NOTES.
189
The Herd of Red-deer from a Single Hind in Hatfield Broad Oak
Forest, Essex.—We reprint the following interesting information as to the herd
of Red-deer now in Hatfield Broad Oak Forest, from the September number of
the "Zoologist." It is taken from letters addressed to Professor Flower by
Mr. J. A. Houblon, of Hallingbury Park, Bishop's Stortford. Mr. Andrew
Johnston some time ago called our attention to the remarkable origin of this
small herd, but in the absence of fuller information we refrained from noticing it.
Mr. Houblon's details are precise, and we gladly reproduce them :—" A Red-deer
was hunted by Mr. Petre's hounds into this neighbourhood in 1875 and lost.
I was walking soon afterwards through the forest (Hatfield Broad Oak) when I saw
the hind with a male calf at her feet. Since 1877 she has had one calf every year,
except one, though no stag, except her own offspring, has been seen in the forest
since she was lost and left there. Two young harts got drowned on going to
drink at a muddy place from which they were unable to extricate themselves. In
1881 we killed and ate a five-year-old stag thus reared, and another last year.
The heads of these are good average heads, and are now hung up in our hall.
They have each of them ten points, and neither of them showed any signs of
degeneracy that we could perceive. There are now (May 28th, 1887) five Red-
deer in Hatfield Broad Oak Forest, all of them sprung, as we believe, from this
solitary hind." It is to be hoped that every watchfulness will be exercised to keep
this interesting herd isolated and to prevent crossing. Accurate observations as
to the presence or absence of any persistent modifications in colour, size, or
variation in the form of the antlers, appearing in the herd during future years,
would be exceedingly interesting and worthy of careful record.—Ed.
Great Snipe (Gallinago major) near Colchester.—I saw to-day a specimen
of the Great or Solitary Snipe (Gallinago major, Gmelin), at Mr, Hall's, game
dealer, Colchester. It was in capital condition, and had been killed by flying
against the telegraph wires. The comparative rarity of the bird, perhaps renders
the occurrence worth recording in the Essex Naturalist.—Henry Laver,
F.L.S., Colchester, September 7th, 1887.
Well-Section at Kelvedon, Essex.—Following the suggestion of Mr.
Whitaker (in his paper, "Some Essex Well-Sections," Trans. Essex Field Club,
vol. iv., p. 151)) I send the section of a well bored by Messrs. Isler and Co., for
Mr. John Fuller, at the Brewery, Kelvedon. The site is about eighty-eight feet
above Ordnance Datum, and the water rises to the surface. The terms used are
those given by the well sinker. The most remarkable feature in this section is the
great depth (160 feet) attained by the Boulder Clay. One hundred and forty feet is
the greatest depth previously recorded as having been observed in this district (vide
Memoir 47, Geological Survey, page 59) :—
The well is about 160 yards from the present river, the Blackwater. The great
depth of the Boulder Clay apparently indicates that the well is bored through the
bed of a pre-Glacial river.—Geo. Fredk. Beaumont, Coggeshall, Essex.