My Pond and /fs Occupants. 
279 
etc., were nn ondloss source of amusement, while on the brij^ht 
days, larocr tjrimc, in the shape of stirkl-^backs, minnows, or 
even small trout, fell victims to our prowess. Since those 
days the writer has spent cjuite a slice out of his life either 
on or near the water, and has used it lari^ely for irrigation 
purposes "Out West." and for power here in England. 
Some fourteen or fifteen years ago it fell to my 
lot to construct a reservoir for a large factory. Great en- 
gineering skill was not required, as the lie of the land enabled 
it to be built with a retaining bank on two sides only. When 
finished it covered from two to three acres: the depth of the 
water at the head, and along the lower side avera.ged about 
ten feet, which sloped to a few inches at the higher end and 
further side. It was filled by a small chalk stream which 
ran into it. The banks were planted with conifers, laurels, 
and flowering-shrubs. .'\ couple of hundred yearling rainbow 
trout were introduced, and. both these and the shrubs made 
a rapid growth. It ma> interest those of my readers, Avho 
are fisliermen, to know, that within three years trout were taken 
with tlie fiy, weighin.g over five pounds each. 
As the vegetation around the banks began to grow 
and make cover, birds began to make it their permanent home. 
The first to visit it was the ubiquitous Moorhen (GallinuLa 
chloropus chloropus), and they reared young the second year. 
Our little friend the Dabchick (PddJcipcs fluviatilis), also known 
as the Little Grebe, soon followed and these have reared 
young on the pond each year since. Amongst otJier and 
rarer visitors have been: Herons {Ardeidae), Coots {Fulica 
atra), Sandpipers {Totaniis hypoleucus). Golden-eyes (Clan- 
gula i^laucioii). Scaup (f-'uligulfi mania). Pochard {Nayroca fer- 
ina), Mallard {Anas boscas), Wigeon {Mareca penelope), leal 
{Ncttion crccca), and once only a couple of Little Black- 
headed Gulls {Larus minutus) spent a day or two witli us. 
A Water-Rail {Rallus aquaticus) lived on the banks all Li-t 
autumn and winter, and would, at times, allow us to come quite 
close; I hope it is now nesting somewhere in the neighbour- 
hood. Last season nearly eighty Moorhens were bred ou the 
pond, and these, with a couple of troops of Dabchicks, made 
it look alive with water-fowl. This gave me the idea< that I 
might as well introduce a few Foreign Wild-fowl, especially as 
