On the occurrence of an American Bittern in Ireland. 91 
varieties of Carabus, four entirely new to me, Hegeter, Tenebrio, 
Agielie, and swarms of Copride. Of the rarer sorts I took two new 
Cicindele, two Colymbetes and avery beautiful Haliplus, which I had 
never before seen. All these came around the light in numbers, but 
Staphylini and the smaller Orthopterous insects were incredibly nu- 
merous. I was almost black with them, and the sensation produced 
over my back, arms and legs from the multitude of grasshoppers and 
crickets which were constantly jumping on or off me, and crawling 
m every direction, was very similar to what is called ‘ needles and 
pins,”’ or a ‘‘foot asleep.”” Great indeed was the enjoyment of a 
bathe with some dozens of ghurrahs filled with cold water, which I 
poured over my head before retiring to rest at 1 a.m. 
XV.—Notice of an American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus, 
Mont. (sp.), obtained in Ireland. By Witt1am Tuompson, 
Pres. Nat. Hist. and Phil. Soc. Belfast. 
I nave the pleasure of placing on record the occurrence of an 
American Bittern in Ireland, the first mdividual of its species 
known to have visited this island. The fresh skin of the speci- 
men, being sent to Belfast to be preserved and mounted, came 
under my inspection on the 14th of November 1845, and having 
learned that it was sent from Armagh by the distinguished astro- 
nomer Dr. T. RK. Robinson—whose acutely observant eye had not 
failed to mark the differences between it and the Botaurus stel- 
laris—I wrote to him for all particulars respecting the bird, and 
received the following information :—“ It was shot by my second 
son Wm. R. Robinson, about noon on the 12th of November last 
in a bog—part of a flat partially drained tract called Llayde 
Bottoms—surrounded by hills, and a mile from Armagh. It was 
put up in sedge, seemed lazy, and flew heavily, not showing the 
usual wariness of the bittern, but letting him come rather close 
before it rose. Its stomach was empty, but it was very fat and 
very good eating, for we roasted it! The sex was unfortunately 
not noted. The glottis was peculiar, so that I suppose it must have 
had the powerful voice of the common species.” Dr. Robinson, 
on being informed that it was the American Bittern, most libe- 
rally presented the bird to the Belfast Museum. As bearing on 
the points touched upon in this letter, it may be observed, that 
Audubon “never saw one of them fly farther than thirty or 
forty yards at a time; and on such occasions their movements 
were so sluggish as to give opportunities of easily shooting them ; 
for they generally rise within a few yards of you, and fly off very 
slowly in a direct course.” (Orn. Biog. vol. iv. p. 297.) Wilson 
states that it “is considered by many to be excellent eating ;”— 
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