xlii 
Journal of Proceedings. 
above their fellows, and gave the charm of odour. The way taken was 
across the alluvial meadows of the Eoding River, from which the hay had 
hardly been carted, to the little White Bridge at the “ Cascade,” guarded 
by three fine (Wych?) elms, and so to the site and remains of 
“ Luxborough House,” a low-lying homestead, surrounded by luxuriant 
fruit-gardens, now in the occupation of Messrs. Cowe and Tidball, who 
very kindly threw their grounds open to the party. 
Here a long halt was called to enable our “Pond-hunters” to make 
innumerable experimental dips with little bottles, hooks, and nets, into 
the weedy moat and ponds. All were soon at work, Mr. Kent being very 
desirous of obtaining fresh examples of water-mites (called by the initiated 
Rydraclinidce) for exhibition later on. They were scarce, and only a very 
few could be fished up, but Mr. Kent identified the following species 
Nescea convexa , Koch ; N. fuscator, Koch; Marica musculus, Muller, sp.; 
Arrenurus globator, Miiller, sp.; A. buccinator , Muller, sp.; A. maculator , 
Muller, sp.; Limnesia fulgida, Duges. 
The curious little “Water-fleas” {Dapl ini a and Cyclop. s) were in 
excessive numbers, and Mr. Oxley soon dipped sufficient to make the 
contents of his collecting bottle assume a very lively appearance, thousands 
and thousands of the active creatures (nothing to do with real fleas by- 
the-bye, being distant relations of the lobsters) darting and dodging 
through the water like a swarm of aquatic bees. Many strange and 
bizarre forms of life met our gaze in the bottles as they came up with 
samples of the ooze and water of the ponds; but though them size was 
small their names were Johnsonian and terrific, and such words as 
Entomostraca, Paramcecium, Vorticella, and Planaria, were freely 
bandied about by our experts. Mr. Thomas had visited the ponds and 
river the previous day, where he found the Presh-water Sponge (Spongia 
fluviatilis ), and the following species of Infusoria :— Anthophysa vegetans , 
Muller; Opercularia nutans , Elir.; Vaginicola crystallina, Ehr.; V. tincta, 
Ehr.; Oplirydium eichornii , Ehr.; Acineta mystacina, Ehr., var. (a 
form which Mr. Thomas thought might be a new species, but which Mr. 
Saville Kent has referred to the var. longipes of Meresclikowsky.—See 
‘ Manual of the Infusoria,’ 884.) 
Dr. Cooke and Mr. English of course kept a sharp look-out for any 
stray Fungus:— Agaricus ( Collybia ) dryophilus, Bull., A. ( Clitophilus) 
prunulus, Fr., A. ( Inocybe ) rimosus, Bull., and Russula furcata, Fr., 
were identified ; and at the foot of an elm tree a fine group of A. (Psatiny- 
rella) dissemiatus, Er., gladdened the eyes of our mycologists. Many 
flowering plants were noticed, but all common species— Galium verum , 
Lythrum, Nasturtium, and plenty of Rumex hydrolapathum in the ditches. 
A sharp shower once drove the naturalists to the shelter of the walls and 
garden-houses, and after the fishing was over the party gathered together 
in the flower-garden, where an abundant supply of summer fruit, fresh 
gathered from the grounds, with milk from Mr. Chilton’s farm, was pro¬ 
vided by the thoughtful kindness of the President and Secretary. Mr. 
