THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. — REPORTS OF MEETINGS. 167 



SPECIAL MEETING. 



The meeting was then declared a Special one (in accordance with the intimation 

 sent to members by circular) for the consideration of the following alteration 

 IN THE rules, proposed by the Council : — 



In Rule X , after the words, " fanuary in each year" insert the 

 following : — 



" Provided, nevertheless, that any two or more members of the same family, 

 who reside in the same house, and are willing to receive between them onlv one 

 copy of the Club's Publications, may become Ordinary Members of the Club, 

 and shall enjoy all the privileges of Membership (except that they shall receive 

 between them only one copy of the Club's Publications, as above) in return for 

 the usual Entrance Fee in respect of each Member (in the case of new Members), 

 and a joint Annual Subscription of One Guinea for the first two Members and 

 Six Shillings annually for each additional Member." 



The President explained the reasons which had led the Council to recommend 

 this alteration, and proposed it on behalf of the Council. The motion was 

 seconded by Professor Meldola, F.R.S , and Mr. Howard, and carried 

 unanimously. 



Thanks to the President, the Council, and Officers.— Prof. Meldola 

 proposed that the cordial thanks of the Club should be accorded to Mr. Christy 

 for his services as President during the year. He said that all members of the 

 ■Club who attended any of the meetings would heartily concur in his appreciation 

 of the care the President had given to its affairs, and the business ability he had 

 •exercised as its head. 



Mr. W. M. Webb seconded the motion most heartily r and proposed that the 

 vote should include all the officers and members of the Council who had devoted 

 so much care and attention to the affairs of the Club. 



Prof. Meldola agreed to this, and the vote was carried by acclamation. 



The President returned thanks on his own behalf and on behalf of his 

 colleagues on the Council and the Officers. 



The meeting then adjourned until the evening. 



THE 245th ORDINARY MEETING. 



Saturday, April jth, 1906. 



This meeting was held at the Technical Institute, Stratford, at half-past six, 

 Mr. Miller Christy, F.L.S., President, in the chair. 



New Members. — Mr. Herbert O. Jacobs, 133, Osborne Road, Forest 

 Gate, and Mr. Herbert E. Rains, 5, Sackville Gardens, Ilford, were elected 

 members. 



Black Rat in Essex. — Mr. W. Cole exhibited two specimens of Mus rattus 

 which had been sent to him by Mr. Pettitt, the taxidermist, from " a locality in 

 Essex." The records of the capture of this species in the county were very few, 

 with the exception of specimens from the docks on the Thames, where sometimes 

 Black- Rats, which were presumably escapes from foreign-going ships, were 

 caught. 



Mr. Christy remarked that the specimens exhibited seemed to his eyes hardly 

 typical, and he suggested that they might be hybrids between the true M. rattus 

 and the Brown Rat {Mus decumanus). 



