280 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
the risk of air raids, then believed to be imminent. This removal was
satisfactorily accomplished within a few days of the start of hostilities.
A circular letter was next despatched to all members, acquainting
them that all meetings of the Club must necessarily be cancelled for the
time being and appealing for their continued loyalty so that our Club,
already in the both year of its existence, might survive this war as success-
fully as it did the Great War of 1914-1918.
At about this time our honorary treasurer, Mr. L. S. Harley, was at
short notice despatched on secret war service by the Air Ministry and
found it impossible to carry on the Club's treasurership for an indefinite
period. He suggested, therefore, that a deputy should be appointed to
carry on until he himself should be able to resume his duties.
Each member of the Council was thereupon communicated with
individually by letter and invited to nominate a person who should be
appointed to act as deputy-treasurer during Mr. Harley's absence. The
nominations were various, but by a majority vote the honorary secretary
was appointed. The appointment naturally threw a considerable amount
of extra work upon the selected individual, but it was realised that the
ingathering of subscriptions, vital to the Club's continuance in being, might
better be served in the hands of somebody known to all the members,
and the appointment was accordingly accepted.
Two quite unexpected donations from eminent members of the Club,
Prof. Sir E. B. Poulton, F.R.S., and Sir J. B. Farmer, F.R.S., and the
donors' expressed concern at any possibility of the Club's disappearance,
were most welcome and heartening.
Members of the Council were unanimously of opinion that every
effort should be made to keep alive the Club's journal, the Essex
Naturalist, which epitomises the actual scientific work of the Club.
Although at first consideration it appeared doubtful whether, in the
presumed absence of winter meetings, material would be forthcoming
to supply this, invitations to members known to be active workers at
particular subjects elicited sufficient response to enable the editor to
anticipate at least the completion of the current volume of the Essex
Naturalist by the issue of two further Parts at the customary intervals.
The editor gratefully acknowledges the ready co-operation of those
members who responded to his appeal.
As the war proceeded matters became somewhat more established.
A further Part of the Essex Naturalist was issued before the end of
September. During October an appeal was made to the West Ham
Council, on behalf of the Club, urging the re-opening of the Stratford
Museum, at all events during hours of daylight : it being pointed out
that many schoolchildren still remained in the neighbourhood, or had
returned from evacuation, and that educational facilities, such as the
Museum could offer, were lacking entirely. Unfortunately the authorities
could not then see their way to agree to this course, and the Museum
consequently still, at the end of January, and after five months of war,
remains closed : a second appeal has been made and is under consideration.
The Forest Museum at Chingford happily remains available for visitors,
and Mr. Ross reports a considerable number of these during the past
autumn.