176
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Exhibits.—Mr. Miller Christy, F.L.S., exhibited some specimens of; the
Fresh-water Mussel, Unio pictorum, from the lake in Riffham's Park, Danbury
(August 1909). He said that U, pictorum was normally bright green in colour.
The present specimens were much larger than usual and darker in colour.
This peculiar type of the mollusc was met with also in lakes in some other parts
of Essex, and might perhaps be occasioned by an abundance of food.
Mr. Christy also showed a specimen of the Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps
cristatus) from Heybridge, presented to the Club's Museum by Dr. E. Bertram
Smith, of Stisted. The bird was probably a young male in winter plumage,
the crest not being so pronounced as it would be in summer. Until
recently, the bird was not known to breed in Essex ; but, within the last 10 or 15
years, it has become more numerous, and latterly it has bred on the lakes in
Weald Hall Park and Gosfield Park. Mr. Christy added that those members
who were present at the meeting at the Walthamstow Reservoirs on 26th June
last (ante, p. 105) would remember seeing one of these Grebes sitting on her
nest in the "island" of the lake. The Crested Grebe would no doubt become
commoner owing to the protection afforded by the Wild Bird Protection Act.
"Fossil Horse" at Bishop's Stortford.—Mr. E. T. Newton, F.R.S.,
exhibited an engraving from the Illustrated London News, of 5th June 1909, of
the skeleton of the so-called "Fossil Horse" found at Bishop's Stortford, and
read an extended memorandum on the subject, together with a comparison of
the three types of horses of the present day living in Europe and Asia. He had
come to the conclusion that this skeleton presented no characters which would
indicate its being of Pre-historic age : on the contrary, its agreement with the
bones of modern horses points to a much more recent origin (see ante, pp. 132-136).
Mr. Dalton, F.G.S., made some remarks on the subject, and pointed out
that, inasmuch as the whole skeleton had been preserved in situ, it was improbable
it was naturally deposited.
Mr. Alexander J. Hogg referred to an abnormal horse which he had seen,
many years ago, at Ingatestone (see post, p. 191).
A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Newton for his communication.
Boring-tools for Making Wooden Water-Pipes.—Mr. W. Cole
exhibited a set of the Boring-Tools formerly used for making Wooden Pipes for
the conveyance of water from the works to the consumer. These tools had been
purchased by the kind aid of Mr. Fell Christy, of Chelmsford. It was stated
that the irons had been in the possession of one family for three or four genera-
tions and came from near Burnham-on-Crouch.
Mr. Cole showed a lantern-slide copied from Evelyn's Sylva (reproduced in
the Essex Naturalist, vol. xiii., page 135). demonstrating the mode of
employing the tools in the making of the pipes ; but, in this picture, a water
mill was shown driving the borer ; whereas the implements exhibited must
have been revolved by hand labour. The tools would be placed in the Forest
Museum, alongside the fine example of a Wooden Water-pipe presented some
time ago by our member, Mr. J. M. Wood, C.E. (see engraving of it in E.N.
xiii., p. 65).
Forest Lopping Axe.—Mr. Ernest Linder, B.Sc., sent for exhibition and
presentation to the Forest Museum the original Axe used by the Willingales of
Loughton in asserting the rights of Lopping on the. Forest on the 11th of
November in each year (see Fisher's Epping Forest, p. 247).
A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Linder for his interesting gift.