148 ARDEIDJE. 



even in the same tree, a fine old ash, although other aged trees 

 were adjacent, and a rookery and heronry were only two fields distant. 

 When the herons would fly off the tree the rooks pursued and even 

 struck them on the back until they screamed ; but when these birds 

 alighted on their nest, the rooks dared not go near them. The progeny 

 of both species escaped from this tree in safety.* 



The following mode of flight is sometimes witnessed at the heronry 

 as well as elsewhere. To use the words of Mr. Poole, "The ap- 

 pearance of the heron, ascending by repeated gyrations in the air for 

 the purpose of attaining a sufficient elevation, is exceedingly beautiful. 

 The circle described in this manoeuvre is small — perhaps not more than 

 thirty yards in diameter — yet continued exertions quickly elevate the 

 bird to an immense height, sometimes almost beyond the reach of vision. 

 The flight at such times resembles that of the eagle — the king of birds 

 — as he climbs the sky." To this may be added, that the heron's 

 manner of descending from a great elevation in the atmosphere, by 

 rapid and almost perpendicular swoops, is only less interesting than his 

 ascent. 



A heronry is most graphically introduced by Hugh Miller in his 

 eloquent description of a scene in Morayshire, f — ("Old Red Sand- 

 stone," p. 217, 1st edit, and p. 254, 2nd edit.) 



The Heron's Cowardice, fyc. — The persecution of a heron (sup- 

 posed to have young at the time) by a sparrowhawk, will be found 

 noticed under the latter species (vol. i. p. 67). The poor heron 

 is also sometimes assailed when flying innocently above the nests 

 of other birds. One flying closely over the rookery at Belvoir 

 Park in my presence, brought a bevy of rooks against him ; but 

 they all soon returned., except one winch followed the heron for 

 some way. Against this bird lie showed no fight ; but presented 

 a most cowardly appearance, when doing all in his power to avoid 

 being struck by Iris assailant, i Goldsmith, in his ' Animated 



* Mr. Robert Warren, jun. 



f An excellent account of a visit to a heronry has been recently published by 

 Mr. Knox, in his " Ornithological Rambles in Sussex," p. 20 — 35. 



\ The result of a pair of herons building in a rookery will be found in vol. i. 

 p. 319, under Rook. 



