124
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
Eoanthropus, Neanderthal man, and Rhodesian man, and to their bearing
upon the question of the origin and descent of the human race, quoting our
President's words that they may be regarded as ''failures in the art of man
in the making."
At the conclusion of Mr. Dale's lecture, the party proceeded to the
Iron Age Gallery, where Mr. Reginald Smith took up the story. He began
by explaining the exhibits which illustrate the older, or Hallstatt, period
of the Early Iron Age, which began somewhere about 1000 B.C. and is
characterised by long swords (hence being sometimes known as the "Large
Iron Sword period") and by brooches which have the loop or spring on
one side only of the head. He traced the evolution of these brooches from
the first plain simple bows to enormously exaggerated, heavy, boat-shaped
forms. Passing on to the later, or La Tene, period, Mr. Smith referred
to the Gaulish chariot-burials which have yielded so much information
with regard to the horse-furniture of the period, and spoke of the orna-
mented bronze tores and other personal ornaments then in vogue. The
meat wheel-turned pottery, with spiral designs, was touched upon, as were
also the remarkable currency-bars, found to be of definite weights, and
the curious bucket-like "water-clocks," with a small perforation in the
base, which were used for measuring time. Lastly, Mr. Smith described
the beautiful enamelled bronze shields found in the Rivers Witham and
Thames, which represent the highwater mark of the art of the period.
After a highly interesting lecture, and having, as he remarked,
brought his hearers down to the year 1 B.C., Mr. Smith concluded
just in time to permit of the visitors being turned out of the Gallery at
closing time.
In the absence of our President, Mr. Paulson, a vice-president, moved
a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. Dale and to Mr. Smith for their services
during the afternoon. These were heartily accorded, and the party
then separated to inspect other portions of the Museum which remained
open to a later hour.
ORDINARY MEETING (590TH MEETING).
SATURDAY, 31ST JANUARY, 1925.
The third Winter Meeting was held at 3 o'clock on the above after-
noon in the Physics Lecture Theatre of the Municipal College, Romford
Road, Stratford, the President, Sir A. Smith Woodward, F.R.S., in the
chair. Sixty members attended.
Before commencing the business of the meeting the President referred
to the death, on January 15th, of Mr. William Whitaker, an original hon.
member and a past-president of the Club. He spoke of the deceased's
distinguished services in the elucidation of the geology of the London
Basin, and of the help so freely given by Mr. Whitaker to amateur workers,
which had won him many friends ; he thought the Club would wish to
place on record in its Minutes the deep regret which was felt by them all
at the loss of the deceased.
Mr. Avery exhibited twenty-three Essex prints from his own col-
Section, which included portraits of Lord Lister, Lord Rayleigh, Nicholas