260 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
slides, many of them being "natural colour" photographs of living insects, taken
by the Sanger-Shepherd process.
The following was the syllabus :—
" Nature's many ways of protecting Insect Life—Hiding the eggs—Larvae
concealing themselves—Protective resemblance in colour, form, marking
—Effect from different points of view—Terrifying appearance—
Adaptation of colour to environment—Resemblance to living and dead
leaves, twigs and bark—Value of Colour Photography."
The lecture and photographs were exceedingly interesting, not only as
embodying the results of Mr. Enock's work during last summer, but also as a
practical demonstration of the great value of the new process of photography in
the study of natural history, In its rapidly improving form it is one of the most
fascinating appliances ever placed in the hands of the naturalist. Some of Mr.
Enock's slides were really startlingly realistic and beautiful, and brought home to
the audience some of the facts of "protective resemblance" in a way which
nearly equalled the sight of the objects themselves.
The President, in proposing in highly appreciative terms a vote of thanks to
the lecturer, called upon Professor Meldola to make a few remarks, as being one
of the highest authorities in this department of biology.
Professor Meldola spoke of the value, both artistically and scientific, of Mr.
Enock's results. It only remained to increase the rapidity of the process, and to
reduce the weight of the apparatus, to allow "Colour Photography" to be:
commonly and successfully pursued in the field. The possibilities of the process-
were almost infinite, and Mr. Enock was showing experimentalists the true path
to success. Prof. Meldola said that he was inclined to agree with Mr. Enock
that animals were, in a sense, conscious agents in producing some of the examples
of protective resemblance. That was to say, that hand-in-hand with the develop-
ment of physical agreement of colour, form, and markings, it was possible that
psychical qualities might be developed which would induce the animals to actually
seek places and attitudes of concealment corresponding to the colouring and
markings on their own bodies.
Prof. Meldola concluded by calling Mr. Enock's attention to the case of the
moth Hybernia leucophearia, which habitually rested on tree-trunks in such a
position that the rugosities of the bark correspond with the lines of markings on
the insect's wings.
The vote of thanks was passed with great applause.
Mr. Enock briefly replied, giving some details of his method of working, and
said that the Hybernia was one of the cases he hoped to take au open-air record
of in the early spring. Mr. Enock said that, should all go well, he would have
great pleasure in laying his next summer's work before the Club in due time.
THE 229th ORDINARY MEETING.
Saturday, February 27TH, 1904.
This meeting was held in the Physical Lecture Theatre of the Technical
Institute, Stratford, at 6.30 p.m., Mr. F. W. Rudler, President, in the chair.
Nomination of Officers and Council.—In view of the annual meeting
nominations of officers and new members cf the Council were made. (See report
of the annual meeting on April 16th.)