198 
THE BIRDS OF HAMPSHIRE. 
and finest resident birds, and is surely deserving of 
toleration. 
Many are destroyed in the inland parts of the central 
district, on the streams where the fishing is strictly pre- 
served, though the damage done by the birds to the fish is 
comparatively trifling. 
147. Ardea purpurea. Purple Heron. 
A very rare accidental visitor from Central and Southern 
Europe. 
In the Hart collection at Christchurch there is a speci- 
men procured at Ashley Farm, near Stockbridge, June 30th, 
1875. 
In Mr. Willett's collection there was also a sj^ecimen, 
which was shot at Alverstone, in the Isle of Wight, in 
1890. 
This example came into the possession of Mr. F. 
Smith, who now lives at Mill Hill, Cowes, but was formerly 
in business as a taxidermist at Newport, and from whom 
Mr. Willett procured most of his collection. 
Smith relates that it was shot by the miller at Alver- 
stone, who, thinking it was a variety of the common 
heron, buried it ; but, on hearing it described, Smith 
induced the man to dig it up and bring it to him, when he 
found it, as he had supposed, to be a purple heron, and 
he made the best specimen possible of the bird, which had 
been buried several days. 
Mr. Wadham, who succeeded Smith, first gave us 
information of this very rare specimen. 
