Journal of Proceedings.
ci
Mr. R. Meldola made some remarks upon the progress of the report of
the recent earthquake shock in Essex, upon which he and Mr. White
were engaged. He detailed the steps already taken to gather informa-
tion, and specially referred to the valuable help they had received from
Mr. Holmes, Dr. Laver, Mr. Shenstone, and Mr. Wire. Mr. Meldola
said that a great deal had been written with a view of showing that the
shock was merely an " earth-tremor," and not an earthquake. This was
really a distinction without a difference, but one writer had gone so far
as to say that it was simply a great subterranean subsidence. He (Mr.
Meldola) could not possibly agree with this view. A subsidence affecting
50,000 square miles would have led to a very serious change of water-
level, but, so far as he had heard, this was not the case. Mr. Meldola's
remarks were illustrated with the photographs mentioned above, and
also by a very large map of Colchester, showing structural damage
caused by the earthquake, prepared by Dr. Laver and Mr. Symons,
F.E.S.
Some remarks upon the subject were made by the President and Mr.
T. V. Holmes.
Mr. T. V. Holmes read a paper entitled " On the Subsidence at
Lexden, near Colchester, in 1862 " [see ' Essex Naturalist,' i., pp. 1-8].
Mr. Wire said that he had visited the scene of the phenomena in
May, 1862, and gave some particulars of his observations then made
[see ' Essex Naturalist,' i., p. 6].
Mr. C. Thomas contributed a short paper " On the Occurrence of
the Rhizopod, Clathrulina elegant, in Essex " [see Trans. E. F. C, vol,
iv., pp. 50-53, with plate]. The Secretary stated that Mr. Thomas had
prepared drawings of this very interesting form, which would be pub-
lished in the ' Transactions.'
Cordial votes of thanks were passed for the above communications,
and the usual conversazione concluded the meeting, at which the pho-
tographs above-mentioned were shown, together with original drawings
by Mr. F. W. Elliott of two ancient camps at Burnham Beeches.
Saturday, June 21st, 1884 A Forest Ramble.
The Members assembled at Theydon Bois station about three o'clock,
where they were met by the President, Prof. Boulger, F.L.S., Mr. J. E.
Harting, F.L.S., Mr. Worseley-Benson, F.L.S., and the Hon. Secretary,
who acted as " Conductors " during the afternoon. Two of the Forest
keepers, Messrs. Luffman and Butt, attended by kind permission of
Captain McKenzie, the Superintendent. The party entered the woods
by Theydon Church, into "Genesis Slade," and then threaded their ways
through the low Hornbeam undergrowth towards Ambresbury Banks.
The afternoon was exceedingly fine ; the woodlands were at their best,
and some members of the party, strangers to the forest, frequently