24
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
"1830, Apr. 16. Paid for Sparrows, etc., £2-7-7.
"1831, Jan. 2. Paid boys at different times for Sparrows,
etc., £2-15-6.
"1832, Mar. 7. Paid boys etc. for Sparrows and Hedgehogs
as per acct., 17/-.
"1833, Apr. 12. To acct. for Sparrows, Hedgehogs, etc.,
£4-17-01/2.
"1833, Apr. 12. And boys for Sparrows, etc., 9/11/2
"1833, June 10. Paid boys for Hedgehogs, Sparrows & eggs,
£1-13-7.
"1833, June 11. Boys for Sparrows, etc., 4/8.
"1834, Mar. 8. Sparrows, etc, £1-0-61/2.
"1834, Mar. 18. for Sparrows, 14/-.
"1835, May 11. Paid for 1 doz. Sparrows, 6d.
"1835, May 26. Paid for 2 doz. Sparrows, 1/-."
After 1835 the payments appear to have ceased, judging
from the lack of entries. Before proceeding to discuss the
matter I must mention a work, which ante-dates some of the
items I have accepted. I refer to Samuel Dale's History and
Antiquities of Harwich and Dovercourt, etc., published in 1730,
in which is included a "Fasciculus Avium." Over 40 species
are included in this list, where we find a very early reference to
the Avocet, which suggests that it bred in the County.
"Avosetta Recurvirostra, The Crooked Bill. In these Eastern
"Parts frequently. The first time I did see it was on an Island
"below Maldon, called Northey Island. Anno 1700. In the
"Summer-time." I do not consider, however, that this comes
within the scope of my title. Dale's early and valuable list
might well be described as the herald of the dawn of Essex
systematic ornithology.
DISCUSSION.
My plan has been in the first place to introduce the various
contributions to the subject, and as a consequence we have
gained knowledge of sixty-four species and also of nine other forms
which are domesticated or too indefinitely described to include
in the systematic list. Of these twenty-eight may be said to be
more or less regular breeders in Essex, fifteen are winter
residents, sixteen are occasional visitors and five are associated
only historically with the County. We must now consider