178
EAGLES ABOUT TIPTREE HEATH.
By J. E. HARTING, F.L.S, F.Z.S.
JOHN Ray, writing from Black Notley, August 24,
1692, to John Aubrey, who had lately visited him from
Oxford, refers to some information concerning Darters and
Vultures, which Aubrey was to send him before Michaelmas for
insertion in his Synopsis Animalium. Alluding to the latter
birds, he remarks:—
" I never heard of any Vulture seen in England. I meane wild, and at
liberty. They tell of Eagles about Tiptree Heath that corne over in summer
time, and sometimes have bred thereabouts ; and I understand that Totham
is not far from thence."
What were these "Eagles" ? Had they appeared in late
autumn, or winter, they might have been Sea-Eagles, old or
young. But they came over in summer time, and sometimes
"bred thereabouts." They could hardly have been Ospreys,
even if there were sufficiently large pools or private lakes in the
neighbourhood where they could have fished, and at the date
referred to—1692—would probably not have been molested.
But from the fact of their arriving in summer it seems more
likely they were Honey Buzzards, which from their size when seen
on the wing might be mistaken by ignorant persons for Eagles,
as is commonly the case with Buzzards at the present day. On
the other hand it appears by a letter from Aubrey to Ray,
written in London, December 15th, 1692, that "in Mr. Wild's
woods at Totham, in Essex [the very place mentioned by Ray]
an eagle was killed about 8 years since [i.e. 1684] whose wings
extended nine feet long, and Mr. Wild had one of the feathers."
From the expanse of wing there can be little doubt that the
bird referred to was an Eagle, though the species is not named,
nor is any mention made of the time of year at which it was
killed. But I know of no evidence to support the statement
that Eagles ever bred in Essex.
As others may be disposed to pursue this subject further,
it will be proper to state that the correspondence above quoted
may be found in Aubrey's Letters (1813), Vol. ii., p. 163,
Ray's Philosophical Letters, published by Dr. Derham (1718),
page 269 and The Correspondence of John Ray, published by the
Ray Society, 1848, p. 257.