THE
ESSEX NATURALIST
BEING THE
Journal of the Essex Field Club.
VOLUME XXIII.
OUR FRONTISPIECE.
ON Wednesday, July 3rd, 1844, a party of members of the
Linnean Club visited the tomb of our greatest Essex
naturalist, John Ray, in the churchyard of Black Notley, after-
wards visiting "Dewlands," Ray's home. The company included
the then President of the Linnean Society (the Lord Bishop of
Norwich), Professor D.T. Ansted, Professor Thomas Bell, Robert
Brown, Edward Forster, Dr. Edwin Lankester, John Van Voorst,
W. Yarrell, and other well-known scientific men of the day.
Also of the number was Edward Forbes, F.R.S., F.L.S.,
then Professor of Botany at King's College, who made a clever
sketch on the spot, showing some of the visitors assembled at
Ray's tomb: this sketch he elaborated later into a more finished
drawing, which forms the lithographed frontispiece to the
"Memorials of John Ray," published in 1846 by the Ray Society
as one of its earliest productions.
Quite recently, in April, 1930, the owner of the original
sketch, Dr. Owen Lankester, presented it to the Linnean Society,
and by the courtesy of the Council of the Society the Editor
is permitted to reproduce it, on a reduced scale, in the Essex
Naturalist. The original pen-ink-and-wash sketch (now
somewhat stained by damp) measures 141/2in. x 101/4in. : com-
parison of it with the later drawing will show how closely in
the latter Forbes adhered to the original lines of his draft sketch,
only the figures being more carefully drawn and slightly re-
arranged. The sketch is signed in the bottom right hand
corner by the artist and is inscribed "The tomb of John Ray
at Black Notley, Essex. Visited by the Linnaean Club July 3d,
1844."
Our older members will remember that in 1912 our Club
initiated a public subscription and performed the pious duty of
renovating John Ray's tomb.