122 
THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
the structure, etc., of caterpillars and also a case of silk moths 
and cocoons. At the close of the lecture a few remarks were 
made on the subject by Messrs. Bennett, Esam, and others, and 
a vote of thanks accorded the lecturer. 
A meeting was held on December 28th, when a number of 
microscopes and slides were exhibited. Several discussions 
were raised on various subjects by some of the members, and a 
very enjoyable evening was passed. The membership has now 
increased to 53. 
At the meeting which took place on Thursday evening, Janu¬ 
ary 1 ith, about 40 members being present, two interesting papers 
were given ; the first by Mr. H. G. Jeffreys on the “ Hairy-armed 
bat,” Scotophilus leislen, and he afterwards exhibited a specimen 
of this mammal. The second paper was on “ Local coleoptera,” 
by Mr. W. H. Bennett who exhibited a large number of speci¬ 
mens to illustrate his paper, including many rare and local 
species. A few remarks were made at the close of each paper, 
by some of the members, and a vote of thanks passed to the 
essayists. Tne secretary remarked that the membership now 
amounted to 67.— a.f. 
A VISIT TO THORNDON PARK. 
Situated close to the station of East Horndon and within a few 
miles from London is Thorndon Park, the seat of Lord Petre. 
This park is, I believe, the largest in Essex and contains many 
grand old majestic oak and other trees. A public footpath runs 
through the southern end and beautiful views are to be obtained 
here of the Thames valley, Kent, etc. It is a paradise of rolling 
wooded slopes intersected with little brooks, masses of bracken, 
etc., and contains a large variety of living things dear to the eye 
of the naturalist. 
The hedgerows are looking beautiful with their show of wild 
roses and the banks and ditches are gay with many kinds of wild 
flowers, the air is alive with the hum of insect life. Butterflies, 
especially the ‘ orange tip,’ are numerous and around the pools 
dragon-flies of more than one kind may be sefen. Every now and 
again a partridge rises with much noise and goes scudding away 
over the fields, while an occasional movement in the lontr srass 
betrays the presence of a rabbit or hare. A cock pheasant 
quickly makes himself scarce behind a bunch of gorse, and a 
party of green woodpeckers are busy running up the trunk of a 
tree near at hand. 
4 
