ARDEID^. 187 



Mr. Cecil Smith was informed of one, without anj' particular?, which was 

 iuclufled in a list ot rare birds furnished by Mr. I3akor, of Erid<rwater, to 

 the 'Proceedings ' of the Somersetshire Archaeological Society for 1850. He 

 also learned from Mrs. Turle, the bird-stuffer of Taunton, that she had 

 stuffed this bird, which had been sent to her from Bridgwater. The 

 Squacco gcupralh' makes its appearance in this countrj^ in the months of 

 April and May, and there are instances of its having been obtained in 

 most of the summer months. In the month of May, 1849, " a flight " of 

 this beautiful little Heron was recorded by Mr. E. H. llodd as having 

 appeared in the neighbourhood of Penzance, and three examples of it were 

 brought to Mr. Yingoe, the bird-stuffer in that town. Writing to the 

 'Zoo'locrist ' on :\ray 7th, 1867 (Zool. 1867, p. 830), Mr. Rodd says : " We 

 generally get specimens of this elegant Heron everii sprinrj (the italics are 

 our own) from the Land's End district, and I believe that every example that 

 has come under my notice in the last thirty years has occurred at this 

 season of the year only." It was the good fortune of Mr. llodd to examine 

 more British examples of the Squacco than any other English ornithologist, 

 some eight or nine having passed through his hands ; but none of them 

 were in perfectly adult plumage, althoujjh one or two would have reached 

 it had they been suffered to live a few weeks longer. When we reflect 

 upon the sad slaughter of these beautiful birds we cannot help concluding 

 that had they escaped they might possibly have nested in this country, as 

 would also some of the numerous Night-Herons and Little Bitterns whose 

 untimely deaths we have also to record. 



One of the Devonshire specimens which is in extremely beautiful plumage 

 is before us as we write. It was shot by a sailor at Braunton, in North 

 Devon, on 10th June, 1878, and was brought to the Barnstaple bird-stuffer 

 as " a Parrot, or something" I This example possesses a finely-developed 

 occipital crest, and has the filamentous feathers springing from the lower 

 part of the back ; but the centre of the throat is huffish white, and the 

 neck has longitudinal streaks on either side of reddish brown, while the 

 plume from the breast is not yet indicated, showing that our bird has 

 not fully attained the adult dress, in which state the Squacco has been 

 very rarely met with in this kingdom. One shot on the Elect Water, 

 AVyke Bcgis, near AVeymouth, on 1st July, 1807, and brought in wounded 

 to that town, is stated to have been in full adult plumage. In the same 

 year, on loth May, another Dorsetshire example was recorded in the 

 ' Eield,' which was obtained at Eryers Mayne, near Dorchester. 



In this little Heron " the feathers of the back are elongated ; the webs 

 disunited, each filament having the ai)])earancc of a single hair, from which 

 circumstance the term ' comata,' hairy, has l)een applied to it '"(H. Saunders, 

 Yarrell's B. liirds, 4th ed. iv. ]). 1 04). It seems to have occurred more often 

 of late years, or else must ]n-cviously have been overlooked, as we search 

 for any record of it in vain in tin; earlier lists of the Devonsliire avifauna.. 

 The Squacco is a common species in Southern Europe, South-western Asia, 

 Egypt, and Xul)ia, and in North Africa generally. Like the preceding 

 BlR'cies it is fond of the society of cattle, and especially of herds of swine. 

 One captured near Peuzancc had an entire shrcw-mouso and the remains of 



