THE EDEN AS A TROUTING RIVER 159 



with such good natural spawning grounds in the 

 becks, for artificial stocking, and more especially 

 were the grayling, herons, and otters thinned out 

 regularly. 



The heronry was at one time much larger than it 

 is now, and situated nearer the family seat of Sir 

 Richard Musgrave, and close to it was one of the 

 largest rookeries in the north of England. Some 

 twenty years ago war broke out between the herons 

 and rooks, and the fight for mastery raged for 

 several days. The scene of this strange battle was 

 the great park round the mansion. Dead com- 

 batants from both sides strewed the ground under 

 the trees ; but despite the fact that more rooks than 

 herons were numbered amongst the slain the latter 

 were defeated by force of numbers, and driven out 

 of the park to the wood bordering the lake. 



