iv Appendix.
or two-thirds more matter, and so give each individual member a higher
return for his or her subscription than at present, while the Society
would more thoroughly fulfil one of its most useful and permanently
valuable functions. An inspection of the list of members will show
that the Club is surely, although perhaps somewhat slowly, making its
way among the inhabitants of parts of Essex remote from the head-
quarters. All well-wishers of the Society will desire to see this class of
members largely increased. The Club should have representatives in
every parish in the county, and remembering the very small subscription
asked from members living outside the radius of 15 miles from head-
quarters, it is manifest that such members will eventually receive even
more than a fair equivalent in the shape of publications for their expen-
diture.
A deputation, consisting of the President and Treasurer, and Mr. John
Spiller, waited upon Mr. Parkes, the Chairman of the Great Eastern
Railway Company in July last, when the latter very kindly granted the
important concession as to fares payable by members attending the
meetings, which has been taken advantage of on many occasions, and
which cannot fail to be of great utility both to the Society and to the
members. The best thanks of the Society are due to the Directors for
their kindness, and to Mr. J. Robertson, Superintendent of the line, for
his many courtesies in connection therewith.
Three parts of the ' Transactions' have been published during the year,
comprising (with the reprinted rules and list of members) 188 pages of
letterpress, and six plates, one being coloured. The Council early saw
the necessity of the ' Transactions' being sent out by an experienced
printer, and the two parts produced by Messrs. West, Newman, & Co.
leave little to be desired as regards appearance and general accuracy.
The desire of the Editor has been to give full and faithful records of the
popular as well as of the scientific work of the Society,—how far this
desire has been fulfilled it is for our critics to decide. As intimated in
the account of the Grays Meeting, the Society is indebted to our President
and to our members Messrs. J. Spiller and G. C. Harcourt for the
autotype plate accompanying that report, and the special thanks of the
Council and members are due to our honorary member, Major-General
Pitt-Rivers, for his generous donation of £12 to defray cost of the chromo-
lithographed plate of the objects found in the rampart of Ambresbury
Banks.
The attendances at the meetings have been good, in spite of unfavour-
able weather on several occasions. Twelve ordinary meetings have been
held during the year, at which 420 members have been present, giving
an average of 35, with 102 visitors. Six field meetings were organised,
224 members having attended, or an average of 37, about 130 visitors
having also been present. Three field meetings were held in conjunction
with other Societies—the Geologists' Association, the Hertfordshire Natural
History Society, and with the subscribers to the Essex and Chelmsford