134 ARDEID^E. 



the face of a high hill at the opposite side of the highway from the 

 house. A public road runs at the base of this hill ; but from it the 

 herons are unseen. They are not, however, driven thither merely 

 by the tide having covered their feeding banks, as I observed a 

 few there at all times of ebb and flow. One evening, twelve rose 

 from a group of three pines, whose foliage intermingled; eight 

 being on one tree, and on the side opposite to the sea. During 

 fine moonlight — sometimes at midnight — their loud hoarse call, 

 when on wing, denoted their flying thence to the bay. 



Others, on the Antrim side, betake themselves singly, or often 

 in little parties of three or four, to the demesnes bordering the 

 estuary; until, in some favourite spot, from twenty to perhaps 

 fifty are congregated together. Here they remain, in the centre 

 of large pasture-fields or meadows, out of the reach of gun-shot 

 from any fences, until the tide has sufficiently ebbed ; and then 

 usually return, not as they went, but in large parties, sometimes 

 en masse, to the bay. A flock of these gigantic buds appears very 

 beautiful when coming silently in view over the banks of fine 

 lofty trees at Parkmount, as I have seen about twenty do in a 

 compact body ; and not only continue thus in flight, but alight 

 together on the beach. A few notes may be given at full length. 



Nov. 14, 1847. — I was much pleased to-day by observing 

 flocks of herons, curlews, and lapwings (about forty individuals 

 in each — of herons I reckoned forty-two) awaiting the falling of 

 the tide in a large ploughed field at Parkmount, from which 

 the sea is not visible. The flocks kept separate, and were sta- 

 tioned about the middle of the field, so as to be out of shot from 

 the fences. The herons (of which there were beautiful adult as 

 well as young birds), from their colours finely contrasting with the 

 rich brown hue of the upturned soil, appeared to great advan- 

 tage. They were mostly at rest, with the necks drawn in, and 

 the plumage puffed out so, as to be apparently of huge bulk. 

 All the curlews had their heads turned the same way, just as they 

 appear when awaiting the falling tide on a marine rock; occa- 

 sionally they gave utterance to their low guttural cry. Nearly 

 the whole of the birds of the three species were perfectly quiescent. 



