CHINESE WATER-DEER AT MINSMERE,
1989
R . N . MACKLIN
I saw an adult male C h i n e s e W a t e r - d e e r ( H y d r o p o t e s inermis Swinhoe) at t h e M i n s m e r e N a t u r e R e s e r v e on two occasions in M a y / J u n e 1989. M y first sighting was in Potbriggs W o o d on M a y 7th in t h e mid-morning. A s I e n t e r e d t h e w o o d f r o m t h e south-east c o r n e r I saw a small d e e r browsing along t h e w o o d l a n d ride. My i m m e d i a t e t h o u g h t was that it was a M u n t j a c (Muntiacus reevesi) as they are regularly seen across the reserve. I cautiously m o v e d t o w a r d s t h e animal and a p p r o a c h e d to a p p r o x i m a t e l y 80 m e t r e s a n d , using 10 x 50 Zeiss binoculars, was intrigued by t h e u n i f o r m sandy c o l o u r of the coat. T h e d e e r t h e n t u r n e d sideways and gave g o o d views of its very long tusks and large r o u n d e d ears. If anything it was slightly larger than a M u n t j a c , though this was difficult to j u d g e accurately. I had seen Chinese W a t e r - d e e r in captivity and so was a w a r e of its identity, although I was surprised to h e a r later that it was a first sighting for Suffolk. T h e s e c o n d sighting was on J u n e l l t h on t h e n o r t h side of t h e Scotts Hall Coverts. T h e animal was f e e d i n g in t h e long grass along o n e of the w o o d l a n d rides, a n d I was able to a p p r o a c h within a b o u t 20 m e t r e s . T h e animal saw m e as I raised my binoculars a n d we stared at each o t h e r for w h a t s e e m e d several minutes. I had a s u p e r b view of the large r o u n d e d ears, long u p p e r canines or 'tusks' and t h e absence of antlers; t h e coat was a u n i f o r m sandy colour. T h e deer then b o u n d e d off into t h e w o o d showing n o white r u m p p a t c h , which is the diagnostic f e a t u r e of t h e M u n t j a c . O v e r t h e winter of 1989/90 I saw two sandy-coloured M u n t j a c on t h e reserve which b o t h s h o w e d t h e white r u m p patch and undertail. It is as well to be wary of r e p o r t i n g this species as C h i n e s e W a t e r - d e e r . R . N. M a c k l i n , Warden Minsmere Reserve, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 3 B Y
Another Fungus New to Suffolk O n a f u n g u s f o r a y of t h e Ipswich and District N a t u r a l History Society on the 8th O c t o b e r , 1989, a species was f o u n d which I was unable to identify. This was sent t o D r . M a r t i n Ellis, w h o n a m e d it as Cantharellus friesii Q u e l . , an u n c o m m o n species which h e had not f o u n d in Suffolk. It is not described in the m a j o r i t y of p o p u l ä r b o o k s . It is similar to, but smaller than C. cibarius F r . , the C h a n t a r e l l e , and has d e c u r r e n t , b r a n c h e d false gills. Francis Simpson
Trans. Suffolk
Nat. Soc. 26 (1990)
Plate 2: C h i n e s e W a t e r - d e e r , Hydropotes was reported d u r i n g 1989 (p. 5).
inermis.
T h e first Suffolk r e c o r d , f r o m M i n s m e r e Nature R e s e r v e (Photo: Stephen C h a m i