LITTLE BITTERN. 155 



during the summer months, and, in one instance, a per- 

 fect egg was taken from a female killed near Lowestofb. 

 Its skulking habits, however, and the almost im- 

 penetrable nature of the swamps it frequents renders 

 detection, except by the merest accident, extremely 

 improbable. Of its identification in this county, I find 

 no record prior to the commencement of the present 

 century, but in Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear's cata- 

 logue it is first mentioned, a specimen having been 

 killed at Burlingham in the winter of 1819, as those 

 authors were informed by Mr. Hunt of Norwich. Next 

 in point of date is most probably the male bird, stated 

 by Mr. Lombe* in his MS. notes, to have been killed 

 at South Walsham, in May, 1822. 



Of the three specimens enumerated by the Messrs. 

 Paget in 1834, the first, as stated by Yarrell on Mr. 

 Lubbock's authority, was an immature bird "caught 

 by a water-dog, at Hickling, near Ludham, during 

 the extreme frost of 1822-23," and presented by Mr. 

 Lubbock to the late Mr. Girdlestone. The second, 

 which formed part of the late Mr. C. A. Preston's col- 

 lection (now in the possession of Mr. E. S. Preston, 

 of Yarmouth), is described by the Messrs. Paget as 

 having been killed at Lowestoft in June, 1830, and 

 is, very probably, the same mentioned in Mr. Lombe's 



to have been seen ; the sandwich tern visits us merely in spring 

 and autumn, and the only record of the golden oriole remaining 

 here to breed is extremely doubtful. Nor could I ascertain that 

 the little bittern had been either heard or seen in any part of the 

 county in the year 1865. I have reason to know that Mr. Sharpe 

 is fully convinced that in this instance he was grossly deceived, 

 and, as a zealous ornithologist, regrets that he ever appended hia 

 name to so doubtful a statement. 



* There is no evidence to show whence Mr. Lombe procured 

 the pair, which are still preserved in his fine collection at 

 Wymondham. 

 x2 



