76 THE COMING OF AGE OF
our volumes, the subject of natural history resolving itself most
conveniently into zoology and botany.
I.-ZOOLOGY.
In zoology, as in other branches of science, two kinds of
work may be and should be carried on by a local society.
There is work of an educational or pioneering character which
consists in the exposition by a master specialist of the natural
history, in the broadest sense, of some particular group of
organisms with a view to the creation of an interest in that
group so as to induce working members of the Society to take
up its serious study. The other kind of work is the systematic
recording of the species with the object of preparing lists of the
present native inhabitants of the County—in other words, the
compilation of a County Fauna. Such faunistic lists are valuable
in proportion as they contain original notes and observations on
the species recorded, but even bare lists are of value as showing
for the use of future naturalists what species occurred in the
district at a certain period. We can lay claim to have carried
on both branches of work, although it does not appear that the
efforts of those who have endeavoured to arouse enthusiasm with
respect to the study of particular groups have met with much
practical response. I learn that this experience is, however,
pretty general among local societies, and it would be unjustifi-
able to draw the conclusion that Essex workers are less receptive
than those in other counties. One of the first addresses of the
pioneering kind given to our Club was that on the Infusoria, by
Mr. Saville Kent, in 1881 (Trans., II., 44). Mr. Kent also gave an
address on the water-mites, Hydrachnida, in 1882 (Proc., III.,
xliv.) and Mr. Brunetti and Mr. Verrall on Diptera in 1889 (Essex
Naturalist, IV., 85). The Rev. Hilderic Friend also has
published a series of no less than seven papers on Annelids
which were intended to raise an interest in this group (Essex
Naturalist, V., 193, 237 ; VI., 31, 60, 107, 169, 185) and which
likewise comprise lists of Essex species. The first of Mr.
Scourfield's series of three papers in 1897 on the Entomostraca
of Epping Forest may also be regarded as an excellent represen-
tative of this class of pioneering work (Essex Naturalist, X.,
193, 260, 313) and Mr. Lovett's address in 1900 on the Stalk-
eyed Crustacea (Ibid. XL, 252) comes under the same category.
The addresses on Arachnida by Messrs. F. P. Smith and F. O.
Pickard-Cambridge in 1900, although not published in extenso,