NOTICES OF ESSEX ORNITHOLOGISTS. 11
Naturalist. He was for many years a Fellow of the Linnean and
Zoological Societies, and was a J.P. for Essex and Suffolk.
Whilst at Colchester Dr. Bree made a large number of friends, by
whom he was very highly esteemed. He always took the greatest
interest in the town and its institutions, and delivered many able
lectures at the Literary Institute. Early in life —when the Reform
Bill of 1832 was passed—Dr. Bree was a Whig, but a few years
later, he changed his views, and up to the time of his death he
was a staunch Conservative, and a knight of the Primrose League.
He left Colchester in 1881, and afterwards resided at Long
Melford, where he died on Sunday, the 17th of October, 1886,
aged 75. Dr. Bree was seized with paralysis in June, 1881, and
deprived of the entire use of his right side, and he then resigned
his connection with the hospital. He bore his long illness with the
greatest patience and resignation. His remains were interred in
the Colchester Cemetery, having been brought from Long Melford
for that purpose. The bulk of his collection of skins is now in the
possession of Mr. W. H. Harwood, of Colchester, who purchased
it from his representatives shortly after his death. Although con-
sisting mainly of foreign and other specimens, a large number are
from Essex, including several of great interest (See p. 34).
CLARKE, Joseph, F.S.A., of The Roos, Saffron
Walden, is our veteran Essex naturalist and archaeologist, and has
supplied much valuable information for use in this work. To his
efforts we are largely, if not chiefly, indebted for the magnificent
collection of birds in the Walden Museum, a large number of the
specimens in which were either acquired through his efforts or
collected by him personally in his younger days at Yarmouth and
elsewhere. A considerable number of specimens of the commoner
inland birds were presented by him to the British Museum Col-
lection before 1836. Besides supplying many valuable verbal
and written communications as to his reminiscences of Essex
birds, he has kindly allowed me to make many very interesting
extracts from a book of memoranda (24) in which he entered
miscellaneous observations and notes of rare birds occurring round
Saffron Walden between the years 1820 and 1845, or thereabouts.
DALE, Samuel (1659 ?—1739) is, perhaps, chiefly known
as the neighbour, disciple, and literary executor of Ray ; but Professor
Boulger (Journal of Botany, xxi, 193 and 225), claims for him
as a botanist much original talent and a high pitch of accuracy in