196 
THE BIRDS OF HAMPSHIRE, 
is a rarity which I would ride half as many miles to have 
a sight of." 
In his chapter on the flight of birds ^ he writes that 
the heron seems to be encumbered with too much sail 
for its light body, and in his Diary of October 6th, 178 1, 
he notes " several herons at Wolmer Pond." 
It was about the year 1868 that two colonies were 
established at Wolmer in Scotch firs, and Captain Fielden 
told Mr. Harting that there were eight or ten pairs building 
there in 1872, as recorded in the "Zoologist" of that 
year. 
Mr. C. J. Cornish has described the spot as follows 2 : — 
" The nests are in a plantation of tall pines in the very 
heart of the forest, where one or two small brooks, deeply 
tinged with iron deposits, flow through the wood. The 
trees are so tall as to be inaccessible to the climber; 
and as the great birds launch themselves from their nests, 
and sail round with harsh cries above the tree tops, the 
visitor might well imagine himself back in some bygone 
forest era. The trees on which the nests are placed 
are covered with a thick green lichen, and are readily 
distinguished from the rest." 
In 1898 Captain Cowie reported to the War Office that 
" the heronry has gradually increased from one nest a few 
years ago to about twenty nests now, and nearly fifty 
young herons flew from the nests in 1897." 3 
Iji iJie NortJiern Woodlands. 
There are no heronries in this district, and the birds 
are scarcer here than in any other division of the county. 
' Letter xlii. to Earrington. August 7, 1778. 
2 "Wild England of To-day." 1895. 
3 "Nature Notes." 189S. 
