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Editorial
THE new Editor wishes to take this opportunity of thanking
those members of the Club who contributed so generously
to the present issue. More papers were received than could be
printed in one issue and it is hoped that many of those will appear
in the 1961 Essex Naturalist. Much of the delay in the publishing
this year has been due to the difficulty in deciding which papers
were to be held over.
1880-1960
ON the occasion of the eightieth anniversary of the foundation
of the Club, the Council would like to draw the attention
of all naturalists in Essex to its work and activities. In 1880 the
objects of the Club were defined as the promotion of interest in
the natural history, geology and archaeology of Essex, and to-day
these same objects are being vigorously pursued. Par from being
an aged, or infirm octogenarian, the Club is actively expanding
and developing its services to both its members and the county,
and thus fully justifies its claim to be "The County Natural
History Society".
On the scientific side, the establishment of Botanical and
Geological Groups has meant that students of these subjects are
provided with specialist activities designed to help them in their
researches. The foundation of other specialists Groups within
the Club has envisaged for the near future. Three Ecological
Surveys are being conducted by the Club, one of Skipper's Island
(Thorpe-le-Soken), another at Woodham Walter Common, and
the third in Epping Forest. These are projects designed to
secure the maximum knowledge of all aspects of natural history
in a small area, with the eventual object of discovering the dis-
tribution and occurrence of plants and animals, as well as their
interdependence on one another. In these activities all
naturalists, whether beginners or experts, can make a useful
contribution to the study of their county.
The Council extends a cordial invitation to all who are in-
terested in natural history, geology or archaeology in Essex to
join the Club and to participate in these and other endeavours.