NOTICES OF ESSEX ORNITHOLOGISTS. 29
Mr. Philip Benton, the historian of the Rochford Hundred, who
survived him a short while. After his second marriage he seems, un-
fortunately, to have given up his Natural History work. Had he not
done so, there can be no doubt he would have become one of the
best working naturalists of his day. He is described as being of an
exceedingly retiring nature. In or about 1840 it appears that he
contemplated undertaking a History of British Birds, or at least of
some classes of them—perhaps the Waders—on a pretentious scale,
as there are among his MSS. papers now preserved at the Southend
Institute, which seem intended to form the beginning of such a
work (21), though the only species completed are the Cream-coloured
Courser, the Stone Curlew, the Ringed Plover, the Kentish Plover,
the Little Ringed Plover, the Dotterel, the Golden Plover, the Grey
Plover, and the Lapwing—nine in all. These are very elaborately
described, the generic characters, synonymy, plumages, habits, &c.,
&c, being treated at great length, though, it must be confessed,
without much originality, the whole appearing to be little more than
a compilation. The paper of the MS. is water-marked 1840. It
is clear from remarks inserted that he was then friendly with
Heysham.
Another series of papers, preserved in a separate portfolio, appears
to be connected with the foregoing. They seem to be the rough
notes from which revised Natural Histories of other wading birds
were to have been prepared for his contemplated work, and they are
pieced together, erased, and interlined in both red and black ink, to
an extraordinary extent. Evidently Mr. Parsons was a very laboured,
though careful, writer. The birds treated of are the Turnstone,
Oyster Catcher, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Curlew, Whimbrel,
Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Knot, Green Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit,
and Wood Sandpiper. Each species is enclosed in a piece of news-
paper, having outside the name of the species and a date—apparently
that on which the drawing up of the remarks was completed. These
dates range from February 16, 1843, to February 26, 1845. With
the remarks on each species is a paper of Parsons' own observations,
chiefly relating to the dates of arrival and departure on the coast, and
evidently entered as each observation was made. On the back is a
table of the length, breadth, and weight of all the specimens of each
species he had shot, evidently also entered at the time.
He died on September 23, 1882, aged 75 years. On the 20th of
the following March his household furniture, plate, books, and other
effects were sold by auction by Mr. T. W. Offin at The Lawn by
order of his executors. Fifty-two lots, comprising 203 birds, stuffed