THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 29
Owing to financial reasons it will be necessary to curtail the hours of atten-
dance of the assistants at the museum to one day per week for the present.
Various interesting donations have been made to the collections since the last
report. The following may be specially mentioned :
Principal Donations to the Museums since last Report.
Dr. H. Laver.—The greater portion of his collection of Lepidoptera, very many of
the specimens being from Essex.
Dr. H. Laver.—A collection of Land and Fresh-water Mollusca, mainly from the
Colchester district.
Dr. H. Laver.—A collection of the Bats of Essex, mostly from Colchester
district,
Dr. M. C. Cooke.—A series of about 450 plates of the Hymenomycetal Fungi of
Epping Forest, extracted from his "Illustrations of British Fungi." (Forest
Museum.)
Mr. J. T. Powell.—An almost complete set of the species of Rubi or Brambles
hitherto known as occurring on the Forest, in illustration of his papers in
The Essex Naturalist. (Forest Museum.)
Mr. G. E. Vaughan.—A large number of British Birds' Eggs, to form a type
collection. (Forest Museum.)
Mr. A. Leaf.—A microscopical stand and collecting case, for use at the Field
Meetings of the Club.
Mr. E. G. Ingold.—A small collection of the Mollusca of the Bishop's Stortford
district, in illustration of his paper in The Essex Naturalist.
Mr. G. Brown.—Tusk and jaw of a mammoth and part of jaw of rhinoceros, found
in his brick-pit at Chelmsford.
Several other donations of single specimens and small collections have been
received. These will be acknowledged in the first report of the Curator which will
be published as soon as the various collections now in hand are arranged.
The Epping Forest Branch Museum.—The rapid advance of this project
has undoubtedly been the most important Club event of the past year. The local
committee, consisting of the Rev. A. F. Russell, Rev. W. T. Dyne, Rev. W. L
Wilson, Mr. T. Hay Wilson, Mr. G. E. Vaughan, Mr. R. J. Sheldon, Mr. B. G.
Cole, Mr. W. Cole, Mr. H. A. Cole, Mr. W. C. Waller, and Mr. E. Johnston,
have worked energetically to obtain the necessary funds, and arrange the various
details with respect to the establishment of the museum. Donations equal to
£109 (including a donation of £20 from the Drapers' Company) have been
promised, and the major part paid, as well as annual subscriptions of about £8
per annum. The Agreement with the Epping Forest Committee of the Corpora-
tion of London was signed on the 31st of December, and the work has since been
steadily advanced. As this, however, will properly belong to 1895, and as a full
report of the origin and progress of the museum will be presented by the local
committee at the opening ceremony, it is thought best to defer any remarks upon
the subject. But the Club is to be congratulated on the success which has
attended this movement, which cannot fail to increase the interest taken in the
study of natural history and antiquities in the forest districts.
Partition of the County.—It was with great regret that the members and
the Council heard last year that an attempt would be made to transfer ten Essex
Parishes to the County of Hertfordshire, and Bartlow Hamlet to Cambridgeshire,
and at the meeting held at Dudbroke Park, on July 28th, a resolution was passed
protesting in the strongest manner against any such interference with the old