242 Storks ^ Cranes 



he thought they were " Molly Ur-rns " — by which 

 he meant herons — went indoors, seized his gun, and 

 murdered both my poor cranes then and there. 

 Being absent at the time, I wrote to remonstrate 

 with him, but never even received an answer to 

 my letter, much less an apology. 



He lived near Princes Risborough, in Bucking- 

 hamshire. If any man deserved to be peppered 

 through his gaiters, he did ; and I honestly confess 

 it would have given me the keenest satisfaction to 

 have done it ! Exactly the same thing happened 

 with a pair of my white storks. 



It was in May, and having kept them in with 

 undipped wing feathers all the winter, liberated 

 them when I thought the vernal migratory instincts 

 had died down. 



Much clattering of mandibles took place, and 

 the male bird several times carried sticks about in 

 his bill. 



But a big storm came on, during which, whilst 

 on the wing, the storks were swept along in the 

 teeth of the gale, and settled in a meadow only 

 two miles from home. 



The next view I had of them was in a farm 

 cart, in which one was lying dead, and its mate 

 so wounded that it did not survive more than a 

 day or two. 



Here again was an instance of one of that class 

 of farmers, who love to prowl about with a gun, 

 banging at everything in the shape of a wild bird 

 or animal that is seen. 



