THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 273
dead at Downham during the last days of April, having died, no doubt, as a
result of shot wounds. One might naturally conclude that the bird had been
driven to this country from the usual habitat of the species in North Germany (as
other examples have been before) by some severe gales which occurred soon after
the middle of the month; but it is said to have been seen in the district for
several months previously. Mr. Charles' Cable, of Stock, who preserved the bird,
describes it as a young male, measuring 2ft. 31ns. in length from tip of beak to
tip of tail, and having an expanse of wing of 5ft. bins. It had on it, he says, old
shot wounds.
Mr. Christy said that this was not the first time this rare straggler to Britain
had occurred in Essex; for, at the end of October 1891, a small flock seems to
have been driven to these shores and several were either seen or shot, in an
exhausted state, in Essex and Suffolk. For instance, one was caught by a
labourer at Elmstead on 29th October; another was shot at Leigh on
3rd November ; while a third frequented the neighbourhood of Lindsell,
Bardfield, Stebbing, and Thaxted during November and December, but
apparently was not killed.
There were (Mr. Christy added) two species or races of the Spotted Eagle ;
and he confessed his inability to decide to which of them this specimen belonged.
Mr. J. H. Gurney had, however, written him that it belonged, no doubt, to the
larger form known as Aquila maculata, to which all those met with previously
in this country could be referred. This race or species had, he said, a more
westerly distribution than the other, and was, therefore, more likely to be met
with in this country.
[The specimen remained on exhibition in the Club's Museum for several
weeks and has since been on exhibition in the Museum at Chelmsford,—Ed.]
Presentation of Birds' Eggs.—Mr. Cole exhibited several interesting
additions to the Museum, including a set of British birds' eggs, about 50.
specimens, comprising 19 species presented by Mr. E, Beddall Smith.. Amongst
them were eggs of Herring Gull, Redshank, Peewit, Oyster-Catcher, Pochard,
Sheldrake, Little Grebe, Coot, and other interesting birds.
Boundary Stones of the Old Forest of Waltham.—Prof. Meldola
called attention to the present condition of the ancient Boundary Stones of the
Old Forest of Waltham, described in his paper in the Essex Naturalist for
1895 (Vol. IX., pp. 1—10). One of these interesting memorials had recently
been overthrown, and the sites of two or three others were in danger of being
forgotten and obscured. Prof. Meldola proposed that the Essex County
Council should be at once approached, and asked to undertake the restoration of
these Forest laud-marks. He was sure that the Club would do all in its power
to aid in the work. Prof. Meldola concluded by moving the following
resolution: —
" That in view of the historic interest attaching to the Eastern Boundary
Stones of the Old Forest of Waltham, and the threatened danger arising to
these stones from damage and neglect, the Essex Field Club, at the Annual
General Meeting held on May 23rd, 1908, begs to call the attention of the Essex
County Council to the matter, and to ask for their intervention with a view to the
permanent preservation of these relics."
The resolution was cordially seconded by Mr. David Howard, Treasurer, and
carried unanimously,