THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 21
Walthamstow, found during the construction of the reservoirs of the East London
Water Company, together with the case containing the specimens.
Cordial votes of thanks were accorded to the donors of these valuable col-
lections, and to the Committee of the Walthamstow Institute for the loan of
specimens.
The Secretary exhibited the collection of the Rubi of the Forest, presented by
Mr. Powell,
Mr. C. Oldham exhibited a box of Lepidoptera from the Forest.
Mr. Shenstone and Prof. Meldola made some remarks upon the exhibits.
Prof. Charles Stewart, M.A., F.L.S., then delivered a lecture, entitled "Stray
Notes on Natural History." The lecture was illustrated by drawings in coloured
chalk upon the blackboard, and dealt mainly with the habits of leaf-cutting and
fungus-growing ants, and the protective colouring of the common duck, etc.
Prof. Meldola, Rev. W. Linton Wilson, Mr. J. C. Shenstone, Prof. Stewart,
and others took part in the discussion which followed.
A cordial vote of thanks was passed to the Professor for his kindness in giving
the lecture.
In spite of the exceedingly inclement night (a "blizzard" was blowing) about
forty members and friends attended. Tea and coffee were served as usual at the
close.
Visit to the Guildhall Museum and Library.
Saturday, February l6th, 1895.
An exceptionally pleasant afternoon was spent at the Guildhall, on the kind
invitation of Mr. J. Douglass Mathews, F.R.I.B.A., F.S.S. (Chairman of the
Library and Museum Committee of the Corporation of London), and Mr. Charles
Welch, F.S.A., the Librarian and Curator. The very large party, of over one
hundred in number, assembled in the Reference Reading Room, where Mr. Welch
had arranged an exhibition of some of the most interesting books and MSS. in
the Library.
An excellent account of the Guildhall Library will be found in a pamphlet by
Mr. Welch, published under the direction of the Library Committee ("The Guild-
hall Library and its Work," Lond., 1893). A Library was first established at the
Guildhall in the fourth year of Henry VI. (1425), under the bequests of Richard
Whityngton and William Bury. The Library was attached to the Ancient
College at Guildhall, which had a Custos and four priests, and "Maister John
Clipstone, Prest and Bedeman, Keper of your Liberary atte Guyldehalle," was
the earliest keeper of whom any record exists. This old Library was carefully
preserved and made useful to students for over a century, when, as John Stowe
relates:—"These bookes (as it is said) were in the raigne of Edward the VI.,
sent for by Edward, Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector, with promise to be
restored shortly : men laded from thence three Carriers with them, but neur
returned." No reference to this act of selfish rapacity is to be found in the City
records, but it probably happened in 1549.
From this date to 1824 is a long step, but in that year, on the motion of Mr.
Lambert Jones, a Committee was formed to establish a library of all matters
relating to the city, and in 1828 the library was opened for use, under the control
of Mr. W. Upcott. In the next year the books numbered 2,800 volumes—and it
continued to grow rapidly. In 1869 it was resolved to erect the present public