Heron in the Channel Islands.

It is, however, included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as
occurring in Guernsey, probably on the authority of one of the earlier
specimens mentioned by Mr. MacCulloch. There is no specimen at present
in the Museum.

130. SQUACCO HERON. _Ardeola cornuta_, Pallas. French, "Heron
crabier."--I have in my collection a Guernsey-killed specimen of the
Squacco Heron, which Mr. Couch informed me was shot in that island in
the summer of 1867, and from inquiries I have made I have no doubt this
information is correct. Mr. MacCulloch also writes to me to say, "A
Squacco Heron was shot in the Vale Parish on the 14th of May, 1867, no
doubt the one Couch sent to you." This was duly recorded by me in the
'Zoologist' for 1872, and is, I believe, the first recorded instance of
its occurrence in the Channel Islands.

It is not mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, and there is no specimen
in the Museum.

131. BITTERN. _Botaurus stellaris_, Linnaeus. French, "Heron grand
butor," "Le grand butor."--Bitterns were probably at one time more
common in Guernsey than they are at present, drainage and better
cultivation having contributed to thin their numbers, as it has done in
England; and Mr. MacCulloch tells me that in his youth they were by no
means uncommon. Of late years, however, they have become much more
uncommon, though, as he adds, specimens have been shot within the last
three or four years. They seem now, however, to be confined to
occasional autumnal and winter visitants. Mr. Couch says ('Zoologist'
for 1871):--"On the 30th December, 1874, after a heavy fall of snow, I
had a female Bittern brought to me to be stuffed, shot in the morning in
the Marais; and on the 2nd of January following another was shot on the
beach near the Vale Church. I had also part of some of the
quill-feathers of a Bittern sent to me for identification by Mrs. Jago,
which had been killed in the Islands the last week in January, 1879."
These are the most recent specimens I have been able to get any account
of. The bird-stuffer in Alderney (Mr. Grieve) and his friend told me
they had shot Bitterns in that island, but did not remember the date.

The Bittern is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as
occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen in the Museum.

132. AMERICAN BITTERN. _Botaurus lentiginosus_, Montagu. French, "Heron
lentigineux."[21]--This occasional straggler from the New World ha