152 LITTLE BITTERN 
thighs buff, and the back dashed with the same colour. 
This was shot in 1882." 
The Herons which haunt the shore are constantly mobbed 
and buffeted by Rooks, ‘ Greybacks,’ and Gulls. 
Mr. Roeder (‘ Folk-Lore of the South of the Isle of Man, 
Y. L. M., iii. 181) mentions the fancy that ‘March borrowed 
three days of February to catch the Crane on the nest; but 
he only caught her tail, and the Crane has no tail since 
that time.’ (See under ‘ Raven,’ ante.) 
The Heron is well distributed in Britain, and in Ireland 
breeds in every county, there being a number of heronries 
in Down and Antrim. In Kirkcudbrightshire there are 
several heronries, and north-western England has still a fair, 
though decreasing, number, There is one at least in Angle- 
sea. The species breeds but scarcely in Orkney, and 
seemingly not at all in Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, 
in all which groups, however, it is, out of the season of 
breeding, a familiar bird. 
[ARDETTA MINUTA (Uinn.). LITTLE 
- BITTERN. 
Mr. Kermode includes this species in his latest list 
with the following remark: ‘ Now extinct.” Mr. Crellin, of 
Orrysdale, had a note of one shot by him at Castletown 
many years ago; and I have heard of one or two other 
instances. A specimen has been recorded from Armagh, 
1 It may perhaps have been a similar specimen which, as reported by Mr. 
Baily in Y. Z. M., vol. 1. pt. ii. p. 84, was seen on 14th June 1889 near the Pier 
Head at Castletown, and also a week before on the shore at Poolvash by Mr. 
Preston of that place. Mr. Kinvig and Mr. Baily at the time thought it a Great 
White Heron (Ardea alba, Linn., extremely rare as a British bird). 
2 Has not this slipped in here in error for the next species (Botawrus stellaris) ? 
