Hastings Rarities
Encyclopedia
The Hastings Rarities affair is a case of putative ornithological
fraud
. Two articles in the August 1962 issue of the journal British Birds
, one a statistical examination by John Nelder
, the other an editorial by Max Nicholson
and James Ferguson-Lees
, made a case for several records of birds collected within a 20 mile (32 km) radius of Hastings
, in Kent
and Sussex
, south-east England
, between 1892 and 1930, to be treated with suspicion. Consequently 29 bird species or subspecies were dropped from the British List (though most of these have subsequent acceptable records from elsewhere in Britain) and 550 records, relating to 80-90 species, were rejected. Although some of these rejected records were undoubtedly good ones, there was no easy way of distinguishing them.
Although doubts had been expressed privately for many years about the provenance of many specimens from the Hastings area, until the articles appeared there had been no systematic investigation of the records. The case made in British Birds was essentially statistical
, concerning the unlikelihood of so many records of rare or new species being made within a limited area and limited time period when compared with a similar area and with earlier and later time periods. However, most records recommended for rejection were of specimens that had passed through the hands of George Bristow (1863-1947), a taxidermist
and gunsmith
of St Leonards-on-Sea
in the borough of Hastings.
It was clear that Bristow was suspected of having been the perpetrator of a series of frauds, carried out from the 1890s over at least the first two, and possibly three, decades of the 20th century, through importing bird specimens from outside the British Isles, and selling them to wealthy ornithologists, such as Walter Rothschild
, as having been procured from the Hastings area. John Nelder later estimated that Bristow had made about £7000, a considerable amount of money at the time, from this scheme.
The deletion of several taxa from the List had considerable repercussions. As the suspect records covered nearly four decades, many had been incorporated into books about birds in Britain, including major ornithological reference works, and there was resistance from some ornithologists to accepting the deletions. David Bannerman
, in the late stages of completing his monumental The Birds of the British Isles (12 vols, 1933-63), decided to maintain his faith in the validity of the controversial Hastings records and ignore the decision to delete them from the List. Since then, most of the species dropped have been readmitted to the List on the basis of good subsequent records.
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
. Two articles in the August 1962 issue of the journal British Birds
British Birds (magazine)
British Birds is a monthly ornithology magazine that was established in 1907. It is now published by BB 2000 Ltd, which is wholly owned by The British Birds Charitable Trust , established for the benefit of British ornithology...
, one a statistical examination by John Nelder
John Nelder
John Ashworth Nelder FRS was a British statistician known for his contributions to experimental design, analysis of variance, computational statistics, and statistical theory.-Contributions:...
, the other an editorial by Max Nicholson
Edward Max Nicholson
Edward Max Nicholson was a pioneering environmentalist, ornithologist and internationalist, and a founder of the World Wildlife Fund.-Early life:...
and James Ferguson-Lees
James Ferguson-Lees
I. James Ferguson-Lees is a British ornithologist. He spent his early years in Italy and France, but was educated in Bedford, England. He turned down the chance to study zoology at Oxford University in order to get married, and became a teacher for seven years...
, made a case for several records of birds collected within a 20 mile (32 km) radius of Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, south-east England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, between 1892 and 1930, to be treated with suspicion. Consequently 29 bird species or subspecies were dropped from the British List (though most of these have subsequent acceptable records from elsewhere in Britain) and 550 records, relating to 80-90 species, were rejected. Although some of these rejected records were undoubtedly good ones, there was no easy way of distinguishing them.
Although doubts had been expressed privately for many years about the provenance of many specimens from the Hastings area, until the articles appeared there had been no systematic investigation of the records. The case made in British Birds was essentially statistical
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, concerning the unlikelihood of so many records of rare or new species being made within a limited area and limited time period when compared with a similar area and with earlier and later time periods. However, most records recommended for rejection were of specimens that had passed through the hands of George Bristow (1863-1947), a taxidermist
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
and gunsmith
Gunsmith
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds firearms. This occupation is different from an armorer. The armorer primarily maintains weapons and limited repairs involving parts replacement and possibly work involving accurization...
of St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
in the borough of Hastings.
It was clear that Bristow was suspected of having been the perpetrator of a series of frauds, carried out from the 1890s over at least the first two, and possibly three, decades of the 20th century, through importing bird specimens from outside the British Isles, and selling them to wealthy ornithologists, such as Walter Rothschild
Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild
Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild FRS , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
, as having been procured from the Hastings area. John Nelder later estimated that Bristow had made about £7000, a considerable amount of money at the time, from this scheme.
