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THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
implements have received much attention from Mr. Worthington Smith, Mr.
Corder, Mr. Kenworthy, and Mr. Laver. Prof. Meldola's paper read at the
British Association has been printed by us in extenso.6 Mr. Holmes has con-
tributed some very pertinent remarks on the same subject,7 and I believe that our
Secretary has commenced compiling a catalogue of the pre-historic remains in
Essex—a very necessary and useful piece of work.
(II).—The erosion of our sea-coasts, a subject of the greatest importance, has
been only incidentally referred to by us, but Mr. Spurrell's paper on "The Essex
Shore and Marshes of the Thames," and my own remarks on Othona at the
Maldon Meeting, show that great changes in the coast-line of our county have
taken place through river and tidal action. An attempt to ascertain the extent of
these changes should be made, and a knowledge of the actions at present going on
should be obtained, not only on the coasts, but also in the case of the large sands
abutting thereon.8 If the physical changes have not been so historically important
in Essex as in Kent and Suffolk, they are at least the effect of a general law, and
how the "law of Eastward drift" has affected us by washing away in one district
and accumulating expanses of sand and mud in others is an inquiry of the greatest
moment, from which results commensurate with the difficulty of the work might be
expected. According to some authorities the sea is gaining on our own coast at the
rate of a yard per annum. 9 This is by no means uniform, as in some districts the
long line of flat saltings is increasing and growing by the deposit of detrital matter.
(III.)—The character and position of erratic blocks and boulders should be
recorded as speedily as possible. They are not very numerous in Essex, and being
mostly of comparatively small size, their existence in situ is not likely to be per-
manent. The Rev. A. W. Rowe has made a special study of many of these
boulders, and has described some in our Journal, and although he has now removed
from our county, we trust his interest in it after his long sojourn within its borders
will not be suffered to grow cold. Every member should make a careful examina-
tion of any boulder he may meet with, and, if possible, endeavour to get its com-
position correctly determined by a skilled petrologist. Observations on patches of
erratic gravel (cf. Essex Naturalist, vol. i, p. 152) are valuable in the same
connection. These facts should at once be communicated to our Secretary for
publication.
(IV.)—Life-histories of plants, i.e., from the seed up to the production of fruit
and seed again. Many interesting facts, even about our commonest plants, may
be known to some observers that should form good material to bring before a local
society such as ours. By following the suggestions drawn up by Prof. Bayley
Balfour, published in last year's B. A. Report, it will be seen how easy it is for our
younger botanists to do valuable independent work in this direction. That the
subject is one of special scientific interest, we have only to recall Sir John
Lubbock's paper before the Linnean Society, "Phyto-biological Observations on
the Forms of Seedlings and the Causes to which they are Due" (Jour. Linn.
6 Trans: E.F. Club, vol. iv, 116.
7 Essex Naturalist, vol. i, pp. 73—81.
8 For instance, what is known about Buxey ? Was it ever a park ?— a tradition to which the
name lends some colour.
9 "History of Essex by a Gentleman," vol. vi, p. 75.