148 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 



On the same thing again occurring, I noticed that immediate! 

 afterwards (not more than one or two seconds), I heard the boon, 

 from heavy artillery ; these guns were being fired on the marshes far 

 away, on the opposite side of the Thames. 



These circumstances, repeatedly occurring in the same sequence, 

 made it evident that the fishes felt the vibration in the water from 

 the earth tremor caused by the explosions sooner than the waves 

 of sound had travelled to and been heard by myself, thus proving 

 that, although fishes may be deficient of visible auricular organs, 

 they have a sense or perception of vibration which appears to be 

 more than an equivalent ; inasmuch as they become aware of the 

 effect produced by that which causes sound, sooner than such sound 

 can reveal itself to our sense of hearing. 



Although so near to London, the lake is occasionally visited by 

 many wild fowl. I have seen upon it wild swans, geese, ducks, 

 herons, widgeon, teal, gulls, and others. 



Moor-hens and coots breed in numbers among the reeds, and 

 thousands of starlings roost among the willows. Notwithstanding 

 that the district is slowly waking up to commercial activity, some of 

 the old quiet and repose is still left, some of nature's charms yet 

 remain. The moor-hens may be heard calling to their chicks, the 

 reed warbler still be seen flitting about while chirping his pretty little 

 notes, thousands of swallows may be seen hawking for the flies over 

 the surface of the water, and the lark is still heard carolling his 

 joyous song as in the days long past. 



THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 



Field Meeting at Dagenham and " Paksloes." 



Saturday, July 23rd, 1892. 



Under the guidance of Mr. Walter Crouch, F.Z.S., and Mr. T. V. Holmes, 

 F.G.S. {^Vice-Presidents'), an afternoon excursion was made to the southern part of 

 this parish, and a pleasant time passed, the weather proving fine and genial. 

 Prof. BouXger, ¥. L.S. iVice-President),^x\d Mr. David Houston, F.L.S., kindly 

 acted as " Botanical Referees." 



The party assembled at Dagenham Station at three o'clock, and before 

 starting, Mr. Crouch gave a few notes on the parish and its surroundings, the 

 northern parts of which had been visited by the Club in June, 1887 (see Essex 

 Naturalist, vol. i., p. 143), when the moated house of " Valence," Becontree 

 Heath, Chadwell Heath, and the moated site of " Marks " had been seen. The 



