THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 211
conductorship of the meeting, and a like compliment was paid to the Lee Con-
servancy Board for their kindness in lending the steam barge for the excursion.
Mr. Cole briefly called attention to the project for severing no less than ten
parishes near Bishop's Stortford and Stanstead from Essex and adding them to
Hertfordshire, and said that he hoped the Club would take an early opportunity
of protesting against such an injurious and absurd proposal.
The voyage was then resumed, and Mr. Symons, F.R.S., briefly described the
peculiarities of the Rainfall and Watershed of the Lea Valley, and Mr. T. V.
Holmes read a paper on the "Geology of the Lea Valley," which is printed in
the present number.
Mr. Charles A. Wright exhibited and explained some specimens of rare and
Junction Lock near Fieldes Weir, where the Stort Falls into the Lea.
remarkable plants from his herbarium, and also exhibited a curious instance of
phyllomorphy in a proliferous and distorted specimen of Silent maritima, gathered
by Mr. E. Bidwell on July 7th last, at Sproughton, Suffolk.
It was now 4.30 p.m. and all hope of reaching the East London Water Works
at Lea Bridge by 7.0, as mentioned in the circular, was abandoned.
The President announced that the journey would end at Tottenham Lock,
and those who wished to leave earlier might do so at Ponder's End.
Much has been said and written as to the self-purifying power of the flowing
river, and certainly its effect was conspicuous in the Lea, and to this many
members of the Club gave ample testimony.
We passed rapidly along and through Waltham Abbey, omitting from want
of time, a visit to the East London Company's well and pumping station, which