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NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
ZOOLOGY.
MAMMALIA.
Otters in Essex.—Dr. Laver remarks in his Mammals, &c., of Essex that
"this animal is not as uncommon in Essex as in years gone by, when there
seemed every probability that the otter would become quite extinct in this
county." The increase of otters may be credited, judging from the many
references to their occurrence in our volumes for the last eight or ten years.
But they are frequently shot or otherwise killed in the most ruthless manner.
In March an otter was shot in the saltings near the "Leavingo" at Tolles-
bury. It was a fine male, measuring 4 feet from the snout to the tip of the
tail. A few weeks before a female was shot in the same place. On May 10th
another "noble sportsman" of Sible Hedingham, shot three otters, two young
ones and their mother, in the wash-way of the river there. "The animals
were playing in the water when they were observed." Not content with
spasmodic slaughter, other "sportsmen" (male and female) must needs establish
otter hounds, and we read of a hunt in the Blackwater in April, when one
was found at Little Braxted Mill ; again at Shalford in September the hounds
killed a dog otter weight 22lbs. A few days after one was hunted at Passing-
ford Bridge and lost, but afterwards another was killed weighing 23lbs. If
these otter hunts are encouraged, we may soon bid goodbye to Lutra vulgaris
in Essex. It is difficult to realize what satisfaction can be found in thus
deliberately exterminating one of the most interesting denizens of the county.
Truly
" Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do ! "
A White Fox near Billericay.—In the Essex Union country there is at
the present time a freak in the shape of a snow-white fox. This is one of a
litter of four (the other three being of a normal colour) which were bred in
Norsey Wood, an extensive woodland near Billericay. During the summer
months the keeper had on three occasions seen this cub in the covert, which
was drawn on Oct. 14, for the first time this season. The white cub was soon
en evidence, and was viewed by several of the field as he crossed the rides.
There being no scent, however, nothing could be clone Probably you or
some of your readers may have heard of other instances of white foxes in
England ; but the only authentic case I know of is that mentioned by Colonel
Meysey-Thompson in his book published last year, in which he narrates how
a white fox was hunted and eventually killed by the York and Ainsty Hounds
during the late Sir Charles Slingsby's mastership.—E. T. Mashiter, M.F.H.,
in the Field, October 21st, 1899. [The Editor of the Field adds that several
instances of white foxes in England have been reported from time to time.
See the Zoologist for 1886, pp. 104 and 331, and 1891, p. 333 ; and the Field of
Nov. 5, 1898.
The Porpoise (Phocaena communis) in the Thames.—According to the
London Standard, much interest was excited shortly before n o'clock on the
morning of September 13th, 1899, among persons passing over Blackfriars