34 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 



Gloving into tlie dra\vin<:;-room, an ordinary meetin<j (the 214th) of the Club 

 was held, Prof. Meldola takinfj the chair. The President referred to the 

 procetdinjjjs of the day. and proposed that thanks should be made to the 

 Conductors, Mr. (iould, Mr. Christy, and the Rev. C. Boutflower. He said that 

 he was sure all present apjjretiated highly the kindness and hospitality of their 

 host and hostess. It was 17 years ago (on July 25th, 1885) i since the Club had 

 visited Torling Place, and during that time Lord Rayleigh's scientific activity had 

 never flagged. He Mas suie that all would listen with the greatest interest and 

 ])rofit to the address which his Lordshiji had so kindly jiromised to deliver. 



Lord Rayleigh ex})ressed the pleasure it gave to Inm and Lady Rayleigh to 

 see the Club again in their house. He then gave a most interesting address on 

 "Colour in Nature,'' explaining the optical princij^les of absorj)tion, reflection, 

 and refraction, to the action of which on the ^hite light of the sun we owe colour. 

 In the course of the lecture he referred to what is called "colour-blindness," 

 a somewhat loose term, as the inability to recognise colours was never complete, 

 and it varied greatly in different individuals. It was almost unknown among 

 women. In sj^ite of that fact, however, colour-blindness was strictly hereditary, 

 and could be passed on through the mother as much as through the father, but 

 onlv showed itself in the males. It was not uncommon, he said, for heavy 

 smokers to become colour-blind. A man might smoke heavily the worst kind of 

 tobacco for many years, and it might not take effect, but if he got low spirited 

 through mental distress or some trouble, then the tobacco would take effect on his 

 colour vision, and there was no remedy except to give up the tobacco. 



Some discussion on matters arising out of the address was carried on by the 

 President, Mr. Shenstone, Mr. I. C. Gould, and others, and Lord Rayleigh 

 replied to questions. 



A vote of thanks to Lord and Lady Rayleigh was most heartily accorded. 



The return journey was then taken to Chelmsford, the brakes being stayed at 

 SiMingfield to allow of a brief inspection of the Norman Church. It is a fond 

 tradition with Essex people that Oliver Goldsmith once lived at Springfield, and 

 that the jiicturesque village-green suggested some of the imagery of his immortal 

 poem. 



SUMMER WOODLAND RAMBLE AND 215th ORDINARY 



MEETING. 



Saturday, July 26th, 1902. 



On this afternoon the members assembled at Theydon Bois at about half-past 

 three, for a woodland ramble. The main object was the observation of Spiders, 

 under the guidance of Mr. Frank Smith, author of the papers on the " Spiders of 

 Lpping Forest" now running through the EssKX Naturalist. 



The route was through Epping Thicks, Ambresbury Banks, to a spot just off 

 the " Verderer's Path," Honey Lane Quarters, where a tent had been erected by 

 permission of Mr. McKenzie, the Superintendent of the Forest. 



Many interesting species of spiders were observed, and Mr. Smith gave several 

 demonstrations of habits and modes of concealment affected by some of them. A 

 few insects were seen, and the usual forest ])lants were pointed out to those 

 amateur botanists present. 



Tea was served in the tent by Mr, J, Riggs, of Buckhurst Hill. 



1 See Journal 0/ Proceedings E.F.C., voL iv., p. clxxii 



