360
AN ANNUAL CONGRESS OR CONFERENCE
OF "EAST ANGLIAN" NATURAL HISTORY
SOCIETIES.
" We be three counties—not shires ; the land of the North folk, the land of
the South folk—Angles both, and the land of the East Saxons."
Mr. D. Howard, Chairman of the Preliminary Conference.
ON Saturday, July 23rd, 1898, an important meeting was held
at Witham in connection with the Field Meeting in the
Black Notley and Stisted districts (see Report of Meeting).
It was in the nature of a Preliminary Conference between the
scientific (natural history) societies of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex
(grouped as a district which, for convenience, although of course
incorrectly, we may term the "East Anglian" District), the object
being to promote some scheme of friendly co-operative action
among the societies, and with that intention to consider the
establishment of an Annual Congress or Conference for the
discussion of matters of mutual interest.
Those concerned in such institutions are aware that the
subject of federated action between societies in adjacent
districts has attracted much attention in late years. The discus-
sions at the Conferences of Delegates of the Corresponding
Societies of the British Association have conduced to this end.
In the "East Anglian" district the question has been alluded to
by the then President of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists'
Society, Sir Francis Boileau, F.L.S., F.S.A., in his Annual
Address in 1897 {Trans. N. and N. Nat. Soc, vol. vi., p. 238);
although the Ipswich Scientific Society does not publish, and is
consequently not at present on the British Association list, the
matter has been favourably discussed by their Committee,
while the Essex Field Club has brought forward the question on
several occasions, and has published papers relating to it
including Prof. Boulger's article on "The Federation Ideal for
Natural History Societies, with special reference to the Eastern
Counties" (Essex Naturalist, vol. x., pp. 51-55).
In response to the programme issued under the authority of
the three societies, a large party assembled at the "Spread
Eagle" Hotel at about 11 o'clock. The contingent from the