in Great Britain during the Nesting-season. 59 
Crane’s egg an offence punishable with a fine of twenty pence. 
But the bird could not have long continued the practice of breed- 
ing with us, for to Sir Thomas Browne and John Ray it was only 
known as a winter visitant. As in several other cases, the bird’s 
name remains, and in many parts of the country the Heron is 
commonly known as the ‘ Crane.” 
ARDEA CINEREA (Linn.). Common Heron. 
Provinces I.-X VIII. 
Subprovinces 1-35, 37. 
Lat. 50°-60°. “British” type, or general. 
The Heron breeds in every subprovince, and in nearly every 
county from which I have received a list. It does not, however, 
nest in the Outer Hebrides, nor in Shetland, and only occasion- 
ally in Orkney. 
Boraurvs stevaris (Steph.). Common Bittern. 
Provinces [II.—VI.] [VIII.] [X.-XV.]. 
Subprovinces (6), (8), (10-12), (15), (17), (19), (22-24), (26), 
(28), (29), (31). 
Lat. 50°-58°. “English” (or British ?) type. 
Though recorded as having formerly bred in many different 
parts of the country, the Bittern can no longer be reckoned 
among our indigenous birds. The latest nest of which I have 
received information is one that was taken about ten years ago 
at the Reservoirs near Tring. Mr. H. Stevenson has not heard 
of any nest in Norfolk during the last twelve years. 
Obs.—Mr. Hewitson mentions that in the Museum of the 
Natural History Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne there is a 
stuffed specimen of the Little Bittern (Ardea minuta), together 
with its eggs, which formerly formed part of the Allan or 
Wycliffe Museum. Of the history of the eggs nothing is known ; 
but that gentleman has “ very little doubt that they were taken 
in this country.” Macgillivray also suggests that a nest de- 
scribed by Montagu as that of the Water-Rail belonged to this 
species (Hist. B. B. iv. p. 524). 
