44 ANNALS OF BIRD LIFE. 



Heron tribe are accidental wanderers to Britain 

 in spring : birds which have misjudged their 

 distance, or have been driven out of their usual 

 course during migration to their breeding-quarters 

 in Central Europe. Of these, the Great White 

 Egret, the Little Egret, the Squacco Heron, the 

 Buff-backed Heron, and the Night Heron, are 

 purely wanderers from their usual habitat ; but 

 the Little Bittern and the Spoonbill were once 

 birds of regular passage to this country, and used 

 to breed in our marshes and fens before they 

 were drained and " improved " away. Fancy a 

 colony of Spoonbills in Norfolk now! In like 

 manner the magnificent Crane was a regular 

 frequenter of our marshes, and even now from 

 time to time pays a passing visit to the scenes 

 of its ancient home an outcast and an exile ; but 

 the delicate Demoiselle Crane is only an acci- 

 dental wanderer here, doubtless from the wide- 

 extending lagoons of Spain. 



A sad interest is also attached to the fitful 

 visits of the Avocet. Formerly this beautiful bird 

 bred in the marshes of the low-lying counties ; 

 but drainage has destroyed its old familiar haunts, 

 and nothing but persecution awaits the few 

 stragglers that are tempted to journey here by 

 memories of the old and prosperous summers, 

 when they had the good fortune to be allowed to 

 rear their broods in peace. The Black-winged 

 Stilt is only an accidental wanderer from the 

 Spanish marshes, and at no time ever appeared 



