336 NOTES----ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
A Shark at Maldon.—While Arthur and Dick Wright, two brothers,
were fishing in the river off Stansgate, on June 4th, they caught what appeared
to be a fine salmon. On their attempting to handle it, however, it snapped at
them viciously. With the aid of the Coastguard it was eventually dispatched
and proved to be a young shark, 4ft. 10in. long, and weighing 84lbs. There
appears to be some doubt as to the species, but Mr. Fitch, who saw the fish,
says that it is a Toper (Galeus vulgaris). It has been preserved by Mr.
Sargent, of Maldon, so that there should be no special difficulty in determin-
ing the correct name In the first week in July many young sharks were seen
in the English Channel at different points along the S.E. coast, but we have
not heard of any special observations on the Essex coast.
BOTANY.
Lathyrus nissolia, L. (the "Grass Vetchling") in Essex.—Hitherto, I
have only known Lathyrus nissolia as a species growing very sparingly in not a
few localities scattered throughout Essex. Never, until now, have I seen it
growing anywhere in abundance, though Gibson says (Flora of Essex, p. 86)
that it grows "plentifully " on the cliffs between Walton and Frinton and that
it is "abundant" on the cliffs between Southend and Leigh. On July 7th,
however, I was surprised to see it—or what I took to be it—growing in the
greatest abundance among the long grass which had been left for hay in a
meadow belonging to Sir Duncan Campbell, on the east side of the church-
yard and beside the railway line at Bowers Gifford. It was flowering in the
greatest profusion.—Miller Christy, F. L.S., "Pryors," Broomfield. My
experience of L. nissolia quite accords with Mr. Christy's, I have found it
frequently in various parts of Essex, but always solitary plants or very
sparsely scattered over a considerable area—W. Cole.
Alfred Greenwood (? Botanist) of Chelmsford.—In the museum ot
the Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society is a large cabinet con-
taining a very extensive herbarium. The cabinet bears the inscription,
"Collected by the late Alfred Greenwood, Esq., of Chelmsford, and presented
by his executors." Who was this Essex gentleman whose treasures found a
home in far-away Cornwall?—I. C. Gould, Loughton.
MISCELLANEA.
Annual Conference of "East Anglian" Natural History Societies.
—As the report of the meeting at Witham on July 23rd, will not appear until
the next part, it may be well to announce at once that the idea of a conference
was warmly received by the representatives of the three bodies—the Norfolk
and Norwich Naturalists' Society, the Ipswich Scientific Society, and the
Essex Field Club—then present. The following resolution proposed by Mr. 
W. Cole and seconded by Prof. Meldola was unanimously passed : —"That in
the opinion of the representatives of the three societies here assembled the
establishment of an annual congress is much to be desired, and it is recom-
mended that steps be at once taken to form a committee of the societies to
promote such a congress in 1899." The proposal was supported by Mr. T
Southwell, Mr. H. Miller, Dr. Vincent, Prof. Boulger, Mr. W. Whitaker
F.R.S., Mr. D. Howard, Mr. J. C. Shenstone, and others. The Standard of
July 23rd published a long and inspiring "leader" supporting the proposal,
and an admirable article appeared in the Speaker of July 30th. A good report
appeared in the East Anglian Daily Times of July 25th.—Ed,