THE HISTORY OF ESSEX HERONRIES. 263
'Heronries." Harting gives no clue as to the origin of his
information and in spite of my enquiries I can find no con-
firmation of the statement. The subject has been discussed in
the pages of British Birds and Mr. Nicholson has agreed that
this item should be placed in square brackets.
We have knowledge since the earliest reference in 1594 of the
existence at some time or other of sixteen colonies in our County,
nine of which are or were recently in existence and in addition
thirteen other sites have had in most cases one and more rarely
two or three nests, but these localities do not seem to have
been occupied for any length of time. Wanstead heronry is
much the oldest of the colonies still in existence, having been
founded well over a hundred years ago, and that at Bolt Hall the
most recent, having commenced eleven to thirteen years ago.
In at least seven cases there have been rookeries close to the
heronries. Thirteen is the largest number of nests for one tree,
this having been reported from Rolls Farm. Ten have been
constructed at Wanstead and eight at Birch in single trees
respectively. It is stated that if the thirteen nests at Rolls
Farm had been occupied this number would equal the largest
similar figure in the 1928 census. The following trees have been
used in the County: alder, ash, bird-cherry, chestnut, conifers,
elm, hawthorn, oak and wych-elm.
The census of 1928 has demonstrated some points of interest.
In 1890 Essex had four colonies, containing about 224 nests, an
average of 56 per heronry, while in 1928 there were six colonies,
containing 216 nests, an average of 36 per heronry. This
shows that the number of Herons nesting in the county had
been almost maintained. Essex stands high among the counties
as only three others, Norfolk, Somerset and Sussex, had a greater
aggregate of nests and St. Osyth was placed sixth in a list of
the heronries of Britain in order of size.
This review of the heronries of Essex reveals the very trifling
amount of information available regarding what must be con-
sidered outstanding features of the natural history of the County.
REFERENCES.
1594. Speculi Britanniae pars. An Historical and Chorographi-
cal Description of the County of Essex. John
Norden. Camden Society, 1840, p. 26.