36 LECTURE III. 



heron's nest. The battle began on the tree in 

 which the nest was built ; but the ravens were 

 driven from it, and then the fight was continued 

 in the air. The ravens soared round and round, 

 uttering their harsh notes, while the herons struck 

 them with their sharp, strong beaks, and after a 

 long time drove them off. In a heronry on the 

 top of some noble Scotch fir-trees in Ashly Park, 

 near Walton-on-Thames, a young heron had 

 fallen out of its nest, and was brought into the 

 house and given to a gentleman who happened 

 to be there. It was put into a basket, which 

 was placed in his gig, and he drove that evening 

 to his house some miles distant. On arriving 

 there, he turned the young bird into his garden, 

 which was walled round. Early the next morn- 

 ing he saw an old heron feeding the young one, 

 and this it continued to do until the latter was 

 able to fly and make its escape. It would ap- 

 pear that this affectionate parent must have fled 

 miles and miles in search of its offspring, until 

 at last, hearing its plaintive cry, it came to its 

 support. 



The affection of birds for their young is very 

 extraordinary. I have known a blackbird at- 

 tack a cat that was near its nest while on the 



