THIRD. WEEK IN APRIL 25 
the part of the parent birds, is probably 
necessitated by the fact that if the old ones 
themselves got down on the ground under 
the trees to their progeny they would not 
have room to rise on the wing again, being 
impeded by the tree trunks and their numerous 
low branches. The long-legged herons are 
particularly awkward birds when rising on 
the wing. They have (in common with other 
birds) to jump off the ground before they can 
fly, but require plenty of room for this, 
the expanse of their wings being four feet 
at least. The heronry consisted of fifty-two 
nests; the last year there were fifty-six, 
and the numbers keep diminishing each 
season, so this bird settlement is doomed to 
a slow extinction. With the spread of houses 
near London, and the gradual taking up of 
open spaces, this is not to be wondered at. 
The nests were all in the high forks of oaks 
(still leafless), except two or three which were 
in a knot of firs, which are evergreen. These 
were the only firs there. Herons are parti- 
cularly fond of these trees, doubtless because 
