124
NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
Otters near Brightlingsea.—It is recorded in "The Essex County Stan-
dard," that on September 25th "Master H. S. Dawson and his otter hounds had
good 'sport' on the Colne. The meet was at L'Aurore, near Brightlingsea, and
in the course of four and a-half hours' hunting the hounds killed a fine young
dog otter, and had a good swim after another."
Reported Occurrence of a Seal (? sp.) at Walton-on-Naze.—It is con-
stantly a matter of regret that the Club has not yet in many likely localities
"recorders" capable of sending in authentic information for publication of
natural-historical occurrences in their respective neighbourhoods. A newspaper
note to the following effect is the only record we have of the capture of a seal at
Walton :—" It was rumoured on Thursday last (September 7th) that a seal had
been seen disporting in the Wallett. Like unto some other true rumours, it was
pooh-poohed, but evidently there must have been something like a seal seen
somewhere, for on Friday morning, as Mr. Dan Turpin was enjoying an early
ramble at the Naze Point at the north side of Tamarisk Wall, he saw a grey [sic]
seal lying quiet. The animal had recently been shot at. He returned to Walton
for assistance, and the seal was secured and brought to a shed near the Pier. In
weight it was about 60 lb. ; length, 4 feet 5 inches ; girth round the body, 3 feet.
The seal was on exhibition during the day, and a great many viewed it." Un-
fortunately we have not heard that any competent naturalist was among the
visitors, and we are consequently in doubt whether the animal was really a "grey
seal" (Halichorus gryphus), as the newspaper has it, which would be a most
interesting new record for the county, or only the common seal (Phoca vitulina),
the more probable supposition. Dr. Laver, in reply to inquiry, writes that he
has no information as to the occurrence.—Ed.
Ornithological Notes from Mistley.—It may interest some of your
readers to hear that I have had for some time this afternoon a Grey Wagtail
(Montacilla melanope) under my observation. This is the second specimen only
that I have observed in this district during some fifteen years. [Writing on
September 21st Mr. Nichols says that "two more Grey Wagtails have appeared
on the stream in my garden. The first one, which after writing to you I shot,
was an immature bird. The other two are an adult and another bird of the year.
I hope that they may stop through the winter with us. I find on referring to my
notes that I have twice before observed the Grey Wagtail in this district, in
1889 and on November 4th, 1890, both in Lawford parish."]
On September nth, I saw three Brent Geese (Bernicla brenta) fly up the river
opposite here. Is not this early ?
It may also be of interest to note that a Green Woodpecker nested and brought
off her young within twenty yards of my house.
I saw on August 11th, three Cormorants fly over opposite Mistley, the first I
have ever seen up the river. One of the local puntsmen says a pair were always
up'. This, however, must be an error.—Walter B. Nichols, East Lodge,
Mistley, Manningtree, September 18th, 1893.
The Brightlingsea Heronry.—It will be very gratifying to Essex orni-
thologists to know that the herons have re-established themselves at Brightlingsea.
As detailed by Mr. Fitch in The Essex Naturalist (ii. pp. 179-81 and "Birds of
Essex," pp. 183-84) the birds formerly bred in abundance in a secluded spot
known as Heronry Wood on the Wyvenhoe side of the Twenty-seven Acre Grove,