399 



COMMON BITTERN. 

 Botaurus stellaris (Z.). 



Winter visitant, of uncommon occurrence ; sometimes numerous 

 in severe seasons. Probably nested formerly in the Doncaster Carrs 

 and in Holderness. 



Historically, the connection of the Bittern with Yorkshire 

 is of great antiquity, for we find allusion to it in the provision 

 made for the great banquet given at Cawood in honour of the 

 enthronization of Geo. Nevell as Archbishop of York in 1466, 

 the sixth year of Edward the Fourth's reign. Amongst the 

 •dehcacies provided were " In Bittors. c.c. iiii." (Leland's 

 " Collectanea.") 



We are also told, in the Northumberland Household Book, 

 that the price of " Bytters," for Earl Percy's table at the 

 Castles of Wressill and Lekinfield, in 1512, was fixed at 

 " I2d. a pece so they be good " ; and the bird figured in the 

 menus at the marriage feasts of Sir John Neville's daughters 

 at Chevet, near Wakefield, in the years 1526 and 1530 ; as 

 also in the year 1528, when Sir John acted at Sheriff, and 

 his charges included " 10 bytters, 13s. 4d." 



Thomas Allis, in his Report, 1844, wrote : — 



Botaurns stellaris. — Common Bittern — Has been met with a few 

 times near Sheffield ; I have no mention of it from near Halifax ; 

 very rare near Huddersfield. W. Eddison has only known of two 

 specimens one of which, in his own possession, was shot at Dalton ; 

 Dr. Farrar has been unable to obtain a specimen for his own collection, 

 but says several specimens were shot in 1830, one at Wortley Park, 

 and several others between that place and Pontefract ; it is rare near 

 Leeds, it used to frequent Askham Bogs, near York, but is now scarce 

 though occasionally pretty abundant ; in 1837 H. Chapman, bird-stuffer 

 of York, had a dozen specimens through his hands ; since that time 

 few have been seen, two were killed in the neighbourhood last winter ; 

 F. O. Morris says it is not uncommonly met with some winters ; in 

 1 83 1 Mr. Reid of Doncaster had twenty-five specimens brought him ; 

 H. Reid himself reports to me that a few years ago not less than fifteen 

 were shot near Doncaster, and that during the same year he observed 

 that many had been killed all over England. Arthur Strickland 



