4 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX.
to Windsor, but stags lingered in the Forest at least
as late as 1827 (See Proc, E. F. C, vol. i., xlvii.)
A few Red Deer have since been re-transferred to the
Forest, in the hope of restoring the original stock,
but they proved so destructive to the crops of neigh-
bouring farmers that they had to be destroyed. The
Roe Deer, which appears to have been by no means
rare in late mediaeval times, became extinct for many
years ; but this species also has been re-introduced,
from Dorsetshire, and is doing well. We hope that,
by the restoration of the Red Deer, we may soon be
able to say that all the species of British Deer exist
in a wild condition in Essex.
Under the head of terrestrial Mammals, it may be
pointed out that Essex, as compared with many
counties, shows a high record of Bats, eight out of the
sixteen species given by Bell having been actually found
in the county, without including the two others named
by Bell and Newman, which, as will be afterwards
explained (see pp. 31 and 123), must not be placed to
the credit of Essex. This abundance of Chiroptera may
be in part owing to more careful observation of that par-
ticular Order, but it is also owing to the fact that our
county is within the northern limits of several species.
Mr. Christy's records of the capture of two specimens
of the Serotine seem a proof that still further
attention would result in more finds, for it is difficult