158 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



Foulness (rented in part by two of my credible parishioners, who attested it, hav- 

 ing paid dear for the truth thereof), when an army of Mice, nesting in Ant-hills, 

 as Conies in Burroughs, shaved off the grass at the bare roots, which, withering to 

 dung, was infectious to Cattle. In March following, numberless flocks of Owls 

 from all parts flew thither and destroyed them, which otherwise had ruined the 

 country if continuing another year." 



Not a few modern instances of the abnormal increase of this species (evidently 

 the Short-tailed Field Vole — Arvicola agrestis), causing great damage, have been 

 recorded, notably one in the Forest of Dean in 1S13-14 mentioned by Jesse in his 

 Gleanings. Other similar cases are referred to by Mr. Fitch in an interesting 

 paper published in the Essex Naturalist (50. iii. 178). 



Tawny Owl : Syrnluju aluco. Locally, " Brown Owl." 

 A resident in the county, but locally distributed. It is becoming 

 rarer with us, and is now nowhere common. I have not heard of its 



breeding anywhere, ex- 

 cept at Birch, Danbury, 

 Birdbrook, and Epp- 

 ing. 



In 1832, Mr. Parsons 

 described it (ll), as " com- 

 mon " in Rochford Hun- 

 dred, and W. H. Hill (12. 

 vi. 45-) met with it round 

 Southminster about the 

 same time. Mr. Grubb 

 speaks of (12. vii. 19) 

 hearing it about 1833 

 round Lexden. W. D. 

 King, in 1838, described it 

 (20) as " common," round 

 Sudbury, but Mr. Grubb 

 says (39) that it is " now 

 very seldom heard " there. 

 Mr. Clarke notes (24) the 

 occurrence at Saffron Wal- 

 ■den about 1834 of two specimens, one of which is still in the Museum. 

 They are now very scarce there, but occur occasionally. Mr. Travis received one 

 early in October, 1S80. Both English and E. Doubleday include it in their lists 

 of Epping Birds (43. i. 24, & 15), and Mr. Buxton says (47. 83) that in Epping 

 Forest they are " not uncommon ; may be heard in the evening at almost any 

 season ; Monk Wood," implying that they breed. The Rev. J. W. Maitland 

 also informs me that there is usually a pair in Monk Wood. At Boynton Hall, 

 Roxwell, is a pair shot there about 1850. Mr. Hy. Stephenson, head keeper at 

 Birch Hall, informs me that they are still fairly common in the woods there, and 

 that they breed regularly. Mr. Smoothy meets with it not uncommonly in the 

 woods round Danbury and has known it breed there, also in Boreham Park, and 

 at Toft's. They sometimes perch and hoot loudly on the chimneys of his house, 

 Old Riffhams. Mr. Kerry says that round Harwich it is " fairly common," though 

 he has never found the nest. It is common in the Colchester and Paglesham dis- 



TAWNY OWL 



