THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 7 1 



in The Essex Naturalist for the information of the members, and as a per- 

 manent record of the agreements and conditions entered into. 



The amalgamation will necessitate very considerable additions to, and some 

 few alterations in, the Rules. These will be submitted for the approval of the 

 members at the annual meeting. 



Under the terms of the agreement for the amalgamation, subscribers to the 

 Essex and Chelmsford Museum for 1892 are admitted as members of the Club 

 without pa)'ment of entrance fee, and with the status and privileges of those 

 members of the Club elected previous to December 31st, 1892. Accordingly a 

 letter has been sent to the subscribers as aforesaid, informing them that they have 

 been so admitted members, with this proviso — that the subscription to the Club for 

 1893 be paid to the Treasurer before the 24th of June next. This admission of 

 the subscribers to the Museum will probably add about ninetjr members to the 

 Club. At Midsummer next the list of members will be carefully revised and 

 printed. This the Council propose to do each year in June, as experience has 

 shown that the expenditure is a necessary one, an annually revised list being of 

 the greatest service to the officers and members. 



It is also intended to issue a new edition of the prospectus of the Club, and it 

 is hoped that members generally will ask for copies, and use them judiciously in 

 gathering in recruits. When it is remembered that each new member pays a 

 contribution of at least £1 5s. 6d. the first year, it is evident that in this way 

 the funds and strength of the Society may be considerably improved. 



FlN.ANCI.AL. — It will be seen from the balance sheet that the economies pro- 

 mised in the last report have been duly carried out, but unfortunately the income 

 has diminished in a corresponding degree, so that the finances of the Club do not 

 exhibit much improvement. A considerable number of the outstanding sub- 

 scriptions have, however, been paid since the accounts were made up. Four 

 lapsed life compositions have been transferred to the general account, the net 

 result of the year's operations being that the adverse balance of £11^ 6s. gd. has 

 been reduced to £<^^ 13s. lod. It has been found desirable (in order to avoid 

 further disturbance of the General Account) to charge the cost of printing the 

 part of the old PROCEEDINGS to the " Special Memoirs Publication Account," 

 where it will probabl}^ remain as a heavy incubus for some years to come. The 

 Museum Fund shows a balance in hand of ;^5I 1 6s. gd. 



Publications. — The Essex Naturalist has been carried on successfully 

 during 1892. Including the part belonging to volume v. issued in 1892, and the 

 Index, 248 pages have been published within the year, each number containing 

 papers, reports, and notes, all having a direct interest for Essex scientists. But 

 the Editor has repeatedly had occasion to complain of the comparatively slight 

 aid he has received in his difficult task ; the contributions are mainly the work of 

 a limited band of members, and it is a source of great regret that the members at 

 large do not take a more active share in contributing to the Journal. Almost 

 everyone could help in this work, and the Editor will be glad to give instructions 

 and information as to the way in which such aid could be afforded. 



Part 2, vol iv., of the JOURNAL OF ProceedlngS was issued in Jul}'-, bringing 

 up the reports of all meetings of the Club to January 29th, 1887, after which date 

 the publication of The Essex Naturalist commenced. The reports of the Club 

 are now absolutel}^ up to date, and at the end of 1892 the series of the Club's 

 publications consisted of fiva volumes of TRANSACTIONS .A.ND Proceedings, six 



