THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



275 



from their appearance at the time I should 

 think there is a great deal," rejoined the 

 former. But I believe sir, it has been proved 

 that they are incapable of the sense of feel- 

 ing," pursued the other. " That many men 

 are I have no doubt," was the quiet reply. 



Fairmead Lodge was reached at about 

 twenty minutes past five, and previous to 

 adjourning for a sumptuous tea, an inspec- 

 tion was made of the remarkable oak tree 

 growing at this spot. A measurement was 

 taken of its gnarled trunk, and the circum- 

 ference was ascertained to be thirty-one 

 feet. At half-past five the repast was served, 

 grace being pronounced by the Rev. J. De 

 Kewer Williams, and after such a bracing 

 tour it may be imagined that Nature had 

 again asserted its importance in another 

 sense, and that full justice was done to the 

 viands. This over, Dr. Cooke who presided, 

 said it was not their custom at such gather- 

 ings to indulge in toasts, else as loyal people 

 they would know where to begin. He wished, 

 on the part of their society to express the 

 pleasure at which they met their friends 

 and visitors there that day. They were 

 also glad to meet Mr. Cole the hon. sec. of 

 the Essex Field Club, a gentleman whom 

 they had often seen before. He (the speaker) 

 considered an apology was due to that 

 society for entrenching on their domain. 

 The Essex society were in a sense the 

 custodians of the Forest — the custos rohilorum 

 — and thanks were due to them for the 

 permission so accorded. 



Mr. Cole said he feared he did not merit 

 the kind words the president had spoken. 

 His club could hardly lay claim to the 

 honour referred to, because the Hackney 

 Club had been established two or three 

 years before the Essex. Epping Forest had 

 always been a favourite resort for the 

 London rough— (prolonged laughter)— he 

 meant to say, previous to public attention 

 being so forcibly directed to it, and it was 

 creditable to the Hackney Natural History 



Society to think they had taken a deep 

 interest in the preservation of it. 



The Chairman then called upon Mr. 

 Worthington Smith who read an able paper 

 on " Species in Fungi : Uredo, Pucinia, 

 and iEcidium." 



Mr. Hardy (who occupied the vice-chair) 

 said that among the men of light and leading 

 with whose presence they were favoured 

 that night was a gentleman whom they were 

 glad to see — he meant the Rev. De Kewer 

 Williams. (Applause.) 



The reverend gentleman briefly acknow- 

 ledged the compliment, observing that 

 although the society had been kind enough 

 to invite him previously he was only able to 

 be present for the first time that day. As 

 for Natural History he was a specimen 

 himself and consequently had a vested in- 

 terest in it. (Laughter.) If he received many 

 more lessons such as he had had that day, 

 he might become quite learned in it. He 

 approved of their objects, for he held that 

 even the meanest work of the greatest 

 artists was well worth study. (Hear, hear.) 



The company then repaired to an 

 adjoining room, where the fungi were very 

 minutely criticised. There were about sixty 

 specimens, including the following : — A . 

 maculatus, Boletus badius, Paxillus involutes, 

 Agaricus mucidus, Scleroderma vulgari, Agaricus 

 rubescens, Paxillus atrotmentosus, Boletus ver- 

 sipelis. Among the rarest were two of a spe- 

 cies never found in Great Britain before, and 

 three new to Epping Forest. The first-named 

 was : — Hypnum diversidens ; the other three, 

 Agaricus omp.oniscus, Agaricus coll. platyphylli, 

 Paxillus atrotomentosus. The society considers 

 that by these discoveries alone, the affair 

 was a conspicuous success. With this the 

 Fungus Foray of September 26th was 

 brought to a conclusion. The specimens, 

 I was informed, would be exhibited at the 

 general meeting of the society, which was 

 announced for the ensuing Wednesday at 

 the Morley Hall. 



