190 MR. J. H. GURNEY ON THE GREAT WHITE HERON. 
10. — One. Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire, 1854. Most likely an 
erroneous record. 
11. — One. Perthshire, 1881. Well authenticated. 
12. — One. Perthshire, 1887. Most likely an erroneous record. 
13. — Three. Norfolk. No dates, and all very doubtful. 
14. — One. Cambridgeshire, June 1849. Well authenticated. 
Having now gone through the list we will see what there is to 
eliminate. We may at once accept Nos. 4, 6, 9, 11, 14, but we 
shall not go far wrong in rejecting Nos. 1, 2, 8, 10, 12, 13, and 
this leaves 3, 5, 7 doubtful. 
No. 4. Hornsea, 1826 
,, 14. Cambridgeshire, 1849 > 
I am forced to the conclusion that the above are the only 
undoubted Great White Herons — five examples out of fourteen — 
killed in Great Britain. In Saunders’ ‘ Yarrell,’ 4th ed., the number 
is put at six, and in the ‘ Manual ’ the same author thought it 
might be extended to eight ; but this was taking too lenient a view 
I must think, if the evidence which is now brought forward be 
fairly weighed, all of which it should be added was not available 
when his work on British ornithology was published. It only 
shows what a number of erroneous records there are of very rare 
British-killed birds, and the need for all who write in the 
Ornithological Magazines to exercise caution in verifying state- 
ments made to them, especially by any person whose interest it is 
in any way to mislead. 
,, 6. Beverley, 1835 
,, 9. Firth of Forth, 1840 
,, 11. Perthshire, 1881 ■ 
Sufficiently established as 
authentic. 
