394 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



Pennant, in his " British Zoology " (2nd Ed. 1768, pp. 

 492, 495), observed that, in the famous feast of Archbishop 

 Nevell of York, we find no fewer than a thousand Asterides, 

 Egrets, or Egrittes, as it is different spelt. But, as suggested 

 by various authorities, these were, no doubt, Lapwings. (See 

 Yarrell, 4th Ed. Vol. iv. p. 182.) 



The Little Egret is an accidental visitant, the Yorkshire 

 occurrences being only two in number. 



In the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, is a male example 

 of this graceful bird, the particulars of which have been 

 supplied to me by Mr. Robert Newstead, curator. The 

 specimen v/as in a case, forming part of an extensive collection 

 of British birds bequeathed by the late Thomas Potts of 

 Chester to the Society of Natural Science in that city, and 

 the label on the case, which I have inspected, states the 

 bird was " Shot March 1826, near Paull, Humberside, York- 

 shire." The writing is all in the same hand, and appears 

 to have been written all at one time ; " Yorkshire " has not 

 been added, as suggested by Mr. J. H. Gurney {Zool. 1901, 

 p. 107), who considers this specimen may be identical with 

 the one sold at Southampton in 1826, and probably shot at 

 that place, but I cannot accept Mr. Gurney's theory. The 

 locality indicated on the case in Chester IMuseum is positive. 

 Mr. Howard Saimders, who remarks that most of the British 

 records are extremely unsatisfactory, has seen the bird in 

 question, and is of opinion that its authenticity is without 

 doubt. Through Mr. Newstead's courtesy I am enabled to 

 produce an illustration of the bird before it was restuffed. 



Another Yorkshire example is mentioned by Gould (" Birds 

 of Great Britain," Vol. iv.), the particulars of which were fur- 

 nished by the late James Hall of Scorborough, near Beverley, 

 as follows : — " The Little Egret in my possession was killed 

 by a labourer with a stick in Ake [Aike] Carr, near Beverley, 

 about 1840, and was brought to me tied up in a pocket- 

 handkerchief, covered with black wet mud and blood, in 

 which state it was sent to Mr. Reed [Reid] of Doncaster, 

 who restored it in a marvellous manner." 



One, recorded by Mr. Harper as ha\'ing occurred on 4th 



