COMMON HERON. 511 



His motion through the water is slow, but his carriage 

 stately. I have seen him fell a rat at one blow on the back 

 of the head, when the rat was munching at his dish of fish." 



The Heron is said to be very long lived, and was 

 formerly in considerable estimation as an article of food. 

 Heronries are occupied by the birds from spring till 

 August : during winter a few stragglers only are to be 

 seen, as though they were left, or paid occasional visits, to 

 maintain the right of occupation. The late Dr. Heysham, 

 in his Catalogue of Cumberland Animals, attached to 

 Hutchinson's history of that county, refers to the annual 

 battles which took place at Dalham Tower in Westmor- 

 land, between two flocks of Herons and Rooks for the pos- 

 session of particular trees* 



Some portion of Ornithological interest being attached to 

 Heronries, I have added a brief catalogue of those I have 

 been able to ascertain, collected from various sources, ar- 

 ranged in alphabetical order of English counties. 



Berkshire. Windsor Great Park, two. 



Cheshire. Dunham Massey, the seat of the Earl of 

 Stamford ; Combermere Abbey, belonging to Lord Com- 

 bermere; Hooton, on the Mersey, the seat of Sir T. M. 

 Stanley, Bart. ; Ardley Hall, the residence of R. E. War- 

 burton, Esq. ; and at Oulton Park, the seat of Sir Philip 

 Grey Egerton, Bart. 



Cumberland. Gowbarrow Park, near Ulswater Lake ; 

 and at Graystock, or Graystoke. 



Devonshire. Powderham Castle ; another at Sharpham 

 on the Dart, and a third at Warleigh on the Tamar, the 

 seat of the Rev. W. Radcliff. 



Dorsetshire. Brownsea Island, near Poole. 



Durham. Ravensworth Castle, the seat of Lord Ravens- 

 worth. 



