34
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN ESSEX.
now gone, and with them have disappeared the owls to a great ex-
tent. Formerly rats were rarely found in the fields, but now, from
the destruction of owls and other so-called vermin, they abound, and
may be found in almost every hedge. I think, could a balance be
struck, it would be found that the owl-tenanted pollard did not
occasion anything like the loss to the farmer now caused by the
numerous rats and mice. These "small deer" have now no natural
enemies to keep them in check. The destruction, therefore, of
pollards, in my opinion, has resulted in great injury to the country
generally.
Wide hedgerows were also favourable to another class of creatures;
snakes were very common, and they are by no means rare even now in
my district. The viper occurred very frequently, especially on the
borders of the marshes, much more so than in any other part of the
kingdom with which I am acquainted. These still are found in
larger numbers than most people desire, and the extermination of
these dangerous creatures in any district would call forth fewer
regrets than that of any other animal, however noxious it might be
considered.
Enough has been said to show that great changes are occurring in
the fauna of the district under consideration. Probably the same
changes are taking place throughout the country generally. To
naturalists it must be a matter for great regret that so many species
of animals and birds should, by man's cruelty and recklessness, be
fast approaching the fate of the dodo and great auk—utter extermina-
tion. If man's existence depended on this extermination of the
lower orders of life, there would not be so much to be said against it;
but does his existence—aye, does even his convenience or comfort—
require this wicked and cruel and ignorant destruction? Most cer-
tainly not! And when it is too late, succeeding generations will not
only regret, but will in many ways suffer from, our interference
with the continuity of the chain of creation. An illustration of the
truth of this statement is found, as before mentioned, in the fact
that the destruction of predaceous animals and birds has resulted
in the creation of a plague, almost, of rats and sparrows. I am
glad, however, to find that the number of persons who will not
allow all the so-called vermin and other harmless creatures on their
lands to be destroyed is on the increase, and one of the useful pur-
poses a Society like the Essex Field Club is to teach that, throughout
nature, no creature exists that is not in some way beneficial to the