134 PRESENTATION TO MR. WILLIAM COLE. 



in the proceedings. We- have here to-night two of our past presidents, Professor 

 Boulger, who did such admirable service in the fight over some questions affecting 

 Epping Forest, and Mr. T. V. Holmes, whose work on the Dene-holes you all 

 remember. Mr. Holmes and I spent six weeks underground at Grays, 

 investigating these pits, and his report in our Journal sums up all that is really 

 known concerning them. Then there J£ Mr. Henry J. Barnes, our first 

 Treasurer, who did much valuable service. That reminds me that the Club was 

 much favoured in having, at one time, a lady Treasurer. Mr. Royle, who was 

 Treasurer, had to go abroad on scientific work, and Mrs. Royle very kindly took 

 his place. 



With respect to our work, will you allow me to mention my brother, Mr. 

 B. G. Cole, who has acted as assistant hon. secretary during the whole life of the 

 Club. His has been a very quiet work ; it does not loom largely in the 

 Transactions of the club ; but it has been, nevertheless, of great importance to 

 its welfare. 



Concerning the Museums, I should like to acknowledge our indebtedness, 

 first, to the Corporation of London and its Epping Forest Committee for their 

 kindness in granting the use of the old Tudor Lodge at Chingford as a home for 

 our Forest Museum, and, secondly, to the Corporation of West Ham for their 

 public spirit in agreeing to our application for the establishment of a County 

 Museum at West Ham. Whatever may be said of local corporations, there is 

 one thing which most of them strongly favour, and that is, education. 

 When Mr. Howard and others first met the Corporation of West Hani to discuss 

 our proposal, we were received in a most cordial wav. We are still being 

 treated most appreciatively, and the progress of the museum in West Ham is 

 mainly due to the friendly manner in which the efforts of the Field Club have 

 been met by the Corporation. I have every reason to believe that the 

 Corporation will continue to cordially support the Museum, and that it will 

 become in time a treasure-house for specimens illustrating the natural history of 

 Essex and a valuable aid in imparting instructions to young people and to schools 

 in the district. 



With regard to our little museum in the Forest, it is not in any way complete, 

 and I should certainly like to see the scheme carried out as it should be. When 

 the initial work has been accomplished, I venture to hope that the City 

 Corporation will see their way to set it on a permanent and sound found ition 

 similar to the arrangements by which the Essex Museum has been taken over by 

 the Corporation of West Ham. But that is, of course, a matter for the future. 



We have had to-night a great deal of retrospective talk. I prefer not to regard 

 our work as completed, but that rather we should take for our motto Tennyson's 

 lines — " That which we have done but earnest of the things that we shall do," 

 and seek in the coming years even better lines of progress. 



For instance, there is the proposal that the Club should organize a station for 

 local biological research. This is one of my pet projects. I believe it will be 

 brought before you a concrete form in the near future. 



I have alluded to the exploration work we should like to do. There is an 

 immense field for it in Essex, both in archaeology and natural history. For 

 instance, the question of the oriyin and use of Dene-holes should be settled 

 definitely. I believe it is settled to Mr. Holmes' satisfaction and to my own, but 

 others are not quite so sure, and more work should certainly be dune. Then 

 there is the origin and meaning of our Essex "Red-Hills." These puzzling 



