Report of the Ashtead to Mickleham Field Meeting, 

 May i6th, 1903. 



Conducted by Edward Step, F.L.S. Read May iZth, 1903. 



The field-meeting season has again begun under unfavourable 

 meteorological conditions. Though the morning of May i6th 

 opened with bright sunshine, it was cloudy and dull before noon, 

 and the members alighted at Ashtead during a smart shower. So 

 unpromising was the outlook that a number of those in attendance 

 elected to go farther by train and join the main body at Mickleham. 



The route from Ashtead Station ran across the village and via 

 Rectory Lane to the Downs, until the old Ermyn Way was reached, 

 along which the party journeyed to Headley Lane. There were 

 scarcely any insects observed on the wing, and the vegetation was 

 too wet to sweep or beat. On the other hand, the moisture was too 

 recent to have awakened the snails, with the exception of Helix 

 pomatia, which swarmed in the narrow lane by the copse above 

 Ashtead — much farther north than I had believed them to exist in 

 this neighbourhood. The activity of this species was obviously 

 connected with pairing. 



The spring flowers were all but over, and the more characteristic 

 chalk flora had not begun to blossom, so that there is very little 

 to record in this department. Hedge garlic {Sisymbrium alliaria) 

 and beaked parsley {Anthriscus sylvestris) lined all the hedges, and 

 the greater stitchwort {Stellaria holostea\ the germander speedwell 

 ( Veronica chamcedrys), and ivy-leaved speedwell ( V. hederccfolia) were 

 abundant. The greater celandine {Chelido7iium majus) y^diS in flower 

 at Ashtead. Wild hyacinths {Scilla nutans) abundant in the copses, 

 and ground ivy {Nepeta glechoma) and bugle {AJuga repfa?is) made 

 blue the hedge-bottoms, where the cuckoo-pint {Arutn maculatuni) 

 was also conspicuous. A few blooms of cowslip {Primula veris), 

 pilewort {Ranunculus ficaria), and moschatel {Adoxa moschatelhna) 

 lingered to show that spring was not quite ended. The wayfaring- 

 tree ( Viburfium la?tta?ia), was of course abundant on the chalk, as 

 also was the wild strawberry {Fragaria vesca). Winter cress 

 {Barbarea vulgaris) was noted in flower at Ashtead and on 

 Mickleham Downs. 



Birds and their nests in considerable variety were plentiful. Mr. 

 Turner has supplied me with a list of those he noted ; the nests 

 including those of blackbird (common), song thrush (common), 

 greenfinch (common), hedgesparrow, bullfinch, chaffinch, ringdove, 



