OF XORTHUMBEELAKD AJTD DURHAM. 127 



Chillingliam, and another at Harbottle, on the Coquet, of ahont 

 twenty nests. There is also a small heronry on Lord Redesdale's 

 estate, onRedewater; another, of ten or twelve nests, at Unthank, 

 on Sonth Tyne. Many years ago there was a heronry at Ravens- 

 worth Castle, county of Durham. I am informed by the Eev. 

 Gr. C. Abbs that in the year 1814 there was a nest of the Heron 

 at Cleadon House, and also one at "West House. Mr. "William 

 Proctor states that he saw, at Cocken, on the "W^ear, a nest of 

 young Herons. jSTests also occur at Swecthope, and at East jS'ook, 

 near Elsdon. 



In Wallis's "History of jSTorthumberland, " Yol. I., p. 324, it is 

 stated that "the Ash-coloui'cd Heron, or Hernshaw, is common. 

 It builds gregatim upon trees. On a farm of Sir Harry Grrey's, 

 by the western margin of a trout streamlet, called Glen, on the 

 Cheviot, there is usually a fine heronry, at the vernal revolution. 

 It is very entertaining to see the polity, the pleasures and amuse- 

 ments of this piscivorous community. Some are sentinels, and 

 take their post on the side of a sunny bank, to see that no danger 

 is near, while the rest of the society are at work, some in build- 

 their little temporary city, some in laying their eggs, some in 

 attending their young, others up above the thighs in water, ex- 

 ploring food for them, returning from the Glen, and other neigh- 

 bouring streams, with a constant supply of fish provisions. An 

 universal harmony reigns among them ; not a biixl to be seen but 

 contributes its utmost to the happiness of the rest, and to the 

 prosperity and well-being of the rising generation." 



125. ARDEOLA, Bonaparte. 

 45. Little Bitteei?. A, minuta, {Linn(Bus.) 



Ardea minuta, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, II., 52. 

 Botmcms ,, Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, II., 533. 



This is an extremely rare, casual visitant. A mature male 

 was shot at Blagdon, near IS'cwcastle, on the 12th of May, 1810 : 

 this specimen is now in the I^ewcastle Museum, and is the indi- 

 vidual figured by Bewick. Another example was killed in April, 



