THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 269 
alpine species, often abundant on turf near the edge of melting snow ; 
it has not been obtained in Britain. 
Didymium nigripes Fries.—Abundant on holly leaves. 
I), squamulosum (A. & S.) Fries.—On holly leaves. 
Colloderma oculatum (Lippert) G. Lister.—A group of three pale 
young sporangia was found by Mr. Ross on one of the living hornbeams 
near where he had observed it during the previous winter. We saw 
none on the mossy turf (consisting of Campylopus pyriformis) around 
the base of a birch stump where it had flourished two years ago, but 
I brought home a lump of moss from this spot and after keeping it moist 
for four weeks a crop of Colloderma sporangia made its appearance, showing 
that the plasmodium was still living in its old haunt in the moss. 
Stemonitis fusca Roth.—Several conspicuous masses of white plas¬ 
modium were found on dead wood, which developed into typical sporangia 
indoors. 
Comatricha nigra (Pers.) Schroet.—On sticks. 
Enteridium olivaceum Ehrenb.—Found on a living hornbeam trunk 
some distance from the ground, but probably on wood that was dead, 
in rosy pink plasmodium. This matured later into typical dark brown 
aethalia. In this stage, it is very inconspicuous, and may often escape 
detection. 
Dictydicsthalium plumbeum (Schum.) Rost.—One aethalium was 
found on a log. 
Lycogala epidendrum (L.) Fries.—One weathered aethalium obtained. 
Trichi a verrucosa Berk.—When first found the clusters of immature 
oval white sporangia on long reddish stalks, were striking objects as 
they were seen projecting from the lower side of an old oak log. After 
being kept moist for a week, the sporangia assumed the typical yellow 
colour and the elaters and spores became perfectly developed. This 
is a new record for Essex. It is not a common species in Britain, but 
I have seen specimens from Surrey, Sussex, Hertfordshire, Notting¬ 
hamshire, Yorkshire, Northumberland, from North and South Wales, 
from Moffat, and from near Forres. The only European specimen I know 
of is from Portugal ; but T. verrucosa is a widely-distributed species, and 
has been obtained from the State of Washington, from Mexico, Chili, 
Brazil, the West Indies, japan, and, abundantly, from New Zealand 
and New South Wales. 
Trichia varia Pers.—Many specimens were found on logs and old 
stumps. 
T. decipiens (Pers.) Macbr.—Weathered sporangia only seen. 
T. Botrytis Pers.—Young purple sporangia were forming on dead wcod- 
Arcyria cinerea (Bull.) Pers., A. pomiformis (Leers) Rost., A. denudata 
(L.) Sheldon, A. nutans, and Periclicena depressa were also found sparingly 
on dead wood. 
After tea, short addresses on the finds of the day were given by our 
Conductors, and votes of thanks were accorded to them by acclama¬ 
tion. Then the Members wended their way in the deep dusk through 
the Forest back to Loughton and Chingford stations. 
