ANNUAL REPORT.
309
With respect to the proposed Annual Congress of East Anglian Natural
History Societies fully explained in the last Annual Report and in the Essex
Naturalist (vol. x., pp. 360-368) no progress has yet been made. Our
Secretary found that circumstances would prevent the Secretaries of the other
Societies taking any very active part in the heavy organisation work during
the year, and the great influx of his own Club affairs precluded the possibility
of his undertaking such a task unaided. The matter has, therefore, been
allowed to rest in abeyance until the summer of 1901, when it is intended to
take active steps to bring the project forward. The Council are still much
impressed with its importance, but the negotiations will, it is feared, be
difficult. However, no efforts will be spared to follow up the successful
meeting of July, 1898, by an equally important gathering in 1901.
The Essex Naturalist.—Owing to the great pressure of work on our
Secretary and other causes, the publication of the Naturalist was somewhat
delayed ; two quarterly parts were paid for during the financial year, but a
double part was prepared by the end of December, which brought the Journal
up to date, and gave the members over 200 pages of matter within the year.
It is with great satisfaction that the Council point to the really valuable
papers published, almost wholly of a local character, and to the warm praise
which the scientific press continue to give to our Journal. The only source
of regret is the irregularity in its dates of publication, but it is hoped to
remedy this as other Club affairs get settled, and our work can be carried out
with more ease. The Council has to thank Mr. H. A. Cole for drawings to
illustrate papers, and Mr. F. W. Reader for assistance to the Editor in pre-
paring Mr. Kenworthy's paper on the Skitts Hill discoveries for the press.
And the thanks of the Club are also due to Mr. E. T. Newton and Mr.
Rudler for much assistance and advice in this connection.
Essex Museum.—The work on the collections and specimens for the
Museum during the year 1899 was principally carried out at the temporary
premises at Forest Gate. The Curator worked there almost continuously,
being very often aided by Mr. H. A. Cole. A vast number of specimens
were obtained and prepared. A successful effort was made to obtain
specimens of most of the terrestrial mammals known from Essex, and many
skulls and other educational preparations were made. The Curator also
carried out some dredging work in the Colne Estuary, and so obtained
specimens of many of the more characteristic invertebrates of our coast.
Mr. W. H. Dalton again gave us the benefit of his valuable services day by
day for weeks together, in selecting the Crag Mollusca and other geological
specimens, and he also most generously paid the lodging and other expenses
of an assistant for some time. Mr. Ll. Owen most kindly acted in this
capacity principally in connection with the geological series, and the thanks
of the Club are due to him for his valuable and persistent work.
The final settlement of affairs and the opening of the building took
place during the past summer and autumn. The narrative will, therefore,
come naturally in next year's reports. The business connected with the
agreement and removal from Chelmsford was fully detailed last year, and
for the opening ceremony the Secretary prepared a pamphlet giving a short
statement of the constitution, aims and methods of the Museum, which has