162 CONFERENCE OF NATURALISTS' SOCIETIES.
he was disposed to believe that the balance of evidence was in favour of the
latter.
Mr. Southwell, F.Z.S., said that he, and, he believed he might add, all
the members of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society would welcome
any scheme by which co-operation between the scientific workers of East
Anglia could be brought about, and mentioned at least one line of work
which seemed to have been neglected in the Norfolk district. He was
strongly in favour of adding Ethnology to the subjects to be covered by the
Norfolk Society or by the united Societies, and mentioned that near Cromer
there were people possessing racial peculiarities which would well repay
special study. The establishment of a fresh-water biological station had been
advocated by one of their members, who thought that a floating station could
be equipped for a small sum, and made self-supporting, and he agreed with
Mr. Cole that everything possible should be done in the way of investigating
the continually changing fauna of the coast, especially in he estuaries.
Mr. Scherren, F.Z.S., also spoke in favour of the proposal for combined
work in the directions indicated.
Mr. Adair Roberts thought that perhaps they might nominate members
of the different societies to prepare some scheme of work, but Prof. Meldola
said that that had already been done. It was eventually agreed that it
should be an instruction to the Council of the Essex Field Club to take such
steps as may appear necessary to bring about some kind of co-operation
between the Natural History Societies of East Anglia, with a view to promo-
ting systematic action in biological work and in all matters concerning pre-
historic archaeology.
At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. E. E. Hennesey, B.Sc, then gave
some particulars of the scheme of education carried on at the Countess of
Warwick's School at Bigods, which the party were to visit that afternoon.
Prof. Meldola proposed that votes of thanks should be passed to all who
had assisted in the conduct of the meeting, specially mentioning Mr. Rogers,
the Rev. A. L. Whitfield, and Mr. Pritchett. He said that Lady Warwick
had hoped to be present and to have personally welcomed them at Bigods,
but an engagement that could not be put off prevented her having the
pleasure of meeting the members, whom, in her name, he invited to visit
the school.
The carriages were then again put into requisition for a pleasant drive
through the lanes to Bigods, where the company was received, in Lady
Warwick's absence, by Mr. and Mrs. Hennesey. This was the second visit of
the Club to the School, which was started at the time when the County
Council had not taken into serious consideration the question of education in
rural districts, and the course of work has been so planned as to be of special
service to pupils who intend to adopt farming or kindred pursuits as their
occupation in after life. Mr. Hennesey conducted the visitors round the
workshops, laboratories, class-rooms, and poultry runs. All are of the most
modern design, and Mr. Hennesey explained the working of the scheme.
The apiary and garden plots were also visited, Mr. Thomas Hacking explain-
ing the agricultural portion of the curriculum.