Journal of Proceedings. lix 



Saturday, November 27TH, 1880. — Ordinary Meeting. 



The Monthly Meeting was held at seven o'clock, the President in the 

 chair. The following persons were ballotted for and elected members 

 of the Club :— Messrs. George Brooke, F. T. Lockyer, Thos. S. 

 Morten, C. J. S. Parker, Rev. T. W. Peile, Edwin Richardson, G. T. 

 Saul, F.Z.S., Miss Spicer, Messrs. W. Thorp, B.Sc, F.C.S., &c.. T. 

 H. Varley, F.R.A.S., &c., F. B. Wells, E. Wheeler. 



Mr. P. Copland was chosen Auditor on behalf of the Council, and 

 Mr. Saul on behalf of the members. 



The following works were presented to the Club : Warner's " Plantse 

 Woodford lenses," by Sir J. Clarke Jervoise ; Relham's " Flora Cantabri- 

 giensis," Ray's " Wisdom of God in Creation," and Ray's " Travels," 

 by Messrs. \N . and B. G. Cole. 



The following letter from Lieut. -Col. Russell, J. P., D.L., North 

 Ockenden, Essex, addressed to the Secretary, was read :— 



" November loth, 1880. 



" Dear Sir, — The enclosed notices of motion have been given at the 

 last Essex Quarter Sessions, and the one of them which there seems to 

 l3e best supported will be made January 4th. Motion No. 2 would 

 meet with overwhelming support as against March ist for beginning of 

 close time for all birds, but No. i is, I think, better in itself, and is pre- 

 ferred by the men near the coast on whose land large numbers of Ducks 

 breed, by Decoyholders, and by shooters of all sorts. I shall be glad 

 to know the opinions and wishes of the members of the Epping Forest 

 Naturalists' Club on the subject, with a view to try and get done what 

 will be most generally suitable. With the exception of the few 

 migrants mentioned in (i), which do not breed in this county, and 

 whose numbers experience shows not to be affected by close time in 

 this county, everybody seems willing to let the birds have close time 

 from the ist of March. — Yours faithfully, 



" C. Russell." 



The resolutions referred to above : — 



" (I.)— That this Court do apply to the Secretary of State for the 

 Home Department to vary the close time under the Wild Birds 

 Protection Act, 1S80, for this county in manner following, that is to 

 say : That the close time as regards the Curlew, Dunbird (including 

 Scaup Duck), Gedwit, Knot, Oxbird, Plover (not including Lapwing), 

 Snipe, Widgeon, Wifd Goose, and Woodcock, extend annually between 

 the ist day of April and the ist day of August." * 



* At the meeting of the Essex Quarter Sessions held on January 4th, 1S81, the 

 above (first) resolution was carried, on the motion of Lieut. -Col. Russell, seconded 

 by Mr. J. Round, M.P. ; and upon the proposition of Mr. Round, seconded by Mr. E. 

 N. Buxton, it was agreed that the following gentlemen be appointed a Committee to 



