THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
71
in The Essex Naturalist for the information of the members, and as a per-
manent record of the agreements and conditions entered into.
The amalgamation will necessitate very considerable additions to, and some
few alterations in, the Rules. These will be submitted for the approval of the
members at the annual meeting.
Under the terms of the agreement for the amalgamation, subscribers to the
Essex and Chelmsford Museum for 1892 are admitted as members" of the Club
without payment of entrance fee, and with the status and privileges of those
members of the Club elected previous to December 31st, 1892. Accordingly a
letter has been sent to the subscribers as aforesaid, informing them that they have
been so admitted members, with this proviso—that the subscription to the Club for
1893 be paid to the Treasurer before the 24th of June next. This admission of
the subscribers to the Museum will probably add about ninety members to the
Club. At Midsummer next the list of members will be carefully revised and
printed. This the Council propose to do each year in June, as experience has
shown that the expenditure is a necessary one, an annually revised list being of
the greatest service to the officers and members.
It is also intended to issue a new edition of the prospectus of the Club, and it
is hoped that members generally will ask for copies, and use them judiciously in
gathering in recruits. When it is remembered that each new member pays a
contribution of at least £1 5s. 6d. the first year, it is evident that in this way
the funds and strength of the Society may be considerably improved.
Financial.—It will be seen from the balance sheet that the economies pro-
mised in the last report have been duly carried out, but unfortunately the income
has diminished in a corresponding degree, so that the finances of the Club do not
exhibit much improvement. A considerable number of the outstanding sub-
scriptions have, however, been paid since the accounts were made up. Four
lapsed life compositions have been transferred to the general account, the net
result of the year's operations being that the adverse balance of £113 6s. 9d. has
been reduced to £95 13s. 10d. It has been found desirable (in order to avoid
further disturbance of the General Account) to charge the cost of printing the
part of the old Proceedings to the "Special Memoirs Publication Account,"
where it will probably remain as a heavy incubus for some years to come. The
Museum Fund shows a balance in hand of £51 16s. 9d.
Publications.—The Essex Naturalist has been carried on successfully
during 1892. Including the part belonging to volume v. issued in 1892, and the
Index, 24S pages have been published within the year, each number containing
papers, reports, and notes, all having a direct interest for Essex scientists. But
the Editor has repeatedly had occasion to complain of the comparatively slight
aid he has received in his difficult task ; the contributions are mainly the work of
a limited band of members, and it is a source of great regret that the members at
large do not take a more active share in contributing to the Journal. Almost
everyone could help in this work, and the Editor will be glad to give instructions
and information as to the way in which such aid could be afforded.
Part 2, vol iv., of the Journal of Proceedings was issued in July, bringing
up the reports of all meetings of the Club to January 29th, 1887, after which date
the publication of The Essex Naturalist commenced. The reports of the Club
are now absolutely up to date, and at the end of 1892 the series of the Club's
publications consisted of five volumes of Transactions and Proceedings, six