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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Visit to the Botanical Department, British Museum,
Saturday, March 29th, 1890.
MR. W. Carruthers, F.R.S., F.G.S. (President of the Linnean Society),
Keeper of the Department, and Mr. James Britten, F.L.S, (one of our Hon.
Members), having very kindly offered to give a demonstration in the Botanical
Galleries and in the Herbarium, the members assembled in the galleries at 3
o'clock, where Mr. Carruthers at first took charge of the party. He went briefly
through the collections, illustrating the various groups of the vegetable kingdom,
calling special attention to some of the more curious and interesting forms and
collections. Among the latter, notice was directed to the complete collection of
British Flowering Plants, arranged in frames attached to pillars, which will be
found of great service to beginners, being named and arranged in accordance with
Bentham's "British Flora." Also to the extensive series of models of British Fungi,
by Sowerby, which have been recently renovated and arranged by Mr. Worthing-
ton Smith.
In the Herbarium, Mr. Britten explained the system adopted in preserving
and storing the dried plants. He also called attention to the fine collection of
botanical books in the library, and to the magnificent series of drawings of plants,
and plates from botanical works, which are in the Herbarium, and available for
students. Of the special sets of plants, some most interesting to the Essex botan-
ist are Ray's Continental plants, and the herbaria of Dale and Edward Forster,
both containing many local specimens.
Prof. Boulger, as Vice-President of the Club, warmly thanked Mr. Carruthers
and Mr. Britten for the trouble they had taken to render the visit interesting, and
for the very instructive expositions they had given. This was seconded by Mr.
A. Double, and carried by acclamation.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent in examining the new British room
in which is now exhibited Lord Walsingham's magnificent collection of the larvae
of British Lepidoptera. The collections in this room will be of the greatest ser-
vice to all students of natural history in and around London.
Field Meeting at Kelvedon, Feering, and Coggeshall,
Monday, April 7th, 1890.1
The members (to the number of about 80) assembled at Kelvedon at 10.30
a.m., where they were met by the "Directors," Mr. G. F. Beaumont, Mr.
W. H. Dalton, F.G.S., Mr. E. A. Fitch, F.L.S., Mr. J. C. Shenstone, F.R.M.S.,
Prof. Boulger, F.L.S., Mr. W. Cole, and the Rev. W. J. Kenworthy, M.A.
The Club appropriately selected Easter Monday to assemble at "Easterford,"
now more familiarly known as Kelvedon, and Mr. Beaumont, alluding to the
fact, remarked that the former name was probably traceable to the pagan
goddess of spring, Eostre, taking as his authority the analogy between the name
1 The Editor is indebted to Mr. Beaumont, Mr. Dalton, Mr. Fitch, and Prof. Boulger for
much of the matter contained in this report; and to Mr. Beaumont for the loan of illustrations
from his most interesting book "A History of Coggeshall."