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two most beautiful woodland birds, the green 

 woodpecker and the jay, are common. Eooks 

 are numerous, especially in winter, when they 

 congregate to roost. Here, too, you may hear 

 the carrion crow's ' voice of care.' Jackdaws 

 are certainly more plentiful than anywhere 

 within one hundred miles of London. One day 

 I counted fifty in a flock, and saw them settle 

 on the trees ; then going a little distance on I 

 saw another flock numbering about forty, and 

 beyond this lot from another wood sounded 

 the clamour of a third flock. Even then I had 

 probably not seen all the Eichmond daws ; 

 perhaps not more than half the entire number, 

 for I was assured by a keeper that there were 

 ' millions.' He was a very tall white-haired old 

 man with aquiline features and dark fierce eyes, 

 and therefore must have known what he was 

 talking about. 



Best of all are the herons that breed in the 

 park, and appear to be increasing. One fine 

 evening in February last I counted twenty 

 together at Sidmouth Wood. A multitude of 

 rooks and daws had settled on the tree-tops 

 where the herons were ; but after a few minutes 

 they rose up with a great noise, and were 



