546 ARDEIDJl. 



ditches of some rich water meadows, about half a mile 

 distant from the river Froome, this bird rose, and he shot 

 it. The flight was said to be rather rapid, and the bird 

 made a noise something like the tap on a drum, which in- 

 duced him to believe it was the Common Bittern, and as 

 such he sent it to Colonel George of Penryn, in Cornwall, 

 who was at that time making a collection of birds. The 

 specimen was quite fresh when it arrived at Penryn, where 

 it was preserved ; but the sex was not noted. When 

 Colonel George disposed of his collection, this bird was 

 bought for Colonel Montagu, and was afterwards, with 

 his other birds, transferred to the British Museum, where 

 this example is still preserved. 



Dr. Edward Moore, in his Catalogue of the Wading 

 Birds of Devonshire,* besides referring to Montagu's bird, 

 says, " I have been so fortunate as to obtain a specimen, 

 shot at Mothecombe, near Plymouth, December 22, 1829." 



I am indebted to the Rev. H. D. Fussell of Ellingham, 

 near Ringwood, Hants, for the knowledge of the occur- 

 rence of a Freckled Heron, near Christchurch, in 1836. 

 This gentleman obtained for me a description of this spe- 

 cimen from Mr. William Mott, of Christchurch, who pre- 

 served the bird, which is now in the collection of Mr. 

 Sloman, in that neighbourhood. 



From Mr. J. R. Wallace, of Douglas, in the Isle of 

 Mann, who possesses a considerable collection of preserved 

 birds, and other subjects in Natural History, I have also 

 received a letter, stating that a bird, which was believed 

 to be the Freckled Heron of Montagu, had been killed on 

 that island very recently. 



At the end of October 1844, Sir William Jardine sent 

 me word that a specimen of the American Bittern had 



* Magazine of Natural History, vol. x. p. 320. 



