146 



Pictures of Bird Life 



Heron (Ardca cincrca), Richmond Park Heronry. 



house, and with the exception of two, which fell from the 

 nest, the brood got off safely. The house has since been 

 luifortunately let, and the hole carefully boarded up by the 

 new tenant, because of his children, as he told me ! I 

 never myself knew of an Owl eating children, but I sup- 

 pose he thought he would be on the safe side. On another 

 occasion I was summoned by a breathless choir-boy one 

 Sunday evening to come at once to the cluu-cli, as some 

 Owls were in the roof. 'J'here I found parson, organist, 

 and choir gazing up at a small hole in tlie oak panelling 

 of the chancel roof, at the imminent risk of a crick in the 

 neck. From this hole it appeared that an Owl had appeared 

 during the service. Eventually it was agreed, on my sug- 

 gestion, that as they had taken sanctuary in tlie cIuutIi 



