108
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
tions of photographic views have also been made to our Pictorial Survey
of Essex.
Your Council wishes to record its grateful thanks to those members
who, by contributions of specimens, books or photographs, or by personal
service, have aided this satisfactory progress.
Miss Oxley has maintained her exhibition of living plants, twigs, etc.,
at the Forest Museum at Chingford, throughout the year, and to her also
the thanks of the Club are due.
The Essex Naturalist has been issued at regular half-yearly inter-
vals, one Part in October last and one Part in March; the last instalment
is just in your hands.
The increased cost of printing and postage has compelled your Council,
after careful consideration and the appointment of a special Committee
to review the position, to recommend to 5'ou certain alterations in the Rules,
involving an increased annual subscription, and the re-imposition of
an entrance fee, in the case of new members.
Public action has been taken by your Council in connection with a
rumour of the intended demolition of the ancient Elizabethan court-house
at Barking, and with reports of certain contemplated interferences with
the natural beauties of parts of Epping Forest.
NOTES : ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
Meldola Medal.—The first award of the newly-instituted Meldola
Medal for chemical research was made at the annual Meeting of the Insti-
tute of Chemistry on March 1st, 1922, to Dr. Christopher Kelk Ingold,
A.R.C.S., A.I.C.
Adders in Epping Forest.—Adders are not uncommon along the
edge of the marshes at South Benfleet and Mucking. I saw three in one
day in Epping Forest in March, 1914, one of them being the copper-red
variety, but since then I have not seen one there, and I believe that, owing
to the increase of bracken and forest fires, these reptiles are now very rare
in the Forest.—G. Dent.
Raven at Latton.—I saw a Raven at Latton Park in October,
1920. Its note was unmistakeable, and I had a good view of the bird
near by.—G. Dent.
Badgers in Essex.—Badgers are much commoner in the County
than is generally supposed. In the south-eastern parts they are very
numerous, particularly about Laindon, Grays, Tilbury, Dawes Heath and
the surrounding country. On one farm of about 1,000 acres, where the
owner wished to poison them on account of their supposed depredations
among partridge eggs, I dug out twelve full-grown badgers in 1920, all
of which found new homes within the county. Badgers are common in
the Epping Forest district and in Hainault Forest, and are found as far
as Ongar, Blackmore and South Weald. The soil of the Roothings is
unsuitable for them, but they occur about Braintree and Colchester, and
also fairly commonly about Saffron Walden, Barkway, and the Hertford-
shire borders. In fact, wherever the right soil is found, throughout Essex,
there also will Badgers be found.—G. Dent.