A HISTORY OF ESSEX 147. Night-Heron. Nycticorax griseus (Linn.). A rare straggler. An immature female was shot at Dovercourt on November 29, 1880 (Zoologist, 1881, p. 68), and a young male at Brightlingsea on December 5, 1891 (see Essex Standard, Dec. 17, 1891). 148. Little Bittern. Ardetta minuta (Linn.). A rare and irregular visitor. Six or eight individuals are known to have occurred in the county, most of them in the autumn, but two were obtained in the middle of June, 1867, when it is just possible they were breeding. 149. Bittern. Botaurus stellaris (Linn.). Formerly, without doubt, a common resi- dent, but now an uncommon and irregular winter visitor only, though a good many specimens have been met with. Probably some of these would prove, if examined critically, to be the American Bittern (B. len- tiginosus], which has occurred not unfrequently in Britain. 150. White Stork. Ciconia alba, Bechstein. An occasional visitor. Two were taken at Tillingham in January 1879 (Chelmsford Chronicle, January 31, 1879). 151. Black Stork. Ciconia nigra (Linn.). Another accidental straggler. A fine fe- male was shot beside the Stour at Stoke- by-Nayland on or about April 12, 1881 (see Birds of Essex, p. 1 88). 152. Glossy Ibis. Plegadis fakinellus (Linn.). Another accidental straggler. An im- mature individual was shot as it rose from the old decoy pond on the South Hall Mar- shes, Paglesham, on October 15, 1872 (see Birds of Essex, p. 189). 153. Spoonbill. Platalea leucorodia, Linn. Once without doubt a resident, breeding in the county, though there is, I believe, no actual record of its having done so. Now it is only an occasional visitor, chiefly during spring and autumn. [Flamingo. Phcenicopterus roseus, Pallas. An exceedingly rare straggler to Britain. One seen on our coast was afterwards shot in the isle of Sheppey on August 16, 1873. It was probably one which had escaped shortly before from the Zoological Society's Gardens.] 154. Grey-lag Goose. Anser cinereus, Meyer. A winter visitor to our coast during severe weather. Occasionally seen inland. 155. White-fronted Goose. Anser albifrons (Scopoli). A not uncommon winter visitor. 156. Bean Goose. Anser segetum (Gmelin). An uncommon winter visitor. 157. Pink-footed Goose. Anser brachyrhyn- chus, Baillon. An occasional winter visitor. 158. Red-breasted Goose. Bernicla ruficollh (Pallas). An exceedingly rare straggler to Britain. One was shot out of a flock of brent geese on the Main, off Tillingham, near the Ray Sands, on January 6, 1871 (Essex Naturalist, i. 35). 159. Barnacle Goose. Bernicla leucopsis (Bech- stein). A rather uncommon winter visitor. 1 60. Brent Goose. Bernicla brenta (Pallas). An abundant winter visitor to the seas around our coast, especially during severe winters, arriving usually early in October : seldom seen inland except when wounded. The vast numbers formerly seen now come however no longer. The numbers killed by the discharge of a single punt gun or by the discharge of a number of such guns fired simultaneously into a flock are often aston- ishingly large as many as fifty in the former case and seven hundred in the latter (see Birds of Essex, p. 193). The light-bellied North American race (the B. brenta-glauco- gaster of some writers) occurs not infrequently in small numbers. 161. Whooper Swan. Cygnus musicus, Bech- stein. A winter visitor to our coast, and occa- sionally seen inland. Its numbers with us depend largely upon the severity of the weather. 162. Bewick's Swan. Cygnus bewicki, Yarrell. Locally, Little Swan. As the foregoing. 163. Mute Swan. Cygnus olor (Gmelin). Common in a more or less domesticated condition : probably met with occasionally during winter in a genuinely wild state. 164. Sheld-Duck. Tadorna cornuta (S. G. Gmelin). Locally, Bar-goose. A resident on our coast, though very much less common than formerly and decreasing as a breeding species : more often seen in winter. 246
