160
THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
recorded. Dr. Laver informs me that "for several weeks in 1854 a bird of
this species rested in a privet hedge at Paglesham." Mr. Wm. C. Emson of
Littlebury shot a male on June 11th, 1888, near a large wood in Littlebury
parish, known as Howe Wood, in which it
had for some time taken up its abode (40.
xiii. 30). Mr. Emson informs me that he
believed there were at first two, ,as he shot at
one about a week before and it appeared to fall
among some clover, whither some boys ran to
pick it up, but could not find it. Two are also
said to have been heard previously. The bird
used to commence its plaintive cry about half-
past eight every evening, usually when perched
on some high elms about half a mile from
Howe Wood. The cry is described by Mr.
Emson as somewhat resembling the loud
croaking of a frog, and the village boys tried
to imitate it by crying " chalk, chalk." Its
dismal cry was kept up the greater part of
the night, and could be heard more than
half-a-mile off. The country people got
quite superstitious about the bird and regarded it as an evil spirit, especially
as it was shot at several times before it was secured, and several of them even
asked Mr. Emson whether he thought shot would penetrate it. That gen-
tleman says that the Owl did not appear to mind his approaching it
below the tree, but concealed itself against a branch, all the while keeping
up its curious cry, which appeared to come from a place quite different
from that at which the bird really was. Mr. Emson got a boy to climb the tree
and shot it as it flew out. In a letter, he adds:—"a neighbouring farmer
says they have nested two years in succession in a rabbit's hole, about four
miles from here, on the borders of Cambridgeshire, but have disappeared this
year."
As this species has on several occasions been met with in Britain in
summer, and on no less than four occasions since 1805 in pairs (38. 93), and as it
has once been recorded (though erroneously) as having bred here, I thought it
well to make further inquiry into this statement. The supposed breeding took
place, it seems, in 1886 and 1887, in Heydon Hill plantation, in the occupation of
Mr. Wm. Jonas, of Heydon Bury, who informs me that he several times heard
strange Owls in the plantation, making " a peculiar noise—something like a child
crying." It was, however, his gamekeeper, J. Ward, who first detected the birds
in 1886, and consulted Mr. Joseph P. Nunn of Royston as to what species they
were. From Ward's description of their size and colour, that gentleman came to
the conclusion that they must be Scops Owls, in which he was confirmed when
Ward, on being shown the cuts in Yarrell, selected that bird. Mr. Nunn offered
Ward a handsome present if he could find their nest, but this he was unable to
do until the following year, when he found two young birds, from six to
eight inches high, on the ground in the plantation. At the time, Ward had
with him Mr. T. H. Wrycroft of Heydon, who has independently informed me
that he saw the birds, which were small, dark brown, and on the ground, though he
could find no nest. They seemed to have a hood of down. No one disturbed them.
Mr. Nunn believes all Ward's statements in the matter are reliable. It is very