186
THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
eral days. It is now in the possession of Sir Chas. C. Smith, of Suttons. English
describes it as an occasional visitor to Epping Forest (43. i. 24), probably on the
strength of the foregoing record. In the winter of 1879-80, Mr, Travis received
for preservation one shot at Ashdon. Mr. Laver records one (40. viii. 342), killed
near Colchester by flying against the telegraph wires late in the autumn of 1884,
and says another had occurred there a few years before (? Dr. Bree's). Dr. Salter
has the former, Mr. Hart received two specimens from Essex on June 15th, 1867
—a very strange date, but he does not state their exact locality (34. 1511). It is
not easy to believe they were breeding, though Mr. Bond says (23. 1969) he
received " a young bird of the year, which I believe has been bred in the neigh-
bourhood, as there are some remains of the nestling-down, and it is not fully
fledged." This individual was shot by a barge-man on the River Lea, near
Enfield, on Sept. 18th, 1847,
Night Heron: Nycticorax griscus.
A rare straggler to Britain, chiefly in spring or autumn. I am not
aware of its having been met with more than once in Essex.
An immature female in spotted plumage and weighing 27 ounces, was shot at
Dovercourt on Nov. 29th, 1880 (Kerry—40. v. 68). It was preserved by Ambrose,
of Colchester.*
Bittern : Botaurus stellaris.
Once a common resident, before the draining of the extensive
swamps it used to frequent, but yearly becoming rarer, and now only
a winter visitor. A considerable number have, however, been
obtained in Essex during the last half-century. It probably bred
commonly in the county many years ago, but the Rev. J. C. Atkinson
never heard of its doing so, even in his early days. It is by no
means improbable that some of the following specimens would, on
careful examination, prove to belong to a distinct species, the
American Bittern (B. lentiginosus), which, though a rare straggler in
Britain, has occurred at least a score of times. It is a very common
American bird and closely allied to our species, but is distinguishable
chiefly by its uniform dull leaden-brown primaries.
Mr. J. Cunnington, of Braintree, in 1838, endeavoured to prove (19) that
Springfield was the original of Goldsmith's "Deserted Village." In support of
his argument he advances the fact that,
" the Bittern, although a scarce bird in Essex, is by no means unknown, for a
pair only a few years ago were frequently seen near, and known to frequent, a piece
of low sedgy ground at Halstead, and I lately saw three which had been shot near
Maldon and sent to Mr. Walford at Witham to be stuffed. During the last severe
winter, a wounded Bittern was caught alive in Baddow Mead, which is within a
mile and a half of Springfield village. It is now in a fine collection of stuffed
birds belonging to a gentleman at Chelmsford."
Mr. Clarke notes the occurrence (24) of the following specimens :—One at
* A specimen recorded by Dr. Bree to have been killed near Colchester in the winter of 1880-81
and preserved by Ambrose (29. Apr. 23 ; and 32a) is, presumably, the same bird. According to
Pennant, the first British specimen was shot in 1782 "near London "—perhaps in Essex.