ALA UDID.^—LA RKS. 



I4B 



On two morning's he had a shot at the Raven, and, as he supposed, wounded it 

 severely the second time. It, or another, however, returned after some days and 

 was seen to take three poisoned eggs and next morning was looking for more f 

 Quite a number of poisoned eggs were consumed on the other side of the river 

 — at Norpitts and Raypitts, Canewdon — as the neighbourhood was well aroused 

 by this Raven visitation. Whether the eggs destroyed the young birds I know 

 not : they evidently didn't the old one ! I never heard of any damage from Ravens 

 near either Osey or Northey. These destructive and bloodthirsty habits were 

 probably developed from the fact of one or two dead horses being left on Bridge 

 Marsh. 



" I used to know (for three 3rears, 1872-4) of two nests within a quarter of a mile 

 of one another near the Devil's Steps, Thundersley, in some tall hedgerow-elms. 

 The Ravens probably nested there long previously, and they continued to do sc- 

 at least up to 1880. In 1879, I nearly had the young ones sent me from one nest, 

 by my brother-in-law, Mr. John Wallis, of Jarvis Hall, instead of a brood of Car- 

 rion Crows, which I wanted for Mr. Henry Laver. My wife thought the young- 

 Crows ate quite enough, during the few days we kept them ! This locality is now 

 deserted. Mr. James Farrow, bailiff at Kent's Hill, South Benfleet, in answer to- 

 enquiries, replied as below, under date April 9th, 1889 : — 



" ' I have been waiting to see if I could hear anything aboutwhere the Ravens- 

 are building, but cannot. They have cut the branches what they used to build on 

 off, and I should think that is the reason they have left the trees.' 



" One of these pairs had probably removed to the Hole or Pinesnest farm,, 

 between South Benfleet brick-field (now disused) and Hadleigh Castle. We saw 

 this year's eggs from this nest exhibited bj^ Mr. Foster, at the Southend meeting 

 of the club. Within the last twenty j'ears I have heard of nests in this neighbour- 

 hood, at Nipsells and Clarke's farm, Mayland ; Stansgate Grove ; Brick House, 

 Mundon Hall and White House, Mundon ; Iltney, Mundon (in upper fence, 

 stubbed five years ago) ; and Goldhanger Decoy (once). I have two " Raven-trees " 

 myself, one on Northey Island, the other at the bottom of Jingle Hills, between 

 Jenkyns and Hazeleigh Hall. I should be only too pleased to welcome back the 

 old tenants or their descendants. 



" Mr. Gurney says quite truly the Raven is already trembling on the very 

 verge of extinction in Essex, and this note will show something of what is happen- 

 ing to them in the last days of their persecution." 



" P.S. — The Ravens were seen on Osey Island last month [Jan. i8go]." 



Family ALAUDID^. 



Sky Lark : Alauda arvensis. 



An abundant and 

 well - known resident, 

 though partially migra- 

 tory. Its song may some- 

 times be heard during 

 every consecutive month 

 of the year. 



Lieut. Legge writes (23. 

 9839) : 



"The stubble lands and ,^ 

 low-lying fields [round Shoe- ^^ 

 bury] literally swarm with 

 Larks at this season of the 

 year [October], and they are 



