THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
37
trunks of trees, one of which was twelve feet long and eighteen inches in diameter.
They were discovered 25 feet below the surface, bedded, apparently, in the
virgin clay, and they resemble heavy, solid, lumps of stone. As they are
marked all over with holes made by the 'Tertdo Navilis,' or ship worm, they
have at some remote time been in the ocean, and it is assumed that they were
thrown up to the place where they were found—about 120 feet above sealevel—by
volcanic action. At present the exposure to the air has had no effect on them."
Mr. Holmes said that the interest of the specimen was in its great size. Portions
of fossil trees were commonly found in the London Clay in the Isle of Sheppey,
but he could not recall the discovery of pieces so large as that mentioned in the
extract.
Mr. J. E. Harting, F.L.S., then read a paper "On the Introduction of a
New Game Bird, the Tinamou (Rhyncotus rufescens), into Essex, with some
account of its habits." Mr. Harting also incidentally alluded to the introduction
of the Red-legged Partridge into East Anglia and Essex. The paper was illustrated
by an excellent life-sized coloured drawing of the bird, which is something like a
hen pheasant without a tail. [The text of Mr. Harting's paper, with possibly a
wood-cut of the bird, will be given in an early number to the Essex
Naturalist.]
The President, in thanking Mr. Harting for a very interesting and apposite
paper, made some remarks on the introduction of the Red-legged or French
Partridge into Essex, at St. Osyth [see note on page 39]. The "Red-legs" had
now become more abundant than the common partridge at St. Osyth. He thought,
judging from what Mr. Harting had said, that there was a probability of the
Tinamou overcoming the dangers which confront every new denizen.
A long and very interesting discussion ensued, in which Mr. F. C. Gould, Mr.
Fitch, Mr. Crouch, Mr. Holmes, Mr, Greatheed, Mr. White, and the author
took part. The main points of interest so brought out will be embodied in the
paper when printed.
A hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Harting was carried by acclamation.
Mr. W. White in bringing forward one or two records of the supposed earth-
quake on November 20th last, made some remarks in confirmation of Mr. Symons'
hypothesis that the phenomenon was caused by the passage or explosion of a
meteorite [see report of meeting on November 26th, E.N., i., 277.]
Mr. Varley and Mr. W. Cole also spoke on the subject.
The President announced that in consequence of the Easter holidays the next
monthly meeting would take place on Saturday, March 24th, and not as usual on
the last Saturday in the month.
Notes on the Occurrence of the Polecat, the Hobby Hawk, and the
Hoopoe near Roxwell, Essex.—The last specimen of the Polecat (Mustela
putorius) known to have occurred in this neighbourhood was trapped on Boyton
Hall Farm in or about the year 1855. It is considerably larger than an ordinary
polecat ferret, which in other respects it very closely resembles. In the summer
of 1878 a Hobby Hawk (Falco subbuteo) was shot here, a male, in line plumage.
Several other specimens were seen about the same wood, but it is very doubtful
whether they were bred there, although the keeper who shot the hawk was con-
fident that this was the case. On May 3rd, 1886, a Hoopoe (Upapa epops) was shot
near our house. It rose from a damp ditch where it was probably feeding, and
flew with an undulating and woodpecker-like flight to a tree, where it settled and
displayed its conspicuous crest. All the above mentioned specimens are now in
my possession.—Reginald W. Christy, Boyton Hall, Roxwell.