403 



AMERICAN BITTERN. 

 Botaurus lentiginosus (Montagu}. 



Accidental visitant from North America, of extremely rare 

 occurrence. 



The North American representative of our Bittern is an 

 extremely rare accidental visitant, two occurrences only being 

 on .record for Yorkshire, both of them in localities within a 

 few miles distance of each other in the North Riding. 



The first was obtained at Kells Springs, near Slingsby, 

 by Mr. Robert Hicks of York, about 1873, being identified 

 by Mr. James Brigham, and afterwards exhibited at a meeting 

 of the York Naturalists' Club. The specimen is now in Sir 

 Vauncey Crewe's collection at Calke Abbey, Derby. 



The second example, a female, was killed on 27th October 

 1882, by the Hon. W. Dawnay, at Harlsey Hall, near North- 

 allerton ; its gizzard contained the remains of field mice. 

 It was examined by the late John Harrison of Wilstrop, and 

 recorded by Mr. James Backhouse in the Zoologist (1883, 

 pp. 128, 180), and by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke in the Naturalist 

 (1884, p. 177). 



WHITE STORK. 



Ciconia alba (Bechsteiri}. 



Casual visitant from the Continent, of rare occurrence. 



The first mention of the White Stork in Yorkshire is 

 contained in FotherguTs " Orn. Brit." (1798), and relates 

 to the occurrence of one at Howden during the severe winter 

 of 1798 (C. Fothergill's " Orn. Brit." 1798, p. 7). 



Thomas Allis, 1844, wrote : 



Ciconia alba. White Stork Hugh Reid reports that one was 

 killed at Bawtry about nineteen years ago and came into his own 

 possession ; F. O. Morris says a flock was seen fourteen years ago 



