184 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Some discussion ensued, and remarks upon points in the lecture were made
by Prof. Boulger. Mr. Cunningham also replied, and a cordial vote of thanks
was accorded to him for his lecture.
Some microscopical preparations were exhibited by Mr. Houston and others,
and Mr. Webb showed specimens and the original drawings by Mr. W. J. Webb,
of Testacella scutulum used in illustrating the remarks on this species in the last
number of The Essex Naturalist, (ante, p. 121).
During the afternoon a Council Meeting was held in the Museum in Duke
Street, for the purpose of inspecting the Museum in the state in which it
came into the charge of the Director, and to settle plans for its reorganisation
and the cleaning and decoration of the rooms.
The 143rd Ordinary Meeting.
Saturday, December 16th, 1893.
The 143rd Ordinary Meeting of the Club was held in the Public Hall, Loughton,
at 6.30 p.m., Mr. T. V. Holmes, F.G.S., Vice-President, in the chair.
Messrs. G. A. Barraclough and James Forfar Dott were elected members of
the Club.
The Librarian read a long list of donations to the Library, and thanks were
passed to the donors.
The Hon. Secretary said that Mr. Batters, an acknowledged authority on the
Algae, and who was preparing a list of the Marine Algae of Britain for the Trustees
of the British Museum, had kindly offered to examine and catalogue the Hope
Collection of Marine Algae from Harwich, the presentation of which was an-
nounced at the Fungus Meeting on November 4th. The herbarium was then in
Mr. Batters' hands for that purpose.
The Secretary also announced that Mr. Holmes had prepared a report, as
Delegate of the Club, of the proceedings at the Conference of Delegates of Cor-
responding Societies of the British Association at Nottingham. This report
would be printed in full in The Essex Naturalist (see pp. 164-170),
Mr. I. Chalkley Gould said that he had the pleasure of exhibiting a number
of specimens of Woods grown in the Forest district. Mr. Gould continued : "I
need say little about them, as they speak for themselves, but I may mention that
they were collected for me many years since by the late Mr. Thomas Forster (a
builder in Loughton) and his son, Mr. George Forster. Most of them were
obtained from the woods and plantations around Copt Hall. The specimens are
not labelled scientifically, simply the common appellation being given, but proper
botanical description can easily be added. The blocks are not cut to uniform
size, but they are approximate enough to compare the weight of the specimens in
each series. The laburnum is the heaviest wood shown. The oak, ash, and
beech are of nearly uniform weight ; the Spanish chestnut is somewhat lighter.
The specimen of box wood is a small block, or it would rank high in
weight.
" The grain and general appearance of the oak and Spanish chestnut being so
similar, it is not surprising that architects differ as to whether the trunks of trees
forming the walls cf the nave of Greensted Church are of one or of the other
wood. The same question has arisen as to the material of some of the grand
fifteenth century roof-timbers of various churches of our county.
" I may take this opportunity to suggest that when our Local Natural History
Museum is formed it would be well to devote some space in wall cases or cabinet