ANNUAL REPORT. 



309 



With respect to the proposed Annual Congress of East Anglian Natural 

 History Societies fully explained in the last Annual Report and in the Essex 

 Naturalist (vol. x., pp. 360368) no progress has yet been made. Our 

 Secretary found that circumstances would prevent the Secretaries of the other 

 Societies taking any very active part in the heavy organisation work during 

 the year, and the great influx of his own Club affairs precluded the possibility 

 of his undertaking such a task unaided. The matter has, therefore, been 

 allowed to rest in abeyance until the summer of 1901, when it is intended to 

 take active steps to bring the project forward. The Council are still much 

 impressed with its importance, but the negociations will, it is feared, be 

 difficult. However, no efforts will be spared to follow up the successful 

 meeting ot July, 1898, by an equally important gathering in 1901. 



The Essex Naturalist. — Owing to the great pressure of work on our 

 Secretary and other causes, the publication of the Naturalist was somewhat 

 delayed : two quarterly parts were paid for during the financial year, but a 

 double part was prepared by the end of December, which brought the Journal 

 up to date, and gave the members over 200 pages of matter within the year. 

 It is with great satisfaction that the Council point to the really valuable 

 papers published, almost wholly of a local character, and to the warm praise 

 which the scientific press continue to give to our Journal. The only source 

 of regret is the irregularity in its dates of publication, but it is hoped to 

 remedy this as other Club affairs get settled, and our work can be carried out 

 with more ease. The Council has to thank Mr. H. A. Cole for drawings to 

 illustrate papers, and Mr. F. W. Reader for assistance to the Editor in pre- 

 paring Mr. Kenworthy's paper on the Skitts Hill discoveries for the press. 

 And the thanks of the Club are also due to Mr. E. T. Newton and Mr. 

 Rudler for much assistance and advice in this connection. 



Essex Museum. — The work on the collections and specimens for the 

 Museum during the year 1899 was principally carried out at the temporary 

 premises at Forest Gate. The Curator worked there almost continuously, 

 being very often aided by Mr. H. A. Cole. A vast number of specimens 

 were obtained and prepared. A successful effort was made to obtain 

 specimens of most of the terrestrial mammals known from Essex, and many 

 skulls and other educational preparations were made. The Curator also 

 carried out some dredging work in the Colne Estuary, and so obtained 

 specimens of many of the more characteristic invertebrates of our coast. 

 Mr. W. H. Dalton again gave us the benefit of his valuable services day by 

 day for weeks together, in selecting the Crag Mollusca and other geological 

 specimens, and he also most generously paid the lodging and other expenses 

 of an assistant for some time. Mr. LI. Owen most kindly acted in this 

 capacity principally in connection with the geological series, and the thanks 

 of the Club are due to him for his valuable and persistent work. 



The final settlement of affairs and the opening of the building took 

 place during the past summer and autumn. The narrative will, therefore, 

 come naturally in next year's reports. The business connected with the 

 agreement and removal from Chelmsford was fully detailed last year, and 

 for the opening ceremony the Secretary prepared a pamphlet giving a short 

 statement of the constitution, aims and methods of the Museum, which has 



