ORNITHOLOGY OF CORNWALL, 199 



tricts. Tliose obtained from Hayle were adult-plumaged birds. 

 The Female varies in her adult plumage from the Male, only in a 

 duller tone of plumage. There are characters in this species 

 which shew an affinity to both Herons and Bitterns ; and the 

 Night Heron may with propriety be regarded as a connecting link 

 between the Ardeadce, and the Nycficoracidce. The plumage of 

 the immature Night Heron is so dissimilar to that of the adult 

 that our older authors regarded it as specifically distinct, under 

 the name of the " Grardenian Heron." The colour of its plumage 

 in this state may be described as a lavender brown studded all 

 over with distinct and large white spots. 



From this period nothing of any great interest occurred to my 

 notice throughout the past Summer. The opening Autumn pro- 

 duced on our Eastern Moors, from Kilmar to Brownwilly, large 

 flocks of King Ouzels in their southern migratory flights ; flocks 

 of thirty or more were observed on the Mountain Ash, which they 

 sought for the sake of its berries. Although the Ring Ouzel's 

 migratory movements are every year observed, it must not be for- 

 gotten that a great number remain on the Dartmoor and Bodmin- 

 moor ranges of hills, and breed. 



In the following month of October the Lizard district gave us 

 a very good specimen of a rare and beautiful British Bird in the 

 " Little Bustard," The plumage was entirely plain underneath, 

 shewing no traces of the crescentic black markings which charac- 

 terize the bird in its Summer pluiitage on the throat and breast. 

 There is one curious character in tone of colour which pervades 

 the base of the plumage of this species throughout, and that is a 

 delicate roseate tint which is equal in intensity to the pink tone of 

 colour in the breast of the Eoseate Tern. The Lizard district 

 has thus aff'orded specimens of the two British species of Bustard, 

 within a recent period, viz : the Great Bustard and the Little 

 Bustard, both rare and valuable British Birds. 



Amongst the Baptares, a very perfect and adult specimen of 

 the Common Kite, which is the first that has come under my 

 notice in the last ^0 years, came into my hands, having been 

 observed about the Moors near Trebartha, in the early part of the 

 winter. There are I think, two specimens in your Museum, 

 presented by the late Mr. Jackson of Looe, and which were 

 reported to have been killed in the eastern part of the county. 



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