PRESENTATION TO MR. WILLIAM COLE. 1 33 



before, if you only knew how pleasantly cordial were the letters which came with 

 the subscriptions, you would realize even more how your services and those of 

 your brothers and sisters have been appreciated. 



Mr. William Cole, in reply, said : Professor Meldola, Mr. David Howard, 

 Mr. Miller Christy, Ladies, and Gentlemen — perhaps, I might say old friends to 

 all of you. On behalf of my sisters and brothers, as well as on my own behalf, I 

 thank you most heartily for the kindness winch has prompted you to present us 

 with this beautiful testimonial in appreciation of our services to the Club and our 

 attempt to cultivate a taste for natural history in the count)' of Essex. 



I feel it difficult to express my feelings of gratitude to so many ladies and 

 gentlemen, well known in Essex and eminent in the scientific world, for the very 

 flattering way in which they have spoken of my share in the work of the Field 

 Club during the last 26 years. I do feel proud aud delighted that such a 

 gathering as this has been held, and thankful for the gracious expressions of 

 esteem in the letters which Professor Meldola has read. I know that my brothers 

 and sisters are equally grateful to you, and they desire me to thank you in their 

 names. This Address will always be a pleasant memorial of the many friendships 

 which we have formed during the progress of the Club, and of the interesting 

 investigations in which we have taken part. Some of these investigations have 

 added, I cannot help thinking, to the knowledge we possessed of the natural 

 history and archaeology of Essex, and I hope that, in the future, the Club will 

 engage in many more enquiries of the kind. I thank you also most sincerely for 

 this very tangible expression of your goodwill and for your presence on this 

 memorable evening, and I gratefully accept the flattering memorial and accom- 

 panying purse. I must add my full appreciation of the services of Mr. Miller 

 Christy in having promoted this most successful gathering. I know something 

 of secretarial duties, and I am sure that both he and Mr. David Howard must 

 have given up a great deal of their valuable time to the friendly work they so 

 kindly took in hand. 



In accepting this present and memorial, you must not think that I arrogate 

 to myself the sole credit of promoting the interests of the Club. I have on my 

 right hand Professor Meldola, the first President— (applause)— and I have the 

 best means of knowing what intense interest he took in its inception. I well 

 remember the talks which led to the formation of the Club, and we all recall the 

 small assembly of supporters held at his rooms in John Street, Bedford Row, 

 at which the draft of his excellent " Inaugural Address " was read and discussed. 

 Whenever people apply to me for advice as to the formation of a Field Club or 

 similar society, I always refer them to Professor Meldola's " Address," as being, 

 perhaps, the best paper ever written on what should be the work of a society such 

 as ours. Not only did Professor Meldola follow up this remarkable programme 

 with a series of admirable addresses, but, at our meetings during the whole 

 26 years' existence of the Club, he has always, when present, led the discussion on 

 subjects brought forward in a way that has elevated the debate and given it a 

 truly scientific character. All members of the Club owe a very great debt of 

 gratitude to Professor Meldola for what he has done for the Society 

 (Applause). 



We have always had a very excellent Council. I think that very few societies 

 of the nature of the Essex Field Club ever had a Council which has met iu 

 such large numbers and whose members took such an intense personal interest 



