236 THE HERON AND HERONRIES 
CARDEN, NEAR BROXTON. 
Contained in the Cheshire Sheaf I find the following reply to 
a Member of the Chester Society of Natural Science :—‘‘ The 
present Rookery at Carden was originally an extensive Heronry. 
I understand that WILLIAM LEcHE did away with it, being so near 
the Hall. as the effluvia from the putrid fish-bones made it very 
objectionable Attracted by the trout stream and ‘the pool,’ 
Herons are still very frequent visitants. On one occasion it was 
impossible the fire in the ‘Island Cottage’ kitchen could be 
lit, and on examining the chimney the next day, the keepers 
discovered that the Herons had built it up nearly to the top.” 
[Signed E. A. L., Clifton ] 
The last paragraph reads very curiously; it simply means that 
the fire in the ‘‘ Island Cottage” kitchen could not be lit owing 
to the sticks in the chimney. As to the Herons carrying the 
sticks there, I don’t believe it; most likely it was the work of a 
pair of fackdaws, who sometimes build nests in similar situa- 
tions, many feet long, to suit their convenience. If the Herons 
did build it ‘‘up nearly to the top,” all I can say is that the 
chimney must have been some ten or twelve feet in diameter, or 
the birds would never have been able to have used their wings 
as a means of escape from the chimney, and their beaks could 
not very well have helped them out of the difficulty. 
TABLEY 
(The Seat of Lord de Tadley.) 
Ormerod, in his “ History of Cheshire, 1880” (Vol. i., p. 623), 
Says that ‘‘near to the lake a Heronry has been established.” 
One might infer from this that it was established about the 
time of his writing, but it is probably of much older date. At 
the present time, ‘there are about fifteen nests at the Heronry 
at Tabley; they are built in a clump of chesnut trees over- 
hanging the lake, in a secluded spot....on the main land. 
Lorp De TaBs_ey sirictly preserves the Herons, and no one is 
allowed near the spot at breeding time.” [Geo. O. Day, in lit., 
Nov. 2nd, 1893. | 
CoMBERMERE ABBEY 
(The Seat of Lord Combermere.) 
Ormerod (l.c., Vol. iii., p. 406), says: ‘‘ Owing to the havoc 
these birds made among the fish, the late LorD COMBERMERE 
cut down all their trees some twenty or thirty years ago.” The 
nests were built in some tall oak trees, on an island in the lake. 
Mr. Boaains, the keeper, writes me under date January 21st, 
1889 :—‘‘ There is no Heronry here now; I have heard that the 
trees were blown down. There are not so many Herons here now 
as there were before the Ground Game Act came into force, The 
