American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus: an historic first for Essex
the details for specimen #479 have been erroneously copied for specimen #957 and therefore can be
discounted. It is also possible that the 12 shillings cost should have been written against the Davis
#956 specimen, which was in a case with Lapwings.
The #958 specimen is clearly the Thomas Smith Cambridgeshire specimen recorded in the Scientific
Order (A) above.
(C) "Memoirs or notes relative to the Birds in Saffron Walden Museum by Mr Joseph Clarke.
Found among his papers. "
This section is headed by the above hand-written text and consists of 19th century printed labels of
bird names in scientific order with the English then scientific name, commencing from page 60. On
page 112. there are labels for the heron family, and on the Bittern label there are three hand-written
annotations, the first two in black ink, the third in pencil (indicating a later entry);
'One shot at Wenden 1826. in Museum.
One shot at Audley End by Ld Braybrooke 1831
One female shot by Geo Webb at Wenden Jan 10 1849'
On the back of this Bittern label is written "occasionally taken in Yarmouth ". The next label, Botaurus
mokoho American Bittern, has no comments. The first entry is highly significant as both the
locality and year are given AND "in Museum " is stated, so the origin and present location of
the Bittern #479 in sections (A) and (B) are finally deduced and confirmed. The specimen is
also confirmed as being in the Museum.
The above entries are quoted almost word for word by Christy (1890), indicating to me that these
labels are an historical reference to Bitterns collected locally in chronological order and not a record
of Bittern specimens donated to the Museum.
Joseph Clarke is confirmed as the author of the notes on all the labels by the header. Christy (1890,
page 11) acknowledged Joseph Clarke "... he has kindly allowed me to make many very interesting
extracts from a book of memoranda in which he entered miscellaneous observations and notes of
rare birds occurring around Saffron Walden between the years of 1820 and 1845, or thereabouts".
The reference to Yarmouth, on the back of the Bittern label, also coincides with the place Joseph
Clarke frequented in his youth, according to his obituary (Fitch 1895) and from where his donated
specimen (A and #478 in B above) originated.
Against Stone Curlew, Christy (1890) directly quoted from Clarke's manuscript for the Saffron
Walden district with 'occasionally breeds here'. This quote is indeed to be found on the Stone
Curlew label and there are many other, near direct quotes for other species (eg Two-barred and
Parrot Crossbills, Tengmalm's Owl, Peregrine, etc.). Therefore I can confirm without question that
Christy's reference 24 is the collection of these printed labels with annnotations.
(D) On page 156, hand-written text gives: "The following pages contain an account of the
birds in the Museum and appear to have been compiled before the foregoing. "
The Original Notes commence from page 157, again in scientific order, and on page 191 there are
two hand-written, ink entries for Bittern:
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 19 (2002)
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