66 THE PAST AND FUTURE OF THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
obtaining a list of subscribers sufficient, at least, to cover the cost of
production. But though the non-success—in a pecuniary point of
view—of the Report on the Essex Earthquake has combined with a
much more powerful influence, the non-payment of subscriptions, to
retard the issue of our ordinary "Transactions" and "Proceedings," yet
by means of a special effort on the part of some of the more zealous
members, our publications are now, if not brought quite up to date,
yet by no means so far behind as to imperil our future prospects.
For no scientific society that allows its publications to fall behind,
can expect to maintain a high reputation, authors being unanimous
in preferring the speedy printing of their productions. And the more
valuable the paper, the less likely is it to be sent to a society back-
ward in this respect, its author being certain, of more favourable
conditions elsewhere.
Our new mode of publication, that of a monthly journal, will, I
trust, be found an advantage in many ways. It is certainly much
better adapted than a yearly part to keep alive and active the interest
of our members, many of whom will now feel that short notes hitherto
sent to Essex newspapers would have a better chance of permanent
preservation in the pages of the Essex Naturalist. Such notes
would hardly have been forwarded by our most devoted members
for an annual part, their speedy publication being in many cases
absolutely essential, if they are to have any practical value. And
we, doubtless, have many members who, not caring to attempt elabo-
rate papers, would have pleasure in sending notes on the appearance,
locally, of some rare animal or plant, the nature of some new geolo-
gical section, the proposed exploration or destruction of some ancient
earthwork, or the discovery of some remarkable prehistoric or fossil
remains. Indeed, apart from personal observations, our editor will
be very glad to receive extracts and cuttings from any books or
newspapers, bearing upon the subjects in which this Field Club is
interested. On the other hand, I do not think any serious difficulty-
is likely to arise from the combination of the "Transactions" and
"Proceedings" in the same Journal. Few of our papers ever exceed
more than forty printed pages, and it is obvious that one of that
length, if printed, partly in a number of thirty-two pages, and partly
in one of twenty-four pages, would still leave sixteen pages for other
matter, and if so placed as to occupy the latter part of the earlier
number, and the first pages of its successor, would appear as a con-
tinuous whole when the numbers were bound. Indeed, the chief