ON A NORFOLK HERONRY. 305 



entirely of the fur of the Water-Vole, with a few broken, brittle 

 teeth and fragments of skulls, that crumbled somewhat easily 

 between the fingers. I warrant the Herons destroy thousands 

 of Water-Voles in the course of a season. In one pellet I found 

 cream-white maggot-like larvse, probably of some beetle, and 

 many minute insects, that on white paper could, by the aid of a 

 powerful lens, be distinguished as a microscopic beetle much 

 resembling a Staphylinid. 



Mr. Pearson remarked that the Herons did now and again 

 drop small Eels, running up to half a pound, and sometimes a few 

 small fresh-water fishes ; he had found half a small Jack, and a 

 Trout weighing at least a pound, but never had discovered a flat- 

 fish, which is curious, seeing that in certain seasons when, like 

 the present one, Eels are not plentiful, and Flounders have to 

 satisfy them when fishing on Breydon. I saw early in July six 

 young Herons busy on Breydon, capturing little Flounders. 



For neighbours the Herons have the Kestrels and Wood- 

 Pigeons, and this season a pair of Carrion-Crows. These the 

 bailiff said were shy, wary, and silent ; they seemed to know 

 they bore the mark of a sable Cain ; they allowed of no near 

 approach, but glided out of their nest like black spirits, noise- 

 lessly and speedily, and kept away until the coast was clear 

 again. Books numerously nested there also, and as many as 

 five hundred young ones were shot each season, and Jackdaws 

 too had a few nests in the neighbourhood. Beedham heronry, 

 then, is by no means a lonely spot in birddom. 



All the time we were chatting and brushing through the 

 bracken — an hour at least — various species of moths took to 

 wing at our approach ; but not so the flies, which buzzed around 

 our heads by hundreds : our hats were beehives by comparison ! 

 The odour prevalent must certainly be sweet to them, and no 

 doubt they find the undergrowth a happy hunting-ground ; and 

 they either welcomed us or protested — I thought they did a great 

 deal of both — and but for decorating the eaves of my hat with a 

 festoon of brake-leaves, the torture— to me, at any rate — would 

 have been unendurable ; my friend seemed on better terms with 

 them. They left us, however, when we ourselves came out of 

 the " carr," and in a very short time I left my most communi- 

 cative friend to hurry to the train, thanking my lucky star that 



