202 ARDEID.E. 



distant, and had previously been seen near the same place. 

 A third was also killed in the same neighbourhood during 

 that summer." 



Early in September, 1839, the late Mr. Hey sham sent 

 the Author word that about two months previous to the 

 date of his letter a beautiful pair of adult Little Bitterns 

 were shot at or near South Walsham, where it was supposed 

 they had a nest ; and Mr. Stevenson states that in one 

 instance a perfect egg was taken from a female shot near 

 Lowestoft. In a foot-note to a recent edition (1879) of 

 Lubbock's 'Fauna of Norfolk' (p. 90), Mr. Thomas South- 

 well says that Mr. Kisiug, of Horsey, assured him that about 

 the year 1822-3 a nest of the Little Bittern was found at 

 Catfield, close to the parsonage, and Mr. Rising saw the eggs 

 in the possession of the Rev. J. Layton. 



In the summer of 1826 a young specimen of the Little 

 Bittern was shot on the banks of the Thames, near Windsor; 

 and it was believed to have been bred there, from the 

 situation being favourable, and the circumstance of a second 

 bird in the same state of plumage being seen about the 

 same spot for several days at that time. 



So many examples of the Little Bittern have now been 

 taken in various parts of this country, that only a brief 

 enumeration will be necessary. Montagu mentions that one 

 was shot from the stump of a tree on the bank of the Avon, 

 near Bath ; the late H. E. Strickland sent the Author notice 

 of one that was shot in the spring of 1838, at Shobden 

 Court, in Herefordshire ; this species has also been killed 

 in Shropshire, South Wales, Cornwall, Devonshire, Somer- 

 setshire, Dorsetshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Oxfordshire, 

 and Berkshire ; a specimen in the Author's collection was 

 killed on Uxbridge Moor, and another was shot at Enfield 

 in Middlesex ; and it has occurred in Essex. In Norfolk 

 about fifteen have been obtained : most of them on Hickling 

 and South Walsham ' broads ' ; and several in Suffolk. The 

 figure at the head of this subject was drawn from a very fine 

 specimen in the collection of the late Dr. Thackeray, at 

 King's College, Cambridge ; several have been taken in 



