2, o 3 



Haddingtonshire on the 9th June 1840, and is preserved in the collection at Tyninghame House, 

 East Lothian. Mr. Robert Gray says that on referring to Mr. Dunn's copy of the ' Historia 

 Naturalis Orcadensis,' one of the authors has stated in manuscript that two specimens were met 

 with on the island of Damsay, in Orkney. 



It has not occurred in Greenland or Iceland, but has been met with on several occasions in 

 Scandinavia. Dr. Sundstrom informs me that at least five examples have been killed in Sweden, 

 viz. one at Vesteras in November 1856, one near Nykoping on the 24th October 1868, one in 

 Ostergothland on the coast, one late in May 1876 at Bjornd, and one late in May 1877 near 

 Eskilstuna ; and to this I may add that one is said to have been obtained in Linnseus's time at 

 Araslof, in Skane. It has not been observed in Finland ; but Sabanaeff remarks that it is said to 

 nest in the Shadrinsk district, in Central Russia ; and Artzibascheff says that it is common on 

 the lakes of the Sarpa, especially on those in the southern districts, where it nests. He remarks 

 that there is a great individual variation in size. According to Mr. Taczanowski this Egret is 

 very rare in Poland. There is a specimen in the Warsaw Museum which was killed in Lomza. 



Referring to its range in Germany, Von Homeyer (who found it breeding in Silesia) writes 

 (J. f. 0. 1863, p. 440) : — " Naumann did not know of any instance of this Heron having nested in 

 Germany ; and, according to him, its breeding-places are to be found further to the east and 

 south-east — Southern Siberia, Persia, and Syria, the districts of the Black Sea and the Caspian, 

 the Lower Danube, Southern Greece and the surrounding islands, Hungary, and Galicia being 

 the chief resorts of our bird during the breeding-season ; whilst it is rarely met with in Northern 

 Africa, especially the north-western parts, in Spain, Southern France, and Italy. In South Ger- 

 many it is even a rare occurrence to see it during the time of migration, whilst its appearance in 

 Central and North Germany creates quite a sensation. It is more frequently met with in Austria 

 and Silesia, coming over from Syrmia, Southern Hungary, and the Military Frontier. It has as 

 yet never been observed in Anhalt; one specimen was obtained near Berlin in 1824, and another 

 near Erfurt. According to H. Schlegel one specimen of the Great White Heron was killed in 

 the Netherlands in 1855." Its occurrence in Belgium does not appear to be quite authenticated ; 

 but it was obtained near Metz by Mr. Holandre, and also at Lindres. Baillon cites its occur- 

 rence near Abbeville ; and one was obtained on the Somme. It has frequently been killed near 

 the mouth of the Rhone, though not in breeding-dress. 



I do not find it recorded from Portugal ; and it is very rare in Spain. Mr. Saunders states 

 that he saw one in the Coto de Donana on the 2nd May ; but Colonel Irby writes (Orn. Str. Gibr. 

 p. 184) : — " On the Spanish side I never saw one, or heard of a specimen being obtained. I 

 know the bird well, having shot them both in the Crimea and in India, and could not well be 

 mistaken ; and although seeing is believing, seeing only is not sufficient evidence to include a 

 bird in a list." I find that Bailly cites two occurrences in Savoy — one at the end of the winter 

 of 1847, on the shores of the Lac du Bourget, and another on the 13th April 1849, on the 

 Isere, near Montinelian, two others having been seen with this latter bird. In Italy it is of 

 somewhat rare occurrence in the northern provinces ; but it is not at all uncommon in Sardinia 

 and Sicily in the large marshes. Mr. A. B. Brooke records it as being very common in winter 

 on the former island ; Mr. C. Bygrave Wharton saw one at Bigulia, in Corsica, on the 30th 

 April ; and Schembri states that it is a rare visitor to Malta. 



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