On the occurrence of. an American Bittern in Ireland. 91 



varieties of Carahus, four entirely new to me, Hegeter, Tenebrio, 

 Agielice, and swarms of Copridce. Of the rarer sorts 1 took two new 

 Cicindelce, two Colymbetes and a very beautiful Haliplus, which I had 

 never before seen. All these came around the light in numbers, but 

 Staphylini and the smaller Orthopterous insects were incredibly nu- 

 merous. I was almost black with them, and the sensation produced 

 over my back, arms and legs from the multitude of grasshoppers and 

 crickets which were constantly jumping on or off me, and crawling 

 m every direction, was very similar to what is called " needles and 

 pins," or a "foot asleep." Great indeed was the enjoyment of a 

 bathe with some dozens of ghurrahs filled with cold water, which I 

 poured over my head before retiring to rest at 1 a.m. 



XV. — Notice of an American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus, 

 Mont, {sp.), obtained in Ireland. By William Thompson, 

 Pres. Nat. Hist, and Phil. Soc. Belfast. 



I HAVE the pleasure of placing on record the occurrence of an 

 American Bittern in Ireland, tbe first individual of its species 

 known to have visited this island. The fresh skin of the speci- 

 men, being sent to Belfast to be preserved and mounted, came 

 under my inspection on the 14th of November 1845, and having 

 learned that it was sent from Armagh by the distinguished astro- 

 nomer Dr. T. R. Robinson — whose acutely observant eye had not 

 failed to mark the differences between it and the Botaurus stel- 

 laris — I wrote to him for all particulars respecting the bird, and 

 received the following information : — " It was shot by my second 

 son Wm. R. Robinson, about noon on the ] 2th of November last 

 in a bog — part of a flat partially drained tract called Llayde 

 Bottoms — surrounded by hills, and a mile from Armagh. It was 

 put up in sedge, seemed lazy, and flew heavily, not showing the 

 usual wariness of the bittern, but letting him come rather close 

 before it rose. Its stomach was empty, but it was very fat and 

 very good eating, for we roasted it ! The sex was unfortunately 

 not noted. The glottis was peculiar, so that I suppose it must have 

 had the powerful voice of the common species." Dr. Robinson, 

 on being informed that it was the American Bittern, most libe- 

 rally presented the bird to the Belfast Museum. As bearing on 

 the points touched upon in this letter, it may be observed, that 

 Audubon *^ never saw one of them fly farther than thirty or 

 forty yards at a time ; and on such occasions their movements 

 were so sluggish as to give opportunities of easily shooting them ; 

 for they generally rise within a few yards of you, and fly ofi^ very 

 slowly in a direct course." (Orn. Biog. vol. iv. p. 297.) Wilson 

 states that it " is considered by many to be excellent eating :" — 



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