4
William Cole, took the subject up, and by his zeal and energy
gave to this
"Airy nothing
A local habitation and a name."
Our Society, in general terms, may be said to have for its
scope the study of nature in the field. So many eminent
writers have already treated of the advantages to be derived
from the study of nature at first hand, instead of from books
and museums, that any remarks which I might have to offer on
this subject could not but be the echoes of opinions already
expressed. In the words of Goethe we may exclaim:—
"Nature! we are surrounded and embraced by her: power-
less to separate ourselves from her, and powerless to penetrate
beyond her.......... She is ever shaping new forms: what is
has never yet been ; what has been comes not again. Every-
thing is new, and yet nought but the old..........We live in
her midst and know her not. She is incessantly speaking
to us.........."
That the Epping Forest and County Field Club has met a
public want let the facts now speak for themselves. Although
not quite two months old, we already number more than 140
original members. Our cause has been warmly taken up by
the press ; in its first attempts to struggle into existence the
infant Society has met with kindly encouragement on all
sides, and many of the foremost naturalists of this country
have signified their approval of our objects. It is unnecessary
for us, therefore, to plead any excuse for our raison d'etre.—it
only remains for us to show those who have so readily ex-
tended the hand of encouragement, by our future work, that
their sympathy has not been given in vain. We now look
forward—I may add with confidence—to receiving from our
members substantial support in the way of contributions to
our publications, exhibitions of specimens at our meetings,
and the discussion of problems in natural science in that
amicable spirit which is most conducive to. the real advance-
ment of knowledge.
In forming a Society such as the present Field Club our
primary object is of course the furthering of science—the
annual addition of something, however humble, to the general