Common Heron. 397 



is unquestionably in Wiltshire, though very near the borders of 

 Somerset. From ' time immemorial,' up to about 1852, there 

 had always been from one to two nests, the Herons being kept 

 down by a reward of five shillings paid for every Heron killed. 

 But about 1852 the present Marquis discontinued the reward for 

 killing them, and encouraged the Herons ; in consequence they 

 very soon began to multiply, and there have been as many as 

 from twenty to thirty nests. But of late years they have again 

 decreased in number, in consequence of the birds being waylaid 

 and killed down the river Wylye, and the number of nests now 

 varies from ten to fifteen. 



5. Fonthill There is a small Heronry situated near the lower 

 end of the lake at Fonthill, the seat of Mr. Alfred Morrison, 

 which generally numbered from ten to twelve nests yearly, as I 

 learn from the head-keeper, or from eight to ten^ as Mr. Ernest 

 Baker estimates them. As in all the other Heronries previously 

 described, the numbers here too are diminishing, and last year 

 eight nests only were occupied. 



6. Compton Park. Mr. C. Penruddocke has most obligingly 

 communicated to me full particulars of this interesting Heronry, 

 which has been established in some part of Compton Park as far 

 back as the memory of living men can penetrate, and which its 

 owner recollects for more than fifty years, during which time 

 it has, on the whole, neither increased nor diminished. The 

 number of nests varies from fifteen, which appears to be the 

 maximum, to eleven, which seems to be the minimum. This 

 year (1887) there are twelve nests. The name of the covert in 

 which the Heronry is situated is ' Sellwood,' commonly called 

 ' Sillars,' or ' Sellars,' and it is distant about 250 yards from the 

 river Nadder. The nests have been built for the most part in 

 oak trees, but of late years many are found on larch fir-trees, of 

 the age of thirty to thirty-five years, while occasionally they 

 have been built on plane trees and elms in the park itself. Mr. 

 Penruddocke's experience is that five or even six young may 

 generally be reckoned as the produce of each nest ; and he has 

 known seventy-five young birds, in favourable seasons, hatched 



