CLASS MAMMALIA. 67 



Fuller, in his Worthies (1662, p. 348), refers to a de- 

 vastation of some sixty or seventy years later, but which 

 had a like dire result. He says : 



" I wish the sad casualties may never return which lately have 

 happened in this county : the one, 1581, in the Hundred of Dengy 

 (Stow Chron., Anno Citat^ the other 1648, in the Hundred of 

 Rochford and Isle of Foulness (rented in part by two of my credible 

 parishioners, who attested it, having paid dear for the truth thereof), 

 when an Army of Mice, nesting in Ant-hills, as Conies in Burroughs, 

 shaved off the grass at the bare roots, which, withering to dung, was 

 infectious to Cattle. The March following, numberless flocks of Owls 

 from all parts flew thither and destroyed them, which otherwise had 

 ruined the country if continuing another year." 



William Lilly, the astrologer, in his almanac Merlinus 

 Anglicus Junior, alludes to another invasion at Southminster, . 

 and says that at the same time in Norfolk, over as much as 

 an hundred acres together, one could hardly set down his foot 

 without treading on them. 



Arvicola glareolus, Schreber. RED FIELD- VOLE OR 

 BANK VOLE. 



This Vole is by no means common in Essex, according to 

 my experience, although the first specimen recorded as 

 British was described by Yarrell from an Essex example 

 (cf. Proc. Zool. Soc., 1832, p. 109). 



I have seen a specimen from West Bergholt and another 

 from Layer de la Haye. Probably more might be found if 

 observers were careful to examine all the Voles they met with. 



There is a good description of this species by Mr 

 J. E. Harting (Zool., 1887, P- 3^5), who records captures 

 at West Bergholt and Layer de la Haye, both in Essex, and 

 gives particulars of its distribution in Great Britain. 



Mr. Edward Rosling has recorded (ZooL, 1885, p. 433) 

 the capture of an albino specimen near Chelmsford, in 



