THE
ESSEX NATURALIST:
BEING THE
Journal of the Essex Field Club
FOR 1905-19O6.
(VOLUME XIV.)
ON NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS.
An Address delivered to the Essex Field Club at the Annual Meeting,
April 8th, 1905,
By F. W. RUDLER, I.S.O., F.G.S., President.
THE members of the Essex Field Club have met together on
this occasion under circumstances of an exceptionally
interesting character. As pointed out in the notice convening
this meeting, the Club has now completed the twenty-fifth year
of its history. Not only has it gone on for a quarter of a century
regularly holding its evening meetings and its field meetings, but
during this long period it has enjoyed the advantage of retaining
uninterruptedly the services of its Honorary Secretary and
Founder, Mr. William Cole. Moreover, for nearly the whole of
this long term he has been associated in the Secretarial work
with Mr Benjamin G. Cole. This exemplary devotion of two
brothers to the service of our Club—not to mention the valued
assistance of Mr. Henry A. Cole and of the ladies of the
family—seems to me deserving of some recognition, more sub-
stantial in character than the verbal thanks formally voted at an
Annual Meeting. But Mr. W. Cole, having the interest of the
Club ever at heart, assured us some time ago that the recognition
of the twenty-fifth Anniversary which would best please him
would be the means of completing the Epping Forest Museum.
Just as the Club itself originated with Mr. W. Cole, so this
museum owes to him its initiation ; and it is consequently but
natural that he should desire to see his ideas brought to maturity.
Whatever ; therefore, may be done on some future occasion, our
immediate attention should be given to this modest suggestion
with regard to the Forest Museum; and I think I cannot do
A