254 ■ THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



from Brightlingsea, where Dr. Bree says (32a) one was shot on the marshes in 

 Ihe autumn of 1863. Mr. Kerry has informed me of two which he has observed 

 near Harwich, one in Landermere Creek, in September, 1888, the other several 

 years since on the Essex side of the River Stour. At the Marsh House, Tilling- 

 ham, Mr. Robert Page has a specimen taken in his decoy there. Mr. Page tells 

 me that others have been taken there. Dr. Bree says that the only one he ever 

 saw in his neighbourhood was shot on the St. Osyth Marshes late in Aug., 1863 

 (29. Sept. 5). Mr. Kerry saw three on Handford Water in 1889, and shot a 

 female in Suffolk on Sept. 4th (40. xiii. 454). About the middle of October, 

 1889, Dr. Salter shot at ToUesbury a fine specimen which was preserved by 

 Mr. Pettitt. 



Greenshank : Totamis canescens. 



A somevi^hat uncommon passing migrant in spring and autumn. 

 Albin figures a specimen which he says (3. ii. 63) "was shot by Sir Robert 

 Abdy on the sandy bank of a river in Essex, and was not much used to the sight 

 of men, it letting him come within ten yards of it before he fired at it." In the 

 Saffron Walden Museum is a specimen from Epping, presented, nearly fifty 

 years ago, by Henry Doubleday, who says (10) that in 1832 he saw one in a 

 Collection at Colchester, obtained on the adjacent coast, and that he ob- 

 served two at Walton in the same year. The Rev. J. C. Atkinson writes (36. 

 125) : "I used to meet with it occasionally in the early autumn on the Essex 

 Saltings, and remember thinking I had got a prize the first time I shot one, and 

 noticed its slightly upturned bill.'' One was "shot on the Mundon Marshes [in] 

 1857 " (Smith — 31. 53). Mr. A. H. Smee shot an adult at Leigh, on Sept. i8th, 

 1869 (34. 1921), and saw two more there on Sept. 17, 1870 (34. 2385). I shot a 

 fine male (?) at Stony Point, Walton, on Sept. 7th, 1888. Round Harwich " some 

 are seen and shot every autumn. It was fairly common in the autumn of 1889. 

 They usually go in small parties of three to five " (Kerry). In the Shooting 

 Times (Oct. 6th, 1888) two Essex specimens are mentioned, one shot during 

 the previous Aug., the other at Stanford-le-Hope in the following month. Mr. 

 J. F. T. Wiseman of Paglesham writes : " They visit us nearly every year. My 

 son shot three at one shot last season." Dr. Bree says (32a) : "Two young 

 birds were shot atTingringhoe, Sept. 9th, 1867, and sent to me by Mr. Symmons. 

 They were ne stlings of the year, showing that the old ones bred most probably in 

 the neighbouring marshes." I hardly think this probable, however. 



Red-breasted Snipe: Macrorhamphus griseus. 



A rare straggler to Britain from North America, where it is com- 

 mon. There is no absolutely conclusive evidence of its having 

 ever occurred in Essex, but the following note seems to justify its 

 appearance here. 



Mr. Hope writes : " I saw a bird on the opposite side of Harwich Harbour 

 on April 15th, 1882, which I feel certain was a Red-breasted Snipe. I walked 

 within five yards of it, and it then flew awa}'. The bill looked slightly curved, 

 which made me think it was a Curlew Sandpiper at first." 



Black-tailed Godwit : Limosa icgocephala. 

 A visitor to our coast when on migration in spring and autumn. 

 It formerly bred with us, but has long ceased to do so. 



