184 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUli. 



Some discussion ensued, and remarks upon points in the lecture were made 

 by Prof. Boulger. Mr. Cunnitighan: also replied, and a cordial %ote of thanks 

 was accorded to him for his lecture. 



Some microscopical preparation^ were exhibited b\- Mr. Houston and othcij, 

 and Mr. Webb showed specimens and ihe original drawings by Mr. \V. I. A^ ebb, 

 o'i Tcstacella sciUicluin used in illustrating the remarks on this species in the last 

 number of The Esse.x Natlkalist, Qvile, p. \ii). 



During the afternoon a Council Meeting was held in the Museum in Uuke 

 Street, for the purpose of inspecting the Museum in the state in which it 

 came into the charge of the Director, and to settle plans for its reorganisation 

 and the cleaning and decoration of the rooms. 



The 143RD Oruinarv Meeting. 

 Saturday, December i6th, 1893. 

 The 143rd Ordinary .Meeting of the Club was held in the Public Hall, Loughton, 

 at 6.30 p.m., Mr. T. \'. Holmes, F.G.S., Vke-Presidnit, in the chair. 



Messrs. G. A. Barraclough and James Forfar Dott were elected members of 

 the Club. 



The Librarian read a long list of donations to the Library, and thanks were 

 passed to the donors. 



The Hon. Secretary said that Mr. Baiters, an acknow ledged authority on the 

 .-\lga;,and who was preparing a list of the ALarine Algte of Britain for the Trustees 

 of the British Museum, had kindly offered to examine and catalogue the Hope 

 Collection of Marine Algce from Harwich, the presentation of which was an- 

 nounced at the Fungus Meeting on November 4th. The herbarium was then in 

 Mr. Batters' hands for that purpose. 



The Secretary also announced that Mr. Holmes had piepared a repoit, as 

 Delegate of the Club, of the proceedings at the Conference of Delegates of Cor- 

 responding Societies of the British Association at Nottingham. This report 

 would be printed in full in The Esse.x Naturalist (see pp. 164-170). 



Mr. L Chalkley Gould said that he had the pleasure of exhibiting a number 

 of specimens of Woods grown in the Forest district. Mr. Gould continued : "1 

 need say little about them, as they speak for themselves, but I may mention that 

 the}' were collected for me man}- years since by the late Mr. Thomas Forster (a 

 builder in Loughton)^ and his son, Mr. George Forster. Most of them were 

 obtained from the woods and plantations around Copt Hall. The specimens are 

 not labelled scientifically, simply the common appellation being given, but proper 

 botanical description can easily be added. The blocks are not cut to uniform 

 size, but they are approximate enough to compare the weight of the specimens in 

 each series. The laburnum is the heaviest wood shown. The oak, ash, and 

 beech are of nearly uniform weight ; the Spanish chestnut is somewhat lighter. 

 The specimen of box wood is a small block, or il would rank high in 

 weight. 



"The grain and geneial ap|icaiance of the oak and Spani.-li thcjtnut being '.o 

 similar, it is not surprising that architects differ as to whether the trunks ol trees 

 forming the walls of the nave of Greensted Church are of one or of the other 

 wood. The same question has arisen as to the material of some of the grand 

 fifteenth century roof-timbers of various churches of our county. 



'• 1 may take this opportunity to suggest that when our Local Natural History 

 Museum is formed it would l^e well to devote some space in wall cases or cabinet 



