150
THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
last I saw was a few weeks ago, when one flashed out like a streak of blue light-
ning from a ditch close to the Forest Hotel at Chingford."
In May, 1880, a nest of young ones was reared in a hole in the bank of the
brook Slade in the park at Audley End, in a position exposed to the view of
every one passing along the public footpath running through the park. The
nest itself was perfectly clean, but the hole was full of filth, which even streamed
down the bank from the entrance.
They certainly breed here in the banks of the brook Cann, as I see them
about every summer. On July 21st, 1876, a party of three flew very close to me
as I was bathing. I believe it is not common to see more than one, or at most
a pair, at once. Mr. Hope, who has reared young from the nest, has met
with it breeding all over Essex, but says fresh arrivals take place on the
coast about September. At Harwich " it is fairly common in the autumn"
(Kerry). In the Orsett district it is a winter visitor only, frequenting the fens,
and saltings (Sackett). It nests every year in the floodgate hole at Baythorne
Mill, Birdbrook (Fitch).
Roller: Coracias garrula.
A rare straggler to Britain, of which only a single specimen, so 
far as I know, has occurred in Essex.
In the Museum at Saffron Walden is a specimen shot at Great Chesterford
Park in 1865, and presented by Geo. Sanders, Esq. Presumably the specimen
mentioned by Yarrell (37. ii. 429) is identical with this. One, caught at " Rain-
ham " in 1889 (40. xiii. 33), was taken at the village of that name in Kent, not
in Essex.
Bee-eater: Merops apiaster.
This rare straggler to Britain during summer has been met with
at least twice in Essex.
Mr. Thomas Catchpool records one (23. 4478) "shot in the garden of a mill
close by the river's side in the parish of Feering * * * [not " Festing" as stated
by Yarrell (37. ii. 36)] about Midsummer Day [1854] " which came into his pos-
session (31. 53). Mr. Buxton mentions one (47. 89) "observed at Wanstead by
H. I."
Family UPUPIDAE.
Hoopoe : Upupa epops.
An uncommon, though, it may almost be said, a regular, passing
migrant in both spring and autumn. Its appearance in Essex in
the spring seems usually to take place between April 15 th and May
7th: in autumn, during September, though instances are recorded
of its appearance in autumn as early as August 7th, and as late as
October 9th. The occurrence in Essex of at least one specimen is,