iv
Journal of Proceedings.
Members of the Club. This proposal was carried unanimously. The
first ordinary meeting of the Club was fixed for the 28th February, and
the meeting then broke up, tea and coffee being served in one of the
rooms.
Saturday, February 28th, 1880.—Ordinary Meeting.
The first Ordinary Meeting of the Club was held at the Head-quarters,
at seven o'clock, the President, Mr. Meldola, in the chair. Nearly
seventy members were present. The minutes of the Foundation Meeting
were confirmed.
Letters were read from the gentlemen proposed at the last meeting,
returning thanks for their election as Honorary Members of the Society.
In accordance with the power given to him under Rule III., the
President nominated Mr. John T. Carrington, F.L.S., M.E.S. (Natu-
ralist, Royal Aquarium), Mr. E. A. Fitch, F.L.S., M.E.S., Mr. N. F.
Robarts, F.G.S., and the Rev. W. Linton Wilson, M.A., as Vice-Presi-
dents during his year of office.
The President then delivered an Inaugural Address on the objects
and work of the Club. (Transactions, Vol. I., pp. 1-26.)
Mr. John Spiller, F.C.S., said that he was sure all present must appre-
ciate the very admirable address with which they had been favoured by
their President. Its preparation must necessarily have taken long study
and thought, and he begged to congratulate the members of the Society
on having such a masterly plan of operations so eloquently sketched out
for their future guidance and encouragement. He hoped that they
might look forward not only to a careful record and revision of the facts
relating to the natural history of the county, but also to making many
substantial additions to the facts themselves. They had certainly
enjoyed a great treat that evening in listening to Mr. Meldola's address,
but they must not forget that many members of the Club were less
happily situated, and had not been able to attend the meeting, and,
therefore, in their interests, and in the interests of the Society itself, he
begged to propose that the address should be printed and circulated
amongst the members. The motion was seconded by Mr. H. J. Barnes,
and was carried unanimously.
The Librarian announced that Mr. Whitaker had presented a set of
pamphlets, relating to the geology of Essex, to the library, and that Sir
Antonio Brady, F.G.S., had sent a copy of a privately printed catalogue
of his magnificent collection of the Pleistocene Vertebrata, from the
neighbourhood of Ilford, in Essex. Thanks were given to the donors.
The Secretary read a paper communicated to the Club by Mr. R, M.
Christy, of Chignal, near Chelmsford, on "The Occurrence of the Great
Bustard (Otis tarda, L), and the Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus),