6634 



Birds. 



between two woods, and it would appear to have been the determined 

 intention of his opponents to have kept him there until he should 

 satisfy their demands. During the whole time that the affray lasted, 

 nearly half an hour, they did not suffer him to proceed above a few 

 yards in any way, either backward or forward ; his principal move- 

 ments being ascending or descending alternately, in order to avoid 

 the assaults of his pursuers. They having chosen their battle-ground, 

 as it were, near to where 1 was, and being sanguine in my hopes of 

 enjoying a rich treat, I concealed myself behind a whin-bush, where 

 I had an uninterrupted view of the whole affair. I was very much 

 gratified in having my expectations realised to the fullest extent. 

 The battle might now be said to have been fairly begun ; and 

 between the sonorous screaming of the heron, the cawing of the 

 crows, the chattering of the magpies, who were hopping on the 

 ground beneath the scene of action, we had a most inharmonious 

 concert. The manoeuvring of the crows with the heron was most 

 admirable ; indeed their whole mode of procedure had something in 

 it altogether very remarkable ; and so well did each seem to under- 

 stand his respective position, that the one never interfered with 

 the other's point of attack. One rising higher than the heron, 

 descended upon him like a dart, aiming the blow in general at his 

 head ; another at the same time pecked at him sideways and from 

 before; whilst the third assailed him from beneath and behind. The 

 latter several times, when pecking at him from behind, seized hold of 

 his feet, which, being extended at full length backwards, formed a 

 very prominent and tempting object for the crow to fix on. This 

 movement had the effect each time of turning the heron over, which 

 was always the signal for a general outburst of exultation amongst the 

 three black rogues, manifested by their much louder and complacent 

 cawings and whimsical gesticulations, no doubt laughing (if birds 

 can laugh in any way), after their own fashion, at seeing their victim 

 tinning topsyturvy in the air, which, from his unwieldly proportions, 

 exhibited, before he could get himself righted again, a rather comical 

 scene. During one of these summersets the heron disgorged some- 

 thing, but, unfortunately for him, it was not observed by any of the 

 crows, and on its falling to the ground was set upon and soon 

 devoured by the magpies, which were still there in attendance. 

 Finding no relief from the dropping of the article, and being still 

 hard pressed, he again disgorged what appeared to be a small fish. 

 This was noticed by one of the hooded crows, who speedily secured 

 and made off" with it, and quickly disappeared, leaving his two less 



