175 



THE WHITE STORK, 

 Common Stork. 



Ciconia alba, Brisson. 

 Ardea ciconia, Linn. 



Has been once procured. 



Mr. Yarkell having remarked, in his History of British Birds 

 (1843), that the stork "is said to have been killed in Ireland," I 

 applied to him for further information, and his notes were kindly 

 referred to, but no authority for the statement could then be 

 found. The only authentic record of which I am aware is the 

 following subsequent one by Dr. Harvey of Cork, dated June 17, 

 1846 : — "A fine specimen of the white stork {Ciconia alba, Ray) 

 was shot about three weeks since in the neighbourhood of Fermoy, 

 in the county of Cork. I am informed that three were seen ; but 

 this individual only was procured. It is now in the possession of 

 the Rev. Mr. Bradshaw of tins city." * 



The specimen was afterwards added to Dr. Harvey's collection. 

 One of these birds was likewise seen iu the spring of 1846 near 

 Driffield, Yorkshire.f The stork is known only as a very rare 

 visitant to England, and clnefly about the period of its migratory 

 movement northward in spring Scandinavia is frequented by it as 

 a breeding haunt. One is recorded to have been obtained on the 

 mainland of Scotland, and two in Shetland. J Ireland lies too far 

 west to be visited by this species, except on an extraordinary 

 occasion. 



A person going direct, as I have done, from England to Holland, 

 and seeing numbers of storks before landing in the latter country, 

 is much struck with the fact of their absence from the opposite 



* Ann. Nat. Hist. July 1846, (p. 70, vol. xviii.) ; and Zoologist for same month, 

 (p. 1395.) 



f Rev. F. 0. Morris in Zoologist, (vol. iv. p. 1501.) 



} Thos. M. Grant, Esq. in Yarrell's British Birds. 



