l62 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



Order ACCIPITRES. 



Family VULTURID^. 



Egyptian Vulture : Neophron percnopterus. 

 An accidental straggler to England, where it has only twice been 

 met with— on the second occasion, however, in Essex. 



Dr. Bree sa3-s (34. 1456 ani 

 29. Oct. 10, 1S68) : — 



" On the 28th of Septem- 

 ber last the labourer who 

 had charge of an off-hand 

 farm of Mr. AVoodvvard [not 

 Woollard] of Stanway Hall, 

 situated at Peldon, Essex, had 

 been killing his Micnaelmas 

 Geese. On going some time 

 after in the yard where the 

 said Geese had been slaugh- 

 tered, he saw a strange bird 

 feeding upon the blood. The 

 bird flew away, and the man 

 loaded his gun. Presently the 

 bird came and hovered over 

 the spot in hopes of another 

 spell at the blood ; but his fate 

 was sealed, and he fell dead to 

 the labourer's shot. I saw the bird next day at the house of Mr. Ambrose [bird- 

 stuffei'] of this place, to whom it had been sent for preservation. Mr. Woodward 

 has since kindly furnished me with the above inlormation * * * Mr. Laver of 

 this town informs me that many 3-ears ago his father, who lived near Burnham, 

 further up the Essex coast than Peldon, had a flock of Vultures for several days 

 among the large trees on his farm. The}' were known by their bare heads, and 

 were most probably the Egyptian \^ulture." 



Dr. Bree further states that it was immature, and adds a detailed description. 

 He lent the specimen to Mr. Gould, who figured it in his magnificent Birds 

 of Great Britain. Its bones are now in Mr. Harwood's possession. 



EGYPTI.^N VULTURE, l/g. 



Family FALCONID^. 



Marsh Harrier : Circus druglnosus. Locally, " Bald Buz- 

 zard," or "Puddock." 



A rare visitor, though once breeding commonly in the county. 

 It still breeds in some of the more remote corners of the British 

 Isles, but will probably never do so again in Essex. 



In 1832, Mr. Parsons wrote (il) : — 



" Frequent in all the marshy districts [of Rochford Hundred], and formerly 

 very common, remaining to breed in the corn or long grass on the marshes 

 at Barling, Foulness, &c., &c. Now rarely seen but in the winter months." 



