116 
VIII. 
Local Scientific Societies, and the Minor Pre-historic 
Remains of Britain . 1 
By Raphael Meldola, F.R.A.S., F.C.S., M.A.I., &c. 
[Read before the British Association for the Advancement of Science, at 
Southport, and (in substance) before the Club, November 24th, 1883]. 
In the annual address which I had the pleasure of deliver¬ 
ing to the Essex Field Club at the beginning of this year, 2 
I ventured to put forward a suggestion which I will take the 
present oppQrtunity of enlarging upon in the presence of 
this gathering of the representatives of so many of the local 
societies of this country. 
Of the various branches of natural science cultivated by 
our respective societies perhaps no subject possesses so wide¬ 
spread an interest as the early history of man. It is only in 
recent times that materials have been gathered with anything 
like scientific method from the fragmentary records of the 
past. By the methods of modern research these materials 
have been co-ordinated into that imperfect sketch of the 
physical characters and mode of life of the early inhabitants 
of this and other countries which constitutes our present 
1 [This paper was prepared by Mr. Meldola, for the Conference of 
Delegates from Local Societies, which he attended as representing the Club 
and the Braintree and Booking Natural History Society. We print it 
here for the purpose of giving our members a concise exposition of the 
considerations which have induced the Council to undertake the task of 
cataloguing the Pre-historic remains in Essex. A committee has been 
formed, and a considerable amount of preliminary literary research 
accomplished. The work will be pushed on vigorously as soon as the 
Denehole explorations, now in hand, are completed. Meanwhile the 
Secretary will be very glad to receive details of earthworks now existing, 
and suggestions as to sources of information, &c., from anyone willing to 
help forward the undertaking.— Ed.] 
2 ‘ Transactions,’ vol. iii., p. 62. 
