THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
257
Generally, I found the absence of habitations went with the scarcity of snails.
One can only think that the snails were protected from bird-life just in proportion
as the birds dared not approach their habitat. Invariably, likely banks or edges
of woods away from habitations were drawn blank.
The association of Helix nemoralis and H. hortensis is common, but there has
never yet been recorded an observed marital alliance between them ; though such
pairing has again and again been surmised. Rimmer spent the spring and
summer of 1878 in Normandy where Helix hortensis and nemoralis were in
endless profusion, giving him an unusually favourable opportunity for obser-
vation, and the result was that not once did he see a marital alliance among the
many hundreds of cases which he observed, a blackmouth (nemoralis) invariably
pairing with a blackmouth and a whitemouth (hortensis) with a whitemouth.
A long and interesting discussion ensued, in which Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Miller
Christy, Mr. Barnard, Mr. W. Cole, and Mr. Winkworth took part, and on the
proposal of the President, a cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Winkworth.
Mr. Winkworth said that he should have pleasure in presenting a series of
variations of the shell to the Club's Museum.
Papers read.—Mr. T. V. Holmes, F.G.S., read a paper entitled "On some
Greywethers at Grays Thurrock, Essex" (printed in Essex Naturalist, ante
pp. 197—202).
A discussion took place, promoted by Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Rudler, Mr. Thos.
Reader, and the author, and Mr. Holmes was thanked for his paper.
Mr. Holmes having taken the chair, Mr. F. W. Rudler read his report as the
Club's Delegate at the Southport Meeting of the British Association (printed in
full in the Essex Naturalist, ante, pp. 174—183).
A discussion took place, concerning the various matters brought forward
at the Conference, carried on by Mr. W. Cole, Mr. John Spiller, F.C.S., Mr. T. V.
Holmes, and the author, and the President was cordially thanked for his services
as Delegate, and for his report.
THE 226th ORDINARY MEETING.
Saturday, December 19TH, 1903.
This meeting was held as usual at the Technical Institute, West Ham, at
6.30 p.m., the President, Mr. F. W. Rudler, F.G.S., in the chair.
New Member.—Mr. W. A. J. Loveday was elected a member.
Photographs of Wooden Water-pipes in Situ.—Mr. F. W. Reader
exhibited photographs of drawings in the Soane Museum, showing wooden water-
pipes crossing the Fleet River in the fields at Clerkenwell, about the year 1800.
(These drawings are reproduced and described by Mr. Reader in a paper in
the present part of the Essex Naturalist, pp. 272—4),
Mole's "Fortress."—Mr. Cole exhibited a model of the Mole's "Fortress,"
prepared from designs by Mr. Lionel E. Adams, which he had purchased for the
Museum.
Lecture.—Mr. R. B. Lodge (author of Pictures of Hint Life, etc.) gave a
lecture entitled "Some Pictures of Bird-life at Home and Abroad."
The syllabus was as follows:—At the Fame Islands—Sea Birds; The
Spanish Marismas—Wading Birds; In a Danish Fyord—Wading
Birds ; In a Danish Forest—Black Storks, Buzzards, etc.