118 
Local Scientific Societies , and the 
evidence that might have been gathered by competent 
watchers has been for ever lost. 
The systematic excavation of earthworks, barrows, tumuli, 
&c., by the method of exploration, is necessarily expensive 
work, and it is to me a matter of some surprise that the 
munificent example set by men like General Pitt-Rivers and 
Canon Greenwell, has not been more widely followed by 
those who, with the knowledge of this difficulty, have it 
within their means to promote this branch of research. As 
in the case of one of the societies which I have the honour of 
representing (the Essex Field Club), which at the instigation 
of General Pitt-Rivers, undertook the investigation of the 
ancient earthworks in Epping Forest, good work can some¬ 
times be done by a local society, by raising a fund for the pur¬ 
pose of exploring such remains in its own district, and this 
leads me to the immediate object of the present paper. 
In attempting to draw up any suggestions for the guidance 
of local societies, the great difficulty appears to be the 
impossibility of finding any subjects for research of a suffi¬ 
ciently general scope to be open to all societies. The subjects 
already proposed by the committee appointed last year by the 
conference of delegates are, as you are aware : (1) under¬ 
ground waters, (2) erratic blocks, (8) underground tempera¬ 
ture, (4) rainfall, (5) periodical natural phenomena, (6) in¬ 
jurious insects. To these I am now about to suggest the 
addition of another subject, viz. (7) prehistoric remains. 
Here, as it seems to me, there is a useful field for co-operation 
among the societies of all counties. Thanks to the in¬ 
creasing interest in scientific matters now making itself felt 
throughout the country, there is perhaps no corner of Britain 
which does not or could not be made to fall into the province 
of some local society or field club. In view of the imminent 
destruction of many of the minor remains on the one hand, 
and the scheduling of the larger remains for State protection 
on the other hand, I believe that occupation of the greatest 
importance exists for all local societies. 
The time has perhaps not yet arrived for laying down any 
rigid system for dealing with the proposed subject, and I 
