COMMON BITTEEN — BLACK STORK. 187 



appearance of a race once well known in this part of the 

 world/ They mention specimens procured at Fring-ford, 

 Stanton Harcourt, Otmoor, and Weston-on-the-Green, where 

 they themselves captured a second on the 9th January, 1849, 

 a female being shot at Bletchington a few days after. 

 [Zoologist, p. 2600.) At the present day the Bittern is only 

 an occasional visitor during the winter months. The follow- 

 ing- instances of its occurrence may also be enumerated. One 

 in the University Museum labelled Eynsham ; one at Clatter- 

 cote Reservoir, 17th December, 1847 (T, Beesley, MS.); one 

 at Cropredy; one on the Cherwell near Banbury, i860 

 ("W. Wyatt) ; one at Standlake, twenty years ago, now 

 preserved at Burford; one near Fencot, on Otmoor, 15th 

 December, 1878 (T. W. Falcon in lit.); one at Cote, near 

 Bampton, 17th Januaiy, 1879 (y^' ^- Warner, MS.); one at 

 Stadhampton, November, 1879 ; and one, a male, at Merton, 

 near Bicester, 3rd February, 1886 (A. H. Macpherson in lit.). 

 A long and interesting note on the Bittern m Oxfordshire, 

 from the pen of the Rev. A. Matthews, will be found in the 

 Zoologist for 1881 (p. 462). 



THE WHITE STORK. I " 



Ciconia cdha. 

 The White Stork is a casual visitor. In the spring of 1828 

 four were seen on Otmoor, one of which was killed and taken 

 to Mr. Forrest, of Oxford, for preservation ; the other three 

 escaped [Zoologist, p. 2601). 



THE BLACK STORK. 



Ciconia iiiffra. 

 The Black Stork is an accidental visitor. On the 5th 

 August, 1865, a specimen in immature di'ess was shot by 

 F. Goom, a wildfowler, of Charlton-on-Otmoor, close to that 

 place, and is now in the possession of Mr. G. R. Castle, of 

 Bicester. 



