39 



be regretted that not infrequently some of the collections 

 contained therein are in such a neglected or ill-arranged 

 condition as to be a positive hindrance to the advancement 

 of natural science. Not long ago I chanced to be in a fairly 

 large town, which shall be nameless, and having an hour to 

 kill I strolled into the local museum. Here I found 

 numerous relics, which, if judged by the gilt-written tablets 

 setting forth their histories and the names of their donors, 

 were of great value, but they did not interest me particularly. 

 After a little hunting around I came upon a cabinet contain- 

 ing a collection of Lepidoptera, which I afterwards learned 

 was supposed to represent the fauna of the district. All I 

 can say is that it must have been a most remarkable district, 

 for there was at least one species represented, with an 

 English name, too, attached, which certainly is not known 

 as occurring anywhere within the British Isles, or, indeed, 

 within the continent of Europe, and the general condition 

 and arrangement of the collection was such as no intelligent 

 schoolboy would be proud of. Such a state of things ought 

 not to exist in any town where there is a local natural 

 history society, and such societies may advantageously in- 

 clude the care of the collections in the local museums in 

 their work. 



There are many other matters that a local natural history 

 society may with advantage take up, but above all things it 

 should encourage original research among its members. 

 There is nothing that tends to bind a society so firmly 

 together as original work ; it stimulates interest among the 

 members and engenders a spirit of friendship among them 

 attainable in no other way. 



A good illustration of the more important work that a 

 local society may do is afforded by what the Essex Field 

 Club has already accomplished. The Club was founded in 

 1880 by Mr. William Cole, F.L.S., who has been its secretary 

 and curator ever since, with the co-operation of Professor 

 Raphael Meldola, F.R.S., who was its first president (1880- 

 1882), and who has taken the keenest interest in its operations 

 throughout, occupying the presidential chair again on the 

 coming of age of the club (1901-2). The area of the Club's 

 activities is, as its name suggests, the county of Essex, which, 

 of course, includes that paradise of the London naturalist — 

 Epping Forest. It holds ordinary meetings and field meet- 

 ings which are well organised and numerously attended. It 

 will be noted that the Club came into existence at about the 

 same time that the Corporation of London rescued Epping 



