350 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



the " Crane," is plentiful throughout the county, 

 there being two Heronries in the county itself, one 

 at Picton, in the West, and one at Brockley Woods, 

 in the East, besides others in the neighbouring 

 counties of Devon and Dorset, which no doubt help 

 to keep up the supply of these birds in this county, 

 especially in the autumn and winter, when they stray 

 to long distances from their breeding stations : con- 

 sequently this stately but rather ungainly bird may 

 often be seen fishing in our rivers, brooks and rhines, 

 and exhibiting an example of patience rarely equalled 

 by the most pertinacious fisherman. Fortunately for 

 itself it is extremely wary in its nature, and gives 

 the gamekeeper a wide berth, otherwise its numbers 

 would soon be considerably decreased. 



This bird is easily kept in confinement, and if 

 taken young seems to be capable of being made very 

 tame, and becomes an amusing pet; but a mature 

 bird I had brought to me some time ago and kept 

 never became very tame. There was no difficulty in 

 keeping it alive as long as plenty of fish and frogs 

 could be found for it, but on the approach of any 

 one it would crouch in a corner and rock itself from 

 side to side in a most abject manner. At last I got 

 tired of fishing for it, and let it out to fish in the 

 pond for itself, and very successful it seemed to be, 

 especially with the eels : however, as I only cut the 

 feathers of the wing and did not pinion it, it very 

 soon took itself off. While it stayed it was certainly 



