THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
145
ORDINARY MEETING (682ND MEETING).
SATURDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY, 1931.
This, the fourth indoor meeting of the Winter Session, was held as
usual in the Physics Lecture Theatre of the Municipal College, Romford
Road, Stratford, with the President, Sir David Prain, C.M.G., C.L.E., F.R.S.,
etc., in the Chair. Just over fifty persons attended.
The Hon. Secretary announced, in anticipation of the approaching
Annual Meeting, that the Council nominated the existing President and
Officers en bloc for re-election to their respective offices. The announce-
ment that Sir David Prain was willing to serve as President for a second
year was warmly received by the members present.
The further announcement was made that Messrs. Daun, Keeves, Main,
Mothersole and Dr. Wooldridge were due to retire in rotation from the
Council at the Annual Meeting, making five vacancies thereon. The
vacancy caused by the recent lamented decease of Dr. Turner would not,
in view of the Resolution passed by the Annual Meeting in 1929, be filled.
Nominations from members were invited accordingly, and the following
were made :—
Mr. Scourfield nominated Mr. Hugh Main, Mr. Price seconding.
Mr. Avery nominated Mr. H. Mothersole, Mr. Thorrington seconding.
Mrs. Boyd Watt nominated Mr. W. H. Daun, Mrs. Hatley seconding.
Mr. Barns nominated Mr. J. C. Shenstone, Mr. Avery seconding.
Miss G. Lister nominated Mr. J. H. Owen, Mr. Harley seconding.
Miss Prince nominated Mr. J. Keeves, Miss Dofort seconding.
Mr. Main nominated Mr. W. S. Gilles, Mr. Thompson seconding.
Mr. Boyd Watt gave a short account of the present distribution in
the British Isles of the American Grey Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin,
illustrating his remarks by lantern diagrams and photographs prepared and
loaned by Mr. A. D. Middleton, of the Oxford University Museum. He
remarked that the conjecture made at the time of his earlier communication,
eight years ago, to the Club on this subject (see Essex Naturalist, xx
pp. 189-205), that this alien squirrel would probably increase in numbers
and in its range, has proved to be correct. He referred to the researches
carried out under the "Rodent Investigation" scheme by Mr. Middleton,
who had made use of the information given in the paper cited in his
recent communication to the Zoological Society (Proc. Zool. Soc., Part 3,
1930).
Mr. Avery exhibited a series of twenty-four watercolours and prints of
Essex windmills and other topographical features and of bygone Essex
celebrities.
Mr. Main showed an excellent flashlight photograph of a Badger, taken
by itself.
The President then called upon Mr. F. W. Thorrington for his account
of "The Ferns of Essex," which he illustrated by a fine set of lantern-
photographs by Mr. A. W. Dennis, by living fronds, and by various speci-
mens from the Museum herbarium.
At the conclusion, the President expressed the thanks of the meeting
to Mr. Thorrington for his paper, and-the meeting adjourned at 5 o'clock.