Masefield: Finally, have you anything you would like
to say that I've not asked a question on?
Harley: This is an opportunity, and I could go on
talking for hours, of course. I have already, in some other
place, expressed my feelings about museums and collections
(I've got a small private collection myself, but I feel
guilty about it). Whereas it is fascinating to make one's
own collection, there ought to be some machinery for getting
it offered to a public museum when the time comes.• I know,
for instance, that the late Hazeldene Warren had a
considerable collection, but it was quite difficult to get
some of it over to the British Museum where it was accepted
with great pleasure. I think a lot of amateurs' collections
could be used for teaching school-children. These objects
may not be in perfection as they would be if shown at the
Victoria and Albert Museum, but they are perfectly adequate
for some grubby-fingered child to handle and learn more at
first hand than he could ever learn by looking through a
museum showcase.
**********
THE FROG — IN DECLINE?
As many members will know, there is evidence that the
frog and toad populations in many areas of Britain are on
the decline.
The Nature Conservancy at the Monks Wood Experimental
Station is currently attempting to evaluate the situation
with the aim of finding the cause of this, whether due to
pesticides or some other means.
In order to get an overall picture of this, they are
assembling details of frog populations over the past five
years or more. Such information is often coming from schools
which may study frog population over a period of years, and
also from individuals who have kept an eye on the local
frogs for some time.
It would be interesting to hear, through this Bulletin
any information on frog populations of Essex. Of course,
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