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  THE 
  VEKTEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  One 
  was 
  shot 
  near 
  Don-mouth, 
  October 
  29th, 
  1872, 
  and 
  

   is 
  now 
  in 
  Aberdeen 
  University 
  Museum. 
  

  

  [Ardea 
  alba, 
  Linn. 
  Great 
  White 
  Heron. 
  

  

  " 
  A 
  White 
  Heron, 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  Egret, 
  was 
  observed 
  

   on 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Strathbeg 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  

   1816. 
  It 
  was 
  seen 
  for 
  several 
  days 
  to 
  frequent 
  the 
  same 
  

   spot, 
  but 
  on 
  being 
  fired 
  at 
  once 
  or 
  twice 
  it 
  left 
  and 
  did 
  not 
  

   return." 
  (Edward, 
  Naturalist, 
  vol. 
  iv., 
  p. 
  243.)] 
  

  

  Genus 
  NYCTICORAX, 
  Stephens. 
  

   Nycticorax 
  griseus, 
  Linn. 
  Night 
  Heron. 
  

  

  " 
  One 
  was 
  shot 
  at 
  Mennie, 
  eight 
  miles 
  from 
  Aberdeen, 
  

   January, 
  1865, 
  and 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  the 
  late 
  James 
  

   Buchan, 
  Esq. 
  of 
  Auchmacoy." 
  (Taylor's 
  MS.) 
  

  

  Genus 
  BOTAURUS, 
  Stephens. 
  

  

  Botaurus 
  minuta, 
  Linn. 
  Little 
  Bittern. 
  

  

  On 
  October 
  21st, 
  1866, 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  this 
  rare 
  bird 
  flew 
  

   on 
  board 
  the 
  vessel 
  " 
  Ellen 
  of 
  Dysart 
  " 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  a 
  

   Water-Rail 
  while 
  the 
  vessel 
  was 
  entering 
  the 
  port 
  of 
  Aber- 
  

   deen, 
  and 
  was 
  presented 
  to 
  me 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Thomson, 
  the 
  master 
  

   and 
  owner 
  of 
  the 
  ship. 
  The 
  stomach 
  of 
  the 
  bird 
  contained 
  

   fragments 
  of 
  beetles. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Gray 
  records 
  one 
  as 
  having 
  been 
  shot 
  by 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  Bowie 
  

   on 
  the 
  28th 
  May, 
  1868, 
  "at 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  the 
  Don 
  and 
  the 
  

   Ury 
  below 
  Keith-hall." 
  The 
  same 
  writer 
  also 
  mentions 
  that 
  

   " 
  an 
  immature 
  male 
  was 
  shot 
  on 
  a 
  marsh 
  near 
  Fintray 
  House 
  

   on 
  23rd 
  September, 
  1868." 
  

  

  Botaurus 
  stellaris, 
  Linn. 
  Common 
  Bittern. 
  

   " 
  Mire 
  Drum." 
  

  

  Although 
  this 
  bird 
  has 
  got 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  " 
  Common 
  

   Bittern," 
  it 
  has 
  now 
  become 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  most 
  uncommon 
  

   birds. 
  Considering 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  inland 
  lochs, 
  fringed 
  as 
  

   most 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  with 
  broad 
  belts 
  of 
  marsh, 
  covered 
  with 
  

   rank 
  vegetation 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  Bittern 
  loves, 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  

  

  