BIRDS CLAIMING TO BE ACCOUNTED BRITISH. 263 



whom is not known. Mr. Stevenson possesses a letter — or 

 at least a copy of one — written in 1831 by Mr. Dawson 

 Turner to Mr. Selby, in which he considers that a reference 

 is made to this bird by the writer, who offers the loan of 

 pictures of Norfolk-killed specimens of this and other rare 

 birds. 



Thirdly. The Rev. F. O. Morris says that one was shot 

 at New Hall by John Townend (B. B., IV., p. 115). No 

 further particulars. 



FotirtJily. An example, seen and shot at, on Romney 

 Marsh by moonlight, about February, 1849 (Zool., 2419). 

 If this was what it purports to have been, it may have been 

 the same which the late Dr. Strong obtained a few months 

 afterwards at Thorney, teste Messrs. Forster and Little. 



Fifthly. Sir Wm. Jardine remarks that during the winter 

 of 1 840 a "White Heron" was, according to the newspapers, 

 seen several times on the Solvvay (Nat. lib.. Birds, III., 

 p. 135), and it is conjectured that this may have been the 

 example which was afterwards killed in Haddingtonshire. 



Sixthly. Mr. R. Gray has found in a copy of Baikie and 

 Heddle's "Nat. Hist, of Orkney," a MS. note made therein 

 by one of the authors, which states that two were met with 

 on the island of Damsay (Birds of W. Scotland, p. 277). 



Long admitted on sufferance, this fine species must now 

 be considered as having been fully installed by Strickland 

 and Macgillivray, but most of the other records must be 

 taken chui grano sails, it being very likely where the bird 

 has been only seen and not obtained to have been a 

 Spoonbill or some other species. 



Harlequin Duck. 



The Harlequin Duck is without doubt one of the very 

 scarcest of our accidental visitants, yet of our leading Orni- 

 thologists, one remarks that it has " been frequently cap- 



