THE 



MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES 

 OF ESSEX: 



BY 



Henry Layer, M.R.C.S., F.L.S., F.S.A., V.P., E.F.C. 



Being Volume III. of the '•Special Memoirs," 



With Eight Full-page and Two Half-page lUustnitions by H. A . Cole and Major Bale. 



Price IDS. 6d., nett ; to Members of the Club 6s. 6d., post free. 



PRESS NOTICES. 



" The book before us deals with the Vertebrates, other than the birds, of 

 the county of Essex ; and we may congratulate the Field Club of the county 

 on the charming little work its Vice-President, Mr. Laver, has produced 

 under its auspices, and may hope that so attractive a book may influence 

 other Essex naturalists to take up the study of the groups it treats of . . . 

 More than half the book is devoted to Mammals, and Mr. Laver has 

 given us a number of interesting notes on the habits and local distribution of 

 the smaller members of the class, as yet so insufficiently studied from the field 

 naturalist's point of view. This seems to be the most original part of the 

 work, not depending, as so much of the remainder necessarily does, on 

 'records,' but on the author's personal observations, and the qualities here 

 shown lead us to hope that we may see furthur contributions from his pen in 

 this direction ... A last word of commendation may be said for the 

 printing, get up, and arrangement of the book, while many of Mr. Henry A. 

 Coles' illustrations, notably the ' Badger-earth, Epping Forest ' (p. 42), are 

 quits charming." — T. O., Natural Science, August, 189S. 



" In respect of physical conditions Essex is one of the most favourably 

 situated of the eastern counties of England for the possession of a large local 

 fauna, its inland districts presenting variety of station, while it has a large sea- 

 board, forming an estuary into which discharge several more or less important 

 rivers. Indeed, were it not for the pollution of the Thanies, the fish-fauna of 

 the county would be even larger than is at present the case, and would reckon 

 among its constituents the lordly salmon itself. Among other special advan- 

 tages, from a naturalist's point of view, the county includes Epping Forest, 

 which, under its present excellent administration, forms a sanctuary for wild 

 creatures of many kinds. And, in addition to its natural advantages, Essex is 

 fortunate in possessing a Field Club, which includes in its working roll many 

 naturalists of high capacity. It is to a member of this club that we owe the 

 present contribution to a knowledge of the fauna of the county .... 

 The volume is illustrated with several photogravures, all of which are excel- 

 lent from an artistic point of view, while several afford interesting glimpses 

 of local scenes. If it be regarded merely as a stepping-stone towards fuller 

 treatment, the work m.ay be welcomed as intlicating the recognition of the 

 importance of treatises on our local British faunas." — R. L., Nature, July 14th, 

 1898. 



"This catalogue of the Vertebrate Fauna of Essex, excluding the birds, 

 will, like all local lists, prove of value to the student of geographical distribu- 

 tion. It is published under the (isgis of the Essex Field Club, being the third 

 of the series of special memoirs for which this enterprising and enthusiastic 

 body of naturalists is responsible. We are glad that Mr. Laver has given 

 considerable attention to the Fishes of Essex ; there is still room for a work 

 in this direction, but though some species will, doubtless, have been omitted 

 from the catalogue before us, a good beginning has been made. The publica- 

 tion of this work will certainly encourage the study of natural history in 

 Essex." — Knowledge, November, 1898. 



N.B. — The above two works, forming a complete guide to tJie VERTEBRATE 

 FAUNA OF ESSEX, ivill be sent (to Members of the Club only) for 12s., 

 post free, if ordered together. 



