82 THE COMING OF AGE OF
(Essex Naturalist, VI., 81) and Dr. H. C. Sorby's
"General Remarks on the Marine Natural History of the
Colne Estuary" (Ibid. X., 166). A few of our members have
also dealt with the very interesting question of local changes
in the fauna and flora observed within the period of their
own experience. Mr. Laver gave us his reminiscences of the
Rochford Hundred in 1888 (Ibid. HI., 27). Mr. French
has treated of the same subject with respect to the neighbour-
hood of Felstead (Ibid. VI., 191) and has published a more
general paper on the local extinction and diffusion of Essex
Molluscs (Ibid. XL, 86), while Dr. H. C. Sorby has quite
recently enriched the Essex Naturalist with a paper "On the
Variations in Numbers and Habitat of Marine Animals on the
Coast of Essex during the last ten or twelve years" (Ibid. XII.,
17). Mr. Laver's presidential address of 1893 on the periodicity
of organic life raises some interesting questions in general
biology (Ibid. VII., 51).
One other aspect of our zoological work may be considered
here, although it equally affects the botanists. I refer to the
subject of collecting specimens. The policy of the Club in this
matter was declared in unmistakeable terms in our original
Rules :—
"The Club shall strongly discourage the practice of remov-
ing rare plants from the localities where they are to be found or
of which they are characteristic, and of risking the extermination
of birds and other animals by wanton persecution; and shall use
its influence with landowners and others for the protection of
the same and to dispel the prejudices which are leading to their
destruction." Additional remarks in the same sense were made
in my Inaugural Address (Trans. I., 11) and the action taken by
us with respect to the protection of wild birds is the direct out-
come of this policy. I may remind you furthermore that a
special meeting of the Club on Feb. 25th, 1882, was devoted
entirely to this question of the protection of wild animals and
plants, and the discussion and papers on the subject by experts
were all brought together and printed as an appendix to the
third volume of our Proceedings (vol. III., Appendix I). More
recently, in 1897, it will be remembered that another meeting,
held at Easton Lodge at the invitation of our member, the
Countess of Warwick, was also devoted to the consideration of