528 NOTES FROM KILLESHANDRA., 



knowledge, these the matters to be known." It cannot be denied that an 

 excess of importance is at present attached to matters relating solely to 

 system, whilst the book of nature itself is neglected. Let us, who are 

 pleased to be designated field-naturalists, in contradistinction to the 

 museum and book-naturalists, be careful ever to regard classifications 

 and scientific nomenclature not as the real objects of our study, but as 

 the means of acquiring more information, and of retaining that of which 

 we are already in possession. 



Paddington, October 7th, 1833. 



NOTES FROM KILLESHANDRA. 



BY RURICOLA*. 



WITH respect to the heronry at Crum Castle, I omitted to mention 

 a remarkable circumstance, namely, that for a long time the herons had 

 occupied a particular part of the wood, till about four or five years ago, 

 when they were attacked and driven away by a party of rooks, who 

 established themselves on their conquered territory. The herons 

 thereupon removed to another part of the wood at no great distance, 

 which is now their dwelling and breeding place, and where they do not 

 appear to annoy, or to be annoyed by, their former assailants. 



A very brilliant Aurora Borealis was seen at this place on the night 

 of Saturday, October 12th, and also in the counties of Down and 

 Antrim. I was not so fortunate as to see it myself; but it has been 

 described to me by eye-witnesses, as exceeding in brightness any before 

 observed by them, and as giving the idea of a great ,/ire, spreading 

 round the northern horizon, and shooting up into the sky with various 

 fantastical shapes. The following day, both here and in the north, 

 was very wet and stormy: an exemplification of the position of your 

 correspondents in pages 108 and 206, that this phenomenon is a fore- 

 runner of storms. By the way, to revert for a moment to the historical 

 notices of this phenomenon, an observation on the subject has been 

 pointed out to me in Sir Walter Scott's curious little volume on 

 " Demonology and Witchcraft." He says, " the Aurora Borealis, 

 or northern lights, do not appear to have been seen in Scotland so 

 frequently as to be accounted a common and familiar atmospherical 



* With respect to " the little man of war," again inquired about, see p. 504 : 

 we are sorry to say that we did not receive the figure of it as said to have 

 been sent. ED. 



