Bird Life in Dutch Marshes 259 



of some adjoining meadow in search of frogs. Their power 

 of Higlit is superb, and it is a fine siglit to see half-a- 

 dozen Storks soaring easily upwards till hxst to sight among 

 the clouds. 



There are two other Storks' nests not far away — one at 

 my friend's old house, where he lived up to three years 

 ago, and one in the grounds of his father-in-law. The only 

 other nest I know of was to be seen a few years ago from 

 the railway near The Hague ; but 1 have missed it lately, 

 though I h'dve looked for it when passing. 



In the tall trees at one end of the meadow, and quite 

 close to the house, is a heronry, and from my bedroom 

 window in the early morning I could listen to the extra- 

 ordinary noises made by the birds when feeding their young. 

 At the side of tlie house is a louff a^'enue of magnificent 

 lime-trees, and in the holes in these trees were many 

 Owls" nests. One hole was pointed out as having held Barn- 

 owls for several years, and the ground below was strewn ^\ith 

 castings. One of these yielded the skulls of no less than 

 five shrew-mice, besides other bones ; another one contained 

 the skull of a small rat. The grounds of this fine specimen 

 of a Dutch country house consist of eight hundred acres, and 

 the trees contained therein are worth a special visit. The 

 lime-trees in particular are exceptionally fine. Besides Barn- 

 owls, both the Tawny Owls and Little Owls nest near tlie 

 house. The latter, I was told, are frequently seen in the 

 daytime, and are very tame. 



Golden Orioles were very numerous, their liquid note 



