134 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 
and began to breed about half a mile further off in 
this large Scotch fir-wood, where they are far more 
picturesque, and a great portion of the old heronry 
having been since demolished the park has thereby 
been greatly improved. At the present time, this still 
thriving colony boasts of some sixty or sixty-five nests. 
The following particulars respecting the past history 
of the Earlham heronry, near Norwich,—which, with 
its branch establishments at Costessey and Taverham, 
ranks next in importance, have been kindly supplied me 
by Mr. J. H. Gurney, “ About the year 1810, an oak 
wood, near Acle,* long tenanted by a colony of herons, 
was cut down, and the birds thus deprived of their old 
haunt, migrated to a rookery, at Keswick, near Norwich ; 
but here, owing either to the persecution of the rooks 
or to the underwood being burnt on one occasion, they 
did not remain later than about the year, 1830, some of 
them having probably left before that date. They now 
attempted to establish themselves at Taverham, but 
were driven away by the gamekeepers; and, though a 
few remained about Taverham and Costessey, the main 
body removed to a Scotch fir-grove (since cut down), at 
Newfound, from which, after one season, they crossed 
the river to the Scotch fir-grove at Earlham.” Here 
they again came into collision with the rooks, but as the 
young plantation by the pond grew up they removed 
thither from the Scotch fir-grove, and Earlham, until 
the memorable gale which occurred on the 28th of 
February, 1860, remained their chief stronghold; their 
numbers amounting, I am told, in some seasons to 
between eighty and a hundred pairs. The effects of this 
gale, happening at so critical a period when the old 
* Hunt, in his “British Ornithology,’ mentions this Acle 
heronry and the fights which occurred for possession between the 
rooks and herons. 
