WADING BIRDS. 191 



their long legs appear as if quite in the way, and they 

 sway backwards and forwards like a pendulum for a few 

 times until they have found the centre of gravity. 



This little colony never increased in numbers; for 

 some years no young were reared at all, the eggs being 

 destroyed by the carrion crows, who seemed to have a 

 particular spite against them. I have seen a heron when 

 flying over the island, give active chase to a hooded 

 crow that came by, pursuing it fiercely, and uttering 

 shrill cries, as if aware of hoodie's propensity. They 

 cannot, however, suffer from its depredations, as the 

 hooded crow leaves us for the sea-side before the eggs of 

 the heron are laid. 



The herons on the island did not by any means con- 

 fine themselves to Thoresby, but frequented the lakes in 

 Welbeck and Rufford Parks, and the surrounding streams. 

 I have written of them in the past, for I regret to say 

 all the birds were shot by the keepers in 1856. Their 

 depredations were so great, both in the lake and in the 

 streams, that it was determined to sacrifice them, and 

 one by one they became victims to the proscription. 



A few years since a heron was found dead on the 

 edge of a fish-pond at Walling Wells, the seat of Sir 

 T. W, White. The way in which it lost its life was very 

 singular. In the pursuit of its prey it had struck its 

 bill completely through the body of a large eel, near the 

 head, without immediately killing it, but the eel in its 

 death struggles had coiled itself round the neck of the 

 heron, as well as round some aquatic plants on the 

 bank, and both were found dead in that position. 

 Curiously enough, an exactly similar occurrence was re- 

 corded and figured in the Illustrated London News 

 in January last. 



