MARCH 63 



whitened and strewed with nesting-litter, while Herring 

 Gulls cackle about their nesting ledges, and Ringed 

 Plover and Oyster-catchers betake themselves to the 

 shell-beaches and shingle-banks to scratch out the 

 artless hollows which serve them as nests. 



Putting aside abnormal instances which furnish the 

 regular crop of "early nesting" paragraphs to the 

 newspapers, recording how some ill-advised robin or 

 thrush has been found sitting upon eggs in Christmas 

 week, it may safely be said that the Heron and the 

 Raven are the earliest of our native birds to breed. 

 Even in January, if the weather is open, Herons 

 resort to their nests, and in the mild climate of the 

 south of Ireland young are often hatched by the first 

 of March. Though the solitary fisher is no longer 

 protected as royal game, there are at the present day 

 few counties which cannot boast one or more heronries. 

 One of these, if visited in the breeding-season, presents 

 a scene full of interest and animation. The tree-tops 

 are studded with the great nests, off which the sitting 

 birds come awkwardly scuffling, each as it gets fairly 

 under weigh, taking a turn round overhead, crying 

 "kronk," or " kraak," and making such uncanny 

 noises as herons only can. Other old birds stand, 

 gaunt and angular, upon their nests, spots of blue 

 grey against the dark foliage of pine or fir. The 

 young in the nests clap their bills loudly ; older ones 

 stand upright, steadying themselves awkwardly with 



