428 The Zoologist— October, 1866. 



ornithologist, as it not unfrequenlly occurs that you may see nearly 

 the whole frozen lake literally covered by a startling variety of water- 

 fowl. This multitude of visitors on the lake, in winter, consists (and 

 frequently at the same time) of cormorants, teal, tufted ducks, pochards, 

 widgeons, the garganey, the smew, the shoveller, and now and then of 

 the velvet and the common scoters, together with most extraordinary 

 numbers of the wild duck. Thousands, especially of the latter, rest in 

 such close proximity to each other as sometimes to conceal even any 

 appearance of ice. They will thus silently congregate for hours in 

 succession in a perfectly quiescent state, when sitting on the ice. You 

 will see the Egyptian and Canada geese, which are permanent 

 residents in these grounds, wandering here and there in vain and 

 anxious search for water, whilst the apparently indolent and listless 

 herons then stand out on the banks of the frozen lake isolated and 

 prominently interesting objects, perfecting and gracefully beautifying 

 this enchanting scene of natural history. The stillness and complete 

 quietude on the icy surface of the lake and its immediate environs, 

 evidently inspire the birds with a relying confidence and an assurance 

 of safety which you do not meet with elsewhere. All living nature, as 

 if grateful for the Squire's protection, appears to have formed a positive 

 attachment to this special locality. That birds, however, should prefer 

 this to other land and water resorts is not surprising, when we know 

 that in other places they are generally surrounded by enemies, and, 

 consequenlly in perpetual fear, whereas here they are fostered and 

 protected on every side, and live in peace and happiness." — 

 pp. 90—95. 



This is very interesting and fundamentally Watertonian, notwith- 

 standing the Hobsonian ornamentation observable here and there ; 

 but the following passage on the same subject, the pond and its birds, 

 we may assume to be purely Hobsonian ; there is not a particle of 

 Waterton in it. 



"They [the birds] seem to be devoted in admiration of the treasures 

 they so carefully conceal and protect, and, with their wide-spread 

 wings, and extended abdominal feathers, manifest an anxiously instinc- 

 tive solicitude to impart a genial warmth to their eggs, as if fully 

 aware that this extension of feathers would absolutely tend to develope 

 the embryo contained within them." — p. 138. 



Many of our readers will recollect that Mr. Waterton heard year 

 after year, the nightingale at AValton Hall. Dr. Hobson improves the 

 fact after the following fashion : — 



