NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
23
extinction an irreparable mischief would be done to our rivers, our lakes and
tarns, and to the tens of thousands of anglers who derive pleasure and profit upon
their banks. The otter is one of the fisherman's best friends ; and, reckless as
some may think this assertion, we repeat it, and have reason for so doing.
Whilst we write, we have in our mind a little river in our own neighbourhood
than which, for its size, there is not a better in the kingdom as a trout stream ;
and yet this river, figuratively speaking, actually swarms with otters. Depend
upon it, the otter lends respectability to a river, for where he is found, there will
the fish be found also. Perhaps his presence may not be desirable in the rearing
pond ; but were we on the look out for fresh fishing ground, the known haunt
of the 'water-dog' would decidedly have preference over a stream which knew
him not. . . . . Notwithstanding the evil character given this animal as a
river poacher, we have every reason for knowing that fish forms only one course,
and that not always a considerable one, of its daily meals. The young of water-
hens, coots, and other birds breeding by the waterside, and at times rabbits, and
even large worms, are common changes in the otter's diet; while frogs, eels, and
the crustaceous crayfish are probably thought as great a dainty as the brightest of
silvery salmon. These facts are easily proved by an examination of the animal's
'foil'; while we have over and over again had ocular demonstration of the
avidity with which vegetable food is consumed. It is not intended to assert that
the otter does not relish a salmon cutlet or toothsome trout; but that he is the
wanton destroyer of fish to the extent often imputed to him, those best acquainted
with his habits firmly deny. Cunning and quick in bis actions as the otter may
be, a salmon is more so ; and this fact alone should weigh in the otter's favour,
when charges are made about the depopulation of our fishing streams. It is more
likely that he acts the part of a river scavenger, destroying, as a rule, only such fish as
are diseased, and which from their weakness are unable to escape his clutches."
Rough-legged Buzzard (Archibuteo lagopus) at Little Baddow.—Mr.
C. Smoothy, of Little Baddow, writes : "I saw a fine specimen of the Rough-
legged Buzzard on March 5th. It was seen again on the 7th. The bird is
very rare in Essex, I may say almost extinct. This specimen was not shy. I
might easily have shot it, but trust it will share a better fate. It was sailing
over one of my fields some time. It caused several partridges to scuttle off to the
fence. At the same time I do not think this bird is destructive to game, being
very slow of flight. I have not seen any for several years. I have two good
specimens, one killed in Norfolk and one in Cambridgeshire."
[Many records of the occurrence of the bird in Essex are given in the "Birds
of Essex." Mr. Hope writes, "Common on the coast, first arriving at the end
of September, but coming in flocks in very cold weather." The occurrence of a
fine female specimen at Patching Hall, near Chelmsford, in 1879, is recorded by
Mr. Miller Christy in "Trans. Essex Field Club," vol. i., p. 63.—ED.]
Waxwing (Ampelis garrulus) at Oakley and Stock.—The "Essex County
Chronicle," for February 8th, records that "on Monday, Mr. Keeble, the carrier,
shot a pair of Waxwings, a bird very rarely seen in this country. The
'Chronicle' of March 30th, 1883, records the shooting of one by Mr. B. Watson,
jun., at Dedham, about that date. Mr. T. W. Offin shot one at Rayleigh about
ten years ago, while Mr. Charles Smoothy saw one at Danbury on several occa-
sions during January, 1890. Further back, Turrell records that his friend Mr-
Joseph Clarke killed one out of a flock in 1835, at Saffron Walden. Like most
of the winter visitors to this country, the Waxwing comes to us from the north.