LITTLE BITTERN. 397 



Mai ton, the estate of Henry Willoughby. Esq., about two years since ; 

 Hugh Reid of Doncaster informs me that one was shot at Thorpe, 

 near Bridlington, and is now in the possession of A. Bosville, Esq. ; 

 another shot near Doncaster is in his own possession. 



A rare, casual visitant, the Little Bittern has been 

 chronicled in Yorkshire on fifteen different occasions, all of 

 which are authenticated, while other four instances are 

 reported for which full information is not forthcoming. 



The first two mentioned are referred to by Allis, while the 

 late Hugh Reid of Doncaster had a specimen, shot near that 

 town, also prior to 1844. 



On 26th September 1852, one was procured at Redcar, and 

 about the same time a specimen was killed in the neighbour- 

 hood of York, and acquired by the late Joseph Duff of Bishop 

 Auckland. This individual is now in my collection. 



At the Scarborough Mere one was obtained in August 1863, 

 while perched on a tree in a garden at Black House, and 

 came into the possession of Mr. Taylor (A. Roberts MS. ; and 

 Zool. 1863, p. 8770). 



The late W. W. Boulton of Beverley stated (MS. 1880), 

 that an example was killed at Cottingham " several years 

 ago." At Mr. Boulton's death this specimen was purchased 

 by Mr. Thomas Boynton of Bridlington, and is now in his 

 collection. 



At Collta, in the Rivelin Valley, one, taken about 1870, 

 was sent to Webster's to be stuffed. For this information 

 I am indebted to Mr. A. S. Hutchinson of Derby. 



On 25th August 1872, an individual occurred at Cold 

 Hindley Reservoir, near Wakefield, and is recorded in Talbot's 

 " Birds of Wakefield " as forming part of the collection of 

 that author. 



An adult example is recorded by Mr. F. Boyes at Easington 

 on 25th May 1874 (Zool. 1874, p. 4118). 



In the Whitby Local Museum is a specimen captured in 

 May 1877, by T. Fletcher, at Ruswarp Dam, near Whitby 

 (T. Stephenson MS.). 



At Scalby Beck, near Scarborough, a mature female was 

 procured on 25th February 1879, ^7 Mr. Wood of Huddersfield ; 



