152 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
assistance in their respective subjects; and he was glad also to be able to 
announce that many eminent specialists ontside their own Society had 
promised their valuable aid in identifying specimens or in other ways 
promoting the object of the Club. Their chief objects, the advancement 
of natural science, would be best effected by the publication of original 
papers, notes, and discussions; but they must likewise bear in mind that 
science would also be indirectly promoted by mutual intercourse and 
instruction, and, above all, by fostering and educating the scientific faculty 
in their younger members. In the course of time, as their Society continued 
to increase,—as it surely would if it only fulfilled the promises of its early 
youth,—they should hope to establish permanent collections in a museum, 
and any contributions of specimens to form the nucleus of such a public 
collection would at any time be welcome, He would suggest that a ‘‘ Museum 
Fund” be started for that purpose. He pointed out the obvious advantages 
of having in one building their collections, library and meeting room, and 
suggested that it would be best for the members to endeavour to furnish 
the museum, as far as possible, from specimens collected by themselves in 
the county. He hoped that by having specimens illustrating the life- 
histories of the species and their structure and anatomy, in time they might 
possess a collection of educational and technical value that would not be 
unworthy of a Field Club which already included members of many of the 
most influential families in the county, and which might ultimately become 
of scientific use to specialists outside their own ranks. Mr. Meldola then 
gave a sketch of the geological features of the county, and the influence of 
the glacial epoch on the conformation of Britain. He thought that a large 
field of labour lay before their geological members in attempting to determine 
the relative ages of the various drift-deposits of their own district, and thus 
contributing their mite towards erecting the structure of that noble science 
which regarded “ages as its days.” A vote of thanks was accorded to the 
President for his ‘ address,” coupled with a resolution to print it for the 
members. 
The Secretary read a paper communicated by Mr. R. M. Christy, of 
Chignal, near Chelmsford, “On the Occurrence of the Great Bustard (Otis 
tarda, Linn.) and the Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) near Chelms- 
ford, during the Wiuter of 1879.” ‘The specimen of the Great Bustard 
was shot by Mr. Albert Pertwee, of Woodham Ferrers, soon after daybreak 
on December 5th, at Hull Bridge, in that parish. The author described 
the specimen, which is a young male, and weighed ten pounds. Its total 
length was about three feet nine inches, and the expanse of wing exceeded 
seven feet. He also gave some interesting particulars as to the former 
history of this extinct bird—that is, extinct in the British Isles. So far as 
he knew there was no definite and authentic record of the occurrence of the 
Great Bustard in Essex; but Mr. Smoothy recollects being told many 
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