Chapter II: , p. 14, foot-note, was seen about twenty-five years ago by

one of the Forest keepers, near Eyeworth Wood; but though on horseback, he could not overtake the bird, which ran across Butt’s Plain, aiding itself by flapping its wings.

Little Bustard. (_Otis tetrax_, Lin.) A female was shot some years ago near Heron Court; and is in Lord Malmesbury’s collection. _See_ Eyton’s Rarer British Birds, p. 99.

Kildeer Plover. (_Charadrius vociferus_, Lin.) This rare straggler, the only one ever known to have been seen in England, was shot, April, 1859, in a potato field close to Knapp Mill, near Christchurch, by a man of the name of Dowding, who was attracted to it by its peculiar flight, such as is described by Audubon, as also by its monotonous cry, from which its name is taken. The bird was brought in the flesh to Mr. Hart, and is now in the collection of J. Tanner, Esq. The vignette at p. 318 well shows its difference from the common ring dotterel.

Little Ringed Plover. (_Charadrius minor_, Meyer.) Very rare. Mr. Hart has only had one specimen, brought to him many years ago.

Grey Plover. (_Vanellus melanogaster_, Bechst.) Not uncommon during severe winters in the harbours along the coast.

Turnstone. (_Strepsilas interpres_, Ill.) Not uncommon. My friend, Mr. Tanner, has killed both male and female in summer plumage.

Oyster-catcher. (_Hæmatopus ostralegus_, Lin.) By no means uncommon.

Purple Heron. (_Ardea purpurea_, Lin.) One or two specimens have occasionally been shot.

Little Egret. (_Ardea garzetta_, Lin.) Mr. Rake informs me that one was said to have been shot some years ago at Hale, on the borders of the Forest. Yarrell mentions another (vol. ii., p. 554) killed, in 1822, on the Stour near Christchurch.

Squacco Heron. (_Ardea ralloides_, Scop.) A solitary specimen, shot a few years ago at Christchurch Harbour, is now in Lord Malmesbury’s collection. See Eyton’s _Rarer British Birds_, p. 100, where Dewhurst must probably be a misprint for Christchurch.

Little Bittern. _(Ardea minuta_, Lin.) Mr. Hart, to whom I am under so many obligations for notices of our stragglers, informs me that a fine male bird was shot, April, 26, 1862, on the borders of the Forest, at Heron Court, by one of Lord Malmesbury’s keepers.

Night Heron. (_Nycticorax ardeola_, Tem.) Mr. Hart has occasionally received a specimen.

Glossy Ibis. (_Ibis falcinellus_, Tem.) Mr. Hart killed a young pair in a meadow near Christchurch Harbour in September, 1859.

Whimbrel. (_Numenius phæopus_, Lath.) Not so very uncommon during the late autumn and winter months along the harbours of the coast.

Spotted Redshank. (_Totanus fuscus_, Leisl.) On the authority of Mr. Hart, who has killed it in Christchurch Harbour.

Avocet. (_Recurvirostra avocetta_, Lin.) Mr. Rake informs me of a specimen shot at Exbury, Dec. 1858.

Blacktailed Godwit. (_Limosa melanura_, Leisl.) Mr. Hart received one in the spring of 1860, and a fine specimen was killed by one of the Forest keepers, some twenty years ago, on Ocknell pond. Hawker, who well knew the sea-coast of the New Forest, mentions large flocks of “grey godwits” off Keyhaven, May, 1842, but he does not distinguish between this and the next species.

Bartailed Godwit. (_Limosa rufa_, Briss.) Mr. Hart had two pair brought to him from the Mudeford Marsh, in the summer of 1861.

Ruff. (_Machetes pugnax_, Cuv.) A specimen is now and then killed.

Great Snipe. (_Scolopax major_, Gmel.) Generally one or two may be seen in the Forest every winter. Mr. Cooper, the Forest keeper, to whom I have previously referred, tells me that during the last twenty years he has shot some six or seven specimens, and has seen as many more killed.

Sabine’s Snipe. (_Scolopax Sabini_, Vigors.) _See_ Common Snipe (_Scolopax gallinago_), in the list of residents, p. 309.

Curlew Sandpiper. (_Tringa subarquata_, Tem.)

Little Stint. (_Tringa minuta_, Leisl.) Like the preceding, not so very unfrequent along the coast.

Purple Sandpiper. (_Tringa maritima_, Brün.) Occasionally seen in Christchurch Harbour.

Spotted Crake. (_Gallinula porzana_, Lath.) Has been seen both in winter and summer; and I should not be surprised to hear of its breeding.

Baillon’s Crake. (_Gallinula Baillonii_, Tem.) A female was shot near Linwood, in the Forest, Nov., 1860.

