ISO THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



last I saw was a few weeks ago, when one flashed out like a streak of blue light- 

 ning from a ditch close to the Forest Hotel at Chingford." 



In May, i88o, a nest of young ones was reared in a hole in the bank of the 

 brook Slade in the park at Audley End, in a position exposed to the view of 

 every one passing along the public footpath running through the park. The 

 nest itself was perfectly clean, but the hole was full of filth, which even streamed 

 down the bank from the entrance. 



They certainly breed here in the banks of the brook Cann, as 1 see them 

 about every summer. On July 21st, 1876, a party of three flew very close to me 

 as I was bathing. I believe it is not common to see more than one, or at most 

 a pair, at once. Mr. Hope, who has reared young from the nest, has met 

 with it breeding all over Essex, but says fresh arrivals take place on the 

 coast about September, At Harwich " it is fairly common in the autumn " 

 (Kerry). In the Orsett district it is a winter visitor only, frequenting the fens 

 and saltings (Sackett). It nests every year in the floodgate hole at Baythorne 

 Mill, Birdbrook (Fitch). 



Roller : Co7-adas gar?-iila. 



A rare straggler to Britain, of which only a single specimen, so 

 far as I know, has occurred in Essex. 



In the Museum at Saffron Walden is a specimen shot at Great Chesterford 

 Park in 1865, and presented by Geo. Sanders, Esq. Presumably the specimen 

 mentioned by Yarrell (37. ii. 429) is identical with this. One, caught at " Rain- 

 ham " in 1889 (40. xiii. 33), was taken at the village of that name in Kent, not 

 in Essex. 



Bee-eater : Merops apiaster. 



This rare straggler to Britain during summer has been met with 

 at least twice in Essex. 



Mr. Thomas Catchpool records one (23. 4478) " shot in the garden of a mill 

 close by the river's side in the parish of Peering * * * [not " Feeting " as stated 

 by Yarrell (37. ii. 36)] about Midsummer Day [1854] " which came into his pos- 

 session (31. 53). Mr. Buxton mentions one (47. 89) " observed at Wanstead by 

 H. I." 



Family UPUPID^^. 



Hoopoe : Upiipa epops. 



An uncommon, though, it may almost be said, a regular, passing 

 migrant in both spring and autumn. Its appearance in Essex in 

 the spring seems usually to take place between April 15th and May 

 7th : in autumn, during September, though instances are recorded 

 of its appearance in autumn as early as August 7th, and as late as 

 October 9th. The occurrence in Essex of at least one specimen is, 



