NOTICES OF THE CHIEF ESSEX
 BIRD COLLECTIONS.
The Audley End Collection (Lord Braybrooke's) is very fine
for a private collection, both British and foreign species being well
represented. All the specimens are stuffed, most of them being
admirably done, and all are equally well cased. The majority of the
cases, which are large and contain many birds each, occupy the sides
of one of the rooms in the mansion, but a few are ranged down
the sides of the Long Gallery. The specimens they contain are in an
excellent state of preservation. Most were collected about forty
years ago by the late Lord Braybrooke, but others have been more
recently added. Each specimen bears a number referring to the
catalogue, which is in manuscript, but there are comparatively few
instances in which the locality and date are given, and still fewer in
which those data show the specimens to have been obtained in Essex.
The Baxter Collection, the property of Mr. G. H. Baxter, of
Hutton, is comparatively small, but is admirably preserved and is of
interest as it consists mainly of specimens shot by Mr. Baxter him-
self in the county. It is especially strong in sea- and water-birds, and
is preserved in cases which occupy the walls of the billiard-room.
The Bree Collection. A considerable portion of the orni-
thological collections of the late Dr. C. R. Bree of Colchester (see p. 10)
is, fortunately, still preserved. The unmounted skins, &c., are in the
possession of Mr. W. H. Harwood of that place, who purchased them
from Dr. Bree's representatives shortly after his death. The series,
which is in good preservation and well taken care of, consists of sev-
eral hundred skins, an interesting collection of birds' nests (among
which are that of the Swallow taken at Walton in December, 1866,
and a reputed Fieldfare's taken at Alresford) ; also a considerable
series of the sterna and furcula of birds, among which are the bones
of the Egyptian Vulture shot at Peldon. The great majority of
the skins, many of which are foreign, have no special connection with
Essex, but are of great interest as being undoubtedly the type speci-
mens used by Dr. Bree when compiling his History of the Birds of
Europe. Among others there is a large number of valuable skins
collected in Sweden and Lapland by the late Mr. Wheelwright. The
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