76 THE COMING OF AGE OF 



our volumes, the subject of natural history resolving itself most 

 conveniently into zoology and botany. 



I.— ZOOLOGY. 

 In zoology, as in other branches of science, two kinds of 

 work may be and should be carried on by a local society. 

 There is work of an educational or pioneering character which 

 consists in the exposition by a master specialist of the natural 

 history, in the broadest sense, of some particular group of 

 organisms with a view to the creation of an interest in that 

 group so as to induce working members of the Society to take 

 up its serious study. The other kind of work is the systematic 

 recording of the species with the object of preparing lists of the 

 present native inhabitants of the County — in other words, the 

 compilation of a County Fauna. Such faunistic lists are valuable 

 in proportion as they contain original notes and observations on 

 the species recorded, but even bare lists are of value as showing 

 for the use of future naturalists what species occurred in the 

 district at a certain period. We can lay claim to have carried 

 on both branches of work, although it does not appear that the 

 efforts of those who have endeavoured to arouse enthusiasm with 

 respect to the study of particular groups have met with much 

 practical response. I learn that this experience is, however, 

 pretty general among local societies, and it would be unjustifi- 

 able to draw the conclusion that Essex workers are less receptive 

 than those in other counties. One of the first addresses of the 

 pioneering kind given to our Club was that on the Infusoria, by 

 Mr. Saville Kent, in 1881 {Trans., II., 44). Mr. Kent also gave an 

 address on the water-mites, Hydrachnida, in 1882 {Pror., III., 

 xliv.) and Mr. Brunetti and Mr. Verrall on Diptera in i88g (Essex 

 Naturalist, IV., 85). The Rev. Hilderic Friend also has 

 published a series of no less than seven papers on Annelids 

 which were intended to raise an interest in this group (Essex 

 Naturalist, V., 193, 237 ; VI., 31, 60, 107, i6g, 185) and which 

 likewise comprise lists of Essex species. The first of Mr. 

 Scourfield's series of three papers in 1897 O" ^^^^ Entomostraca 

 of Epping Forest may also be regarded as an excellent represen- 

 tative of this class of pioneering work (Essex Naturalist, X., 

 193, 260, 313) and Mr. Lovett's address in 1900 on the Stalk- 

 eyeJ Crustacea (Ibid. XL, 252) comes under the same category. 

 The addresses on Arachnida by Messrs. F. P. Smith and F. O. 

 Pickard-Cambridge in 1900, although not published in extenso, 



