396 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



Thomas Allis, in 1844, wrote : — 



Nycticorax europceus. — Night Heron — F. O. Morris says he thinks 

 he has seen this bird at the Woodlands, near Doncaster. (We ought 

 to have better evidence.) 



There are five authentic instances of the occurrence of 

 this rare wanderer to Yorkshire, the particulars being set 

 forth below : — 



An immature male was obtained in 1837, on Cottingham 

 Common, by Martin, gamekeeper, and came into the possession 

 of the late W. W. Boulton of Beverley, from whom it was 

 purchased by the late Sir Henry Boynton. This specimen is 

 now in the Burton Agnes Museum, where I have seen it, 

 together with an adult male, which was formerly in the 

 Sunderlandwick collection, procured near the latter place. 



On 2ist May 1855, one was killed on a pond at Birdsall, near 

 Malton, by the keeper of Mr. H. Willoughby, in whose collec- 

 tion it now is. The particulars respecting this occurrence 

 were communicated by the late D. Graham of York. 



Mr. Thomas Stephenson states that an example, which 

 was captured near Whitby, in the autumn of 1861, is in the 

 possession of Mr. Edward Corner of Esk Hall. 



At Kirkby Misperton, near Malton, one was procured in 

 May 1870, as communicated by the late Edward Tindall (MS. 

 1880). This specimen is in Mr. Tindall's collection, which 

 was bequeathed to the Scarborough Museum. 



LITTLE BITTERN. 

 Ardetta minuta (/..). 



Casual visitant, of rare occurrence, chiefly in summer. 



The Little Bittern is found throughout the southern 

 countries of Europe in summer, migrating in winter to Africa 

 and India. 



Probably the earliest allusion to this, as a Yorkshire bird, 

 is in Thomas Allis's Report, 1844 : — 



Botaurus minuta. — Little Bittern — One was shot at Birdsall, nea 



