9290 Birds. 
Bittern in the Isle of Wight.— At this time, when ornithologists are agreed in 
fearing the quickly-coming extinction of that solitary but interesting and picturesque 
bird the bittern (Ardea stellaris), all records of its occurrence should be most carefully 
preserved, in order that we may watch what we cannot prevent, and have in these 
records an indirect index of the progress of civilization, before whose strides this bird 
is so rapidly retreating, as the moa has even now done. While walking, on Friday, 
August 26th, through the village of Freshwater, I noticed, in the entrance-hall of the 
hostelry of the Red Lion, a case containing a fine adult male bittern, At the time I 
tried to learn the particulars of its capture, but failed, owing to the landlord’s being 
from home. However, I have since written to him on the subject, and have 
received an obliging answer to my inquiries. It was shot, be writes, by a Mr. Charles 
Theobald, on the banks of the River Yar, not far from Freshwater Church, in hard, 
wintry weather, in the latter part of 1860. My correspondent’s name is W. Sawley.— 
C. E. Seaman ; Northwood, Isle of Wight, September 13, 1864. 
Occurrence of the Greenshank near Norwich.—On the afternoon of the 27th instant 
a fine male specimen of the greenshank (Totanus glottis) was shot in a meadow ad- 
joining the river below Hellesdon Mills, and about three miles north-west of Norwich. 
A few specimens are occasionally obtained at Blakeney; on Breydon Water, near 
Great Yarmouth ; and other localities near the sea-coast; but the.occurrence of this 
species so far inland as the above instance I believe is rather unusual.—7’, B. Gunn ; 
Norwich, August 29, 1864. 
Ruff and Reeves in Norfolk. — A fine specimen of the ruff was obtained at Run- 
hall, a village about one mile distant from Hardingham Station, on the 14th of April 
last, its ruff beg of a rich chesnut colour, intermixed with small patches of a pur- 
plish hue. Two nice specimens of the reeve were shot at Yarmouth, one on the 20th 
and the second on the 27th of last August. All the above-mentioned were in fine 
condition and very fat.—Jd. 
Spotied Sandpiper and Ruddy Shieldrake——My communication to the ‘ Zoologist’ 
(Zool. 9046), recording the occurrence of the ruddy shieldrake (Anas rutila of Pallas) 
and of the spotted sandpiper (Totanus macularius of Temminck) having occasioned 
several letters to be sent to Mr. Newman, expressing doubts of their occurrence here, 
and instead of printing them he has invited me to give more information about the 
birds, I have great pleasure in forwarding all I know about them. Mr. Newman 
thinks that a specimen of the common shieldrake (Anas tadorna of Linneus) may 
possibly have been mistaken for it; but this species is of frequent occurrence here, and 
therefore one with which I am well acquainted, and certainly could not mistake it for 
Anas rutila. In October, 1863, I went over to Captain Healey’s decoy, situated on the 
eastern bank of the River Trent, about six miles from Epworth; and on looking over 
his collection of stuffed birds, &c., I was shown a case containing a pair of ducks 
(Anas rutila). I asked who named them, and was told Mr. Waterton, of Walton 
Hall, while on a visit to Mr. Healey some years ago. I had never seen specimens of 
the same species before. I was told they had only taken four specimens in the decoy 
during the last fifty-two years, namely three females and one male; therefore, on the 
occurrence of the fourth specimen, this season, I recorded the fact in the ‘ Zovlogist,’ 
not doubting Mr. Waterton’s authority. My esteemed friend Mr. Thomas Allis, of 
York, who visits Epworth every two or three months, expressed a wish to see a speci- 
men of the ruddy shieldrake: he seemed astonished at the form of its bill, and said he 
could not believe it to be a genuine specimen of Anas rutila: he could not tell what 
