200 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB
foundation, and a message of sincere condolence was agreed to be sent,
in the name of the Club, to the members of the Cole family.
Mr. Bestow was elected as one of the auditors for the current year, in
place of Mr. Arthur Wrigley, who found himself unable to perform the
duties by reason of being engaged on Government work.
Mr. Hugh Main, B.Sc., F.E.S., exhibited and presented to the Club's
Museum a pupation-cell of the water-beetle, Dytiscus marginalis, found
in the bank of a pond in Epping Forest. He also showed some stereoscopic
photographs of the pupa and the perfect beetle in the pupation-cell.
The thanks of the meeting were recorded to Mr. Main for his exhibit,
(see note, p. 186.)
A paper was read by Mr. Miller Christy, F.L.S., on "John Gibbs : an
Essex Botanist, 1822-?1892," which will be found printed in the Essex
Naturalist (ante, pp. 89-96).
Mr. J. H. Owen, of Felsted School, exhibited a special series of some
150 lantern slides from photographs illustrating the "Nesting Period of the
Sparrow-hawk," as observed by himself, and gave an interesting running
commentary upon the slides.
After a brief description of the life of the birds from autumn to spring,
an account was given of the nesting habits from the selection of the
nesting-site in March to the scattering of the young at the end of July or
in the early part of August. The series of lantern-slides illustrated the
various features of the nesting habits and growth of the young. Of these
particular interest attached to a series showing the various methods of
brooding in wet weather and the care taken over the welfare of the
youngest nestling. Another series showed the young able to feed them-
selves, while the hen keeps watch above the nest during the course of he
meal until the young are all asleep after the food is finished. Slides were
shown of the visits of young and old birds to the rest after the young
had left. The majority of the rest of the slides had to do with the growth
of the young from hatching until they are able to tear up food for
themselves.
Thanks were accorded to Mr. Miller Christy and to Mr. Owen, and the
meeting adjourned.
VISIT TO THE BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE
BRITISH MUSEUM, NATURAL HISTORY
(468th MEETING).
SATURDAY, 10TH FEBRUARY 1917.
This visit was made, in conjunction with the Selborne Society, by
kind invitation of Dr. A. B. Rendle, M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S., Keeper of Botany
at the Museum.
Members assembled in the Central Hall at 2.30 o'clock, some 36 persons
attending, and were met by Dr. Rendle, who conducted the party through
the public gallery and into the herbarium, where he described the method
of drying plants in sand and the effect upon the chlorophyll of plants by
dipping them in acetate of copper. Mr. E. G. Baker then took the party
in his charge, and showed some Herbals and a fine historic series of plant
illustrations. Cordial thanks were voted to Dr. Rendle and Mr. Baker
by the visitors.