. l86 EXPLORATION AND REGISTRATION WORK 



Vice-President, Mr. Chalkley Gould, has prepared for the first 

 volume of the Victoria History of Essex a very complete list of 

 them, accompanied by a map. But a catalogue, however 

 excellent, is only a preliminary step. Accurate plotting down, on 

 large scale plans, of the outlines, geographical positions and 

 elevation of these works, and their careful scientific exploration 

 £0 as to determine their probable periods and motives, still 

 remain to be undertaken. I venture to submit that this is work 

 which must be done by local Societies if it is to be done at all. 

 Great London associations may undertake the "reconstruction " 

 of Silchester ; a fortunate county may possess a Pitt-Rivers to 

 plan and munificently carr}' out archaeological explorations ; we 

 may find the study of the physical and life-conditions of the 

 North Sea becoming a matter of Government and international 

 importance. But the patient tasks of collecting and registering 

 plants, animals, and fossils, and the examination of minor earth- 

 works, camps, red-hills, deneholes, &c., should be the duty and 

 pleasure of local enthusiasts. 



The councils and officers of many of our local societies hardly 

 need committees of the British Association to indicate these lines 

 of activity. They have been fully alive to them ever since their 

 societies were called into existence. But, as we in the Essex 

 Field Club know full well, such work is very costly, and in most 

 cases needs funds quite in excess of the slender balances at 

 our bankers. We have the will, but we lack the means. And 

 this is the position with very many of our local societies. 



Is there any escape from this difficulty ? I think it can be 

 shown that there is a way out. 



Everyone knows that our county councils have very con- 

 siderable annual sums entrusted to them for purposes summed 

 up in the very elastic phrase "technical instruction." This is in 

 addition to any rate for primary or secondary education. The 

 allocation of this technical education money is in the hands of 

 committees of the councils, subject to some sort of revision by 

 the Board of Education. The annual income from this source 

 in Essex is considerably over ^20,000. 



]\Iy proposal is that the Education Committee of each county 

 in which a recognised scientific Society exists should be asked to 

 allocate a small annual sum (say from ^100 to £"200) for the 



