BIRDS CLAIMING TO BE ACCOUNTED BRITISH. 257 



Nor have we yet done with Durham, for it is set down 

 in Sir C. Sharp's "History of Hartlepool," (app. XVU.) and 

 in Cumberland in a list by Mr. Robson (Zool., 4166), but in 

 my opinion both are obvious mistakes. 



In September, 1863, a man of the name of Emerson shot 

 at Epworth in Lincolnshire a Sandpiper, which was pro- 

 nounced by the local birdstuffer to be a Spotted Sandpiper, 

 and as such it was recorded, together with a Ruddy Shel- 

 duck and a Bittern by Mr. S. Hudson (Zool., 9291) ; but 

 serious doubts having been expressed about them, it was 

 suggested that they should be examined by a competent 

 naturalist, when the Ruddy Shelduck proved to be some- 

 thing very different ; and I cannot help thinking that the 

 same fate would have befallen the Spotted Sandpiper had 

 it been forthcoming, but its owner had discreetly sold it to 

 a commercial traveller at a public house, and I have traced 

 it no further. 



About this time two were shot at Retford (Notts.), ac- 

 cording to a provincial newspaper, but I can say nothing 

 about them as I have not seen them or the newspaper. 



The "Yorkshire Post" likewise makes mention of one in 

 some " Miscellaneous Rural Notes for 1867," by Mr. Roberts, 

 giving I believe Scarborough as the locality, but this was 

 certainly a case of mistaken identity, as was in all pro- 

 bability the other. 



A Spotted Sandpiper is stated in Harting's " Birds of 

 Middlesex," p. 180, to have been shot at Kingsbury reservoir, 

 a large sheet of water near London, considering its inland 

 situation much affected by waders. Its possessor was 

 Mr. Milton, and at his sale in 1852 at Stevens' it was 

 bought by the well-known collector, Mr. Bond. It was lot 

 75, and entered as killed at Kingsbury. Mr. Bond traced 

 the specimen, which he has kindly permitted me to see, to 

 a person named Crane, who formerly worked for Mr. Ward 

 the taxidermist, and who he believes stuffed it, but no facts 



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