A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



nest in another tree, but had afterwards de- 

 parted and had probably nested, or attempted 

 to nest, somewhere on the adjacent mainland. 

 This survival of the raven as a breeding 

 species until so recent a period is of much 

 interest, for at the date in question it had 

 long ceased to breed in any other county 

 in the east of England. Mr. Fitch saw, on 

 the shore at Fambridge, as lately as Sep- 

 tember 1901, a bird which may possibly have 

 bred in the vicinity. 



93. Carrion-Crow. Corvus corone, Linn. 



A resident, though uncommon, local, and 

 decreasing in numbers through persecution, 

 except in the south-western portion of the 

 county, where it seems to be increasing, 

 probably because of the large amount of 

 refuse it finds among the London manure now 

 used so largely in that district. It is now 

 most abundant among the poorly-cultivated 

 lands in Dengie Hundred and elsewhere 

 round our coast. 



94. Grey or Hooded Crow. Corvus comix, 



Linn. 



A winter visitor, common enough as a 

 rule on and near the coast : much scarcer 

 inland. It is reported (see Birds of Essex, p. 

 135) to have bred formerly on the coast in 

 Dengie Hundred. 



95. Rook. Corvus frugilegus, Linn. 



An abundant resident. In its nesting 

 habits it appears to be very erratic. Often a 

 few pairs will nest in the late autumn or 

 winter if the weather be mild : at other times 

 old and well established rookeries are suddenly 

 deserted in the middle of the breeding season 

 without apparent reason : sometimes too a 

 single pair or several will establish a new 

 rookery which is often quickly deserted. 

 Dun-coloured, creamy, or white varieties are 

 not uncommon. 



96. Sky-Lark. Alauda arvensis, Linn. 



An abundant resident. In winter, espe- 

 cially if the weather be severe, large flocks 

 arrive from elsewhere. 



97. Wood-Lark. Alauda arborea, Linn. 



Formerly, a resident, though scarce and local. 

 Now it seems to have almost entirely dis- 

 appeared from the county through some un- 

 known cause. 



98. Shore-Lark. Otocorys alpestris (Linn.). 



A scarce and irregular winter visitor to our 

 coast. 



99. Swift. Cypselus apus (Linn.). 

 Locally, Shriek-Owl and Tommy-Devil. 



A common summer visitor, breeding wher- 

 ever there are buildings which afford it suit- 

 able nesting sites. It leaves early, about 

 August 15 as a rule, but one was shot at 

 Chesterford on October 27, 1877 an ex- 

 tremely late occurrence. 



100. Alpine Swift. Cypselus melba (Linn.). 

 A rare straggler which has been reported, 



though on somewhat weak authority (see 

 Birds of Essex, p. 145), as occurring in Essex 

 on one or two occasions. 



1 O I . Needle-Tailed Swift. Acanthyllis cauda- 

 cuta (Latham). 



The first recorded example of this very rare 

 straggler to Britain was shot at Great Horkes- 

 ley on July 8, 1846 (Zoologist, 1846, p. 1492). 



O2. Nightjar. Caprimu/gus europxus, Linn. 

 A regular summer visitor, common in dis- 

 tricts where woods and bracken-covered 

 commons abound, but elsewhere scarce and 

 seen only when on migration. 



103. Wryneck. lynx torquilla, Linn. 



A fairly common summer visitor. It ap- 

 pears to vary considerably in its numbers from 

 year to year. 



104. Green Woodpecker. Gecinus viridis 

 (Linn.). 



Locally, Whetile, Yaffle, etc. 



A fairly common resident in parks and 

 wooded districts, but scarce in the more open 

 parts : rapidly decreasing, it is to be feared, 

 in the county, owing to frequent eviction from 

 its breeding holes by the starling. 



105. Great Spotted Woodpecker. Dendrocopus 

 major (Linn.). 



A resident and widely distributed, but de- 

 cidedly uncommon and seldom seen, 



1 06. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dendro- 

 copus minor (Linn.). 



As the last-named. 



107. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn. 



A resident in all parts of the county but 

 everywhere rather scarce and, I think, decreas- 

 ing in numbers. A correspondent knew, how- 

 ever, of six nests during 1901 within five 

 miles of Maldon. With the additional legal 

 protection now afforded, the bird may hold 

 its own and even increase. 



242 



