THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
259
THE 228th ORDINARY MEETING.
February 13TH, 1904.
This meeting was held in the Technical Institute, Stratford, at 6.30 o'clock,
the President, Mr. F. W. Rudler, F.G.S., in the chair.
As stated in the programme, this was a supplemental meeting in mid-month,
arranged for Mr. Enock's lecture, which he had kindly offered to deliver to the
Club.
New Member.—Mr. E. A. Bowles. M.A., F.L.S., F.E.S., was elected a
Member.
Stoat in Winter Dress.—The Rev. A. Bertram Hutton exhibited a stoat
or ermine in winter dress, remarking that as the subject of protective colouring
was before the meeting that evening he thought that this specimen would be an
appropriate object of interest. It is generally admitted that the stoat changes its
colour to white in severe winter weather, in order that its coat may harmonise
with the snow, and it may thus escape detection. It is thought that the white
coat may come in two ways. It may change with the shedding of the hair—the
new hair coming white ; or, what is probably far more common in the British
Isles, the actual brown hairs turn white when the snow falls. It is said that the
change can be marked 48 hours after it has begun to snow. The specimen
shown came from the Lake District, from a keeper living near Esthwaite. Since
then Mr. Hutton had received three more from Scotland, the last being all white,
and killed as late as March 20.
Professor Meldola, referring to this exhibit, said that he had formerly inclined
to the opinion that the white colour in the winter stoat was the direct result of
temperature, but he was now willing to accept the principle of Protective
Colouring in this and similar cases.
[See the discussion on the change of colour in stoats in severe winters in the
Journal of Proceedings E.F.C., 1, pp. xi. and xii., and note by Mr. Christy,
Trans. E.F.C, 1, p. 67. The late Mr. English presented to our Museum a
beautiful specimen of a white stoat from Epping Forest (Jour. Proc. iv.,
p. xcix), and another Essex specimen is in the Museum.—Ed.]
Protective Colouring among Birds.—Mr. Hutton also showed some
photographs and lantern slides illustrating this subject, the details of which are
given in the "Notes" pages.
Peregrine Falcon.—And Mr. Hutton exhibited the Peregrine described
among the "Notes," the bird being very skilfully set up by himself.
Hippopotamus tooth at Ilford.—The Secretary exhibited a fine Molar
Tooth of Hippopotamus which had been dug up in Ilford Cemetery, about six
feet down, probably from a stratum of brick-earth. The specimen had been
presented to the Museum by Master E. H. Wiseman, of Forest Gate.
Rare Essex Books.—Mr. John Avery exhibited two very rare Essex books
which he had recently acquired, viz., Gough's History of Pleshy, and one of
Charles Clarke's publications, the History of Great Totham, the author's own
copy, with MS. notes.
"King's Oak Inn," Epping Forest.—Mr. Avery presented to the Club,
for the Forest Museum, an old print of the original "King's Oak Inn," at High
Beach.
Lecture.—Mr. Fred Enock, F.L.S., F.E.S., then delivered a lecture on
"Nature's Protection of Insect-Life," which was illustrated by about 60 lantern