24
ANNUAL REPORT OF
Ingatestone and Writtle Park, at Brentwood and Weald Hall (in conjunction with
the Geologists' Association) at Saffron Walden and Bartlow Hills, at Burnham,
Southend and Leigh (two days' Meeting) at Bishop's Stortford, Hatfield Forest,
and Hyde Hall, at Walton-on-Naze, while the 10th Annual Cryptogamic Meeting
was held at Epping and Theydon Bois.
At several of the Meetings the utmost kindness was shown to the Club by
some of our members. At Writtle Park the Club was received at luncheon by
Mr. and Mrs. Colley; at Weald Hall, Mr. and Mrs. Tower treated their visitors
with the greatest hospitality and kindness—at Saffron Walden, Mrs. Tuke provided
a most refreshing "afternoon-tea" for the members. The Burnham and Southend
Meeting was rendered the greatest success of the season by the great hospitality
of Mr. and Mrs. John Rogers, and by the loan of the steamer for the trip by Mr.
Rogers, and Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, junior. At Hyde Hall, Mr. and Mrs. Mann
again extended their lavish hospitality to the Club. To all these kind friends, the
Council, on behalf of the members, returns its most grateful thanks. Few Societies
have met with more kind acknowledgment by residents than the Essex Field Club
during the past few years, and it is one of the most encouraging features of our
progress as a county Club. It is not the mere material benefits which are so
grateful, but the kindly recognition of the Club in the manner shown of late is
most pleasant to all who have its interests at heart.
At the above Meetings also most helpful co-operation has been rendered by
many members and non-members. The reports of the Meetings give evidence of
such assistance and of the way it was appreciated by the members, but the Council
is happy to acknowledge the aid afforded by the following gentlemen at various
Meetings during the season, and to thank them most cordially for the same :—
Rev. C. L. Acland, Prof. Boulger, F.L.S., Mr. F. Chancellor, Mr. Miller
Christy, Mr. Joseph Clarke, F.S.A., Mr. Joshua Clarke, F.L.S., Mr. E. Charles-
worth, F.G.S., Dr. M. C. Cooke, Mr. E. Durrant, Mr. W. H. Dalton, F.G.S., Mr.
E. A. Fitch, Mr. F. Foster, Mrs. Gibson, Mr. J. E. Harting, F.L.S., Mr. R. S.
Hemes, F.G.S., Mr. J. A. Houblon, J.P., Mr. George Joslin, Rev. Canon King,
Mr. H. W. King, Dr. Laver, Very Rev. Canon Last, Mr. H. W. Monckton, F.G.S.,
Mr. G. N, Maynard, Dr. J. Murie, F.L.S., Mr. George Massee, F.R.M.S., Mr. J.
T. Powell, Mr. G. E. Pritchett, F.S.A., Rev. F. S. Smith, Rev. Dr. Swete, Mr .
Murray Tuke, Mr. Ed. Taylor, F.L.S., Dr. J. E. Taylor, F.G.S., Mr. H. B. Wood-
ward, F.G.S., Mr. W. White, Mr. C. A. Wright, F.L.S., Mr. A. P. Wire and
others.
The Council is very desirous that the Meetings of the Club should be made
more directly useful to the members in encouraging them to take part in the
practical study of natural history, geology, and the other branches of science
embraced in the programme of the Club. This matter formed the main theme of
the President's address read at the last Annual Meeting (Essex Naturalist, iii.
95 no). In what way assistance can be best given is still a somewhat difficult
matter to decide, but the Council will be glad to receive any suggestions from
members and others, and to act upon them where practicable. The giving of good
practical instruction is mainly a question of expense; the Club receives often most
valuable scientific aid from its own members and from friends of the Society, but
the Council could not ask hard-working scientific men to afford systematic
assistance in the form of demonstrations in the lecture-room and in the field,
without remuneration, and it is difficult to decide how this expense could be met
without unduly encroaching upon the ordinary income of the Club.
Three quarterly parts of the Essex Naturalist have been published during