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THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Water Shrew: Neomys fodiens bicolor Shaw.
This species probably occurs throughout the county wherever
a suitable aquatic habitat is available, and may even occur at
some distance from a pond or stream. It has probably been over-
looked in the past, for there is only one record of it in The Essex
Naturalist; this was at Rainham where one was seen climbing in a
tree apparently seeking insects. In recent years it has been re-
corded from the Colchester area at Spring Valley Mill, the Hythe
and Stanway. The only other record is from Sheering, near
Harlow. As with the other species of shrew, the Water Shrew
is recorded as occurring in all parts of the county, in suitable
localities, by Laver in 1898.
Mole: Talpa europaea Linnaeus.
This creature has become scarce in places where there is much
gardening. This is especially true in the London suburbs of Essex
where much land has been built on in recent years. Further
out in the county, however, mole hills are still often seen in
meadows and fields which are not frequently ploughed for arable
cropping. Records show that the Mole was seen at Leyton,
Barking, South Ockendon, and South Weald some five to seven
years ago, and more recent records come from Chingford, Dan-
bury, Brentwood, Billericay, Dunmow, South Weald, and
Margaretting. In the dry summer of 1959, two Moles were seen
above ground in Loppingdales Wood, Elsenham, apparently seek-
ing water or perhaps disturbed by the hard-baked ground. The
Mole remains common in areas where it is tolerated, as for ex-
ample in the woods around Margaretting.
Chiroptera
Noctule: Nyctalus noctula (Schreber).
Early records of this large bat were made at Saffron Walden,
Wendens Ambo, and Colchester. Recently it has been seen at
Margaretting, Walthamstow, Colchester, the Epping area, and is
probably more common than the records suggest. At Donyland
Woods, Colchester, 30 to 40 Noctules were disturbed from a large
ash tree.
Leisler's Bat: Nyctalus leisleri (Kuhl).
One of this species was caught and photographed at Wendens
Ambo in 1949 (Burstal), but there have been no other recent
records.
Pipistrelle: Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber).
The smallest British bat appears to be common throughout the
county, and has been recorded from Colchester, Thorpe-le-Soken,
Bradwell, and the Epping Forest area. C. E. Owen reports that
a colony is resident in the portcullis slot of the Castle Gateway,
Colchester.