BUFF-BACKED HERON—SQUACCO HERON. TSt 
this bird annually visited Horsey in Norfolk, till about 
twelve years ago, and that since that time it has disap- 
peared.” Mr. Lubbock suggests that in this case a 
confusion has arisen between avocet and egret, which is, 
I believe, a plausible explanation of so palpable an error, 
since there is no cause for supposing that the egret, rare 
enough as an accidental straggler, was ever known 
to visit this county, or indeed any part of England 
regularly. In lke manner one can but agree with 
Fleming and Selby that “the birds mentioned in the 
bill of fare at the famous feast of Archbishop Neville in 
the reign of Henry IV., under the name of Eerets or 
Kgrittes,’—when “a thousand were served up at a 
single entertainment,” were not of this species, but 
merely lapwings, so termed from their crests ; aigrette 
or egret signifying a tuft of feathers. 
ARDEA RUSSATA, Wagler. 
BUFF-BACKED HERON. 
Like the two preceding species this heron is 
inserted for the first time in the list of our accidental 
visitants on the authority of Mr. Joseph Clarke, who 
informs me that a young bird, killed at Martham, near 
Yarmouth, in 1827, is now in the Saffron Walden 
Museum. 
ARDEA COMATA, Pallas. 
SQUACCO HERON. 
This small but very beautiful species has occurred 
in the county in several well authenticated instances, 
the earliest of which I can find any record being the 
one noticed by the Messrs. Paget as “caught in a 
