62
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
opened for public inspection only during the past few months and is,
indeed, still uncompleted. Its object is to bring together all the methods
of raising fire employed throughout the ages, and to this end the 3,000
and more objects which comprise the Museum are arranged, so far as is
known, in historical sequence, from the earliest times down to the present
day.
The nucleus of the Museum was formerly the private collection,
formed gradually during many years, of Mr. Edward Bidwell ; this was
recently acquired by the Company and to it other foreign collections
have been added and are still being added ; so that the entire collection
can rightly boast of being the most comprehensive, if not, indeed, the
only adequate, survey of the subject in the whole world. Mr. Miller
Christy undertook the systematic arrangement and cataloguing of the
exhibits, to accommodate which Messrs. Bryant and May have set apart
a long gallery on the upper floor of their extensive offices at Bow, in
East London.
Over a hundred persons attended the meeting, which was a joint
one of our Club and of the Gilbert White Fellowship.
The party assembled in the Museum at about 3 o'clock, when Mr.
Christy was formally introduced by the Hon. Secretary of the Club,
this formality being intended for the benefit of the few persons present
who were not already acquainted with him.
After a brief account from Mr. Christy of the origin and character
of the collection, a detailed inspection of the exhibits was made.
The fifty and more members of the Club who were of the party had
the great advantage of being personally conducted through the Museum
by Mr. Christy himself, as one of our Past-Presidents, while the Gilbert
White Fellowship members were piloted by Mr. Bidwell, this division
being necessitated by the large number of visitors.
At 4.30 o'clock tea was served in the Board Room, following which
Dr. William Martin, in the name of the Gilbert White Fellowship, pro-
posed, and our President, on behalf of our own Club, seconded, the very
hearty thanks of the visitors to our Conductors, to the Directors of Messrs.
Bryant and May for their invitation and hospitality, and to the members
of the firm's staff, who had given up their Saturday afternoon in order
to make possible so enjoyable a visit.
Mr. Scourfield, in the course of his remarks, commented upon the
artistic embellishment of so many of the purely utilitarian specimens
exhibited, notably the chuckmucks from China.
The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation, and Messrs. Christy
and Bidwell expressed their appreciation in reply.
The visitors then separated, well pleased with a most instructive
and enjoyable afternoon.
ORDINARY MEETING (622ND MEETING).
SATURDAY, 26TH FEBRUARY, 1927.
This meeting was held, as usual, in the Physics Lecture Theatre of
the Municipal College, Romford Road, Stratford, the President, Mr.
D. J. Scourfield, I.S.O., F.L.S., etc., being in the chair. 46 members
attended.