THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 59
The rest of the proceedings consisted of a splashing flight through
the deluge back to the railway station—and so home !
Some seven or eight Mallard were seen on one of the Forest ponds,
and a party of a dozen Long-tailed Tits enlivened the gloomy day by
their cheery twittering as they flew across the path.
ORDINARY MEETING (618th MEETING).
SATURDAY, 27TH NOVEMBER, 1926.
This meeting was held in the Physics Lecture Theatre of the Municipal
College, Romford Road, Stratford, the President, Mr. I). J. Scourfield,
I.S.O., F.L.S., etc., being in the chair. 65 members and visitors were
present.
The following were elected members of the Club, viz .: —
Mr. Leonard C. Bushby, F.E.S., of 11. Park Grove, Bromlev, Kent.
Mr. P. G. W. Higgle, of the National Bank of Egypt, 6, King William
Street, E.G.3.
Mr. Wilfred G. Hoare, of 7, Empress Avenue, Wanstead Park, E.12.
Mr. Wm. Jeffreys Lesley, B.Sc., of 11, Grove Road, Wanstead, E.11.
Mrs. E. L. Lesley, of 11, Grove Road, Wanstead, E.11.
Mr. Avery exhibited a series of prints, broadsides and manuscripts
relating to Essex.
Miss G. Lister exhibited specimens of the rush, Juncus effusus,
illustrating its preparation for use in rush-lights ; and, on behalf of Miss
Seebohm, presented them to the Club's Museum.
The Curator exhibited a Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) which
had been shot near Manningtree in the early part of the month and
presented in the flesh to the Stratford Museum by our member, Mr
W. B. Nichols.
Mr. Thompson also exhibited the specimen of Swallow-tailed Kite
(Elanoidcs forficatus) alleged to have been "shot in Essex about 1860
by Mr. Travers" ; the bird had come from the sale of the collection
of the late Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe, Bart., in February last. The
Curator read an account of the status of the specimen as an Essex bird,
written by Mr. W. E. Glegg (see Essex Naturalist, xxi., p. 269, with
photograph of the specimen).
Mr. Thompson also exhibited some alien plants collected in the
Colchester district by Mr. Geo. C. Brown and presented by him to the
Museum.
The President gave a verbal report as Delegate of the Club to the
Congress of the South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies, held at
Colchester in June last.
Mr. S. W. Wooldridge read a paper on "The Pliocene Period in
Western Essex, with special reference to the Pre-Glacial Topography
of the County," which he illustrated by various lantern-diagrams.
Mr. George Morris read "Some Notes on the Local Herbaria in the
Saffron Walden Museum," of which Museum he is the honorary curator,
and exhibited various specimens of the mounted plants referred to.