BIRDS 221 



request for culinary purposes. The Naworth Accounts prove 

 that it was often served up at the table of Lord William 

 Howard, its name being variously entered as ' hernshew/ 

 ' hernshow,' ' heronsue,' and ' heronshew,' but never as ' Willy 

 Fisher ' ; although this latter name can boast probably of equal 

 antiquity. The Herons supplied to the Naworth kitchen were 

 usually such as had been snared or shot by the local fowlers, 

 who could always obtain the sum of sixpence for a 

 'heronsue.' But the practice of fattening wild birds for the 

 table in captivity was then in vogue ; hence batches of young 

 Herons were sent alive to jSTaworth from considerable distances. 

 Some of these came from Chipchase Castle, and others from the 

 Heronry which, until 1890, existed at Muncaster in the west of 

 Cumberland. Of course the birds were sent as presents, but it 

 was customary to bestow a largess on the servant who brought 

 them to Naworth. Thus in 1612 we find 'Mr. Lampley's man 

 bringing iiij hernshues and a conger eyle, ij s yj d ' ; again, ' Mr. 

 Penington's man bringing 2 fawnes and 6 herns, x s .' In 1620 

 there occurs on July 7th, ' to Mr. Heron's man of Chipchase 

 bringing 12 hernsues, iij s iiij d '; again, 'My Lady Savill's man 

 bringing xiiij gulls and v hernsues, v s .' A similar supply was 

 despatched from Muncaster in 1621, for on the 16th of July 

 was paid, ' To My Lady Savell's man bringing 7 hernsues and 9 

 gulls, iij s vi d .' A special house or aviary had to be constructed 

 to cage the seventeen young Herons received in 1620, and the 

 outlay was entered among the Extraordinary Paiments : 

 'July 1°. To Andrew Creake making the room for the hernsues, 

 xiiij d .' 



Of Lakeland Heronries, the most classical perhaps is that of 

 the birds at Dallam Tower, whose contests with their neighbours 

 the Eooks furnished subject for comment to Bewick, and still 

 earlier to Dr. Heysham. There, and probably there only, in the 

 Lake district, the name of ' Crane ' is constantly applied to this 

 Heron; a fact well known to Dr. Gough, who pertinently 

 remarked that ' Croneywood ' was the original name of their 

 stronghold. ' The trees,' he wrote, ' occupied by the Herons are 

 situated in the most elevated part of the wood, sloping north- 

 westward towards the upper reach of Morecambe Bay. The 



