CLASS MAMMALIA. 73 



House, in Hainhault Forest, to unharbour a stag. After 

 drawing the coverts for a short time, a fine old stag 

 was roused and took a turn round the Forest away for 

 Packnall Corner, hence to Dagenham, and was taken at 

 Plaistow." He adds, " Red Deer to be so near the 

 metropolis, in their wild state, I consider as a singular 

 circumstance." 



Above is a sketch, by Mr. H. A. Cole, of a pair of 

 antlers of the Red Deer, now in Mr. W. Cole's posses- 

 sion, and said to have belonged to the last wild Red Deer 

 killed in Hainault Forest, early in the present century 

 (see Essex Nat., vol. i., p. 56, foot-note). 



Turning to other parts of the county, we find that 

 Sir John Bramston, of Skreens, Roxwell, gives, in his 

 Autobiography (Camden Soc., London, 1845, 4to.), an account 

 of a visit paid by James II. to the Duke of Albemarle at 

 New Hall, Boreham, for the purpose of hunting the Red 

 Deer. On May 3rd, 1686, the king arrived in the neigh- 

 bourhood, and, hearing that the Duke was with the hounds 

 near Bicknacre Mill, he turned in that direction and pursued 

 the chase almost as far as Wanstead, the quarry being at last 

 killed between Romford and Brentwood. The king was 

 near at the death, and did not reach New Hall until nine 

 o'clock at night. Nevertheless, he hunted again next day 

 with renewed vigour, and this time the Deer ran by Broom- 

 field and Pleshey to the Roothings, and was killed at Hatfield 

 Broad Oak. Sir John's description of the Roothing country 

 will answer also to-day : " His Majestic [he says] kept 

 pretie neere the doggs, though the ditches were broad and 

 deep, the hedges high, and the way and feilds dirtie and 

 deepe." (cf. also Essex Nat., vol. iii., p. 193.) 



Fortunately, however, we can still say we have wild Red 

 Deer in the county, for within a few years some have been 



