402 Peacock : The Bii ds of Norfh-ivcst Lindsey. 



Shag. — This is only a storm-driven species too. 



Gannet. — Is driven into the Humber and Trent, too, by 

 heavv storms, more frequenth^ than the last two species. 



Heron. — May still be seen about our becks, or flying over 

 during the whole year. There has always been a heronry in 

 the Eastern Woods. Formerly it was in the Broughton lord- 

 ship, but some 3'ears ago, when there was a large fall of timber 

 at Mamby, the birds moved their nesting place to Appleby, 

 the next parish. The woodland is continuous, with only a 

 high road to mark the parish boundar}^ The Vicar has counted 

 herons b\- scores on the warpings in the Isle of Axholme in the 

 last ten years. 



Bittern. — Was frequent, and nested w^ith us before the 

 Carrs and Marshes were reclaimed or warped. It is a rare 

 visitor now. I have four notes since 1850. One on Brumby 

 West Common, shot b}- the late W. Cole Wells Clark ; two 

 others from the same Common, shot by the late George and his 

 father, Tom Tacey ; and in 1886 Mr. G. Roadey shot one on 

 Scotton Common. If they were only left in peace, they might 

 stiU nest there again, I believe, as a pair visited Shorndyke in 

 1899, and the ' booming of the butterbump ' attracted atten- 

 tion to them. One was shot, and nailed upon a tree alongside 

 other poor bipeds, whose only fault is their shy habits. Our 

 more ignorant peasants still blame this species for deadly 

 deeds against game and fish. ' One was killed at Usselby, 

 iith of January 1896,' Mr. Young says. ' Two have been shot 

 near Gainsborough in recent years,' is Mr. Burton's note. I 

 have every reason to believe they still visit this county annually, 

 some years in fair numbers. 



Stork. — Is named by Stonehouse as an Isle of Axholme 

 bird formerly. There is some trifling proof that it was once 

 not uncommon in the Great Fenland. He could hardly apply 

 this name to the Spoonbill, for he was an intimate friend of 

 my grandfather, and a fair naturalist. The Spoonbill, too, 

 was certainly not rare in Lincolnshire one hundred and fifty 

 years ago. He names the Heron and Crane in the same sen- 

 tence, so these birds are excluded. A nice question arises : 

 if the Stork formerly frequented the Isle district, did the bird 

 foUow^ the Dutchmen who drained the whole of the Isle, or the 

 men follow the bird they love ? 



Naturalist^ 



