40
NOTES.
ferring to a map of Essex, it will be seen that these places all lie close to a line
drawn from Woolwich in a north-easterly direction ; with the exception of Epping,
the direction of which is about north by east from Woolwich. According to the
'Times' weather report of January 8th, southerly and south-westerly breezes pre-
vailed very generally throughout the kingdom on the previous day.
(3) Nature of the Shock.—In four cases, the shock was in the first instance
attributed to the firing of heavy guns. If there was any vibration of the earth, it
must have been very slight, and the following descriptions seem to leave little
doubt that the rattling of windows noticed was due to an air-wave.
Great Warley—The shock 'broke a pane of glass 4 feet X 2 feet on my job.'
Brentwood—'The shocks commenced as a low rumble, increasing till the doors
shook and rattled, as though the rumbling was followed by a bang or explosion.'
Between Ongar and Fyfield (the observer driving)—•' The ground felt as if it
was sinking,' and there was 'a rumbling noise something like guns in the dis-
tance.'
Roxwell—The sound 'exactly resembled the report of the big guns at Shoe-
bury, but was far louder than we usually hear them.'
Chelmsford (the observer walking)—There was 'a noise as of a very heavy
weight being rolled across the floor of the room of the house to the south of him,
which he was passing.'
Chignal St. James—•' The shock was extremely slight, but there was a most
pronounced concussion in the air which made a sound on the windows as if a per-
son had thumped the centre of the window frame with the soft part of his hand.
There was no tremulous motion felt.'
Witham—The observer 'heard a strange rumbling sound which seemed to
slightly deafen him, but he felt no vibration of the earth.'
That the disturbances recorded had only one origin is, I think, evident (1)
from the decrease in intensity (roughly speaking) as the distance from Woolwich
increases, and (2) from there being no considerable gap between the places of ob-
servation. Records from the immediate neighbourhood of Woolwich could hardly
be expected, as there they would naturally be attributed to their proper source."
Great Grey Shrike near Harwich.—"A male specimen of this bird was
shot here on December 7th. The stomach contained the perfect foot of a sky lark.
It is ten years since the last was killed here (see 'Zoologist,' 1880, p. 70)."—F.
Kerry, Harwich, in "Zoologist" for January, 1890.
The Late Colonel Russell's Ornithological Observations.—In the
"Zoologist" for February are printed (pp. 59-69) some unpublished letters from
Col. Russell, addressed to Mr. John Cordeaux, dated "Stubbers," 1880 and 1882.
They contain many interesting details of the habits of birds on the Essex coast
and elsewhere.