484 



through forest destruction and cultivation, are now fast dis- 

 appearing in England. The English species were closely allied 

 to those of the Continent, from which they were introduced 

 after the passing of the ice age. Geological, soil, and climatic 

 conditions have an important bearing on plant life. Mrs. 

 Osborn said that the whole of England was mapped for survey- 

 ing vegetation, by means of vegetation maps, so as to indicate 

 just where the different plant-colonies are ; but it was some- 

 what difficult to determine the area of plant-communities, as 

 there was now only a small part of the country covered by 

 forests. The wholesale destruction of these forests in England 

 has been the means of an entirely different vegetation occupying 

 the ground in the now peaty and water-logged country. Much 

 of the famous moorlands, heathlands, and fernlands were use- 

 less on this account. Several beautiful slides of English wild 

 flowers were shown by Mrs. Osborn. 



Excursions. 



During the year fifteen excursions were held, and a wide 

 range of field and marine work was covered. The attendances 

 were satisfactory, and members were able to add considerably 

 to their knowledge and to their natural history collections. 



On September 28, 1912, the Waterfall Gully was visited 

 and investigations were conducted in the upper reaches of the 

 creek. Operations were somewhat hampered by the destruc- 

 tion of native flora that had occurred by fire, and only a limited 

 number of species was collected. 



On October 9 a whole day was devoted to visiting Hermit- 

 age, a somewhat unfrequented spot, north-west of Houghton. 

 Members found the country typically representative of our 

 native flora, and surprise was expressed at the field of explora- 

 tion that it afforded members. Hermitage is proud of its repu- 

 tation as an orchid ground, and no fewer than twenty species 

 were discovered in flower, the majority by Dr. and Mrs. R. S. 

 Rogers. The scrub-lands also afforded many opportunities for 

 garnering in a wide selection of blooms, while the gullies and 

 the swamps also proved useful collecting grounds. Mr. 

 H. H. D. Griffiths discovered some fine specimens of the genus 

 Marchantia sp., while an interesting collection of fungi and 

 mosses, numbering eighteen or twenty species, was made by 

 Professor and Mrs. T. G. B. Osborn, who explained them to 

 the members. The weather was most unfavourable for 

 entomological work, yet many uncommon specimens were 

 brought to light by our hard-working entomologist, Mr. 

 Griffiths. 



On October 19 the Section visited Slape Gully, which is 

 approachable by foot only. At this time of the year orchid 



