87
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Ordinary Meeting, Saturday, February 23rd, 1889.
The ninety-ninth Ordinary Meeting of the Club was held at the Loughton Public
Hall at 7 o'clock, Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the chair.
The following were elected Members of the Club : —Messrs. A. J. Furbank,
H. Thornhill Roxby, and Miss Eva Christy.
Letters of thanks for their election as Honorary Members of the Club were read
from Dr. John Evans, F.R.S. (President of the Society of Antiquaries), and Mr.
E. M. Holmes, F.L.S. (Curator of the Pharmaceutical Society).
The Librarian announced many additions to the Library by exchange, pur-
chase, and donation, and thanks were voted to the donors.
The Librarian also read a letter from the Royal Society, stating that the Club
had been placed on the "Exchange List," so far as the "Proceedings, R.S."
were concerned, and that consequently the "Proceedings" would in future be
forwarded to the Club's Library.
Mr. Edmund Durrant, Hon. Lecturer of the Essex Bee-Keepers' Association,
then delivered a very interesting lecture on "Bees and Bee-keeping," which was
illustrated by means of many specially-prepared slides, shown by means of the
oxy-hydrogen lantern, by Mr. A. P. Wire; and specimens of "Bee-furniture"
and "Bee-masters' appliances." The lecturer treated, in the most interesting
manner, of the following subjects :—
Inhabitants of a Hive, and what they do ; How Wax is made, Combs built,
and Brood raised, &c. ; Queen raising and Artificial Swarms ; Bee Stings and
their treatment; Bees and the weather ; Bees and Earthquakes ; Curious Super-
stitions and Queer Sayings about Bees ; Burning condemned ; Driving recom-
mended and explained ; Advantages of the Improved Straw and Modern Bar-
framed Hives ; Supering ; Bee Associations : their use, and the good work they
do; Enemies of Bees; Diseases of Bees; Wintering and Feeding; Bee
Flowers, &c., &c.
A long and interesting discussion on many points in connection with the
structure, habits, and instincts of bees was carried on by the Chairman, Mr.
Meggy, Mr. Gillham, Mr. White, Mr. Greatheed, Mr. Ridley, Mr. Letchford, &c.,
and Mr. Durrant replied to several questions asked. A very hearty vote of thanks
was passed to the lecturer on the motion of the Chairman.
The following paper was read :—"A list of the works on the Geology, &c., of
Essex," by W. Whitaker, B.A., F.R.S., F.G.S., and W. H. Dalton, F.G.S.
See ante pp. 61—86.
Owing to the lateness of the hour, various exhibits and observations thereon
were postponed.
Mr. H. A. Sauze exhibited under the microscope various slides illustrating the
anatomy of Hymenoptera, and Mr. F. W. Elliott brought up nests of Vespa
norvegica and V. germanica, and has sent to the Secretary the following remarks
on the same :—
" On 21st July, 1888, I removed a nest of Vespa norvegica from a mountain-ash
in Woodford, and fastened it to a chestnut-tree in my own garden at Buckhurst
Hill. In little more than a week the nest was empty. A few of the wasps I
believe, not including the queen, had been left behind when the nest was removed,
and on the 11th of August I took from the same mountain-ash a pretty little
secondary nest. It was about the size of a large apple, and contained only four