium sanguisorba, Sanicula europcea, Anthriscus 

 sylvesfris, Galium cruciata, Asperula odorata, Centaurea cyanus, 

 Myosotis sylvatica, Cynoglossum officinale, Veronica officinalis, V. 

 ^hamcedrys, Lathrcca squamaria, Lamium album, L. galeobdolon, 

 Ajuga reptans, Habenaria conopsea, H. bifolia (sub-sp. chlora/itlia), 

 Sciila nutans, Ornithogalum umbellatum. Arum maculatum. 



