350 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
the “Crane,” is plentiful throughout the county, 
there being two Heronries in the county itself,—one 
at Picton, in the West, and one at Brockley Woods, 
in the East,—besides others in the neighbouring 
counties of Devon and Dorset, which no doubt help 
to keep up the supply of these birds in this county, 
especially in the autumn and winter, when they stray 
to long distances from their breeding stations: con- 
sequently this stately but rather ungainly bird may 
often be seen fishing in our rivers, brooks and rhines, 
and exhibiting an example of patience rarely equalled 
by the most pertinacious fisherman. Fortunately for 
itself it 1s extremely wary in its nature, and gives 
the gamekeeper a wide berth, otherwise its numbers 
would soon be considerably decreased. 
This bird is easily kept in confinement, and if 
taken young seems to be capable of being made very 
tame, and becomes an amusing pet; but a mature 
bird I had brought to me some time ago and kept 
never became very tame. There was no difficulty in 
keeping it alive as long as plenty of fish and frogs 
could be found for it, but on the approach of any 
one it would crouch in a corner and rock itself from 
side to side in a most abject manner. At last I got 
tired of fishing for it, and let it out to fish in the 
pond for itself, and very successful it seemed to be, 
especially with the eels: however, as I only cut the 
feathers of the wing and did not pinion it, it very 
soon took itself off. While it stayed it was certainly 
