1054 The Zoologist — January, 1868. 



Notes from Walton Hall. By George Roberts, Esq. 



Early in November I had the privilege of visiting the grounds at 

 Walton Hall, and the woodland grave of Charles Waterton. The 

 late residence of the lamented naturalist is, for the present, entirely 

 unoccupied ; arid the beautiful collection of birds and other 

 curiosities are now, I believe, at the Jesuit College, in Lancashire, 

 where Mr. Waterton was educated, and will remain there, I am in- 

 formed, till his grandson attains full age. The mansion, park and 

 lake are at present in the care of one or two domestics and a game- 

 keeper. 



The readers of the 'Zoologist' will, I am sure, be glad to hear that 

 some of the birds which Mr. Waterton protected and loved so well 

 are still pretty numerous. The Canada geese yet enjoy their food and 

 liberty on the lake : there are now two flocks, one of which is styled 

 the "old flock." The herons breed annually in the wood which is 

 within the wall : when passing through the park 1 saw one or two 

 fl ving away from the water to the trees : this was the only opportunity 

 1 ever had of observing the heron at home. Kingfishers, dabchicks 

 and moorhens are constantly to be seen at one end of the lake. The 

 moorhens are numerous. Some pochards, mallards and other fowl had 

 arrived on the day of my visit. Mr. Waterton was very scrupulous 

 about the birds when they were newly come and unsettled : no gun 

 was fired, nor trap set. When the water birds are arriving, in October 

 and November, the keeper, who seems to have inherited some of his 

 former master's veneration for the feathered tribes, permits no one to 

 walk on the edge of the lake. The aquatic birds have been disturbed 

 by foxes: a piece of the wall fell soon after the floods of last year, 

 and is not yet rebuilt. The green, the greater spotted and lesser 

 spotted woodpeckers occur in the park. A woodpecker's nest with 

 eggs was taken from a tree, in Haw Park,* a tl'w years ago, by 

 poachers or trespassers, much to the annoyance of Mr. Waterton. 

 Once a green woodpecker took a fancy to roost in one of the galleries 

 of one of the bird-towers. Mr. Waterton used to go of an evening and 

 sit in a grolto, and watch it enter its hole. If, in walking up to the 

 house he should happen to meet any one, he would stop and observe, 

 " I am as pleased as if I had found five pounds ; my woodpecker is 

 sale once more." Jays and magpies are not so numerous as they were, 



* Huw Park is a wood outside tie wall, famous for mollis. 



