20 



history, and we shall anxiously watch the proceedings of the 

 Conservators with respect to this portion. For my own part, 

 I cannot help expressing the opinion that Mr. AVallace's sug- 

 gestion to make this tract into " several distinct portions of 

 forest, each composed solely of trees and shrubs which are 

 natives of one of the great forest regions of the temperate 

 zone," appears to be most feasible and inexpensive. 



The Epping Forest and County of Essex Naturalists' Field 

 Club has been formed in a county already made famous in the 

 annals of science by such names as those of the illustrious 

 John Eay, son of a blacksmith, who was born in 1627 and 

 died in 1705 at Black Notley, betw^een Witham and Braintree ; 

 of Dr. Derham (1657 — 1735), rector of Upminster, whose 

 '' Physico-Theology " went tlirough at least thirteen editions. 

 Samuel Dale (1659 — 1739), an Essex Naturalist, wrote the 

 " History of Harwich" (1730), and Eichard Warner (1711— 

 1775) was the author of the ''Plantae Woodfordiensis " to 

 which I have already referred. In more recent times our 

 county produced the celebrated Edward Doubleday, and the 

 Epping Naturalist, his brother, Henry Doubleday, who was 

 born in 1809 and died in 1875. Francis Walker, the entomo- 

 logist, born also in 1809, died at his residence. Elm Hall, 

 Wanstead, in 1874. Let us hope that to this list the future 

 historian of science may have to add the names of some whose 

 natural history studies were first instigated by the foundation 

 of this Field Club. 



When our Society shall have arrived at that happy mecha- 

 nical condition known as a '* moving equilibrium," I would 

 suggest that those of our members who have kindred tastes 

 should co-operate for the purpose of assisting natural history 

 in fields where " many hands can make light work." Thus 

 our entomologists might work together for two or three 

 seasons and devote their entire attention to collecting some 

 neglected order, such as the Dijjtera, Hemiptera, &c., and thus 

 hasten the accmiiulation of materials necessary for the pro- 

 duction of local catalogues, and the same might be done for 

 other groups of animals or plants. 



Our field meetings will, I trust, lead to many a social 

 ramble, the pleasures of which will be greatly enhanced by 



