42
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Committee (1903). He was sure that all Essex naturalists would look
forward with great interest to the completion of Dr. Murie's book.1
Some discussion took place on the morphology and function of the so-called
"otoliths" in fishes, in which Dr. Robert Jones, Mr. E. T. Newton, F.R.S.,
Mr. Paulson, and the President took part, and the thanks of the Club were
accorded to Dr. Murie for his paper.
Lecture.—Mr. Thomas W. Reader, F.G.S., then gave a lecture, entitled
"The Evolutionary History of Carts and Waggons." The lecture was profusely
illustrated by a beautiful series of photographic lantern-slides, and comprised
such subjects as the following :—"From the Sledge to the Wheel : Vehicles of
the Pre-historic and early Historic periods. British, Roman, Saxon, Mediaeval
examples. Welsh, Scotch, Irish, and Essex types. Peculiar Foreign Carts.
Conclusion."
Considerable discussion took place on points in Mr. Reader's very interesting
discourse, and on the proposal of the President a cordial vote of thanks was
accorded to him The meeting then closed.
The 253rd ORDINARY MEETING.
Saturday, February 23rd, 1907
This meeting took place in the Technical Institute, Stratford, at 6.30 p.m.,
Mr. J. C. Shenstone, F.E.S., Vice-President, in the chair.
New Members.—The following were elected members :—
Rev. C. R N. Burrows, The Vicarage, Mucking, Stanford-le-Hope
(Mrs.) Caroline A. Oates, Gestingthorpe Hall, Castle Hedingham
Henry Samuel Tuke, Bexfields, Galleywood, Chelmsford
Beryx sp. (?) Exhibited.—Mr. E. T. Newton brought up a large and
brilliantly coloured fish which he had obtained that morning from a shop in the
Farringdon Road. This fish afterwards proved to be a species of Beryx, a genus
which was said to be represented in a fossil state in the Chalk.
Relief Map of Essex.—The Curator exhibited a relief map of Essex,
together with an ordinary map on the same scale(1/2in. to the mile), which had
been made for the Museum by Messrs. George Philip and Son. (This map is
now placed in the vestibule of the Museum, and is described in "Museum
Notes" ante pp. 32.
Baillon's Crake.—Mr. Cole also exhibited the identical specimen of
Porzana bailloni mentioned in Christy's Birds of Essex (p. 224) as having been
caught by a dog in a ditch adjoining "Dagenham Gulf," Essex, in 1874, This
is the only specimen ever recorded for Essex. It had been purchased for the
Museum from Mrs. H. White.
Heron from Wanstead.—He also showed a specimen of the Heron shot by
the late Sir Thomas White, Lord Mayor, when he had the shooting in Wanstead
Park. This had also been purchased from Mrs. White.
Photographs of Old Buildings.—Mr. John Avery exhibited some photo-
graphs of old buildings, some now pulled down, in the neighbourhood of Forest
Gale and Stratford. He remarked on the duty of preserving such records of
disappearing features in Essex.
Votes of thanks were passed to the exhibitors.
1 It is a source of regret that this Report is not "published" in the usual sense, and
copies are difficult to procure.—[Ed.]