40
NOTES.
within three days, but from that time until 1799 Mr. Daniel did not again meet
with this bird, but then he shot two and a half brace at Sudbourn, Suffolk (cf.
Daniel's "Rural Sports," ii,410). Yarrell, quoting Dr. W. B. Clarke, of
Ipswich, in Charlesworth's "Magazine of Natural History" for 1839 (vol. iii.,
pp. 142—144), says that "numbers were introduced into England about the
year 1770 [the actual date given by Dr. Clarke, l.c., is 1790, but this is
thought to be an error, E.A.F.] by the Marquis of Hertford and Lord Rendle-
sham; each of whom had eggs, procured on the Continent, carefully brought to
England, and placed under domestic fowls—the former at Sudbourn, near
Orford, in Suffolk, one of his shooting residences ; the latter on his estates
at Rendlesham, a few miles distant from Sudbourn. From these places the
birds have gradually extended themselves over the adjoining counties" (British
Birds," 3rd edition, ii., 395). Both the Essex and Suffolk experiments in the
acclimatisation of this game bird, made almost contemporaneously, appear to have
been successful, but the attempt made at Windsor in the reign of Charles II. was a
failure. In the "Catalogue of Norfolk and Suffolk Birds with remarks," by the
Rev. Revett Sheppard, and the Rev. W. Whitear, read before the Linnean Society,
on April 20th, 1824, and May 3rd, 1825, we read, "These birds are now very
plentiful in some parts of Suffolk. We have seen at least fifteen brace in a
morning upon Dunningworth Heath, and they are found in greater or less numbers
from Aldborough to Woodbridge" (Trans. Linn. Soc., xv., 34). During the
next twenty years they would seem to have increased rapidly in the Eastern
Counties (Stevenson's Birds of Norfolk," i. 405—6), and every year they are
extending their range northwards and westwards. It is only quite recently that
the French or Red-legged Partridge has become common in the Essex marshes and
islands, and I know several sportsmen still living who well remember the first
specimen they ever shot, and have heard them relate how carefully they smoothed
it down and wrapped it up in their handkerchief, pocketing what they considered
a rare and beautiful prize. The French partridge is not a lover of the low lying
marsh lands, and here, at Maldon, it is much more common on the hills and broken
ground than on the marshes.
Mr. Shenstone has already alluded to the introduction of the Lombardy Poplar
(Essex Naturalist i., 34), but the following extract from Selby's "History of
British Forest Trees" (1842), page 205, will be read with interest :—"As might
be expected in a tree of so rapid a growth, its duration is very brief compared
with the longevity of slower growing trees, and most of the plants first introduced
into the kingdom, which took place about eighty years ago, are now either dead
or in a state of decay ; such is the case with those at Blenheim mentioned by
Gilpin, which were planted about the year 1760, or soon after Lord Rochford had
imported the first cuttings of this poplar fromTurin."—Edward A. Fitch, Maldon.
The Essex Marine Fauna and Flora.—The Committee appointed by the
British Association "for the purpose of considering the question of accurately
defining the term 'British,' as applied to the marine fauna and flora of our
islands "have reported that the "British Marine Area" may be conveniently
subdivided into a shallow-water and into a deep-water district. The 100-fathom
contour is a natural boundary line for the former off the north and west coasts of
the British Islands ; on the south and east the only boundary is the half-way line
between Great Britain and the Continent ; this should include the Dogger Bank.
The above district may be termed the "British Marine Shallow-water District."
The "Deep-water District" of 100 to 1000 fathoms only occurs off the north and
west coasts, and consequently does not concern our Essex recorders.—Ed.
Influence of Open Spaces on Death-rate.—The "City Press" of March
14th remarks :—"That Epping Forest is a great factor in keeping Londoners in
health is a widely held and sound belief, but not much is heard of its bearings upon
the health of residents thereabout. It appears, however, that the Forest under
Corporation supervision is a sanitary boon locally. Such, at least, is a fair inference
from the fact that whereas in the outer ring of London the death-rate was recently
officially reported at 20'0, in the Forest district [Woodford] it was only 12'6."
See report of Dr. Groves to the Woodford Local Board, March 5th, 1888.—Ed.