Ardea. 
BIRDS. CULTRIROSTRES. 
97 
coverts, and the alulae epurice^ dusky-lead colour, with a cinereous dash ; the 
primaries very slightly tipped with brown ; the secondaries and the gi’eater 
coverts tipped more deeplj'^ with the same, and prettily speckled on the light 
part ; the tertials correspond with the lower order of scapulars, which have 
their margins chesnut, with small dusky lines and spots : the tail is short, 
and in colour similar to the tertials : the wings, when closed, do not reach 
to the end of the tail : the legs are 3| inches in length, from, the heel to the 
knee : the toes long and slender, the middle one, including the claw (which 
is fths of an inch in length, and pectinated on the inner side), is as long as the 
leg ; the claws are not much hooked, but the hind one most so, and by far the 
longest ; their colour dusky -brown. The colour of the legs, and bare space 
above the knee (which last is about an inch), appears to have been greenish.” 
— MmUagu. 
6. A. minuta. Little Bittern Temm. Orn. ii. 584. — Pennant states, that 
an individual of this species was shot, as it perched on a tree in the Quarry 
at Shrewsbury, on the banks of the Severn, (Brit. Zool. ii. 633). Another 
was shot at Sanda, Orkney, 1805, by Mr Strang at Lopness. A third, as 
stated by Montagu (Supp. Orn. Diet.), was shot contiguous to the river Cre- 
dey, in Devonshire, in the month of May 1808. 
7 . A. cequinocUalis of Latham. — A. russata of Temminck (Orn. ii. 566.) — A 
single individual of this species, a female, was killed, according to Montagu 
(Lin. Trans, ix. lO?-)? i^ear Kingsbridge, Devonshire, the latter end of Octo- 
ber 1805. 
8. A. Cayanensis^ (Latham) A single individual of this species was taken 
near the walls of the town of Yarmouth, 24th May 1824, a notice of which 
was communicated to the Secretary of the Linnean Society, by Mr J. Youell. 
— Linn, Trans, xiv. 588. 
9. Grus cinerea. Common Crane — Merret (Pinax, 1 83.) notices this spe- 
cies among his English animals, without a remark. Willoughby (Orn. 200.), 
states, that they frequently visit this country, and that numerous flocks, 
during summer^ haunt the fens of Lincoln and Cambridge, but he had not evi- 
dence of their breeding there. Bay, however, when referring to the same 
bird, states their visits as occurring in the winter seasort, (Syn. Av. 95.). As 
this bird breeds in more northern regions, its visits here must either be in 
the course of its polar or equatorial migrations ; i. e. in spring and autumn, 
or during winter — Lesley (De Origine, Moribus et Bebus gestis Scotorum, 
p. 25.) speaks of cranes as common ( Grues plurimi ) in Scotland ; and Sibbald 
(Scot. 111.) adds, that they sometimes visit Orkney — In more modern times, 
the visits of this species have been rare indeed. Pennant mentions a single 
instance of an individual shot near Cambridge (Brit. Zool. ii. 629.). A small 
flock appeared, during harvest, in 1807, in Tingwall, Zetland, as I Avas in- 
formed by the Bev. John Turnbull, the Avorthy minister of the parish, who 
added that they fed on grain. 
10. Ciconia alba. White Stork — Temm. Orn. ii. 560 — Merret (Pinax, 181.), 
Willoughby (Orn. 210.), and Bay (Syn. Av. 970, agree in considering this 
bird as a rare visitant of this country. Pennant takes no notice of the bird. 
Montagu mentions (Supp. Orn. Diet.) one killed at SandAvich, Kent, in 1805, 
and another in Hampshire, in the autumn of 1808. 
11. C. nigra. Black Stork — Temm. Orn. ii. 561. — This bird has only 
occurred once in this country, so as to come under the notice of the na- 
turalist. It was secured after a slight Avound, at Stoke St Gregory, Somer- 
setshire, 13th May 1814, and, fortunately for science, was conveyed to Mr 
Montagu. In his possession, its manners, and the progress of its moulting, 
were carefully observed. — Linn. Trans, xii. 19. 
12. Psophia crepitans — A single example of this bird occurred in Surrey. 
According to the notices communicated by Lord Stanley to Montagu, (Supp. 
VOL. I, 
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