262 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



most fully believe in them.* The circumstance of a pair 

 being got together is no argument against them : I appre- 

 hend we have several instances on record of two examples 

 of an American bird being obtained in England at the same 

 time. 



Here my long list of twenty-six cases terminates. To 

 give a summary of them I should say that at least fifteen 

 have been cases of mistaken identity, but the remaining 

 eleven I believe to have been correctly named ; albeit, I 

 am persuaded that five were foreign skins, though it is not 

 for me to say that they were wilfully palmed off as British. 

 But it must be as clear as daylight to anyone, that it would 

 be very unfair to doubt all on that account ; and I would 

 indicate as those most deserving of credence the examples 

 at Aberdeen, Warrington, Eastbourne, Whitby, Kingsbury, 

 and Mildenhall. Other American Sandpipers have occurred 

 dozens of times in England and not been doubted, why 

 then the Spotted .'' 



Great White Heron. 



British authors have wavered a good deal about the 

 Great White Heron, but it is now pretty well established. 

 It certainly has not been for lack of records, for besides the 

 sixteen enumerated by Mr. Harting in his Hand List, I can 

 name six. 



Firstly. A specimen supposed to have been killed in 

 Norfolk, teste Mr. Thurtle (B. of Norf, H., p. 149) ; a very 

 poor one, with all the appearance of having been stuffed 

 from a skin. 



Secondly. A specimen in the sale of Mr. Stephen Miller's 

 collection, lot 47, bought for seven and sixpence, but by 



* Probably the above was the authority for including the species in 

 the list in Gowland's " Guide to Eastbourne.'' 



