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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Mr. W. Cole said that the remarkable point about Mr. Massee's discovery
was, that this conspicuous fungus should have escaped the notice of all the
acute botanists who had for 21 years attended the Annual Fungus Forays of
the Club. It was possible that the recent extensive thinnings in the Forest
had somewhat altered the character of the soil, and that the resulting
conditions had proved more favourable for the Amanita than those previously
obtaining.
The President, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Massee, alluded to
the hypothesis of the deferred germination of the buried seeds of plants, as
being possibly analogous to the case of the Hymenomycete.
The vote of thanks was carried unanimously.
Mr. Charles H. Read, F.S.A. (Keeper of the Department of British and
Mediaeval Antiquities, British Museum) then gave a most interesting and
instructive Address on the subject of Local Archaeological Investigation He
urged the importance of such a society as the Essex Field Club making a
careful examination of the numerous prehistoric sites in the county. But in
conducting such explorations great caution was necessary. An earthwork
should be explored only by persons acquainted with the right methods of
working and the varied knowledge of the geologist, antiquary and ethnologist
was often necessary to conduct the enquiry on right lines and to correctly
interpret the results obtained. He advised the making of an archaeological
survey of the county, plotted down on a large scale map, as being one piece of
work well within the power of a local society. On it all barrows, mounds and
other indications of prehistoric occupation should be carefully marked down.
Then should these sites be threatened by the interference of the owners of land
or other persons, the opportunity should be taken by the Club, to make
explorations carefully and scientifically, so as to prevent the misfortune which
they had so often to lament of the destruction of prehistoric monuments with
no record of evidence from which their nature or period could be inferred.
The lecturer alluded to the very interesting "Red Hills" of the Essex
Estuary lands, from which the series of specimens in the Museum had been
obtained by Mr. Cole, He thought that these remains should be investigated,
and suggested that the Society of Antiquaries might possibly make a grant to
the Club towards the expenses of exploration.
Mr. Read referred to the great want of exact knowledge of the sequence
of the "Bronze Age" and the importance of gathering all the evidence possible
before it was too late to do so. Although he recognised the great value of
local Museums, he deprecated the establishment of a large number, because he
feared the interest in them would thereby be lessened by the diffusion of
objects which were best studied and appreciated when gathered together in
large collections. He also pointed out that it was not conducive to the
promotion of archaeological knowledge to keep in local Museums objects of
extreme rarity which had no relation whatever to other exhibits. It was
much better to send these to the National Museums, where perhaps such an
object would find a place among the larger series of antiquties, and even fill a
gap in a world-wide collection.
The President, in proposing that the thanks of the Club should be given to
Mr. Read for his valuable and suggestive address, pointed out that historical
records, of the nature of local traditions, very often clung with great persistence