262 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
most fully believe in them.* The circumstance of a pair 
being got together is no argument against them: I appre- 
hend we have several instances on record of two examples 
of an American bird being obtained in England at the same 
time. 
Here my long list of twenty-six cases terminates. To. 
give a summary of them I should say that at least fifteen 
have been cases of mistaken identity, but the remaining 
eleven I believe to have been correctly named; albeit, I 
am persuaded that five were foreign skins, though it is not 
for me to say that they were wilfully palmed off as British. 
But it must be as clear as daylight to anyone, that it would 
be very unfair to doubt all on that account; and I would 
indicate as those most deserving of credence the examples 
at Aberdeen, Warrington, Eastbourne, Whitby, Kingsbury, 
and Mildenhall. Other American Sandpipers have occurred 
dozens of times in England and not been doubted, why 
then the Spotted ? 
GREAT WHITE HERON. 
British authors have wavered a good deal about the 
Great White Heron, but it is now pretty well established. 
It certainly has not been for lack of records, for besides the 
sixteen enumerated by Mr. Harting in his Hand List, I can 
name six. 
Firstly. A specimen supposed to have been killed in 
Norfolk, ¢este Mr. Thurtle (B. of Norf., II, p. 149); a very 
poor one, with all the appearance of having been stuffed 
from a skin. 
Secondly. A specimen in the sale of Mr. Stephen Miller's 
collection, lot 47, bought for seven and sixpence, but by 
* Probably the above was the authority for including the species in 
the list in Gowland’s ‘“‘ Guide to Eastbourne.” 
