THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. REPORTS OF MEETINGS. 163. 



gave demonstrations of the methods employed in preparing the straw, and 

 exhibited the little bone cutters used in splitting the straws, and the wooden 

 "mills" for flattening the strips before plaiting. Mr. Gould said that he was 

 largely indebted to Mr. Miller Christy for statistical details of the rise and decay 

 of this interesting rural industry, and Mr. Christy also spoke, supplementing the 

 author's remarks with much local information. 



A discussion took place, in which Prof. Meldola and Mr. Corcoran joined. 



A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Gould for the paper, which will be 

 printed in the Essex Naturalist. 



British Science Guild. — Prof. Meldola called attention to the meeting to be 

 held on Monday next at the Mansion House, under the chairmanship of the 

 Lord Mayor, for the establishment of what bids fair to be a very important body 

 — the British Science Guild — and commended this departure to the members and. 

 to all interested in science and education in the county. 



THE 242nd ORDINARY MEETING. 

 Saturday, November 25///, 1905. 

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

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



New Member. — Mr. George Ellis, of 59, Woodlands Road, Ilford, was 

 elected a member. 



British Science Guild.— The President alluded to the circular setting out 

 the aims of the British Science Guild, which has been sent out to all members. 

 The Guild had been successfully inaugurated at a meeting held in the Mansion 

 House on October 30th. The President, in commending the Guild to the 

 support of all wishful for the progress and diffusion of science in Britain, said that 

 he was informed by Professor Meldola that the Essex Field Club was the first 

 local society which had taken an active interest in the Guild by circulating the 

 prospectuses in the way indicated. 



Straw-Plaiting Mill. — A stiaw-plaiting mill from Essex was exhibited 

 which had been presented to the Club by Mr. Bryan Corcoran. Subsequently to 

 the making of the mill it had been fitted with a hopper, so as to be used as a mill 

 for crushing hemp-seed for feeding birds. 



Rare Essex Birds.— Mr. Miller Christy presented a specimen of the Little 

 Auk [Mergulus alle) shot at Lindsell Hall, near Dunmow, about 1 871, and a 

 Golden Oriole (? female or young) shot at the same place on May 22nd, 1883. 

 Both these birds are recorded in Christy's Birds of Essex. 



Mammals recently acquired for the Museum.— The Secretary exhibited 

 some remarkable animals recently purchased for the Mammalian collection. 

 These included a wild Albino Rabbit, cream-coloured and puce-coloured 

 varieties of the common Mole, the Pigmy Shrew (Sorex mi nut us), and a 

 specimen of the new British Vole, Microtus oicadensis, from the Orkney 

 Islands. 



Original Drawings for Godman's Norman Architecture of Essex. — 

 Mr. Avery exhibited the oiiginal drawings made for this work which he had 



