Bolam: The Natural History of Hornsea Mere. 59 
to watch the arrival home of the Herons to their wood, often 
“coasting ’’ down on partly closed wings from high in the air. 
While I was lying in the boat during a thick fog, early in the 
morning of 14th July, two Herons passed, ‘ honking,’ over 
within 20 or 30 yards of me, flying up the Mere towards the 
heronry. A third, close in their wake, was passing much 
nearer, but saw me and swerved off, though his fright was not 
great enough to cause him to drop a fish which could be dis- 
tinctly seen, carried cross-wise in his bill—quite a fair-sized fish, 
probably a Perch or Roach, of some 6 or 8 inches in length. 
Herons have increased much here of recent years. John 
Taylor came to Wassand 32 years ago, and during his first 
year there was only a single nest. No Rooks built in the 
vicinity at that date, nor for some years later, but within the 
last few years Rooks have been encroaching more and more 
upon the Herons, and this year the nests are much intermingled, 
to the apparent considerable uneasiness of the Herons. 
PURPLE HERON.—Mr. Sheppard has been good enough to 
draw my attention to the fact that there is a male Purple Heron 
in the Hull Museum, which was shot on Hornsea Mere in 1862. 
BITTERN.—Has been a frequent visitor to the Mere during 
the cold months of the year. Taylor has seen not fewer than 
twenty during his thirty-two years’ residence, on one occasion, 
a few years back, one standing upright in the reedy ditch 
near the Boat House, within a few yards of him. A Bittern 
has never been heard ‘ booming’ here, however. 
G Lossy IBpis.—Captain Constable saw one on the Mere side 
four years ago, Taylor being in the boat with him at the time. 
In 1909 two were shot at Burton Constable. One of Captain 
Constable’s tenants shot one near Hornsea about the same 
time, and had it stuffed: it is now in the Hull Museum. One 
or two others were seen a year or two later. 
MutE Swan.—The tame, unpinioned birds on the Mere have 
latterly increased to about fifty, a sufficient stock, beyond which 
Captain Constable is not anxious that they should go, and the 
eggs have been taken this year and last. The number of Swans 
. on the Mere is subject to some variation, little bands coming and 
going from time to time. On 8th June we could only count 35 ; 
a day or two later there were 42; on gth July I counted 47, 
and between these dates various intermediate numbers. Nests 
are scarce considering the number of adult birds present ; 
only three or four birds show any brown immature feathers, and 
yet last year there were only 5 nests. This year there was 
a like number, two upon Swan Island, one on the Green Island 
adjoining, one on Holmes’ promontory at Hornsea, and one in 
Heslop’s reeds. Eggs were late in being laid, the first nests, 
containing two or three eggs respectively, being taken on 18th 
May, when incubation was just beginning. On 8th June a 
1913 Jan. 1. 
