BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 235 
a fine specimen, still in wonderfully good preservation, 
trom Sir WiDiam Jardine's collection, labelled " Winter 
f " = ^""^ ^^'^ specimen 
T » ^''^t^' in tl^e vicinity of 
Jardme Hall " described by Sir William Jardine in his 
Naturahsts Library* In the Catalogue of the Birds 
contaivM in the collection of Sir William Jardine the 
only Dumfriesshire specimen of a Bittern mentioned, is 
recorded as shot at Dinwoodie by A. Maxwell. Dinwoodie 
being m the same parish, and within two miles of Jardine 
Hall, It IS presumable that we now possess the complete 
history of this specimen. 
Sir WiUiam Jardine records in his MS. "Calendar" 
a Bittern sent him from Dumfries on February 4th 1829 
ri K ^t! •'^cTf^' '■ " °f 1830-31, is mentioned; 
both by Mr. Selby and Mr. Yarrell, as remarkable for the 
number of specimens which were obtained. In the south of 
Scotland a similar comparative abundance occurred ; several 
were brought to me in Dumfriesshire; and on a visit to 
±-dinburgh. It was found that the bird preservers there 
had obtained also a more than usual number of specimens 
bmce that period, they have not been seen in Scotland 
except as stray individuals."t Further evidence of this 
unusual immigration is afforded by the following from the 
Dumfries and Galloway Courier of January 11th, 1831 • " At 
one time it tenanted almost every marsh ; . ' but for a 
number of years, from the draining of bogs, and other 
improvements, the Bittern seems to have deserted our shores 
almost entirely, and is only occasionally driven to them by 
causes which it is not easy to account for. . . Mr 
Johnstone informs us that he is aware of no fewer than 
fave Bitterns which have been kiUed in this neighbourhood 
Lw., Dumfries] within the last few days, three of which are in 
ms own possession for the purpose of being stuffed " 
In the New Statistical Account of Scotland Sir WiUiam 
* Nat. Lib., 1842, Vol. XII., p. 146. 
t Op. cit., 1842, Vol. XII., p. 144. 
