CATALOGUE OF THE BIRDS OF SUFFOLK. 163 



Broads, about 1820, and there is proof of its having bred in 

 that county three or four times since 1840, once as lately 

 as 1868 (Stev. B. of N. ii., 160-168). In all likelihood, 

 however, it used to breed in Suffolk in former times, when 

 the fens were more extensive. The Bittern's boom, men- 

 tioned above as heard at Mildenhall about the end of the 

 last century, is the bird's note ouly in the spring and in the 

 breeding season. This bird, formerly not uncommon in 

 suitable situations, has become more and more rare during 

 the last fifty years. 



Under the name of the Swabian Bittern, Mr. Bilson, in a 

 letter to the Bury Standard of Feb. 27, 1877, mentioned 

 a bird which had been recently shot at Thorpe Wood ; it 

 came into possession of Mr. Wright of Felsham, at whose 

 sale I bought it. The species so called by Latham in more 

 than one of his works,* is considered by modern orni- 

 thologists to be identical with the Squacco Heron (A. Newton 

 in litt.). The Thorpe bird is only a small example of the 

 Common Bittern, which, as Mr. Stevenson remarks (J5. of 

 N. ii., 171), varies much in size. I am indebted to Mr. 

 Bilson for the sternum, which is two and eight-tenths of an 

 inch long ; one of the Common Bittern in my Collection is 

 three and three-tenths. The hides of the same specimen were 

 white ; the colour is usually yellow, but it has also been 

 known to be of a bright copper colour (see Whitear's Diary, 

 259). Pennant has observed two colours in the same iris, 

 that next the pupil yellow, and that beyond the yellow 

 inclining to hazel ; S. and W. examined one in which the 

 colours were nearly the same. 



Little Bittern, Botaurus minutus (L.). 



S. and W. Cat. 41. Only mentions a single specimen* 

 and that from Norfolk. 



East Suffolk. 



1. One in Mr. Gurney's Collection was shot in the neighbourhood of 

 Yarmouth. Mr. Rising has a pair which he believes were killed at 



*Gen. Syn. of Birds, v., 60, Lond. Gen. Hist, of Birds, ix., 113; Winchester 

 1781-5; hid. Ornith. ii,, 681; Lond. 1790 ; 1824. 