The deletion of several taxa from the List had considerable repercussions. As the suspect records covered nearly four decades, many had been incorporated into books about birds in Britain, including major ornithological reference works, and there was resistance from some ornithologists to accepting the deletions. David Bannerman
David Armitage Bannerman
David Armitage Bannerman OBE, MA, SD , Hon. LL.D. , FRSE, FZS was a British ornithologist.-Biography:After graduating from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1909, Bannerman travelled extensively in Africa, the West Indies, South America and the Atlantic Islands.Rejected on health grounds by the...
, in the late stages of completing his monumental The Birds of the British Isles (12 vols, 1933-63), decided to maintain his faith in the validity of the controversial Hastings records and ignore the decision to delete them from the List. Since then, most of the species dropped have been readmitted to the List on the basis of good subsequent records.
Bird species dropped from the British List in 1962
- Cory's ShearwaterCory's ShearwaterThe Cory's Shearwater is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.This species breeds on islands and cliffs in the Mediterranean, with the odd outpost on the Atlantic coast of Iberia. The nest is on open ground or among rocks or less often in a burrow where one white egg is laid,...
– since readmitted - Slender-billed CurlewSlender-billed CurlewThe Slender-billed Curlew, Numenius tenuirostris, is a bird in the wader family Scolopacidae. It breeds in marshes and peat bogs in the taiga of Siberia, and is migratory, formerly wintering in shallow freshwater habitats around the Mediterranean...
– since readmitted - Grey-tailed TattlerGrey-tailed TattlerThe Grey-tailed Tattler, Tringa brevipes , is a small shorebird.- Description :...
– since readmitted - Terek SandpiperTerek SandpiperThe Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :...
– since readmitted - Semipalmated SandpiperSemipalmated SandpiperThe Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a very small shorebird. It is sometimes separated with other "stints" in Erolia but although these apparently form a monophyletic group, the present species' old genus Ereunetes had been proposed before Erolia.Adults have black legs and a short stout...
– since readmitted - Black LarkBlack LarkThe Black Lark, Melanocorypha yeltoniensis, breeds in southeast Russia and Kazakhstan. It is partially migratory, with birds from the northwest of its breeding range moving south-east to winter further into Russia and neighbouring countries, as far as the northern Black Sea coasts in southern...
– since readmitted - Calandra LarkCalandra LarkThe Calandra Lark, Melanocorypha calandra, breeds in warm temperate countries around the Mediterranean and eastwards through Turkey into northern Iran and southern Russia...
– since readmitted - Cetti's WarblerCetti's WarblerCetti's Warbler , Cettia cetti, is an Old World warbler which breeds in Europe, northwest Africa and east southern temperate Asia as far as Afghanistan and NW Pakistan. It is the only bush warbler to occur outside Asia...
– since readmitted - Moustached WarblerMoustached WarblerThe Moustached Warbler, Acrocephalus melanopogon, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in southern Europe and southern temperate Asia with a few in north-west Africa. It is partially migratory...
- Olivaceous WarblerOlivaceous WarblerOlivaceous Warbler can refer to one of two bird species, formerly regarded as conspecific:* Western Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais opaca* Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida...
– since readmitted - Rüppell's WarblerRüppell's WarblerThe Rüppell's Warbler is a typical warbler of the genus Sylvia. It breeds in Greece, Turkey and neighbouring islands. It is migratory, wintering in north east Africa. This is a rare vagrant to western Europe. The name is occasionally cited as "Rueppell's Warbler".It is a typical "sylvia" warbler,...
– since readmitted - Sardinian WarblerSardinian WarblerThe Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala, is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region.-Description:...
– since readmitted - Brown Flycatcher - since readmitted
- Collared FlycatcherCollared FlycatcherThe Collared Flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family, one of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers. It breeds in southeast Europe and southwest Asia and is migratory, wintering in sub Sahara Africa...
– since readmitted - Masked ShrikeMasked ShrikeThe Masked Shrike, Lanius nubicus, is a member of the shrike family Laniidae. It breeds in southeastern Europe and the eastern end of the Mediterranean, with a separate population in western Iran. It is a common species in Turkey, Cyprus, Israel and Syria...
– since readmitted - White-winged SnowfinchWhite-winged SnowfinchThe White-winged Snowfinch , or just Snowfinch, is a small passerine bird. Despite its name, it is a sparrow rather than a true finch.-Distribution and habitat:...