COMMON HERON. 385 



Manby, in the north of Lincolnshire, the nearest ancient Heronry 

 that still continues to be resorted to. Mr. Yarrell has stated, in his 

 list of Heronries, Hutton the seat of R. Bethell, Esq. ; but Hutton, 

 or Hutton Cranswick, adjoining the Carrs, never was the property of 

 the Bethells, or as far as I can learn, the seat of a Heronry ; but the 

 adjoining parish of Watton or Watton Abbey has long been the property 

 of the Bethells of Rise, but it is not now the site of a Heronry, nor 

 can it have been so for some time, as I can find no one in the parish 

 or country who can remember a Heronry there. At the same time it 

 must be observed that it is a very likely situation to have been one." 



The discontinuance of the noble and ancient sport of 

 Falconry has resulted in the dispersal of large Heronries 

 and the establishment of small settlements, the status of the 

 Heron having, in consequence, considerably changed in York- 

 shire. Formerly Heronries were maintained and encouraged 

 both for the purposes of sport and also in order that young 

 birds might be taken and used for the table. Thus we find 

 that at the great banquet, given at Cawood in 1466, by Earl 

 Warwick "the King Maker," in honour of the enthronement of 

 his brother George Nevell as Archbishop of York, amongst 

 the items of the feast were " Heronshawes, iiiic." Again in 

 the Earl of Northumberland's Household Book, in 1512, at 

 his castles of Wressill and Lekinfield, near Beverley, the 

 price of " Hearonsewys " was fixed at I2d. ; and in 1526 

 and 1530 at the marriage feasts of the daughters of Sir John 

 Neville of Che vet, near Wakefield, " Heronsewes " figured 

 in the list of edibles. We naturally infer from these old 

 statements that extensive colonies were then in existence, 

 but of these no records remain ; thus we are dependent upon 

 comparatively recent information respecting the Yorkshire 

 stations. The bird, however, is still resident in fair numbers ; 

 its distribution in the nesting season is very local, though 

 during the rest of the year, and especially in autumn and 

 winter, it is more generally diffused, and it may be well to give 

 in detail the particulars regarding its present status. 



Commencing with the West Riding, ancient Heronries 

 were in existence at : — 



Hemsworth, near Pontefract. Major Arundel, writing on 

 4th June 1903, informs me that, from investigations he has 



