30 REMARKS ON THE GREAT EGRET. 



Legs green, and in some parts curiously lineated with red. 

 Tibia internally, as well as the terminating spines and all 

 the joints of tarsi pitchy brown; femora of anterior pair densely 

 clothed in front with ferruginous hairs, before insertion with 

 tibia ferruginous ; anterior tibia with from eight to ten teeth 

 on the inner side, the two terminal the largest. The tibia with 

 regard to dentation not symmetrical. In all the tarsi there 

 is a rather strong spine between the claws, but no brush of 

 hairs on the terminal joint. 



The Rev. D. F. Morgan has made two valuable collections 

 of Insects during his residence at Sierra Leone, both of which 

 he has most liberally presented to the British Museum. — 

 The above described species is named after him. 



Art. V. — Upon the claims of the Ardea alba — Great Egret, or 

 White Hearn, to be considered a British bird. By Arthur 

 Strickland, Esq. 



Doubts have by late authors been thrown upon the propriety 

 of continuing this species in our catalogue of additional vi- 

 sitors to this country. Mr. Jenyns, in his valuable work on 

 the British Vertebrata, has stated, " there is no well authen- 

 ticated instance of its having been met with in this country 

 of late years, or any British specimen in existence." Mr. 

 Gould in his beautifully illustrated work on European birds, 

 just completed, has reiterated these sentiments. I am happy 

 however, to be able most satisfactorily to refute these state- 

 ments, and to remove all doubts as to the propriety of retain- 

 ing this fine species in our list of British Birds, as an occa- 

 sional visitor ; indeed upon much better authority than many 

 we do not hesitate to retain as such. 



Twelve or thirteen years ago, (but the exact date of which 

 I cannot now satisfactorily determine) a beautiful specimen 

 of this bird appeared at and in the neighbourhood of Horn- 

 seamere, in the East Riding of York. It had remained about 

 there some weeks, and several attempts had been made to 

 procure it by different members of the family of the proprie- 

 tor of that fine piece of water, when it was accidentally seen 

 by a friend of mine one morning, in his way to meet the 

 hounds, who took some more successful mode of procuring 

 it, and had it sent to him a few days afterwards in beautiful 

 condition. It was well preserved by Mr. Dunn, who still 

 lives at Hull, and remained some years in the possession of 

 the gentleman above alluded to, when it was kindly added to 



