ARDEID.E. 189 



Zool. lS4n, p. 2528). One at Biidleioli Salterton in 1849 (R. C). A fine male was 

 captured when apparently asleep at Prawl, April 23rd, 1852(0. P., Zool. 1852, p. 0474). 

 A female, near the Start Lighthouse, in March 18li4 ; two near Plymouth, M:iy Trh, 

 1865, one, a male, being killed (J. B. R.). One at Witheridge Moor, North Devon, 

 Sept. 18(i5, is now in the collection of the late Mr. Marsh-Dunn at Teignmoutli. One, 

 the beginning of Jlav ISG^, at Braunton, near Barnstaple, shot by Mr. Williams's 

 keeper (M. A. M., Zool. 181!?. \x 12115). 



A female flew ashore and alighted on a small boat, where it was captured alive, at 

 Seaton, ilay 20th, 18(j'J (J. G-.). A female, near the Start Lighthouse, in May 18ti'». 

 One wa.s killed in the allotment-ground close to Axiuinster Railway-Station about 1872 

 (Pulman"s ' Book of the Axe,' p. 25). One was killed near Ernie Bridge, May 2Gth, 1873, 

 having been observed for a fortnight previously (J. G., Zool. 1873, p. 3638). An adult 

 was taken alive by hand near Plymouth, exhausted by starvation, April 1876 (M. A. M., 

 Zool. 187fi, p. 5t»46). Avery handsome male bird was shot at South Milton, June 2nd, 

 1885, and is now in "Slv. E. A. S. Elliot's collection. Another, a lovely male in full 

 plumage, shot at Paniflete on his pond there by Mr. John Bidteel, JMay 14th, 1887, is 

 now in the collection of Rev. Gr. C. Green, of M(jdbury (R. P. N.). Within a year or 

 two a Little Bittern was blown ashore one stormy night at Teignmoutli, and was 

 c.iptured alive, but soon died (W. R. H. J., in litL). 



The Little Bittern, according to !^^r. Rodd, does not appear to be so 

 often noticed in Cornwall as it is in Devonshire. ^Ye know of four or five 

 Somerset examples, and seven or eight arc mentioned by Mr, Manscl- 

 ricvdell as having occurred in Dorsetshire. 



The call-note of the Little Bittern, heard at night, resembles the short 

 bark of a dog, and (iiiite recently a gentleman writing to ' Land aud Water ' 

 from Ireland, describing a live Little Bittern which he had in his possession, 

 added that after he had become familiar with its cry he recognized it as 

 one he had often heard of evenings in his neighbourhood. It is thus to 

 be presumed that this bird may have successfully nested in that part of 

 Ireland, as it is believed to have done occasionally in the county of 

 Xorfolk. 



Night-Heron. Nycticorax griseiis (Linn.). 



A casual visitor in spring and autumn. 



The record of the Xight-Hcron in Devon.shire is, indeed, a sad one. 

 This singular bird has made several efforts to obtain a home by the 

 banks of our beautiful trout-streams, but has almost invariably fallen a 

 victim to the gun. Had it been unmolested it would certainly have 

 r< ared its voung with us, and have returned again each spring to the 

 same neighbourhood. The flourishing colony of Xigbt-Herons in the 

 Zoological (jrardcns in London is a sufficient witness to the suitaliility of 

 our climate to this species. It is a .shameful reflection upon our hospi- 

 tality and common sense when we recount flu; list of harmless, ])cautiful, 

 and interesting birds which are wantonly butchered and iireveiited from 

 establisliing themselves in our midst. Already we have mourned over 

 the (idlden Oriole, tlic Hoopoe, and Montagu's Harrier ; and now W(i have 

 to complain that, like those birds, the Ni^ht-Horon has been similarl}' 

 disajijiointed in its attempt to domicile itself in thiscounlrv. In tho 

 months of May and June, in the year l.s4!J (we grieve to recount tho 



