210
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
Miss G. Lister referred to the last stag hunted in Hainault Forest, which was
run down in her uncle's garden at Upton, probably about the year 1851, the sawn
antlers from which were incorporated in a hat stand in her possession.
Mr. Main exhibited a print of 1764, showing the "Palatine Camp," with
many tents, in Whitechapel Fields.
The Curator showed a series of photographs and prints of Latton Priory,
Lambourne and South Weald, to illustrate field-meetings now being arranged
for the summer.
He also showed herbarium specimens of the rare grass Mibora verna, now
only known to occur (in this country) on Anglesea : he referred to an old record
of this grass from Leigh, Essex. The British Museum authorities say that the
record dates back to 1655 when, according to Ray, L'Obel in his "Stirpium
Illustrationes" stated that Gramen minimum Angto-Britannicum (a grass only
conjecturally identical with Mibora) occurred "on sandy ground at Leigh near
the estuary of the Thames" : the record is thus of doubtful validity.
The President, in place of an Annual Address, gave a blackboard lecture,
demonstrating how flint implements were made, describing the method employed
to produce outside flakes and cores, the use of wood and bone fabricators to
produce delicate edge working, the newly discovered technique of "tapping,"
and the effects of natural mechanical forces in producing eoliths : the lecturer
exhibited various implements and natural flints in support of his remarks.
Mr. Warren announced that genuine gravers, in apparent association with
neolithic remains, were of common occurrence in the deposit at Hull Bridge, on
the river Crouch, and became less and less frequent along the Essex coast, as far
as Clacton, beyond which point they had not so far been met with. Their presence
here seemed to point to a survival in neolithic times of the later "cave age"
periods of the Continent. ,
On the Hon. Secretary's motion a warm vote of thanks was accorded to the
President for his demonstration.
At 3.45 o'clock the meeting adjourned for tea.
NOTES
Increase in Numbers of the Black Rat.—The old English Black Rat has increased
very much in East London during the War. A brewery there was invaded by
rats after the bombing of neighbouring areas in 1941 and large numbers were
killed, more than two-thirds of them being the Black Rat or its grey variety
known as the Alexandrine Rat. The common Brown Rat occurred only in
basements, the Black Rats were caught usually on the top floors as they are able
to reach these by means of electric and telephone wires, which the clumsier Brown
Rat seems to be unable to do; the Black Rat can thus avoid its enemy the Brown
Rat and so increase once more.
G. Dent.
Heronry at Chelmsford.—The owner of Hylands, near Chelmsford, reports
that there were six nests in the small heronry there in the Spring of 1942. This
heronry has been in use intermittently for some years.
G. Dent.
White Admiral Butterfly in Essex.—The White Admiral (Limenitis sibylla)
has been extending its range of recent years and has reappeared in various parts of
Essex.
G. Dent.
Essex Bird Notes.—Mrs. Haig Thomas had a good view of three Barnacle-
Geese on Horsey Island on February 2nd, 1942. These are rare visitors to Essex.
As the observer has kept these geese in captivity she is unlikely to have been
mistaken in her identification.
On January 30th, 1942, I saw a Hen Harrier f. at Horsey Island : it has spent
the winter there and has been seen frequently
During the summer of 1941 two pairs of Meadow Pipits nested and brought
off their young on Harlow Common ; these birds are uncommon as breeders in
this neighbourhood.
Tree Pipits were exceptionally abundant in 1941. G. Dent.