482 ARDEID^E. 



of some rich water meadows, about half a mile distant from 

 the river Froome, this bird rose, and he shot it. The flight 

 was said to be rather rapid, and the bird made a noise some- 

 thing like the tap on a drum, which induced him to believe 

 it was the Common Bittern, and as such he sent it to Colonel 

 George of Penryn, in Cornwall, who was at that time making 

 a collection of birds. The specimen was quite fresh when it 

 arrived at Penryn, where it was preserved ; but the sex was 

 not noted. When Colonel George disposed of his collection, 

 this bird was bought for Colonel Montagu, and was after- 

 wards, with his other birds, transferred to the British Mu- 

 seum, where this example is still preserved. 



A second specimen is said to have been taken in Cornwall, 

 but Mr. Couch does not include it in his Cornish Fauna. 

 Dr. Edward Moore, in his Catalogue of the Wading Birds 

 of Devonshire,* besides referring to Montagu''s bird, says, 

 " I have been so fortunate as to obtain a specimen, shot at 

 Mothecombe, near Plymouth, December 22, 1829." Mr. 

 James C. Dale refers to Montagu's specimen in his Catalogue 

 of the Vertebrate Animals of Dorsetshire. -f- 



I am indebted to the Rev. H. D. Fussell of Ellingham, 

 near Ringwood, Hants, for the knowledge of the occurrence 

 of a Freckled Heron, near Christchurch, in 1836. This 

 gentleman obtained for me a description of this specim.en 

 from Mr. William Mott, of Christchurch, who preserved the 

 bird, which is now in the collection of Mr. Sloman, in that 

 neighbourhood. From the description given, with measure- 

 ments, &c. this bird appears to be an example of the Freckled 

 Heron of Montagu. 



From Mr. J. R. Wallace, of Douglas, in the Isle of Mann, 

 who possesses a considerable collection of preserved birds, 

 and other subjects in Natural History, I have also received 

 a letter, stating that a bird, which was believed to be the 



* Magazine of Natural History, vol. x. p. 320. 

 t The Naturalist, vol. ii. p. 171. 



