250 ANNUAL REPORT.
record of parish distribution of animals and plants. It is satisfactory to note
that in the "Index of the more important Papers, and especially those
referring to Local Scientific Investigation, published by the Corresponding
Societies of the British Association during the year ending June 1st, 1897,"
given in the Reports of the British Association for 1897, the Essex
Naturalist is quoted for 24 papers relating to local observation in our
County.
The Editor renews his request for notes and early intimation of any
events or phenomena worthy of being recorded in the E.N. He has to thank
Mr. T. Hay Wilson for kindly sending the Field as published, and the pro-
prietors of the Essex County Standard for copies of their paper, regularly sent.
Memoirs contributed.—As stated above, it is believed that the President
intends dwelling somewhat fully in his Address on the work of the Club,
including the papers contributed. The Council may be permitted to allude
to several of the essays read at the meetings or communicated direct to the
Editor, and which have been published in the Essex Naturalist during
the past year. Not only is the number of papers considerable, but the
Council would particularly call attention to the permanent value of the
faunistic papers communicated by Messrs. Kennard and Woodward (viz.,
"The Post-Pliocene Non-Marine Mollusca of Essex" and " The Post-
Pliocene Mollusca of Felstead"); of Mr. Webb's careful enumeration of the
Non-Marine Mollusca of Essex; and of Mr. Scourfield's papers on "The
Entomostraca of Epping Forest," the publication of which will be com-
menced in the forthcoming part of the Essex Naturalist. The accurate
ascertainment of the precise limits of the Fauna and Flora of a district by
competent observers is a most useful function of Local Societies, and the
Essex Field Club may fairly claim that during the past 18 years it has been
doing its share of this tedious and difficult but most necessary work.
Papers such as Mr. Lister's on the "Mycetozoa," Mr. Marquand's on the
"Algae," and Dr. Sorby's on the "Marine fauna of our coast," are esteemed
highly as pointing out the direction of good work which might well engage
the attention of our younger members.
At the " Fungus Foray" on October 16th last, occasion was taken by
those present at that large meeting, at the suggestion of Professor R. Meldola,
F.R.S., and Mr. G. Massee, F.L.S., to pass a special vote of thanks to Dr.
M. C. Cooke, for the active share he had taken in promoting the accurate
study of Fungi during her Majesty's reign and "in particular for the very
valuable services Dr. Cooke had rendered to science and to popular educa-
tion by the number and excellence of the works he had written on the
Cryptogamia, and also for the assistance he had always been so ready to
afford to beginners and earnest students." The Council wish to endorse
and emphasise this appreciative vote of thanks ; and also to gratefully acknow-
ledge the Club's indebtedness to Dr. Cooke for the aid he has rendered to
the Society in the capacity of principal "Conductor" and Recorder at the
Fungus Meetings. Dr. Cooke conducted the first "Fungus Foray" on
October 2nd, 1880, and ever since he has been the leading spirit at these
meetings. The value of his catalogues of the forest species of Fungi published
from time to time in our Journal has been very widely recognised by botanists.
The Council heartily joins in the hope expressed by the members and the