A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



situate in a small plantation. In this the bird 

 laid thirteen eggs ; but the owner of the land, 

 fearing that harm might come to the young 

 birds, removed the eggs and put them under 

 a hen. 



155. Quail. Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre. 

 This is a not an uncommon visitor to Hert- 

 fordshire, though chiefly along the northern 

 part of the county, where it probably nests. 



156. Land -Rail or Corn - Crake. Crex 



pratensis, Bechstein. 



This is a common summer visitor to Hert- 

 fordshire, arriving usually towards the end of 

 April. It has on two or three occasions been 

 obtained in the months of December and 

 January. 



157. Spotted Crake. Porzana maruetta 



(Leach). 



The first record I have of this species in 

 this county is in 1878, when one was shot 

 in the Colne meadows near Watford on 

 September 4th. In October, 1881, another 

 was found under the telegraph wires near 

 the same town, and is I believe now in the 

 possession of Mr. Downer. Two were picked 

 up dead by the railway near St. Albans in 

 October, 1880 ; while in September, 1883, 

 one was shot at the Tring reservoirs, another 

 being obtained there in October, 1885. A 

 spotted crake now in the possession of Mr. 

 Latchmore was killed in November, 1893, by 

 flying against the telegraph wires near Hitchin, 

 in the neighbourhood of which town others 

 have been obtained from time to time, one 

 being procured there during the winter of 

 189596. In the latter year a bird of this 

 species was obtained at Offley in August. 



158. Little Crake. Porzana parva (Scopoli). 

 On the authority of the Hon. Walter 



Rothschild I include this species in the list. 

 A specimen is said to have been obtained at 

 one of the Tring reservoirs on January 5th, 

 1887. 



159. Baillon's Crake. Porzana bailloni 



(Vieillot). 



In the Zoologist for 1892 Mr. W. H. M. 

 Ayres recorded the occurrence of this species 

 in Hertfordshire. The bird in question was 

 shot on October 24th, 1891, in the marshes 

 near Cheshunt, which were then flooded. It 

 was in good plumage but was very thin, and 

 was sent to Rowland Ward for preservation. 



1 60. Water-Rail. Rallus aquaticus, Linn. 

 This bird has occurred in different parts of 



the county at various times, and occasionally 

 in some numbers. It occurs regularly at 



Tring, where it probably nests, although that 

 has not been definitely ascertained. 



161. Moor-Hen. Galllnula chloropus (Linn.). 

 This bird is plentiful throughout the county, 



often frequenting even small ponds during the 

 nesting season. 



162. Coot. Fulica atra, Linn. 



This species occurs on many of the orna- 

 mental and other waters in Hertfordshire, but 

 nowhere is it to be found in such numbers as 

 at the Tring reservoirs, where it may be seen 

 in scores. 



163. Great Bustard. Otis tarda, Linn. 

 Before the day of drills and horse-hoes, 



hedges and plantations, this bird undoubtedly 

 was found in Hertfordshire, as in several other 

 counties. The chalk hills along the northern 

 boundary made a splendid home for it. Now, 

 alas, it has disappeared for ever, and only one 

 specific record of it remains, though Willughby 

 and Ray gave Royston Heath as one of the 

 districts in which it was then found. It dis- 

 appeared however without any note being 

 made of its habits and haunts in this county. 

 The last occasion on which a great bustard 

 appeared in Hertfordshire was at the beginning 

 of the present century, when one was seen in 

 the neighbourhood of Royston ; this bird the 

 whole population turned out to shoot, but 

 without success, and it eventually disappeared. 



164. Thick-knee or Stone-Curlew. (Edicnemus 



scolopax (S. G. Gmelin). 

 This is another species which I am afraid is 

 following in the footsteps of the last-named 

 bird, and for the same reasons. A very few 

 years ago this bird was by no means uncom- 

 mon along the open country to the north, but 

 now very few visit there in a year. 



165. Dotterel. Eudromias morinellus (Linn.). 

 The decrease of this species on migration 



in Hertfordshire is not due so much to internal 

 as external causes, the bird I am afraid being 

 on the decrease as a breeding species in the 

 British Isles, and therefore there are fewer 

 trips ' of dotterel passing through the county 

 on their way north. It was chiefly in the 

 district between Royston and Hitchin that 

 these birds were seen ; there they appeared 

 fairly regularly every year at one time, but 

 now their visits are few and far between. 



1 66. Ringed Plover. /Egialitis hiaticula 



(Linn.). 



This bird is a regular visitor to Hertford- 

 shire on the spring and autumn migration, 

 being seen every year at Tring, while it has 

 also been obtained at Royston and at Park 

 Street near St. Albans. 



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