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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB
Museum, had to take in as wide an area as possible. It was thought unwise to
limit the source of the collections to the woodlands of Epping Forest now under
the fostering care of the Corporation, and this is why the perambulation of Charles
I. was agreed upon. It includes the site of Hainault Forest, of which many
charming remnants are preserved, and is a collecting ground of something like
60,000 acres. By and by the Museum will include the animals and plants of the
Roding and the Lea, and the valley slopes of both rivers, bringing in the Barking
and Dagenham marshes. Mr. William Cole, the honorary curator, may be heartily
congratulated upon the scope and classification of the collections, which from
to-day are open to the public. On the walls of the ancient staircase are maps and
views, geological sections, and plans of the Forest, and the visitor to the Museum
is first confronted with object lessons in geology, rock specimens from the gnu-els.
and fossils from the Boulder Clay demonstrating the glacial conditions which
formerly extended over the greater part of the Forest districts, in common with
other parts of Essex. There are bones of the rhinoceros, and a mammoth from
the brick earth forming the slopes of the Lea Valley, and skulls of wolves and
other animals, and mollusca found in its peat beds. The presence of man at this
far-away period is shown by the old stone implements lent by Mr. Greenhill from
his magnificent private collection, and the specimens from the peat beds show that
the small ox, wolf, red-deer, and horse were denizens of the Forest. The objects
collected by the Club in its investigations of the Ambresbury and Loughton are
illustrations of those camps of the late Celtic age. Roman times are richly re-
called by Mr. Chalkley Gould's remains of the Romano-British settlement at
Chigwell, arranged by himself, and described by him with minute care. Some of
the fragments dug out of the Chigwell site had been probably buried there for
1,600 years. The cemetery afforded many evidences of cremations, but there
was only one of burial by inhumation, and the collection includes the actual nails
used in the coffin. There are bits of glass, coins, white ware, and utensils,
amongst them being fragments of the red Samian pottery. Coining to the
existing fauna and flora, there are excellent specimens of the gilled fungi pre-
served by the late Mr. English, and in connection with the fungi might also be
mentioned the Forest mosses. The smaller flowering plants of the district are
represented by mounted specimens ; the Forest trees and bushes are to form a
separate collection, and eventually all the Forest plants will be exhibited in
folding frames. There is a fine collection of birds, including hawks, and the
long and short-eared owls ; several cases of land and fresh-water shells, a numerous
assortment of insects, snakes, adders, lizards, and a very complete array of eggs;
of birds known to nest in the Forest. The mammalia are to be taken in hand
forthwith, and one of the objects in view is to illustrate the interesting dark race
of fallow deer which have inhabited the Forest from time immemorial."
One very notable exhibit is the collection of about 500 coloured plates of
nearly all the species of Gilled Fungi (Hymenomycetes) of Epping Forest, presented
by Dr. M. C. Cooke. Aid in gift or loan of specimens, and in arranging the same,
was gratefully acknowledged from Mr. T. Hay Wilson, the Rev. J. W. Kenworthy,
Mr. Greenhill, Mr. Chalkley Gould, Dr. M. C. Cooke, Mr. J. T. Powell, Messrs. W.
and B. G. Cole, Mr. J. A. Clark, Mr. Oldham, Mr. Coales, Mr. Walter Crouch,
Mr. H. Day, Mr. Hatton, Mr. H. A. Cole, Mr. T. V. Holmes, Mr. Winstone, Mr.
Waller, the Epping Forest Committee, Messrs. Chapman and Hall, Messrs.
Cassells, and Mr. Stanford, while Mr. H. A. Cole's aid in constructing and fitting
up cases, and in many other ways, had been of the greatest value.