4
Muntjac buck with its antlers well and truly entangled. Get down over the animal and hold it
firmly but gently by the shoulders. Cutting the netting is the easiest way to solve that
problem and is less stress for the animal.
When all the nets were back in position, I called control for beating to recommence and
heard of more animals in other nets. After about ten minutes beating restarted, and soon a
young female Muntjac ran into net 3. Again I ran to restrain it and box it and I didn't have
time to get back to my radio before a buck ran into our net, getting itself caught by just one
antler on a couple of strands of the net. I managed to get over it and restrain it while I
removed the net from its antler. Just as the buck was being put into a box another animal ran
into the net some 40 metres away. I did a sprint fit for the Olympics and got onto a young
doe Muntjac before she could free herself. When this animal was boxed, I called up control
for the van to take 3 deer to process. This request caused quite a stir as 1 had forgotten to
inform control of any of the 3 that had hit our net in quick succession. Later a fawn came
into net 3 and while the nets were down a marked doe ran out of the block and although she
got partly tangled in the net, she was able to get free before anyboby could get to her.
Altogether 17 Muntjac were caught out of 203 A. Four more went through and escaped from
the nets. Add to these the one Muntjac and two Roe which moved out before the nets were
up, a total of 24 deer in the block of about 400m. by 200m. Those sweet chestnuts are a
good attraction.
There will be more catches in 1993, anyone who would like to help please contact Norma
Chapman, "Larkmead", The Street, BartonMills, Suffolk.
Stephen Harris and Norma are also seeking information on the spread of Muntjac and would
appreciate records of earliest dates they were seen in any area. If you know when you first
saw Muntjac in your area please let Norma know.
Alf Gudgion
THE PLANE LEAF-MINER Phyllonorycter platani REACHES ESSEX
At the end of October 1990 Maitland Emmet discovered signs of this tiny moth in South
Kensington. Since then its spread has been monitored, by November 1991 it had spread
over much of south west and central London but it had not got into Essex or the east
London boroughs.
During 1992 it made remarkable inroads into Essex, presumably assisted by the prevailing
winds. By November it was found in good numbers in the east London parks, in Grays and
Upminster with a few being detected as far afield as Harlow, Epping, Chelmsford and even
Maldon.
The larva lies between the upper and lower surfaces of a leaf of London Plane on a selected
tree, making a large pocket in the leaf. There can be over 50 to a leaf when the population
builds up. There are three broods ayear, larvae overwintering in the fallen leaves.
The moth is succeeding against the odds. Plane trees are not native in Britain so they only
occur when planted - usually in streets and town parks. In most such places the leaves are
swept up and destroyed. In more rural areas plane trees are few and far between, usually just
the odd one planted in a large garden in Victorian times.