312 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



In the ' Sussex Archseological Collections ' (vol. xxvii.), 

 where a plate of the heroniy at Windmill Hill Place, near 

 Hailsham, is given, it is mentioned (p. 115) that the Rooks 

 and Herons occasionally nest in the same tree ; and Mr. H. 

 M. Curteis, in whose park it is situated, thus writes : — 

 " There has been a Heronry at this house for some con- 

 siderable time — probably dating with the century (but this 

 I am not certain about), but it seems that they and the Rooks 

 have continued, or migrated, together. 



" The Herons were first in the Heron Wood, now cut down, 

 in Hurstmonceux Park. I do not know whether the Rooks 

 were at first there or not. The Herons and Rooks went, 

 after the Heron Wood was cut down, to the Toll, near the 

 Castle ; from thence, on the trees there dying and decaying, 

 they migrated to the sheep-walk, north of my house, a few 

 hundred yards from their old habitation (leaving still a few 

 nests near the turnpike road, from which they can still be 

 seen sitting on the trees) . The curiosity concerning them 

 was their building so close to the house, and in the trees 

 almost overhanging. The nests are not visible in the 

 drawing, as the Herons never build on the front trees.^' 



Concerning the heronry at Brede, in the same paper in 

 the 'Sussex Archaeological Collections,' by the Rev. F. H. 

 Arnold, he says: — "A correspondent in 'Science Gossip' 

 informs me that ' it is one of the largest in England, situated 

 north of Pairlight, in a lonely wood, near Broad Oak, at 

 Udimore, near Rye, on the property of E. Frewen, Esq.' 

 The owner has kindly supplied me the following information : 

 "The heronry at Brede is situated in the north-east corner 

 of Great Sowden's wood. About twenty years ago some four 

 hundred nests could be counted in it ; but at present there 

 are barely two hundred nests. I cannot in any way account 

 for the decrease in their numbers, as the greatest care is 

 taken to preserve them, and no timber or underwood in 



