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THE ESSEX NATURALIST
the success of the Club depends on the steady growth of member-
ship, and the Council hopes that a special effort will be made to
introduce new members. The Council has been pleased to admit
to affiliation the Natural History Societies of East Ham Grammar
School and King Edward VI School, Chelmsford, and also the
London-over-the-Border County Girl Guides' Association.
The Council announces with regret that after twelve years as
Editor of The Essex Naturalist, Mr. C. B. Pratt has asked to be
relieved of his duties. The Club's debt to Mr. Pratt for his able
services as Editor is very great, and in recognition of this the
Council now proposes that he be elected an Honorary Member.
The Council also proposes that Mr. Bernard T. Ward be elected
an Honorary Member in recognition of his many years of service
to the Club and, in particular, of his devoted care of the Epping
Forest Museum.
It was with regret that the Council heard that the Club's
Honorary Member, Mr. J. Ross, was no longer able to provide the
exhibit of wild flowers that has for so many years beautified the
Epping Forest Museum. Mr. Ross's association with the Museum
extends over 26 years, and the Council wishes to take this oppor-
tunity of recording its appreciation of this unstinted labour. Our
thanks are also due to Mr. K. Marshall, the Curator of the Pass-
more Edwards Museum, for much help at the indoor meetings of
the Club during the year.
Reports of Meetings
Saturday, 17th January 1959
Approximately fifty members and friends attended this, the first
meeting of the year at the West Ham College of Technology.
Mr. R. W. Ingle of the British Museum (Natural History) exhibited
specimens and read a paper on the discovery of the introduced
Amphipod crustacean—Eucrangonyx gracilis in Epping Forest (see
Essex Nat., 30 (3): 199-201).
Mr. Michael N. Mistakidis, B.Sc., of 'the Fisheries Laboratory,
Burnham-on-Crouch, then gave a most interesting paper on The Shrimp-
ing Industry in Essex. After the lecturer had answered questions from
the audience, the President expressed the Club's thanks to him and
declared the meeting closed.
Saturday, 7th February 1959
This indoor meeting was held at the Friends' Old Meeting House,
Chelmsford, and the major item on the agenda was an Essex Naturalists'
Brains Trust. Mr. L. S. Harley acted as Chairman and questionmaster,
and the panel consisted of the following Club members and friends:
Messrs. W. R. Masefield, S. T. Jermyn, K. Miller and R. Spenser. The
questions, submitted by members in advance, covered a wide field and
the panel members' answers proved most interesting and often enter-
taining to an audience of more than sixty.