NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
139
that the south of Essex afforded the best chance of finding that
continuation of the Belgian coal fields with those of the West of
England, for which they had all along been looking, and, as
above stated, Great Wakering had been selected for their third
experiment.
Ultimately the report and agreement were unanimously
approved, and the Directors were authorised to proceed with a
third trial boring at Great Wakering, according to the advice of
the geologists. We shall report the results in due course.
NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
ZOOLOGY.
AVES.
The Golden Orioles at Bowers Gifford.—Referring to the note in
the last part of the Essex Naturalist (ante p. 60), it may interest you to
know that the two Golden Orioles were again seen in Bowers Gifford on July
17th. They were seen by Mr. Williams' manservant on a tree in the hedge-
row about a couple of hundred yards from the Rectory. He told me he saw
them quite distinctly, so that there is no doubt of the fact. I am glad they
have escaped the snare of the fowler so long, and I only hope that this safety
may be prolonged after the close time for birds terminates.—(Rev.) Henry
Hasted, The Rectory, Pitsea
Golden Orioles in Epping Forest.—Last summer I received informa-
tion from two sources of a bright yellow bird about the size of a thrush
having been caught sight of in the forest, and on each occasion it was in the
district between Monkwood and Debden Green. On the 29th of April in the
present year my sister had a good view of one in Lord's Bushes, and she has
no doubt of the bird being the Golden Oriole.—F. W. Elliott, "Mark
Ash," Buckhurst Hill.
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) Breeding in Essex.—Mr. E. A, Fitch
writing to the Zoologist for May, says :—"While walking through Pheasant-
house Wood, Little Baddow, with my boys on April 15th, I noticed an owl
flit noiselessly out of a large Scotch-fir ; seeing a squirrel's dray or old crow's
nest, one of my sons made an inspection, and soon disturbed the other owl.
The nest contained two eggs. We again saw the owls on the same tree on
April 23rd, so trust they may be successful in bringing off their brood. In
Christy's Birds of Essex (p. 155) we read 'I never actually heard of its breed-
ing in the County, except at Harwich, though it has probably done so else-
where.'"
PISCES.
The Essex Fisheries.—The Inspectors of Sea Fisheries report that
during 1896 the weather was most unfavourable at Harwich for all fishing,
excepting for shrimps and lobsters. The quantity on the whole was below,
but the quality above, the average. Prices have at times ruled high on
account of the small catches. Fishermen complained of the bad cod season.
Large quantities of shrimps were caught, but prices were rather below the