230
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
I was anxious to present a small collection of Prehistoric implements to a
School Museum, then recently opened by a friend. The few specimens then in
my possession were wholly insufficient to furnish a collection that possessed the
educational value that was our ideal. I appealed to three members of the Club
to assist me to fill the gaps. The first member sent me a number of Palaeos and
bones, the second identified and classified the bones, the third at first misunderstood
the intention of my appeal, and offered to supply the object I desired by way of
exchange. When I explained that 1 had nothing to send him and that the speci-
mens sought for were needed to fill a gap in a series in course of preparation for a
School Museum belonging to a friend, he not only sent me a specimen of the object
sought—the source of which he jealously guarded—but added a number of
prehistoric implements conjecturally mounted in handles, and of great interest
and value.
These experiences relate to the distant past, but I meet today with the same
readiness to supply information and guidance, and the Essex Field Club will
always enshrine for me the happiest memories.
Our Museum at Stratford has recently been presented with an original letter
by the well-known Epping naturalist. Henry Doubleday, which is of sufficient
interest to justify reproduction. Here it is :—
Epping. Wednesday evening,
Oct. 1st, 1873.
My dear Sir,
It is a long time since anything has passed between us. I quite
thought 1 should have seen you and your daughter on Sunday when the
strawberries were ripe. I had bushels and gathered them every day
for six weeks. The show of the Essex and Herts Horticultural Society
was held here in the grounds of John Henry Smee on the 15th of July
and I was awarded the first prize for Strawberries. Some of those in
the dish which I sent weighed 31/2 oz. each, and they were all gathered
from runners planted in August last year.
Two or three years ago you asked me to get you a pair of Missel
Thrushes, which I did—there is a service tree in the field between forty
and fifty yards from the garden and for the last week dozens of these
thrushes have come after the berries—an invalid friend of mine is fond
of these small birds when nicely cooked as she cannot take much food
and yesterday I shot ten Missel thrushes, nine of which I sent to her.
The other is such a very beautiful bird that I will send it to you in the
morning—it is one of the finest specimens I ever saw—neither of the
others was at all like it.
The moths seem to have disappeared here—I have not seen a single
Agrotis Segetum or exclamationis and some years dozens of them would
fly out of the beds when I was gathering strawberries.
I am strongly of opinion that some of the Canterbury dealers are
introducing a lot of continental specimens as British. I believe nine-
tenths of the rare British Lepidoptera in the recent collections are
Continental. I have had a great many sent to me to examine and there
was not one British specimen among them. Some people appear to
have more money than wits and will give five pounds at King Street
for what they could buy for five pence.
Two weeks ago I spent a couple of days with my old and valued
friend, Wm. C. Hewitson. What a splendid collection of butterflies he
now has—he said you and your daughter were there on the 15th June
and he appeared to be annoyed that through some inadvertence you
were not asked in to lunch—he said he should tell you that it was
unintentional.
The afternoon Sunday train is discontinued for the winter.
With kind regards I am,
My dear Sir,
Yours very sincerely,
HENRY DOUBLEDAY.
Mr. Tho. Cooke.