148 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
On the same thing again occurring, I noticed that immediately
afterwards (not more than one or two seconds), I heard the boom
from heavy artillery; these guns were being fired on the marshes far
away, on the opposite side of the Thames.
These circumstances, repeatedly occurring in the same sequence,
made it evident that the fishes felt the vibration in the water from
the earth tremor caused by the explosions sooner than the waves
of sound had travelled to and been heard by myself, thus proving
that, although fishes may be deficient of visible auricular organs,
they have a sense or perception of vibration which appears to be
more than an equivalent; inasmuch as they become aware of the
effect produced by that which causes sound, sooner than such sound
can reveal itself to our sense of hearing.
Although so near to London, the lake is occasionally visited by
many wild fowl. I have seen upon it wild swans, geese, ducks,
herons, widgeon, teal, gulls, and others.
Moor-hens and coots breed in numbers among the reeds, and
thousands of starlings roost among the willows. Notwithstanding
that the district is slowly waking up to commercial activity, some of
the old quiet and repose is still left, some of nature's charms yet
remain. The moor-hens may be heard calling to their chicks, the
reed warbler still be seen flitting about while chirping his pretty little 
notes, thousands of swallows may be seen hawking for the flies over
the surface of the water, and the lark is still heard carolling his
joyous song as in the days long past.
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Field Meeting at Dagenham and "Parsloes."
Saturday, July 23rd, 1892.
Under the guidance of Mr. Walter Crouch, F.Z.S., and Mr. T. V. Holmes,
F.G.S. (Vice-Presidents), an afternoon excursion was made to the southern part of
this parish, and a pleasant time passed, the weather proving fine and genial.
Prof. Boulger, F.L.S. (Vice-President), and Mr. David Houston, F.L.S., kindly
acted as "Botanical Referees."
The party assembled at Dagenham Station at three o'clock, and before
starting, Mr, Crouch gave a few notes on the parish and its surroundings, the
northern parts of which had been visited by the Club in June, 1887 (see Essex
Naturalist, vol i., p. 143), when the moated house of "Valence," Becontree
Heath, Chadwell Heath, and the moated site of "Marks" had been seen. The