THE COMMON HERON. 31 



When this first began I felt certain that my birds would 

 come hurrying back to wreak vengeance on these sombre 

 egg-thieves, but, if they saw them, they paid no heed. 

 And, what was more, the other Herons sitting on their 

 nests close by, some within a few yards and in full view, 

 calmly watched the whole proceeding without a sign 

 of interest, anger or alarm, and never raised a feather to 

 save their neighbours' eggs ! 



Four days later found us at the wood again, and this 

 time I noticed something peculiar about the nest. On 

 the near side of it, next the camera, was a little wall or 

 heap of dead gorse branches, and seeing that it would 

 obstruct the camera's view of the sitting bird, the greater 

 part of it was removed. All had not been quiet long 

 before she dropped on to the far side of the nest, apparently 

 at her ease, but on noticing the absence of the gorse 

 her attitude at once changed and, instead of settling 

 down, she walked on to a near branch — from there, for a 

 long time, eying first the camera and then the nest. At 

 last she was satisfied, and once more walked on to the 

 edge, and in another minute, tucking her long legs under 

 her, quietly sat down (Plate 23). Not till then did I 

 realise the meaning of that little wall of furze branches. 

 It had been so placed that, when sitting, her head would 

 be screened from the horrid eye of the camera staring 

 across at her. 



The bird, hating to face it, had built the little screen, 

 so that, when sitting, her head might be out of sight ; 

 this accounted for her reluctance to return on noticing 

 the removal of the branches. A sprig of gorse still 

 remaining can just be noticed below the eye. 



This is crediting the bird with acting with a motive and 

 with no small powers of reasoning. Nor am I afraid to do 

 so, feeling assured that as we come more into sympathy 

 with wild creatures the less dissimilar in character shall we 

 find them from ourselves. 



On the nth of April the first chick appeared, that is 



