224 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



A. Clark, in the same locality, on the 26th, and a fourth, by the same gentleman 

 at Leyton. on the 28th (23. 8847). One was obtained near Colchester in 1880 

 (29. Apr. 23). Mr. Kerry says (40. iii. 459) another was picked up dead on 

 the railway-line near Harwich, having killed itself by flying against the tele- 

 graph wires, about the middle of Oct., 1879. Mr. Baxter has informed me of 

 specimens killed at Barking in Nov., 1887, and on Bowers Marsh, Pitsea, on Aug. 

 22nd, 1889, respectively. Mrs. Bree has two shot near Colchester, one of which 

 was probably shot on the river in the third week of Aug., 1866 (32a). Dr. Laver 

 has killed it at Paglesham. Mr. John Pettitt preserved a specimen killed at 

 ToUesbury, early in Sept., 1888, which Dr. Salter now has. Mr. E. A. Fitch has a 

 female which was shot on Northey Island. In it was a perfectly-formed &gg, so 

 that it was probably nesting. Further, Mr. Baxter has informed me that in the 

 autumn of 18S9, several were killed on the Pitsea Marshes, some of which were ob- 

 viously young birds, probably bred in the district. 



Baillon's Crake : Porzana bailloni. 



A very rare and irregular summer migrant or resident. Although 

 it has been known to breed in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the only 

 record of its occurrence in Essex is the'foUowing by Mr. E. Curtis jun., 

 of Forest Lane, E., who records (29. Oct. 10) having obtained one 

 in a thick reedy ditch in Essex on October 3rd, 1874. It was not 

 flushed, but was found and caught by Mr. Curtis's dog, in a ditch 

 adjoining " Dagenham Gulf," as I am informed by that gentleman 

 himself, who still has the bird, which he has kindly lent for my in- 

 spection. It appears to be immature, but is in good plumage. 



Little Crake: Porzana parva. 



A rare visitor to Britain. I only know of a single specimen 

 having been obtained in Essex, but other occurrences have probably 

 been overlooked. 



Mr. J. F. T. Wiseman of Paglesham has a specimen shot on a marsh upon 

 one of his farms in that parish, by Mr. Lucas of Billericay, when Snipe-shooting 

 in the month of October four or five years ago. 



Corn-Crake or Land-Rail: Crex pratettsis. 



Best known in Essex as a passing migrant in spring and autumn, 

 especially the latter, when it is frequently met with in fields of clover 



and lucerne, and killed by 

 partridge-shooters during 

 September and the early 

 part of October. It is 

 also to some extent 

 a summer visitor, as it 

 breeds, though sparingly, 

 in many parts of the 



L...ND.RML OR CORN-CRAKE, 1/7. ^o^i^^y' ^"^ uiay eveu al- 



(A/ter Bnuick). most be spokcn of as a resi- 



