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THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Annual Report of the Mammal Group,
1968
The Group's first Fox Rally was held in February, meeting at
4 a.m. at Brentwood. A few hardy members braved the bitter cold
to search the town and its surrounding urban districts for the
sight of a fox crossing the road in the car headlights. Unfortun-
ately, only two foxes were seen during the three hours of the
rally, but further rallies are planned as this type of recording has
been quite successful in Plymouth and Bristol with surprising
results in some cases.
This year only one official Conservation week-end was held
at Fingringhoe Wick, although several members assisted the Trust
at the reserves Open Day in August. Three visits were made
during the year, one of these to Tring Museum, was preceded by
a ramble through a wood near Welwyn to look for muntjac.
Plenty of signs were found but only one animal showed itself for
a fleeting glimpse.
Another visit was a very instructive tour of the Animal Health
Trust's Farm Livestock Research Centre at Stock. The Director
was very helpful and offered to identify parasites from the guts
and faeces of our larger wild mammals. This is one instance
where members can help research into the parasitic relationship
between wild and domesticated mammals and is an encouraging
sign for the future. The third visit was to Woburn Deer Park
to see the ten species of deer which are roaming in the Park.
In December a Christmas Social was held at Great Leighs
Village Hall to raise money for the Essex Naturalist Trust's Colne
Point Appeal Fund. Owing to the pathetic (sic) response from
members, only £14 was raised and the Social was not the success
that had been hoped for, but our thanks to all who did help in
any way at all and, in particular, to Stan Jermyn and David
Scott. A very interesting talk on badgers was given at Brentwood
by Don Hunford and a talk on Epping Forest by Fred Speakman
at the West Ham College, the latter was designated a General
Meeting of the Club.
At the A.G.M., held in February, Bill Page spoke on the
progress of the Badger Survey and on Mammal Trapping in
Ireland, and Alan Heathcote exhibited a pig's trotter, which had
three cleaves, and asked for members' comments.
Various survey meetings were held throughout the year in
various parts of the county. These meetings included bottle
hunting, which still remains a popular pastime of members. The
Badger Survey was taken over by Bob Cowlin and is progressing
slowly but surely, and the Deer Survey is due to finish in the
summer of 1969, all being well. The other mammal surveys are
progressing more slowly with records from only a small number of
members.