Birds. 5 1 5 



Grey Phalarope. (Vol. V. p. 729.)* — This bird, although 

 common in the arctic regions, is but a rare visiter in this 

 vicinity. A beautiful mature specimen was shot at Largs last 

 winter. — John Scouler, M. D. Glasgow, July 25. 1 833. 



Acts of the Heron (Vol. II, p. 206., V. p. 57. 192. 678., 

 VI. p. 452.), and of the Peahen. (Vol. III. p. 146., V. p. 383.) 

 — There is a small fishpond, sheltered by shrubs and wood 

 within 150 yards of the dining-room windows of West Ella, 

 the seat of Rickard Sikes, Esq., about six miles from this 

 town (Hull). On the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 1. 1833, a 

 heron (^4'rdea major L.) was, for the first time, observed to 

 descend and quietly to take up a station on the edge of the 

 pond, which was full to almost the overflowing of its banks, 

 from the quantity of rain which had fallen on that and the 

 previous day. The evening was cloudy, and well calculated 

 for fishing. In less than ten minutes from the time the heron 

 alighted, he was observed to have some animal struggling on 

 the ground, which he was evidently attempting to kill, by 

 frequently repeated blows of his beak : before, however, he 

 accomplished this, he was disturbed, but succeeded in carry- 

 ing off his prize. In a few minutes he again returned to his 

 former station. On this occasion he did not succeed so 

 quickly in finding game ; but, with a full share of that patience 

 so proverbially great in all good fishermen, he perseveringly 

 kept his ground, in a state of perfect quietude, for, I should 

 think, upwards of half an hour. He then changed his fishing 

 ground to one a few yaMs distant, still carefully keeping in 

 the shade. Here he was soon successful, and was observed 

 suddenly to strike the water, to raise himself a few feet above 

 it, and then to alight on the gravel walk with his second prize, 

 which he immediately set about killing, by repeated blows of 

 his beak, as on the former occasion. The most 1 * singular part 

 of the transaction, to me, however, now occurred. A peahen 

 feeding at a short distance from this scene, and no doubt at- 

 tracted by the struggles of the prey, and the blows of the 

 heron, approached, and appeared either to dispute the prize 

 with the heron, or to assist him in depriving it of life ; but 

 which, it was impossible to distinguish, with any degree of 

 accuracy, from the distance at which I stood; and, unfortu- 

 nately, before this could be distinctly ascertained, the combat 

 was interrupted, and both the heron and the peahen driven 

 from the prey, which proved to be an eel, of about a foot and 

 a half in length, left still alive on the ground. 



It is a common opinion in this part of the country, that the 

 pea fowl is the natural enemy of the serpent tribe ; and, I 

 believe, on that account, as much as for the beauty of his 



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