266 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
haunted this stretch of the river in 1906. I saw the bird
(presumably the same bird) twice in December of that year.
On the last occasion it passed within forty yards. I believe
Phalacrocorax frequently comes up the river during the winter,
I observed it at Tilbury on the 2nd and 13th December, 1920.
The Barn Owl (Strix flammea) roosts (and possibly breeds)
in Thurrock church. I have seen it beating along over the rough
herbage near the sea-wall at dusk.
The most interesting member of this family noted was the
Short-eared Owl (Asio accipitrinus) on October 24, 1920. The
writer, with four companions, put up a strange bird from the
marsh at the back of the sea-wall. None of the party were
certain of the bird until it turned and shewed the characteristic
blunt head of an Owl. It was stalked and flushed three times,
and on one occasion, by dint of careful manoeuvring, it was driven
low over the heads of three observers, who had no difficulty in
noting the yellow eyes, and other prominent features.
The bird took refuge on the salting near the lighthouse, but
was not allowed to remain in peace very long before it was espied
and mobbed by a party of rooks. When last seen it was mount-
ing high over the river pursued by one of its sable persecutors.
As a bird-oasis West Thurrock marsh will soon be a thing of
the past. In 1919 I heard rumours of a prospective factory to
be erected there, and later sundry small but significant pegs
were noticed in the ground near where the owl was flushed. Is
this little corner of Essex marshland also going ?
Additions to the Club's Museum.—Several valuable sets
of British Lichens have recently been added to the Essex Museum
at Stratford. These include 80 "Lichenes ranssimi" collected
by Charles Larbalestier, chiefly in Ireland ; "150 British Lichens
collected by the Rev. W. A. Leighton" ; and nine Fasciculi of
British Lichens (in all, 360 specimens) issued by Larbalestier
under the title of Larbalestier's Lichen-Herbarium. These
have been acquired by purchase from the widow of the late
Rev. W. Johnson, a well-known student and collector of these
plants. In addition, Mrs. Johnson has kindly given 32 odd
specimens of lichens to the Museum.—Percy Thompson.