40 Messrs. Sheppard ont? Whitear's Catalogue 



in August. Bruce, upon lifting the Bearded Eagle which he 

 shot in Abyssinia, found himself covered with a yellowish dust ; 

 the plumage of the bird being tawny. The flesh of the Heron is 

 much admired by some persons. The legs have sometimes a 

 rank fishy taste, though the other parts of the bird are well- 

 flavoured. 



2. A. Egretta (Great White Heron). 



On the 3rd of October last, in a walk on the banks of the 

 river Stour, we observed a large White Heron cross over from 

 the Suffolk to the Essex side of the river. It appeared to be 

 pure white, and to stand up rather taller than some Common 

 Herons which were feeding not far oft'. A similar bird was 

 observed in the spring on the Oakley shores ; and, subsequently 

 to our observation, one was seen on the banks of the river Or- 

 well. 



3. A. Nycticora (Night Heron). 



Mr. Stagg of Yarmouth shot a Night Heron upon a tree in 

 his nursery. And we are informed by Mr. Hunt, that the spe- 

 cimen of this bird in his possession Avas shot in Suflblk, and kept 

 alive some time, being only slightly wounded. Another bird of 

 the same species was killed at Mr. Coke's in the winter of 1819, 

 and is now in the possession of the Rev. George Glover. 



4. A. stellaris (Bittern). 



Some of the marshes of Norfolk aft'ord a breeding-place to 

 the Bittern, whence we have received its egg, both ends of 

 which are nearly of the same shape. Pennant has justly re- 

 marked that this bird has a double iris. In one which we 

 examined, that next the pupil was reddish-yellow, the outer one 

 hazel. There was also a notch at the extremity of the upper 



mandible ; 