Grey Phalarope. (_Phalaropus platyrhyncus_, Tem.) Mr. Rake informs me that several specimens were killed on the Avon in the severe winter of 1855-6, and again in 1860-1. Mr. Tanner has a pair in his collection, shot in the mouth of Christchurch Harbour in summer plumage.

Whitefronted Goose. (_Anser albifrons_, Bechst.)

Bernacle Goose. (_Anser leucopsis_, Bechst.) From Mr. Hart I learn that a pair were killed some years ago between Christchurch and Barton.

Ægyptian Goose. (_Anser Ægyptiacus_, Jenyns.) From Mr. Rake I learn that a specimen was killed on the Avon, near Bicton Mill, February, 1855.

Bewick’s Swan. (_Cygnus minor_, Keys and Bl.)

Shoveller. (_Anas clypeata_, Lin.) Mr. Rake, in his manuscript notes, which he so kindly put in my hands, mentions that this and the gadwall and Bewick’s swan, were killed on the Avon during the hard winter of 1855.

Gadwall. (_Anas strepera_, Lin.)

Garganey. (_Anas querquedula_, Lin.)

Eider Duck. (_Anas mollissima_, Lin.)

Velvet Scoter. (_Anas fusca_, Lin.) Sometimes shot by the Mudeford fishermen, but always outside the bar of the harbour.

Long-tailed Duck. (_Anas glacialis_, Lin.)

Golden Eye. (_Anas clangula_, Lin.)

Smew. (_Mergus albellus_, Lin.) Seen, like the two previous, during hard winters on the Avon. Mr. Rake notes that one was killed at Breamore, Nov., 1855; and Mr. Hart writes that he once saw a person kill two at one shot in Christchurch Harbour.

Goosander. (_Mergus merganser_, Lin.) Rather rare. Mr. Rake, however, informs me that one male and two or three females were killed near Fordingbridge in the winter of 1855.

Red-necked Grebe. (_Podiceps ruficollis_, Lath.) Rather rare.

Sclavonian Grebe. (_Podiceps cornutus_, Lath.) Very rare. Mr. Hart has never known an instance of one being killed, though he has received a specimen or two from the Dorsetshire coast.

Eared Grebe. (_Podiceps auritus_, Lath.) Rather rare, but occasionally killed by the Mudeford fishermen.

Black-throated Diver. (_Colymbus arcticus_, Lin.) Occurs pretty plentifully during some winters along the coast.

Little Auk. (_Uria alle_, Tem.) Found sometimes along the coast after a heavy storm.

Caspian Tern. (_Sterna Caspia_, Pall.) On the authority of Mr. Hart one was shot, about ten years ago, in Christchurch Harbour.

Common Tern. (_Sterna hirundo_, Lin.) This, with the next, is sometimes, after a heavy gale, picked up in an exhausted state. I saw one which had been thus caught near Fordingbridge in September, 1861.

Artic Tern. (_Sterna arctica_, Flem.)

Lesser Tern. (_Sterna minuta_, Lin.) Seen during a hard winter.

Black Tern. (_Sterna nigra_, Briss.) A pair were, not long ago, shot by Mr. Charles Reeks, near the Old Bridge, Christchurch.

Little Gull. (_Larus minutus_, Pall.) Mr. Rake informs me that a pair of these rare birds were killed near Breamore, in November, 1855.

Glaucous Gull. (_Larus glaucus_, Brün.) A solitary specimen has, I believe, once been shot near Christchurch, by the Hon. Grantley Berkeley, in whose collection it is.

Common Skua. (_Lestris catarractes_, Ill.) Occasionally killed flying round Christchurch Head.

Fork-tailed Petrel. (_Thalassidroma Leachii_, Tem.) Mr. Rake informs me that a specimen was picked up dead, near Fordingbridge, November, 1859.

Stormy Petrel. (_Thalassidroma pelagica_, Vigors.) Frequently picked up dead, or exhausted, along the coast, after severe weather, with the wind blowing from the west.

Adopting Yarrell’s census, an analysis of these lists gives to the Forest district 72 out of the 140 British residents, 31 out of our 63 summer visitors, 35 winter visitors, and of rarer birds and stragglers, 90; or altogether, including the two birds of double passage, 230 species out of the whole 354.

Since these lists were arranged, Mr. Rake sends me word, concerning the reed wren, that in the winter of 1858, a nest, evidently built the preceding summer, and exactly resembling that bird’s, was found in a thick bed of reeds on the bank of the Avon, near Fordingbridge, but he has never seen the birds or eggs from the neighbourhood.

With regard to the kildeer plover, I may add that several persons saw it in the flesh, and that Mr. Tanner received it soon after it was mounted. My only surprise is with Dr. Sclater (see the _Ibis_ vol. iv., No. xv., p. 277), that a bird with so large a range of flight should not before this have been recorded as occurring in England.

The vignette is, with a slight alteration of position, taken from Mr. Tanner’s specimen.