252 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



are preserved in the British IMuseum." Mr. Clarke mentions (24) one at Ches- 

 terford in 1833, and two at Wenden in 1835. Around Sudbury, King says (20) 

 that in 1838 it was " not uncommon." Mr. W. L. Barclay, of Leyton, wrote 

 (23.7939) in 1862, fthat specimens were observed there "almost every year." 

 Mr. W. Jesse records (34. 915) that on Aug. i8th, 1867, one appeared round a 

 pond on the lawn at Maisonette, Ingatestone. Dr. Bree, in recording the occur- 

 rence of a female specimen near Colchester, about the middle of April, 1874 (^Q- 

 May 2) stated his belief that it bred in Essex. At Harwich " a few are seen every 

 autumn " (Kerry). Mr. Hope generally meets with them in the marsh ditches 

 from the middle of August until November, but seldom later. He adds : " I have 

 known them fly aboard the dredgers at sea in August, and be knocked over 

 by a stone. It is locally known as the ' Black Snipe.' " Mr. Parsons has many 

 notes of meeting with it on New England Island, the Tilbury Marshes, and 

 elsewhere, sometimes singly, but more often in pairs or small parties, and in one 

 case (July 23, 1839) in a flock of ten on New England. He notes seeing a pair 

 at Tilbury on April 21st, 1842, but most of the occurrences are in July and 

 August, though there are some noted as late as November or December. They 

 appear usually to have arrived during the first two or three days of July, 

 though in 1838 he saw two on New England on June 27th, and in 1842 one 

 at Tilbury on June 17th (22). Writing in 1834, he said (13. ii. 199) he had 

 never seen this species except in the autumnal months. In 1888, Mr. Fitch con- 

 stantly observed a pair about the ditches on Northey Island, from May until 

 the middle of July, but could obtain no evidence whatever of their having nested 

 in the vicinity, 



Wood-Sandpiper : Totanus glareola. 



A rare and irregular visitor to Britain, cliiefly as a passing 

 migrant in spring and autumn. It has been known to breed in 

 Scotland, Norfolk, and Northumberland, and two of the following 

 records seem to suggest its having bred in Essex. 



On July 24th, 1837, Mr. Parsons shot a young male of the year at the 

 Lower Fleet, on New England Island, supposing it to ,be a Green Sandpiper 

 (22). From the date one cannot help surmising that it may have been bred 

 there, Henry Doubleday, writing from Epping on May loth, 1840, mentions 

 (10) that on the previous Monday, 



"a fellow celebrated for poaching brought me a Wood Sandpiper (T. glare- 

 ola) which he shot at a pond on our common. It was a female, and the eggs 

 very much enlarged. He says there were two of them, probably a pair. The 

 one he brought is in full summer plumage." 



Yarrell, who says (14. ii. 535) that it has been killed in Essex in the spring, 

 mentions hearing of the above occurrence from Doubleday. Dr. Bree notes (32a) 

 a fine specimen shot at Nayland-on-the-Stour, and sent to Ambrose to stuff 

 in Dec, 1869. One was observed at the mouth of the Stour on Aug. i6th, 1884 

 (42). 



Redshank : Totanus calidris. Locally, " Teuke," or " Pool 

 Snipe." 



An abundant resident on our coast, where it may be seen during 

 the winter in large flocks, increased by immigrants from elsewhere. 

 It breeds in all suitable situations among the marshes and saltings 

 on our coast, and as far up the Thames as Dagenham and Stan- 



