191 9] Recently published Ornithu/u(jical Works. 553 



aud which it was feared would spread there along the newly 

 constructed line. Captain White, however, could not detect 

 any Sparrows about Ooldea itself. An interesting observa- 

 tion was the finding of many nests of the Barn-Owl {lyto alba 

 delicatuUi) in the wells and natural blowholes round Ooldea. 

 Another portion of the volume contains some sketches of 

 the country along the flooded River Murray and the birds 

 met with there. 



IVigleswovth on Somerset Heronries. 



[The Heronries of Somerset. By J. Wiglesworth, M.D. Proc. 

 Somerset Arch, raid Nat. Hist. Soc. Ixiv. 1918, pp. G8-85.] 



The earliest reference to a Somerset Heronry is found in 

 the Survey Roll of Glastonbury Ab))eyj which was probably 

 drawn up al)out 1540 and in which the birds were said to 

 have nested in the " Mannour of Mere " ; but they have 

 long since vanished from there, and have left no traces 

 beyond what is mentioned in the Roll. 



At the present time the number of occupied heronries 

 within the county are four only, while two others have 

 been deserted within recent years. These are located 

 respectively at : Brockley Park near Bristol ; Pi.\ton, 

 Dulverton ; Halswell Park near Bridgwater; and Somerton 

 Erleigh near Somerton. The largest is the last-named, 

 and Dr. Wiglesworth, who visited it in March last year, 

 estimates the number of nests at about eighty. 



After visiting all the sites, Dr. Wiglesworth believes that 

 the Heron is diminishing as a breeding-l)ird in the county, 

 and he puts the decrease down to the ban of the angler, 

 since these birds undoubtedly do feed largely on fish and at 

 times may do considerable harm to fisheries, though the 

 damage is generally exaggerated. It is also probable that 

 the destruction of their breeding-grounds by the recent 

 felling of timber due to the exigencies of the war has had 

 an inimical effect on their numbers. It would be iiuleed a 

 lamentable thing if tlie Heron should become extinct in the 

 British Islands, but we hope there is no immediate danger 

 of this happening. 



