26 



Report of a Field Meeting held at Ashtead and Epsom, 

 May 14th, 1904. 



By Edward Step, F.L.S. Read September 22nd, 1904. 



A CONSIDERABLE amount of faith in the weather was required on 

 the part of members undertaking to attend the first field meeting 

 of the year ; but that faith was abundantly justified by the glorious 

 sunshine that greeted the advance section when they alighted in the 

 morning. The time prior to the arrival of the afternoon section was 

 spent in exploration of an eastern portion of Ashtead Common, and 

 the lanes around Ashtead Park and the Downs above. The united 

 party ascended the Common and skirted the woods to its northern 

 boundary, and then struck across Epsom Common to the town, 

 spending some time eii route at the Stew Pond and a smaller pond 

 close by. 



Very few lists have been received from members present, so that 

 the subjoined record of captures and observations must not be 

 regarded as at all complete. 



The plants in flower included : Hawthorn {Cratagiis oxyacantha), 

 blackthorn {Frunus spinosa), crab {Fyrus malus), lady's smock 

 {Cardamine prate fisis), stitchwort {Stefiaria holostea), wood violet 

 {Viola sylvestris), jack-by-the-hedge {Sisymbrium a/Haria), goldielocks 

 {Rufiiificulus auricomus), bugle {Ajuga reptans), winter cress {Barbarea 

 vulgaris), water crowfoot {Ranunculus trichopliyllus), wood anemone 

 {Anemone fiemorosa), primrose {Primula vulgaris), cowslip {F. veris), 

 slender tare {Vicia tetrasperma), wayfaring tree ( Viburnum Ian tana), 

 beaked parsley {CluErophvllum sylvestris), thyme-leavtd speedwell 

 ( Veronica serpyllifolia), germander speedwell ( V. chamcedrys), celan- 

 dine {Chelidonium niajus), bluebell {Scilla nutans), needle-whin 

 {Genista anglica). 



The Stew Pond on Epsom Common, and a small pond surrounded 

 by willows near it, yielded spiked water-milfoil {MyriophyUum 

 spicatum), water thyme {Anacharis alsinastrum), water starwort 

 {Callitriche verna), ivy-leaved duckweed {Lemna trisulca), floating 

 pondweed {Fota?nogeton natans), stonewort {Chara vulgaris). From 

 these ponds Mr. West, L. D.S., obtained a number of microscopic 

 organisms, including Vaginicola, Vorticella, Volvox globator, Stentor 

 miUleri, Floscularia cornuta, Stephanoceros eichornii, Melicerta ringens, 

 as well as the two polyps Hydra vulgaris and H. viridis. In the 

 same ponds were many of the aquatic Coleoptera and Hemiptera, 

 chiefly attended to by Messrs. West (Greenwich and Ashby), and, of 

 course, the smooth newt {Lissotriton punctaius), and the warty newt 

 {Triton cristatus). 



