4 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX. 



to Windsor, but stags lingered in the Forest at least 

 as late as 1827 (See Proc. E. F. C., vol. i., xlvii.) 

 A few Red Deer have since been re-transferred to the 

 Forest, in the hope of restoring the original stock, 

 but they proved so destructive to the crops of neigh- 

 bouring farmers that they had to be destroyed. The 

 Roe Deer, which appears to have been by no means 

 rare in late mediaeval times, became extinct for many 

 years ; but this species also has been re-introduced, 

 from Dorsetshire, and is doing well. We hope that, 

 by the restoration of the Red Deer, we may soon be 

 able to say that all the species of British Deer exist 

 in a wild condition in Essex. 



Under the head of terrestrial Mammals, it may be 

 pointed out that Essex, as compared with many 

 counties, shows a high record of Bats, eight out of the 

 sixteen species given by Bell having been actually found 

 in the county, without including the two others named 

 by Bell and Newman, which, as will be afterwards 

 explained (see pp. 31 and 123), must not be placed to 

 the credit of Essex. This abundance of Chiroptera may 

 be in part owing to more careful observation of that par- 

 ticular Order, but it is also owing to the fact that our 

 county is within the northern limits of several species. 

 Mr. Christy's records of the capture of two specimens 

 of the Serotine seem a proof that still further 

 attention would result in more finds, for it is difficult 



