NOTES : ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
327
tained from a small area on his land an interesting series of Neolithic imple-
ments. These include two polished celts, two unpolished adzes, several
finely-worked scrapers, and a large number of flakes and implements
of a rougher type. The site of these was visited by the Essex Field Club
in 1912, at which date it was in a derelict state. It is situated on the high-
est part of the Essex upland, on a stiff boulder clay soil, which must have
been covered with forest in Neolithic times. The discovery of flint imple-
ments on such a site is unusual and is of extreme interest.—George
Morris, B.Sc.
Eastbury House, Barking.—It is with much satisfaction that
we learn, from the Report of the National Trust for 1920-21, issued last
July, that the entire cost of purchase and renovation of this fine old Eliza-
bethan manor house has now been defrayed. The building has been
put into a habitable condition, and it is intended to utilize it as club prem-
ises for the ex-Service men of Barking.—Ed.
Ecological Studies on Paludestrina ulvae and P. ventrosa in Essex.
—Mr. G. C. Robson contributes an interesting article to the Annals
and Magazine of Natural History2 on his researches on the distribution of
two species of common brackish-water gastropods in tidal ditches to the
west of Leigh-on-Sea.
Some of these ditches receive frequent supplies of sea-water, whilst
others are more or less cut off ; the consequence being a considerable
variation in the salinity of the water in various ditches. Investigation
showed that P. ventrosa is more adaptable than P. ulvae. It was at first
thought that the degree of salinity might be the chief factor in determining
the distribution of P. ulvae; it was found, however, that this species was
practically confined to ditches containing the alga, Ulva lactuca, which
in this district appears to be the favourite food-plant of this gastropod,
stragglers only being found on Enteromorpha and Schlerochroa. In other
districts P. ulvae has been found plentifully on Enteromorpha and Zostera,
but the former plant does not apparently appeal to the palate of Essex
examples although it occurs plentifully in the Leigh ditches.—Henry
Whitehead, B.Sc.
Roller at Ramsey.—A specimen of the Roller (Coracias garrulus L.)
was captured alive in an exhausted condition after having "telegraphed"
itself at Ramsey, near Harwich, on 17 June, 1921 ; a second example
is reported to have been seen at the same time.
The captured bird was brought to our Member, Mr. W. B. Nichols,
of Bradfield, Manningtree, but soon succumbed; and Mr. Nichols has very
kindly had the specimen set up and has presented it to the Club's Museum
at Stratford.
This is believed to be only the second authenticated record of the
occurrence of this rare straggler in our County. Miller Christy, in his
"Birds of Essex" (p. 150) refers to an example, shot at Great Chesterford
in 1865, and now in the Saffron Walden Museum, as being the only county
record known to him.—Percy Thompson.
2 Observations on the Succession of the Gastropods, Paludestrina ulvae and ventrosa, in
Brackish Water." Ann. and Mas. Nat. Hist., Series 9, vol. vi. (1920), pp. 525-529.