BIRDS. 



219 



[Ardea purpurea, L. Purple Heron. 



Eare occasional visitant. Imperfect evidence of its occurrence within the area. 



A specimen of this rare visitor is said to be in the Castle at Drumtochty 

 which was shot in January 1895, and is given on the authority of Mr. 

 A. N. Simpson, quoting Mr. James Milne ; but Mr. Milne, who has seen this 

 collection, has no remembrance ("memory does not confirm the identification 

 of this special bird"), and Mr. Milne's list does not contain any reference 

 to it, nor do I find any other reference to it anywhere except the above by 

 Mr. Simpson in the Annals Scot. Nat. Hist. (1899, p. 198, q.v.). 



I am obliged, therefore, according to rule, to retain it in square brackets. 

 Perhaps these may yet be removed, but meanwhile they must stand due to 

 imperfection of record.] 



[Nycticorax griseus (L.). Night-Heron. 



I have the note by Mr. W. Berwick, " Irregular visitor," but u ithout further 

 information to date (17th May 1906).] 



Botaurus stellaris (L.). Bittern. 



Once presumably a common species, and resident. Now rare, and only 

 occasionally met ^vith ; and Col. Drummond Hay very naturally puts 

 down as the reason for its disappearance "the reclamation of land 

 and drainage of old haunts and vast areas of swamps." 



Don even in 1813 spoke of it as only of occasional appearance, 

 and he gives some instances, but considered it "a rare bird." One 

 was shot in the White Mire, near Forfar, in 1789. 



In 1862 I find that Mr. Small, of Edinburgh, received one for 

 preservation " from Perthshire " on 28th October (Registers). 



Col. Drummond Hay records a very fine example shot on the 

 Guller Hole fishings on the Tay, immediately below Mugdrum House, 

 in the spring of the year — fifteen years previous to 1879 — say of the 

 season 1863-4. Col. Drummond Hay was informed of the fact by 

 Mr. Cuthbert, the then tenant of the place, and adds: "Probably 

 one of a large flight mentioned by Mr. Gould as reaching our shores 

 that winter, 'when,' quoting Mr. Gould, 'examples were killed all 

 over the country, from the extreme west of Cornwall to the northern- 

 most part of Scotland.'" I have not had the opportunity of seeing 

 or consulting Mr. Gould's great work. 



Another fine specimen was killed in the neighbourhood of Blair- 

 gowrie, and is in the collection in the Perth Museum, but the date is 

 not attainable. 



