140 FAUNA OF SHROPSHIRE. 



Squacco Heron. A specimen of this little Heron was 

 A . ralloidcs. killed near the Brown Clee, in 1834, and 



is now in the collection at Ticklerton. 



Night Heron. An immature bird was shot many years ago 

 Nycticomx griseus. near Wroxeter, by Mr. Stanier. 



Little Bittern. One mentioned by Pennant was shot in the 

 Ardetta minuta. Quarry, Shrewsbury, early in the cen- 



tury. One occurred at Crosemere, iQth 

 May, 1880; and one at Ditton Priors, 2Qth May, 1894, now 

 in Mr. Watkins' collection. In July, 1881, a pair was sent 

 to Shaw for preservation ; shot at Petton and Marbury. 

 The female was full of eggs, and would doubtless have 

 bred here if unmolested. 



Bittern B. This handsome bird is reported by Eyton to 



Botauvus stellaris. have bred at Cosford, near Shifnal, in 



1836. It is now very rare, but single 



birds still occur from time to time. In 1895 a female 



shot near Oswestry, November 28th, and a male at 



Marbury, December 2ist; as these places are not far 



apart these were, possibly, a pair. 



Glossy Ibis. This handsome purple-black bird has occurred 

 Plegadis falcinclhis. only once in Shropshire a pair near 

 Sundorne in 1854. They would have 

 been unnoticed but for the following curious circum- 

 stance. A countryman while waiting his turn to be 

 served, in the shop of Mr. W. Franklin, in Mardol, 

 was looking at the cases of stuffed birds, and 

 seeing amongst these a Curlew, remarked that he had 

 shot one the previous day, only his was black ! Mr. 

 Franklin guessing what the bird must be, offered a 

 liberal sum if the man would bring it to him ; the man 



