ijo 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



The gardener, on seeing this bird, remariied, ' What fierce things they are when 

 they have got nests. I was along with a boy once who got up to one, and the 

 old one pici<ed a hole smack through his hat, and scratched his hand properly 

 before he could make her go off the nest. There used to be a good many of 

 them about here once, but there are not many of them now.' This last remark 

 is perfectly correct." 



In the Epping district, notwithstanding the extent of the Forest, they had, 

 "thanks to the gamekeepers," become extinct as long ago as 1835, according to 

 Edward Doubleday (15). King, in 1838, says (20) : 



" About ten years ago, whilst walking across Friar's Meadow [Sudbury], a 

 gentleman pointed out to me one of these birds, wheeling in the air at a consider- 

 able height above us. Its forked tail at once distinguishes it from every other 

 British Hawk. It has become scarce in this district." 



Canon Babington (46. 32) speaks of one "mentioned to Mr. Hills as having 

 been lately (1880) seen flying over Sudbury," and adds that "two specimens in, 

 the Hoy Collection are considered [by Mrs. Lescher] to be from the neighbour- 

 hood " of Stoke-bj^-Nayland. Dr. Laver informs me that in 1854 he approached 

 near to an unmistakable individual at Paglesham, but refrained from shooting 

 it, although he carried a gun, and had a good opportunity of doing so. 



Mr. Edward Corder, of Writtle, says he can remember their breeding in the High- 

 Woods. Mr. Hy. Stephenson, head-keeper at Birch, tells me that he has heard of 

 a " Crotch-tailed Puttock's " nest which was built in Stroodland Grove, Mersea, 

 about the }'ear 1845. In 188 1, Mr. Travis showed me a fine old male said to 

 have been shot at Sampford, about 1872, " in the middle of summer." The Rev. 

 J. C. Atkinson writes me : " As to the Kite, all I know was that some of my 

 school-fellows knew of a nest not far from Kelvedon." This must have been 

 about sixt}' Axars ag<j. 



Honey Buzzard : Pernis apivorus. 



Formerly a not uncommon summer visitor, but now rare. It 

 still breeds occasionally in England : but, so far as I have been able 



to discover, there is no actual re- 

 cord of its having done so in 

 Essex, where, however, it still 

 now and then occurs as a pass- 

 ing migrant, usually in the au- 

 tumn, though very rarely in the 

 spring. In September, 1881, 

 several occurred in Essex, and in 

 other parts of the country. 



Mr. J. D. Hoy records (12. v. 2S0) 

 that a male was shot on October I2th,, 

 183 1, in Tendring Hall Park, which 

 is in Suffolk, just beyond the Essex 

 boundary. It was very fat, and had 

 remains of wasps and beetles in its crop 

 and stomach. Mr. Clarke notes (24) 

 that a very handsome bird was shot in 

 1837 by Harrington, the keeper at Debden Hall, and was lately in the posses- 



HONEV BUZZARD, 1/9. 



