“ Spearbill,” 
the Heron. 
(128) THE BIRD WORLD. 
He was frightened very much, but 
after preening his feathers he began to 
feel himself again, although he could 
not fly so well, and would not be able to 
do so until he moulted in the joining 
autumn. 
The Falcons Again. 
When the autumn came, and with it 
his feathers began to drop out, he felt 
a most miserable bird, and kept as far 
as possible in safe places in well-known 
haunts on the fish-ponds; but what was 
his delight to find that, as he looked at 
himself day by day in the reflection of 
the pools, he was having a finer suit of 
feathers, and would be a full-fledged 
bird, as his father was. His old and 
somewhat dull grey coat is changed for 
one clearer and brighter far, with two 
long plumes on his head, black and 
white stripes down the neck and breast, 
and his wings had new flight feathers; 
in a few weeks he was in mature 
plumage and a full-grown bird, and so 
strong did he feel that no fear entered 
his heart at the sight of a Falcon over¬ 
head ; but in that he was vain, and his 
vanity almost cost him another capture, 
if not his life, for one day he was sail¬ 
ing along near the same place where he 
flew for life and liberty before, and out 
came two Falcons after him. 
He had a good start this time, and 
was now in full strength and plumage, 
and his mighty wings sent him ringing 
round and up at a pace the Falcons 
could not at first beat; but they kept at 
it, ringing round until they appeared 
like Rooks in the sky above, and the 
men below watched anxiously for the 
stoop—which did not come, for a dark 
cloud was gathering in the north-west 
driving quickly along before a strong- 
wind, and soon it broke, and the rain 
heat furiously, bothering the Falcons so 
much that “ Spearbill ” slipped with a 
long, downward flight clear away to the 
island in the pond and safety. He had 
run a great risk, for another minute and 
the Falcons would have been above him 
and the stoop would have come, and 
“ Spearbill ” brought down again a 
captive. 
When the second winter came, he had 
to travel once more to the salt water, 
but not for long, as this time the weather 
was mild and open, and the rain was. 
heavy, keeping the river and streams in 
flood, so that “ Spearbill ” could wade- 
and stalk in much water and catch 
water-rats and other food, but rarely 
fish; he loved it all, for he felt his. 
mature age upon, him, and the great ex¬ 
panse of shallow water meant safety to- 
him and to his friends. 
After a time the floods went down, 
leaving the streams all muddy, and the 
grass all brown. But soon the grass 
grows green again, and the streams run- 
clear, and “ Spearbill ” has many a catch 
of eel and roach. 
“ SpearbilVs ” Marriage. 
His love of the solitude leaves him, 
and he feels he wants the company of his 
mates, who seem to be of the same mind 
as he; and in the very early spring he 
begins in his solemn way to make love 
to a beautiful lady Heron called “ Long- 
legs,” of the same age as himself; his 
antics and squawking and grunting, 
noises are weird and strange, but their 
courting proceeds apace, until one day 
they go to the old elm and try to find 
a place to nest. 
Now comes their troubles, for the 
Rooks rob their sticks, for they are 
young, and awkward at the business, 
but, after a time, “ Spearbill ” finds a 
good place in the branches of a tall elm 
at one end of the group of trees, and 
lays some heavy stick across, leaving 
“ Longlegs ” to keep guard; they work 
hard at bringing sticks and grass and 
wool until they have a large nest a 
yard or more across, and soft and cosy 
for the eggs which soon are to be laid. 
There has been a lot of noise and 
quarrelling all over the Heronry while 
the nests are being built, but now “ Long- 
legs ” sits upon the nest and looks 
around her to find that nearly all the 
other birds are doing the same. After 
a day or two she goes to the nest, and 
does not leave until she has laid a 
beautiful light green coloured egg; each, 
