55
THE LATE CHRISTOPHER PARSONS AND HIS
COLLECTIONS.
By EDWARD A. FITCH, F.L.S., &c.
In Mr. Philip Benton's "History of Rochford Hundred," page 927 (published
May, 1888), is the following account of the late Christopher Parsons, who died on
September 23rd, 1882 aged 75 years :—
" Christopher Parsons was a member of the Linnean Society,1 a good ornitholo-
gist, botanist, entomologist, and meteorologist. Most of his specimens of British
birds and insects, admirably stuffed and preserved with his own hands, together
with meteorological observations extending over twenty years, and a splendid
collection of dried plants and stuffed birds, have been presented by Samuel
Westwood Squier, Esq., J.P., to the Southend Institute. Amongst his collection
of butterflies and beetles, now in my possession, is a butterfly supposed to be
extinct in England, but formerly common on Whittlesey-mere in Huntingdonshire,
which has been exterminated by ruthless pursuers.3 Like the Rev. Gilbert White,
of Selborne, he left behind him an interesting journal of his daily observations
respecting the habits of birds, but his own habits were of the most retiring nature,
and he seldom communicated his acquirements, even to his intimate friends. On
April 6th, 1839, he shot a male hoopoe (Upupa epops), and on the 10th a female
one, on North Shoebury Hall, in Price's field, between Mottes and Crows, midway
between the Cross House (Shoebury Shop) and Shoebury House paddock. He
states that, although he drove them away several times, they returned to the same
spot again, almost directly, and as there was a hollow tree there, he thinks it
probable they would have bred there if unmolested. The male bird weighed 21/4
ounces. Their flight was a little undulating, and on alighting on a tree, they
drew themselves up and jerked their heads. There is a notice of a Ring-ouzel
(Tardus torquatus, L.) shot in 1850. In 1836, he mentions, in October, a large
number of blackbirds appeared, almost every hedge was full of them, and they
kept in New England for a week or two."
On March 20th, 1883, the household furniture, plate, books, "large collection
of stuffed birds, eggs and insects, including many rare specimens," were sold by
auction by Mr. T. W. Offin, at the residence of the late C. Parsons, Esq., the
Lawn, Southchurch, by order of his executors. There were 203 birds stuffed and
set up, 4 cases of birds, 8 cases of insects, 8 boxes of eggs, some mammals,
spiders, &c., and 210 bird skins, which were included in52 lots, and sold for £39.
Many of the lots were bought by the family, and have been presented to the
Southend Institute. This now contains Parsons' herbarium, consisting of two large
portfolios of plants and one of grasses, all well preserved and carefully labelled,
which will doubtless receive Prof. Boulger's attention in connection with the
projected new edition of the "Flora of Essex." Mr. P. Benton (Mr. Parsons'
brother-in-law) writes me that Mr. Parsons had prepared a Flora of Rochford
Hundred, which will probably be published at the end of Benton's "History"
above referred to.
Among the books and papers sent to the Southend Institute are Parsons' two
1 He was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society on November 19th, 1839, and withdrew his
name in 1854.
2 The butterfly here alluded to by Mr. Benton is, of course, the "Large Copper" (Polyommatus
dispar, Haw,), once so abundant that as late as 1832 or 1833, Henry Doubleday found 96 larvae in
two days, without particularly turning his attention to them.