1 86 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



eral days. It is now in the possession of Sir Chas. C. Smith, of Suttons. English 

 describes it as an occasional visitor to Epping Forest (43. i. 24), probably on the 

 strength of the foregoing record. In the winter of 1879-80, Mr. Travis received 

 for preservation one shot at Ashdon. Mr, Laver records one (40. viii. 342), killed 

 near Colchester by flying against the telegraph wires late in the autumn of 1884, 

 and says another had occurred there a few years before (? Dr. Bree's). Dr. Salter 

 has the former. Mr. Hart received two specimens from Essex on June 15th, 1867 

 — a very strange date, but he does not state their exact locality (34. 1511). It is 

 not easy to believe they were breeding, though Mr. Bond Ea3rs (23. 1969) he 

 received " a young bird of the year, which I believe has been bred in the neigh- 

 bourhood, as there are some remains of the nestling-down, and it is not fully 

 fledged." This individual was shot by a barge-man on the River Lea, near 

 Enfield, on Sept. i8th, 1847. 



Night Heron : Nycticorax griseus. 



A rare straggler to Britain, chiefly in spring or autumn. I am not 

 aware of its having been met with more than once in Essex. 



An immature female in spotted plumage and weighing 27 ounces, was shot at 

 Dovercourt on Nov. 29th, 1880 (Kerry — 40. v. 68), It was preserved by Ambrose, 

 of Colchester.* 



Bittern : Botaurus stellaris. 



Once a common resident, before the draining of the extensive 

 swamps it used to frequent, but yearly becoming rarer, and now only 

 a winter visitor. A considerable number have, however, been 

 obtained in Essex during the last half-century. It probably bred 

 commonly in the county many years ago, but the Rev. J. C. Atkinson 

 never heard of its doing so, even in his early days. It is by no 

 means improbable that some of the following specimens would, on 

 careful examination, prove to belong to a distinct species, the 

 American Bittern (B. lefttigitwsus), which, though a rare straggler in 

 Britain, has occurred at least a score of times. It is a very common 

 American bird and closely allied to our species, but is distinguishable 

 chiefly by its uniform dull leaden-brown primaries, 



Mr. J. Cunnington, of Braintree, in 1838, endeavoured to prove (19) that 

 Springfield was the original of Goldsmith's "Deserted Village." In support of 

 his argument he advances the fact that, 



" the Bittern, although a scarce bird in Essex, is by no means unknown, for a 

 pair only a few years ago were frequently seen near, and known to frequent, a piece 

 of low sedgy ground at Halstead, and I lately saw three which had been shot near 

 Maldon and sent to Mr. Walford at Witham to be stuffed. During the last severe 

 winter, a wounded Bittern was caught alive in Baddow Mead, which is within a 

 mile and a half of Springfield village. It is now in a fine collection of stuffed 

 birds belonging to a gentleman at Chelmsford." 



Mr. Clarke notes the occurrence (24) of the following specimens : — One at 



* A specimen recorded by Dr. Bree to have been killed near Colchester in the winter of 1S80-81 

 and preserved by Ambrose (29. Apr. 23 ; and 32a) is, presumably, the same bird. According to 

 Pennant, the first British specimen was shot in 1782 " near London " — perhaps in Essex. 



