154 CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES COMMITTEE. 



Plants. As many plants are in serious danger of extermination 

 by trade-collectors, students of botany, and others, it seems 

 necessary to appeal to legislation for their protection ; but it 

 was suggested that before this could be secured, a leaflet might 

 be distributed among teachers^ and, perhaps, a " Reader " 

 published, explaining the danger to which certain rare plants are 

 subjected, and pleading for the conservation of objects of natural 

 beauty and scientific interest. The subject was warmly taken up 

 by the delegates, and their local influence at field-meetings and 

 in nature-study classes will probably be of much service. 



It is the usual practice at the annual Conference of Delegates 

 to receive reports from the Committees of the several sections of 

 the Association, with reference to any local work which might be 

 usefully undertaken by the Societies. In consequence, however, 

 of the meeting having been held this year in South Africa, the 

 sections were not sitting during the London meeting. For this 

 reason no detailed reports or suggestions were received, but a 

 few of the secretaries of the sections had sent short letters, one 

 of which ought to be of some interest to our Club. Dr. H. W. 

 Marett Tims, of Cambridge, who acted as Secretary of the 

 Section of Zoology in South Africa, wrote explaining that he 

 had not been able to communicate with the Sectional Committee, 

 but on his own responsibility suggested the following subjects as 

 worthy of local consideration, namely : — 



i. A systematic study of the fresh-water Plankton of 

 East Anglia. 



2. A study of the Rotifera of East Anglia. 

 This suggestion your delegate undertook to bring to the 

 notice of the Essex Field Club, and if some local naturalists can 

 be induced to follow it up, the Conference may be indirectly the 

 means of adding something to our knowledge of East Anglian 

 .zoology. 



