130 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



coast, and from their large size were, no doubt, remarked 

 almost as soon as they had effected a landing on our 

 shores. 



AEDEA CINEREA, Linnaeus. 

 COMMON HEEON. 



Whether certain members of the feathered race are 

 possessed of so nice a sense of honour as to prefer being 

 petted and preserved for a time, only to suffer death at 

 the hands of legitimate sportsmen ; or woTild rather 

 forego such distinguished patronage and take their 

 chance of existence with less noble forms, is just one 

 of those points which, for want of any means of 

 lingual communication, must for ever remain an open 

 question. So far as concerns the Heron, once the 

 noblest '^quarry" of the Falconer, and the greatest 

 delicacy at all " principall feestes," I cannot but think, 

 though no longer protected by the pains and penalties 

 of the law,* that it is a gainer rather than not by the 

 great changes effected in the sports and pastimes of the 

 age. The "hawk and the harnsey"t have alike fallen 



* According to Tolkard " The statute 19 Hen. VII., cap. 11, 

 prohibited the taking of herons in this country, except by hawking 

 or with the long-bow, upon pain of forfeiture of 6s. 8d. for every 

 bird taken contrary to that statute. It also restrained the taking 

 of young herons out of theii* nests, on land belonging to other 

 persons (except with the license of the owner of such land) under a 

 penalty of 10s. for every bird so taken." All the statutes, how- 

 ever, affecting these birds, their young, and eggs are repealed 

 under the Game Act of George IV. 



f Harnsey, heronsewe, hornseu, and hernshaw, are amongst 

 the various terms formerly applied to this species. In a note to 

 Dr. Cunningham's paper on "the solan goose or gannet" ("Ibis," 

 1866, p. 13), the editor remarks, " ' hanser' or ' hernser,' (with the 

 still further corruption, as in the old proverb of ' handsaw ') is 



