480 ARDEA MELANOCEPHALA.—A. CINEREA. 
ARDEA MELANOCEPHALA, Vigors and Children. 
[§ 5319. One.—South Africa, From Mr. T. E. Buckley, 
1896. 
The entry in Mr. Buckley's Ege-book is only “S. Africa. From E. Layard, 
Cape Town.” In his ‘Birds of Squth Africa’ Mr, Layard stated (p. 306) 
that “ Three eggs, said to be of this species, were sent to me from Verloren 
Vley ”; and from the second edition of that werk, revised by Dr. Sharpe, 
it would appear (p. 710) that he afterwards obtained other specimens from 
the Berg River. | 
ARDEA CINEREA, Linneus. 
THE HERON. 
I used frequently to go to the Heronry in Windsor Park. It is 
situated in two separate clumps of very tall trees. There were about 
thirty nests in 1842. The Heron now in the garden [at Beeston, 
1843] was procured for me by the keeper who lives near the 
Horse-barracks. The Heronry at Clifton { Nottinghamshire], being 
destroyed by Sir Robert Clifton, removed itself to Colwick Hill, 
where some young oaks were occupied. Mr. Musters at first 
protected them by putting crooked nails on the trees, but he after- 
wards gave them up, and they removed to the tall trees that 
overhang his house; in 1842 there was only one occupied nest on 
the hill. At Lord Spencer’s in* Northamptonshire [Althorp Park] 
there is, or was, a Heronry built on very low trees. It would not 
be difficult to re-establish the Heronry at Clifton, which Sir Juckes 
Clifton is anxious to do, for Herons will breed in confinement, or at 
least when pinioned—see Yarrell [Brit. Birds, ed. 1, il. p. 446]. 
We once had three in the garden, two from Colwick and one from 
Windsor. They were very quarrelsome, and did not seem to enjoy 
good health, probably owing to the want of a regular supply of fish. 
The one that we had first amused itself with carrying about bits of 
stick in the spring. It was killed by the Raven, and another on 
being seriously hurt by the same bird was given to Mr. Sibson of 
the Hospital [at Nottingham]. We kept the first about two years. 
In fighting they used to seize each other by the neck. I have seen 
twenty or thirty standing together in an open space in Burwell Fen 
