HERONS. 151 



One, Mothecombe, near Plymouth, 22nd Dec. 1829 : Moore, 



Cat. Birds Devon, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837, p. 320*. 

 One, Christchurch, Hants, 1836 : Thompson, Nat. Hist. Irel. 



(Birds), vol. ii. p. 172. This is Nycticorax griseus, young. 

 One, Isle of Man, 1836 : Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, vol. ii. 



p. 578. Doubtful. 

 One, Dumfriesshire, Oct. 1844 : Yarrell, op. cit. ; Thompson, 



op. cit. In the collection of Sir William Jardine. 

 One near Armagh, 12th Nov. 1845 : Thompson, Ann. Nat. 



Hist. vol. xvii. 1846; Nat. Hist. Irel. (Birds), vol. ii. 



p. 168. In the Belfast Museum. 



One, Fleetwood, Lancashire, 8th Dec. 1845 : Cooper, Zoo- 

 logist, 1846, p. 1248. In Mus. Lit. and Phil. Soc. 



Preston. Clearly identified by Mr. Cooper, /. c. 

 One near Yarmouth : Gurney and Fisher, Zoologist, 1848, 



p. 1965. Doubtful. C/. Stevenson, Birds of Norfolk, 



vol. ii. p. 174. 

 One, Anglesea, Dec. 1851 : Gurney, Zoologist, 1866, p. 145. 



Examined in the flesh. 

 One, Links of Balgownie, Bridge of Don, Aberdeenshire, Nov. 



1854 : Gray, Birds of the West of Scotland, p. 280. In 



the Aberdeen University Museum. 

 One, Latheron-wheel, Caithness, autumn 1862 : R. Gray, 



op. cit, In Mus. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edinburgh ? 



from North America, and find them to be in every respect iden- 

 tical. Bonaparte was mistaken in supposing them to be distinct 

 (Geogr. & Comp. List, 1838, p. 48). As distinguished from the 

 European stellaris the American species is much smaller in size, 

 with smaller and more slender legs and feet, and invariably Las the 

 primaries of a uniform leaden- brown colour, while in stellaris the 

 same feathers are broadly barred across both webs with buff. This 

 last peculiarity will at all times serve to distinguish the species. 



* This specimen cannot now be found, Dr. Moore's collection 

 having been sold and dispersed ; but the owner referred to it, I. c., as 

 a specimen " exactly corresponding with Montagu's description." 



