NOTES. 73 



He said that a veiy considerable sum of money would be required to place the 

 Institution on a firm footing, and to keep it going, but with the energy of the 

 Club, and the generous appreciation of the inhabiuiuts of the county and of 

 Chelmsford, he had everj- hope of success. 



Mr. F. Marria,'e, in seconding the resolution, said that if technical education 

 could be taken into the villages it would be worth all the money they could raise. 

 Subscriptions to such an institution as that proposed should be regarded as 

 investments, and a well-to do man who invested ^50, or a comparalivel}' poor 

 man who invested ;^I0, would, through the work of such an institution, reap 

 advantages for himself or confer them upon others, which might fairly be looked 

 upon as worth far more than merely getting a miserable five per cent, for the money 



Mr. A. C. Freeman, of M.ildon, supported the motion, and said he had been 

 requested by the Mayor of that " plucky and fightable little town " to state that 

 he would be glad to help the movement in every way he could, not only because 

 he believed in it, but because the president of the Field Club, Mr. Fitch, was one 

 of the most respected and beloved inhabitants of the borough. (Applause.) 



This motion was also unanimously carried. 



On the motion of Mr. F'itch, seconded by Professor Flower, a vote of thanks 

 was passed to Mr. Beadel for presiding, and with a few words from that 

 gentleman a very successful and enthusiastic meeting came to an end. 



[The members and friends of the two Institutions took tea together at the 

 "Saracen's Head " before the meeting, and several of the members and visitors 

 were most hospitably received by local members.] 



Sea-gulls in London. —During the past Arctic winter one of the sights of 

 London was the large number of gulls flying over the Thames and settling on the 

 blocks of ice. Near Battersea some iiundreds were seen, and Mr. F. J. Chopin, 

 the Superintendent of Battersea Park, wrote as follows to the " Standard," under 

 date December 8th : " It has occurred to me that it might be interesting to some 

 of the readers of your paper to mention the unusual arrival of a large number of 

 sea-gulls during the last few days to the lake in this park. It has been usual in 

 past winters for one or two to visit the lake, but this morning I myself counted 

 one hundred and fifty swimming in one drove, and quite another fifty were 

 flying round. I am inclined to think that their appearance in such numbers is 

 a sign tliat more severe weather is not far distant." 



Otters and Kingfishers in the Chelmer.— On February 28th a female Otter 

 with two young ones was taken alive in the Chelmer at Camsi.x Farm, Felstead. 

 The mother has since escaped, and the young ones have been returned to the hole 

 in the tree from which they were taken, in the hope that she may find and feed 

 them. The reaches of the Chelmer are here exceedingly secluded, and it is not 

 improbable that others may remain long unobserved in the neighbourhood. As an 

 instance of the seclusion I may mention that last summer my boys found a King- 

 fisher's nest with five young birds. These young birds were very handsome and 

 perfectly clean in their plumage, in a nest and surroundings very disgusting. 

 Their great beauty, apart from any considerations of humanity, was a sufficient 

 appeal to us to allow them to retain their liberty, although, I may add, they were 

 ail caught and handled, and much resented that treatment.— J. FkencH, Felstead, 

 March, i8qi. 



