282 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



With regard to the occurrence of the Night Heron in other 

 parts of Scotland, the reader will find, on referring to the works 

 of Yarrell and Macgillivray, that the former author speaks of two 

 specimens having been obtained north of the Tweed, and that the 

 latter apparently describing one of these states that it was shot 

 by the Earl of Home, near Coldstream, in 1823. Sir William 

 Jardine, however, remarks that two birds were obtained by that 

 nobleman, and mentions another in his own collection which was 

 killed on the banks of the Cluden, in Dumfriesshire, in 1825. The 

 late Dr R. D. Thomson, who was for many years resident in 

 Glasgow, and personally known to me, mentions the species as a 

 "rare visitor " in his statistical account of the parish of Eccles, in 

 Berwickshire, but without giving examples of its occurrence. He 

 had no doubt, however, good reason for introducing the species 

 when he drew up the list. 



To these instances, all of which are probably of thirty years' 

 standing, I have much pleasure in adding another of recent date, 

 which has been communicated to me by Mr Angus, of Aberdeen. 

 This specimen, which is in immature plumage, was shot on the 

 9th January, 1866, at Menie, about eight miles north of Aberdeen. 

 It was seen in the dusk of the evening flying across a pond, and 

 killed by the keeper, who thought "it was an out of the way 

 owl;" and, as such, entitled to a place in his museum, the 

 coach-house door. In this precious repository, it was found 

 suspended by the lower mandible, and attracted the notice of 

 James Buchan, Esq., of Auchmacoy, who obtained possession 

 of it, and sent it to Mr Mitchell, of the Aberdeen Museum, 

 for preservation. The following description of this bird, written 

 by Mr Angus when it was in the flesh, has been kindly 

 forwarded to me by that gentleman, who expresses himself 

 indebted to Mr Mitchell for an opportunity of identifying the 

 species : 



" Weight of specimen, one pound, fourteen and a half ounces; 

 length, two feet, three inches and a half; extent, three feet, 

 eleven inches; upper mandible, from the gape, four inches and 

 a quarter; wing, from flexure, thirteen inches and a quarter; 

 first primary half an inch shorter than the third, which is 

 the largest of the wing; second and fourth equal. Bare space 

 round the eye, which extends to the beak, greenish yellow. Iris, 

 crimson vermillion; pupil, brownish black. The bill robust and 



