32 2 CATALOGUE OP^ BIRDS. 



but, unhappily, this bird, like the Ruff, Hoopoe, and 

 Kingfisher, when stuffed and in a glass case is 

 looked upon as an attractive ornament by persons of 

 a low order of intellio^ence and vulgar tastes." 



Now, here we have three opinions, two of them, 

 in my humble opinion, giving the real and principal 

 reason for the scarcity, viz., the reclamation of all 

 the most important breeding-haunts of the species. 

 This is unquestionably a far more potent factor than 

 the shooting ' of an odd bird or two, for I don't 

 believe it amounts to much more than that. 

 Generally speaking, when an uncommon bird is shot 

 it finds its way to the naturalist's shop, and is nearly 

 certain to be recorded in the local papers. A little 

 further consideration of this matter would show Mr. 

 W. H. Hudson's contention to be quite untenable, 

 for the Bittern being for the most part a night-feeder 

 and a skulker amongst immense reed-swamps and 

 marshes in the daytime, what possible chance would 

 there be of a crunner doinor much damagre in such 



o o o 



hopeless and un-get-at-able positions ? There is yet 

 one more point, and that is that I don't believe for 

 one moment that the Bitterns which annually visit 

 us are wholly accounted for by the gunner ; there 

 must be many that are never seen at all owing to 

 their skulking habits and out of the way places they 

 get into. 



The specimen in the case was obtained at Arthog 

 in the winter, and was given to me by Mr, C. Driver 

 — the lessee of Arthog Hall Hotel, where I was 

 staying at the time. 



