Journal of Proceedings. lxv
Arms" side of Ambresbury Banks—not in the ride proper, but in a
sort of by-glade such as one often meets with in this part of the
forest. The glade was about 16 feet wide, and at about 20 yards
from where I was standing, with nothing but a few short pieces of
fern intervening, not sufficient to intercept my view, I caught sight of
this beautiful and rare animal, the Beech Marten. The fine fellow had
half crossed the glade before he noticed me ; instantly he made a dash
for the thickets and was gone! I did not hesitate for a moment in
determining what animal it was, for I at once vividly recollected the
specimen that was killed by Mr. Luffman in April, 1853, in one of the
Loughton covers (Trans. i. 95, and ii. 107). That specimen I saw, and
had in my hands.*
I have traversed the forest for more than forty years, and this is the
first example of the animal I ever caught sight of at large. This is
not surprising, for not only is the Marten a scarce animal, but he
is nocturnal in his habits, and there is consequently but little chance
of seeing one even if still at large in the forest.
I have often said that we know but little of what the forest con-
tains as regards the night-loving animals. After a fall of snow I have
often observed numerous footprints of animals which I did not know
how to account for.
Mr. W. Cole referred to the doubts expressed by the late Mr. E. R.
Alston and others as to the existence of two species of Marten in Britain.
He also alluded to the accounts of the capture of martens, now so rare,
in the south of England, and pointed out that there had been of late a
marked increase of the " ground fauna " of Epping Forest.
Mr. B. Meldola spoke on the subject of the proposed Catalogue of the
Pre-historic Remains in Essex, the substance of his observations being
given in the paper "Local Scientific Societies, and the Minor Pre-
historic Remains of Britain," printed in the ' Transactions,' (pp. 116-
122). He remarked that Mr. R. M. Christy had forwarded to him a list of
about fifteen ancient remains existing in the neighbourhood of Saffron
Walden, and Mr. Fitch had supplied notes on remains near Maldon, so
that they had sufficient materials in hand for the commencement of the
catalogue. He was glad to say that the council had that evening
sanctioned the appointment of a committee to carry out this object.
The President remarked that a good example had been set them in
one county at least, a Catalogue of the Pre-historic remains in
Gloucestershire was already in the press. It was the result of
individual effort, being due to the industry and zeal of Mr. G. B.
Witts, C.E.†
Mr. Cole and Mr. Elliott alluded to some remains in the forest which
seemed to be worthy of examination, and the meeting closed with the
*In Mr. Buxton's ' Epping Forest' it is stated that the Rev. W. B. Daniel, in ' Rural
Sports,' published in 1801, says of this animal, " Some years since one used to run tame
about the kitchen of the 'Bald-faced Stag ' on Epping Forest."—Ed.
† This work has since been published under the title ' Archaeological Handbook of the
County of Gloucester,' and is accompanied by a large map showing sites of ancient
remains. It is now in the library of the Club,—Ed.
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