52 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
in your subject, if they will only join your Society, will be great
gainers thereby. It is very important that the county should
give its support to such an institution as the Essex Field Club.
My predecessor, the late lamented Lord Lambourne, was
for nearly the whole period of the Club's existence a member
of it, and a strong supporter of its operations. I claim to have
been a member of the Field Club for twenty years. Somehow
I seem to have lapsed, probably in one of those fits of economy
which most of us experience at the beginning of the year. But
if you will allow a prodigal to re-enter the circle I shall be pleased
to come in again.
We have listened to a most interesting speech from the
Countess of Warwick, who opened this building thirty years ago
and gave it a send-off which has, no doubt, brought success in
its train, as such a send-off would naturally do.
I have refreshed my memory by reading her speech in one
of the volumes of the Field Club which I possess. I am sure
that everything Lady Warwick said on that occasion is per-
fectly true of this Museum. It provides a most wonderful
means of instructing the people in many things, and giving
them that ocular instruction which is always so attractive.
Why, I could hardly tear myself away this afternoon from the
tiny "fairy shrimps" exhibited alive in a tank in this Hall,
and it is specially interesting to know that these little creatures
are denizens of Epping Forest.
It is wonderful to think that in your exhibition in this Hall
you have implements dug up in the County which are more
than 4,000 years old. Think how important this Institution
will be five hundred years hence, when it will have gathered
many more relics and records.
May I say that I trust that those rather pessimistic views
Lady Warwick expressed will not materialise—at any rate,
not in our time. But we have at least one very delightful place
that cannot have any more roads cut through it, and that is
Epping Forest. I hope that I may be allowed, as one of the
Verderers of Epping Forest, to wish the Essex Field Club con-
tinued success. We admit that we Verderers are under a great
obligation to the Essex Field Club for their assistance in safe-
guarding the amenities of the Forest and preventing further
invasions. I think at one time the Verderers of the Forest