220
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
deal with the history of Essex and in addition there are some hundreds of
carefully indexed pamphlets.
Our Honorary Assistant Secretary, Miss E. A. Greaves, continues to
attend regularly at the Library and is working steadily on her magnum opus,
the Pictorial Survey of Essex. The number of mounted items in the Survey
at March 31st, 1949, amounted to 13,200 in eighty-eight albums. Miss
Greaves keeps the Library registers and also undertakes the bulk of the
work entailed in sending out meetings notices to members.
The Essex Naturalist has now settled down to a regular annual appear-
ance. The modernisation of the cover has now been completed by the
addition of a drawing—by Mrs. E. C. Pratt—of a plant specially associated
with the county—the Fyfield Pea (Lathyrus tuberosus). Our Honorary
Editor, Mr. C. B. Pratt, has collected notes and observations from various
parts of the county and has devoted more space to this section. It is con-
sidered that the skilful co-operation of our printers has resulted in an attrac-
tive presentation of the Club's journal.
Members may be interested to hear that, besides a lecture on Essex by
Mr. Richard Ward at the request of the Ilford Education Officer, other
outside bodies have invited and shown exhibits from the Club. Such have
been made at the Buckhurst Hill Community Centre, at the West Ham
Library Historical Exhibition and at the Annual Conversazione of the
Quekett Microscopical Club.
Membership has shown an upward tendency during the year and despite
losses by death and resignation of 16 members, the total membership is over
10 per cent greater than at the end of last year. A steady flow of new mem-
bers is essential if the Club is to maintain its position as one of the leading
county natural history and antiquarian organisations and members are
asked to introduce suitable persons with a view to membership.
REPORTS OF MEETINGS
Ordinary Meeting (897th Meeting)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 29TH, 1949
This meeting was held in the West Ham Municipal College with the
President, Dr. Frank W. Jane, in the chair.
Mr. Richard Ward exhibited pellets of a Tawny Owl which had roosted
during the winter of 1947-48 in a tree in a Goodmayes front garden. The
identifiable constituents were the remains of small birds. Mr. Thompson
commented on the ejection of pellets by birds other than the owls and re-
called that he had seen a Song-Thrush eject one. The President stated that
he had seen a Spotted Flycatcher eject a pellet. He also called the attention
of members to Mr. Thompson's investigation of the literature of this subject
the results of which are embodied in his paper in the Essex Naturalist,
Vol. xx, p. 115.
Mr. Bernard Ward showed a photograph, taken in Bury Wood, Ching-
ford, the previous week, of a recently pollarded Hornbeam bearing dried
leaves. He suggested that this might indicate the appearance of the Forest
in winter in the days when pollarding was customary. Reference was made
to similar retention of leaves by young plants and adventitious shoots on
old plants of other trees such as Oak and Beech.
The President gave a short report on the progress of negotiations between
the Club and the Corporation of West Ham as to the future of the Museum.
He was pleased to say that a satisfactory settlement might now be anticipated.
Mr. B. J. Driscoll then gave his lecture on The Industrial History of the
Thames and Lea Valleys. He dealt with the effect of the high level of the