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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
"teeth." The common cockle, scallop, oyster, and fresh water swan-mussel being
familiar examples. Tropical species occur of larger size, and a sketch of the huge
Trilacna shell from the Moluccas was shown with a young native baby taking his
bath therein. A pair of these shells have been found to weigh nearly 4 cwt.,
and the "dainty" mollusc will provide a "square meal" for twenty men.
Amongst these bivalves were mentioned the thorny forms of Spondylus and
cockles, the pearly Trigonia, the Ark shells, the brilliant scallops or Pectens, the
window, hammer, and pearl oysters, the boring forms of Pholas and Lithodotnus,
and the strange Breclites, those dwellers in sand, who commence life in a little
pearly bivalve, developing subsequently a calcareous tube with a "watering-pot"
top. The beautiful colours of the animal of Lima, with its numerous "processes"
or filaments, were shown by the aid of a large drawing.
Mr. Crouch then touched briefly upon the polyps which form the stony corals
and build up reefs, the Madrepores, Galaxea, Brain-coral, &c., and the brightly-
tinted delicate growths of the Stylaster and Alcyonoid corals (which were exhibited
in two cases), such as the organ-pipe, red coral, and the sea fans or Gorgonias, of
which he shewed some fine and large specimens from Torres Straits and the
Bahamas, and a large specimen of the branching "black coral" Antipathes,
from the Mediterranean Sea.
A short description of the typical forms of sea urchins, star fish, and the rare
"sea lilies" (Crinoids) brought home by the "Challenger Expedition, 1873-76"
then followed, illustrated by a number of striking typical specimens.
A brief note on Sponges was then given, and some large and rare examples,
chiefly from the Bahamas, were shown ; one case containing some beautiful
siliceous sponges, Hyalonema sieboldii or glass rope sponge ; Euplectella
aspergillum, or "Venus' flower-basket" and some lowlier forms from the English
seas, such as Grantia, Chalina, and the boring Clime.
The following papers were read :—"Notes on the Recent Prolonged Frost,"
by J. C. Thresh, D.Sc., M.B. (anie, p. 64) ; "Vital Statistics of the County of
Essex," by Dr. Thresh (ante, p. 47) ; "On the Range of the Primrose and
the Bardfield Oxlip in North-Western Essex," by Mr. J. French (ante, p. 120).
The latter paper was read for the author by Mr. Miller Christy, who also made
some remarks upon the subject, and referred to his paper on the "Genus Primula
in Essex," in the "Transactions" of the Club.
A short discussion on Mr. French's paper ensued, in which Mr. Fitch, Mr.
Christy, Rev. H. C. Howell, and others took part. Mr. Fitch mentioned that
Mr. G. Alan Lowndes, in a letter dated May 1st, 1889, stated that the true Oxlip
grew in great profusion in the Park Wood, near Barrington Hall, Hatfield
Broad Oak, and Mr. Lowndes confirmed this by sending specimens. Mr. Fitch
also stated that he had found Primula elatior abundantly in Cobbler's Grove,
between Stoke and Hundon, and that it was common in a pasture called
"Wellum," in front of Boyton End House, Stoke-by-Clare. These observations
extend the distribution of P. elatior N. and S. of the lines marked on Mr.
Christy's map in Trans. E.F.C, iii. p. 174.
Votes of thanks were passed to the exhibitors and the authors of papers, and
the meeting terminated.