NOTES.
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telligence, and the origin and use of these old labyrinths have become lost to
memory. After the Reformation, however, they were frequently converted into a
medium of recreation, and our illustrious Shakespeare refers to them in the
"Midsummer Night's Dream (Act ii. Sc. 2) thus :—
" The nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud ;
And the quaint Mazes on the wanton green,
For lack of tread, are undistinguishable."
Let the origin of these mazes or labyrinths be what they may, one thing appears
certain, that they have through the course of time drifted into various uses, and
have at last been handed down to our days, especially (from the time of Queen
Elizabeth) in the shape of places of recreation, or a verdant adjunct to the garden
of the gentleman's mansion or Royal residence, such as the one in "Fry's Gardens"
at Saffron Walden, or that of Hampton Court renown. The latter most probably
suggested to Pope (who lived at Twickenham near by) the following lines :—
" Let us (since life can little more supply
Than just to look about us and to die)
Expatiate o'er all this scene of man,
A mighty Maze, but not without a plan."
Short-eared Owl Breeding in Essex.—Mr. F. Kerry, of Harwich, writes
as follows to the "Zoologist" for December :—"Whilst shooting on the bentlings
near Walton-on-the Naze, on Bank Holiday in August, 1884, I saw three of these
birds, two of which were shot; at that time I fully believed they had bred some-
where near. On the 31st of July last I saw an old bird hawking in the afternoon
over the bentlings, and continually calling. I at once made enquiries, and found
that the owls had nested in the rough grass on an island, and that some of the
young owls had been caught before they were able to fly."
A "Happy Family" at Danbury.—Mr. C. Smoothy, of "Old Riffhams"
Farm, Little Baddow, sends "Essex County Chronicle," of November 1st, 1889,
the following account of the finding of a fox, stoat, and rabbits in a tree together
at Danbury Park, which is noted for its fine old oaks :—"On ferreting one of these
trees, to my surprise the ferret first started three rabbits; then a stoat; last, but
not least, out came a very fine old fox, which was allowed to depart at his leisure.
The owner, though not a foxhunter, is a strict preserver of foxes. I thought this
might interest some of your readers. I think it a very unusual occurrence. Arrival
of Autumn visitors at Little Baddow : I saw on September 10th, ring-ouzel;
October 9th, hooded crow ; and October 25th, woodcock and fieldfare."
Heavy Red-legged Partridge.—"In your issue of October 26th last, Mr. C.
Wapshare, Lewes, refers to a red-legged partridge, which scaled I lb. 21/2 ozs. ;
and in an editorial footnote mention is made of one shot in Norfolk, and noted in
the 'Field,' which weighed 20 ozs. The following instances where much
heavier specimens of this bird have been recorded, may interest your corres-
pondent : The 'Field,' December 13th, 1879, one of 22 ozs., shot near
Brandon, December 6th ; the 'Field,' November 19th, 1881, one of 23 ozs., shot in
Essex seven or eight years previously ; the 'Field,' November 26th, 1881, one of 25
ozs., shot at Hanworth, Norfolk." J. Hase, in "Field," November 9th, 1889, p.675.
[The one of 23 ozs. was recorded by "C. C." when shooting in Essex, and
"A. J." (I fancy not unknown in the county of Essex, and to our club) was
somewhat sceptical of the 25 ounces, and in recording it he says, "I used not to
believe it . . . but after 'Laray's' (Sir Fowell Buxton's keeper) death, a party
I was one of got a bird at Higham, in Suffolk, of the same weight as the largest
you mention (22 ozs., and since I have thought that 'Larry's' 25 ozs. bird may
have been a true story" ("Field," vol. 58, p. 761). I have seen one stuffed at
Mr. John H. Hills, Prestel Hall, Feering, shot by himself on January 30th, 1877,
at Pattiswick Hall, which weighed the 25 ounces. The full particulars are marked
on the back of the case containing the bird, and Mr. Hills can fully corroborate
the fact.—E. A. Fitch.]