Page:VCH Essex 1.djvu/294

 A HISTORY OF ESSEX 8. Whiskered Bat. Myotis mystacinus, Leisler. Essex, its habits in every way resembling those of that species. Both these bats are Bell Vesperttho mystacmus. . ' f,. . ,,, constantly mistaken for the pipistrelle, but Found, like Daubenton's bat, throughout they are neither of them so plentiful. INSECTIVORA 1. Hedgehog. Erinaceus europ&us, Linn. Everywhere common, in spite of the con- stant persecution of all game preservers. Fre- quently killed and eaten by foxes. 2. Mole. Talpa europtea, Linn. Common everywhere. 3. Common Shrew. Sorex araneus, Linn. Generally distributed and common every- where. 4. Pigmy Shrew. Sorex mtnutus, Linn. Bell Sorex pygmaus. Nearly, if not quite, as common as the preceding species. 5. Water Shrew. Neomys fodiens, Pallas. Bell Crossopus fodiens. Very common in the ditches and pools of the marshes, but it is not confined to these, as it may be found not uncommonly in all streams and ponds throughout the county. It is also found at some distance from water. A most interesting animal to watch when hunt- ing in a shallow pool. CARNIVORA 1 . Fox. Pulpes vulpes, Linn. Bell Vulpes vulgaris. Common throughout the county. 2. Marten. Mustela martes, Linn. Bell Martes abietum. The Rev. R. Lubbock in his Fauna of Norfolk (1845) says this animal is still occa- sionally found in Essex. It was formerly very common, and I have heard old sportsmen speak of shooting it from the deserted nests of magpies. Mr. H. M. Wallis says (Zoologist, 1879, p. 264): 'In 1822 one was killed at Waltham Woods near Chelmsford. Mr. Harting, writing in 1880, says (Trans. Essex Field Club, i. 95), the last killed in Essex, so far as could then be ascertained, was trapped in April, 1853, by Mr. Luffman, head keeper to Mr. Maitland, in one of that gentleman's covers at Loughton. From all accounts it appears, however, that the marten still exists in Essex. Mr. E. A. Fitch of Maldon, records (Essex Nat. iv. 153) the existence of undoubted martens in Haze- leigh Hall Wood, although he had failed to capture an individual. The late Mr. English of Epping recorded (Journal of Proc. Essex Field Club, iv. 64) having seen one near Ambresbury Banks, in the Forest, on July 30, 1883. And there are accounts from other observers corroborating his statements. 3. Polecat. Putorius putorius, Linn. Bell Mustela putorius. Another member of the mammalian fauna of England which is rapidly disappearing in consequence of the great attention which is being paid to the preservation of game. In the earlier half of the century just passed it was not at all uncommon in many parts of Essex, and was well known to most of the country lads before 1830. In the writer's boyhood it was a very common occurrence to disturb a polecat in a day's rabbiting in Paglesham and district, and there were very few of the country lads who had not experi- enced the truth of the saying 'stinks like a polecat.' It is probably not yet extinct. Mr. Reginald Christy reports (Essex Nat. ii. 37): 'The last specimen known to have been killed in the neighbourhood of Roxwell was trapped on the Boyton Hall farm in or about the year 1855.' 4. Stoat. Putorius ermineus, Linn. Bell Mustela erminea. Still abundant. 5. Weasel. Putorius nivalis, Linn. Bell Mustela vulgaris. Very common. 6. Badger. Meles meles, Linn. Bell Meles taxus. The badger is by no means extinct in Essex. Some were liberated in Epping Forest by Mr. E. N. Buxton in 1886 and arc doing well. In all probability they were not ex- tinct there even before these were introduced. They certainly have never been extinct in the neighbourhood of Stanway. In the Essex Naturalist (i. 183) are records of captures in woods adjoining Epping Forest in 1850 and 1874, and this appears to support the idea 256