THE ESSEX KII'.I.I) ClAM!. 211 



conductorshij) of the meeting, and a like ooniplinicni was paid to tiie Lee Con- 

 servancy Board for their Icindness in lending the steam barge for the excursion. 



Mr. Cole briefly called attention to the project for severing no less than ten 

 parishes near Bishop's Stortford and Stanstead from Essex and adding them to 

 Hertfordshire, and said that he hoped the Club would take an early opportunity 

 of protesting against such an injurious and absurd proposal. 



The voyage was then resumed, and Mr. Symons, F.R.S., briefly described the 

 peculiarities of the Rainfall and Watershed of the Lea \'alley, and Mr. T. V. 

 Holmes read a paper on the "Geology of the Lea X'alley," which is printed in 

 the (present number. 



Mr. Charles A. Wright exhibited and explained some specimens of rare and 



-^,i^^%^ ■M.v 







, . 1 ,rr ' 







Mi 



JuN'CTiON Lock" near F"ieldi:s Weir, where the Stort F.\li.s into the Le.\. 



remarkable plants from his herbarium, and also exhibited a curious instance of 

 phyllomorphy in a proliferous and distorted specimen of Siletie maritima, gathered 

 liy Mr. E. Bidwell on July 7th last, at Sproughton, Suffolk. 



It was now 4.30 p.m. and all hope of reaching the East London Water Works 

 at Lea Bridge by 7.0, as mentioned in the circular, was abandoned. 



The President announced that the journey would end at Tottenham Lock, 

 and those who wished to leave earlier might do. so at Ponder's End. 



Much has been said and written as to the self-purifying power of the flowing 

 river, and certainly its effect was conspicuou.-^ in the Lea, and to this many 

 members of the Club gave ample testimon}-. 



We passed rapidly along and through Wallham Abbey, omitting from want 

 of time, a visit to the East London Company's well and pumping station, which 



