2 SHORT HISTORY OF ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
beauty of the collection of butterflies and moths and, turning to
William Cole, remarked "Mr. Cole, we ought to have a Natura-
lists' Society for Essex." The seed fell on good ground! That
same night Cole wrote to Meldola, Argent and others to enlist
their active support, which was freely given. And so the Club
was born!
Meldola's acquaintance with many eminent men of science
of the day was of inestimable value in securing their support
and, owing largely to his influence, the infant Club was publicly
launched, at a meeting held at 3, St. John's Terrace, Buckhurst
Hill, on January 10th, 1880, under the happiest auspices and with
the benediction of the whole aristocracy of science. Meldola
was elected the first President, William Cole the honorary
secretary and Argent the librarian ; and within two months the
Club boasted more than 140 members.
The first four honorary members (elected at the Inaugural
Meeting on January 10th, 1880) were Charles Brown, Charles
Darwin, William Whitaker and Alfred Russel Wallace.
Original ordinary members of the Club included Professor
Charles C. Babington, Sir Antonio Brady, Sir T. Fowell Buxton,
E. N. Buxton, Miller Christy, Frank Crisp, (Sir) F. Carruthers
Gould, Andrew Johnston, Arthur Lister, Sir John Lubbock
(afterwards Lord Avebury), Nathanael Powell, Lord Rayleigh,
T. Fisher Unwin, Benjamin Winstone and the Rev. W. Linton
Wilson. Of the Original Members only five still survive after
fifty years : they are Mr. T. Fisher Unwin, the Rev. Canon A. F.
Russell, Mr. F. H. Duffield, Mr. Albert Spicer (now the Right Hon.
Sir Albert Spicer, Bart., P.C.) and Mr. Alfred Lockyer ; another
Original Member, Mr. W. P. Forbes, J.P., has recently rejoined
the Club after a period of alienation.
The first meeting of the Council of the Club was held on the
evening of February 28th, 1880, with the President in the
Chair, others present on the occasion being H. J. Barnes, P.
Copland, E. A. Fitch, G. J. Godwin, G. C. Harcourt, Alfred Lock-
yer, the Rev. C. J. Ridgeway, N. F. Robarts, W. G. S. Smith, the
Rev. W. Linton Wilson and T. J. Woodrow, with the Librarian
and the Honorary Secretary. At this meeting Meldola delivered
his "Inaugural Address," which was afterwards printed and
distributed to persons likely to be interested in the Club.
The first field meeting—the precursor of a long series of these