194
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Many of the ordinary maritime plants were very luxuriant on the sea-
wall and in the "inning" meadows. Senebiera didyma (Wart-cress) was
abundant on the banks, and Galium verum, the Yellow Bedstraw, had evidently
been quite a feature in the meadows, although its beauty had past. On the
margins of some of the fields the curious globular fruit of the Coriander
(Coriandrum sativum) attracted the attention of our botanists. The plant was
formerly grown by the farmers and now bids fair to establish itself as "a weed
of cultivation" on the island.
As the party approached the interior of the island, they were met by the
Rector, the Rev. R. H. Marsh, who conducted them over the Church (St.
Mary's) a recent structure of the early English style, which was built in 1850,
replacing a much earlier church of wood. Mr. Marsh and Mr. Dalton
showed two pencil drawings of the old Church, one of which we would have
reproduced, but they are somewhat discordant, and it is difficult to decide
which is the more correct.
All the ditches in the island appear to contain brackish water, and the
inland flora consequently bears a very maritime appearance ; bordering some
cottages near the Church, the moat is fringed with luxuriant bushes of
Tamarisk (Tamarix gallica), although we observed none near the coast.
Mr. Marsh most kindly provided afternoon-tea for the ladies in the
Rectory garden.
Some time was spent in inspecting the crops of the farms, Mr. Marsh
acting as guide, and giving much local information on the methods of agri-
culture, and Mr. Dalton was indefagitable in imparting knowledge on the
geology of the Island, but it is quite unnecessary to give even the substance of
his remarks here, as in the Essex Naturalist (vol. iii., pp. 239-243) will be
found his account of Fowlness (the best extant) and much information is also
given in the report of the meeting of the Club at Burnham and Southend in
July, 1889 (l.c. pp. 277-280). Fowlness, as its name denotes, is celebrated for
its sea-loving birds, as the pages of Christy's Birds of Essex testify. Many
rare fishes are caught on the great Maplin Sands ; the curious kettle-nets used
here are described in Dr. Laver's book on the Mammals and Fishes of Essex.
On quitting the island, the Rector was warmly thanked for his kindness
and hospitality, and the return voyage was quickly and pleasantly made. At
Burnham, in the evening, tea was taken at the "Royal Hotel" and afterwards
an Ordinary Meeting (the 189th) was held for the election of new members,
Dr. Hugh H. Mason in the chair.
The following were elected members :—Mr. F. McIntyre, Mr. Charles D.
Makepeace, and Mr. Alfred Cotgreave, F.R.Hist.S. (Chief Librarian,
Municipal Library, West Ham).
The Chairman congratulated the members on a very pleasant and
successful meeting, which might so easily have been spoiled by bad weather.
He proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Dalton for his services as conductor,
which had added so much to the interest and pleasure of the meeting.
Mr. Dalton replied, and gave many additional particulars of the geology
of Fowlness.
A vote of thanks was also passed to the Rev. Mr. Marsh, the Rector of
Fowlness, for his kindness to the party during the day. The meeting thus
ended, and the members left Burnham by the 7.40 train, being more fortunate