FOR COUNTY LOCAL SOCIETIES. 185 



In Essex considerable changes in the flora and fauna may 

 be anticipated in consequence of rapid extension of building, the 

 cutting down of woods and hedges, alterations on the coast 

 brought about by the draining and cultivation of salt marshes 

 and the silting up of estuaries, &c. Dr. Sorby has described the 

 changes in the shallow-water fauna of the coast during the last 

 fourteen or sixteen years. Inland and near the towns, the 

 destruction of raptorial birds and mammalia by gamekeepers 

 and the increase of insectivorous birds consequent upon the 

 enforcement of the Wild Birds Acts, are causes which apparently 

 determine the disappearance of many insects and mollusca which 

 is so regrettable. These are strong reasons for the preparation 

 of more detailed floral and faunal catalogues than any yet pro- 

 duced, of the character which I understand Dr. Smith and Mr. 

 Rankin will advocate in their paper. If such work is not done 

 soon it will be too late, as the rapid changes of environment and 

 food will exterminate some species and modify the habits of 

 others. And I would emphasize the importance of our local 

 museums being furnished with extensive and accurately localised 

 sets of plants, animals, and fossils before destructive influences 

 have blotted out for ever many rare forms and variations. The 

 sea has washed away a great part of our fragment of Waltonian 

 Crag, and the builder has covered up or carted away our 

 river-terraces and brick-earth deposits. 



This scientific collecting and registration, if done systematic- 

 ally and thoroughly, will need not only much careful work, but 

 also the expenditure of considerable sums of money. 



The desirability of carefully registering and systematically 

 exploring the prehistoric remains in Essex has engaged our 

 attention for many years past. As long ago as 1883 our Vice- 

 President, Professor Meldola, F.R.S., read a paper before this 

 Conference on '' i^ocal Societies and the Minor Prehistoric 

 Remains of Britain." The paper was printed in extenso in the 

 Transactions of the Essex Field Club vol. iv. pp. 1 16-122. The 

 destruction of some of these remains, and the precarious tenure 

 of existence of such as remain, have often been the subject of 

 remark, as in the noteworthy address of Mr. Read referred to 

 above. I am very glad to say that the suggestions of these 

 gentlemen with regard to cataloguing and mapping these in- 

 teresting relics is now being carried out in Essex. Our 



