THE HERON l8l 



seem entirely destroyed, leaving nothing but the naked arms 

 and branches of the trees on which the nests are placed. The 

 same nests, slightly repaired, are used year after year. Looking 

 down at them from the high banks of the Altyre side of the 

 river, you can see directly into their nests, and can become 

 acquainted with the whole of their domestic economy. You 

 can plainly see the green eggs, and also the young herons, who 

 fearlessly, and conscious of the security they are left in, are 

 constantly passing backwards and forwards and alighting on the 

 topmost branches of the larch or oak trees, whilst the still 

 younger birds sit bolt upright in the nest, snapping their beaks 

 together with a curious sound. Occasionally a grave-looking 

 heron is seen balancing himself by some incomprehensible feat 

 of gymnastics on the very topmost twig of a larch-tree, where 

 he swings about in an unsteady manner, quite unbecoming so 

 sage-looking a bird. Occasionally a thievish jackdaw dashes 

 out from the cliffs opposite the heronry and flies straight into 

 some unguarded nest, seizes one of the large green eggs, and 

 flies back to his own side of the river, the rightful owner of the 

 eggs pursuing the active little robber with loud cries and the 

 most awkward attempts at catching him. 



The heron is a noble and picturesque-looking bird, as she 

 sails quietly through the air with outstretched wings and slow 

 flight ; but nothing is more ridiculous and undignified than her 

 appearance as she vainly chases the jackdaw or hooded crow 

 which is carrying off her egg and darting rapidly round the angles 

 and corners of the rocks. Now and then every heron raises its 

 head and looks on the alert as the peregrine falcon, with rapid 

 and direct flight, passes their crowded dominion ; but, intent on 

 his own nest, built on the rock some little way farther on, the 

 hawk takes no notice of his long-legged neighbours, who soon 

 settle down again into their attitudes of rest. The kestrel-hawk 

 frequents the same part of the river, and lives in arnity with 

 the wood-pigeons that breed in every cluster of ivy which clings 

 to the rocks. Even that bold and fearless enemy of all the 

 pigeon race, the sparrowhawk, frequently has her nest within a 

 few yards of the wood-pigeon, and you see these birds (at all 

 other seasons such deadly enemies) passing each other in theit 

 way to and fro from their respective nests in perfect peace and 

 amity. It has seemed to me that the sparrowhawk and wood-* 



