274 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
eventually to achieve fame ; not to mention such extras, after a busy day
on 'Change or a late session in the House of Commons, as a night operation
in the Forest helping to pull down fences erected by would-be enclosers.
Although F.C.G. prided himself on being a Devonian I feel that his
many and happy associations with his adopted county of Essex should not
be unrecorded.
BOOKS
The County Book Series—Essex, by C. Henry Warren (Robert Hale Ltd. 15s.).
Contrary to popular conception, the county of Essex can only be satisfac-
torily described in strong, contrasting terms. Essex requires the art of a
Rouault as well as a Sisley. It embraces the important and far from un-
interesting industrial and chemical plants of the south-east, mysterious
estuaries of strategical significance, a good deal of colourless mud-flats which
Baring-Gould described as dismal, perhaps because the haunting tunes of
the waders escaped him, and the rolling arable land of the north-west,
which is almost Continental in its rich, variegated colouring. Mr. Warren
has written a book of distinction which is well up to the standard of the
excellent series of the County Books. Although fluently phrased it is compact
with a wide range of interesting observations about Essex, often of a novel
character. Mr. Warren has a great sympathy and feeling for Essex villages,
churches, and rural life. In a century distinguished for beautiful electronic
instruments, nostalgic sentiments about flails and rural crafts are sometimes
overdone. It is not so here for romance is found in the life of the county
as it is today. The many fine photographs are a triumph for one who sees
the beauty of his county and can portray it for all to see—John Tarlton of
Fairstead.
F. C. Wickson
Clouds, by Kirt Badt (Routledge and Kegan Paul. 12s. 6d.).
The Essex road leading from Dedham to Manningtree overlooks the
valley of the Stour. Walking eastwards the passer-by will see how the
estuary merges with the sky into one luminous expanse of ash-grey and silver
colouring. The habitual effects of Constable—noonday light, white clouds
upon blue and black, greens absorbed by dazzle—grew largely out of his
boyhood impressions on the Stour and it was always known that he acquired
a respectable knowledge of weather conditions from the millers whose live-
lihood depended upon the wind. Herr Badt's book, however, offers fresh
evidence that Constable studied cloud types and formations in a scientific
way, having read the pioneer work of Luke Howard, The Climate of London
(1820), which profoundly affected his art. In 1821 Constable wrote, "I
have done a good deal of skying" and, in 1822, "I made about fifty careful
studies of skies, tolerably large to be careful", His feeling for nature was
one of intimacy and this book increases his stature as a natural philosopher.
We are led to appreciate more fully his remark, "No arrogant man was ever
permitted to see nature in all her beauty". The book is beautifully illustrated
by pictures of skyscapes.
F. C. Wickson
In these days of expensive book production it is pleasant to come across
the two excellent little books entitled The Beginners Introduction to British
Gulls and priced at 1s. 6d. each. They contain coloured drawings of all
the common British gulls and three of the rarer ones, which are the work of
Roland Green. The text is by Robin Harrison. Published by Vawser
and Wiles (London) Ltd., these books may be confidently recommended to
those who have not yet learned to identify the gulls.
C. B. Pratt