History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Ardea. BIRDS. CULTRIROSTRES. 97coverts, and the ahdce spuria', dusky-lead colour, with a cinereous dash ; theprimaries very slightly tipped with brown ; the secondaries and the greatercoverts tipped more deeply with the same, and prettily speckled on the lightpart ;the tertials correspond with the lower order of scapulars, which havetheir 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 reachto the end of the tail : the legs are 3f inches in length, from the heel to theknee : the toes long and slender, the middle one, including the claw (whichis fths of an inch in length, and pectinated on the inner side), is as long as theleg the claws are not much hooked, hut the hind one most ;so, and by far thelongest ; their colour dusky-brown. The colour of the legs, and bare spaceabove the knee (which last is about an inch), appears to have been greenish."— Montagu.6. A. minuta. Little Bittern.— Temm. Orn. ii. 584.— Pennant states, thatan individual of this species was shot, as itperched on a tree in the Quanyat Shrewsbury, on the banks of the Severn, (Brit. Zool. ii.633). Anotherwas shot at Sanda, Orkney, 1805, by Mr Strang at Lopness. A third, asstated by Montagu (Supp. Orn. Diet.), was shot contiguous to the river Credey,in Devonshire, in the month of May 1808.7. A. wquinoctialis of Latham A. russata of Temminck (Orn. ii. 56G.)—Asingle individual of this species, a female, was killed, according to Montagu(Lin. Trans, ix. 197-), near Kingsbridge, Devonshire, the latter end of October1805.8. A. Cayanensis, (Latham).— A single individual of this species was takena notice of whichnear the walls of the town of Yarmouth, 24th May 1824,was communicated to the Secretary of the Linnean Society, by Mr J. Youell.— Linn. Trans, xiv. 588.9. Grus cinerea. Common Crane—Merret (Pinax, 183.) notices this speciesamong 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 evidenceof their breeding there. Ray, however, when referring to the samebird, states their visits as occurring in the winter season, (Syn. Av. 95.). Asthis bird breeds in more northern regions, its visits here must either be inthe course of its polar or equatorial migrations ; i. e. in spring and autumn,or during winter— Lesley (De Origine, Moribus et Rebus 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 modem times,the visits of this species have been rare indeed. Pennant mentions a singleinstance of an individual shot near Cambridge (Brit. Zool. ii. 629.). A smallflock appeared, during harvest, in 1807, in Ting wall, Zetland, as I was informedby the Rev. John Turnbull, the worthy minister of the parish, whoadded that thev fed on grain. B*10. Ckoniaalba. White Stork— Temm. Orn. ii. 560 Merret (Pinax, 181.),Willoughby (Orn. 210.), and Ray (Syn. Av. 97-), agree in considering thisbird as a rare visitant of this country." Pennant takes no notice of the bird.Montagu mentions (Supp. Orn. Diet.) one killed at Sandwich, Kent, in 1805,and another in Hampshire, in the autumn of 1808.11. C. nigra. Black Stork— Temm. Orn. ii. 561.— This bird has onlvoccurred once in this country, so as to come under the notice of the naturalist.It was secured after a slight wound, at Stoke St Gregory, Somersetshire,13th May 1814, and, fortunately for science, was conveyed to MrMontagu. 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, (Sup'p.VOL. I.G