I
HERON.
AKDEA CINEREA.
FOUMEIILY tin? head of the game list, the Jleron, since the decline of Hawking, lias fallen from ils proud
estate, and at Hie present day is but little esteemed by uny, save pluinassicrs. Anglers, as well as keepers in
charge of lakes and rivers that, abound with tish, are but little impressed by the beauty of these handsome bird-,
and not unfrequently view with intense disgust their arrival to prey on the scaly denizens ol their well-stocked
waters. Occasionally these birds are shot down as vermin in consequence of their depredations, and. considering
the result of observations taken in many parts of the country, I am by no means surprised at the reception they
meet with,
From north to south the lleron is distributed in larger or smaller numbers nver most of the English
and Scotch counties 1 have visited—more abuudant in well-preserved districts when their ancient haunts are
carefully- looked after, though breeding also in parties of from a score or two down to even single pairs in
several of the forests in the Northern Highlands. During the years I was collecting iu Ross-shire I also met
w itb many small communities rearing their young in the dwarfed and weather-beaten pines ur stunted bushes
alung the shores of the tilths, rivers, and lochs.
There is an exceedingly interesting breeding-place of tins species in the rocks overlooking the open sea to
the north of the entrance to the Cromarty Firth. At a portion of the range of cliffs known as the Cairn lihut
their ucsts, at the time of one of my last visits to the spot in May lSlii), were placed thickly in the vignrnus
plants of ivy that here creep U p the precipice, as well as on some of the liare ledges of rock. A colony of
Jackdaws hail also established them-eh cs in the ivy, and many of their domiciles were in close proximity ami in
some instances joined to those of the Herons, the occupants appearing to agree iu a marvellous manner,
considering the bad charatler usually attributed to the Daws. I spent many hours in watching the animated
scene to be viewed from the summit, and on one occasion, while carefully examining with the glasses the
birds flying round, I delected a flue old male making straight for the ledges on which the nests were placed,
and requiring a good specimen at the time I final in hopes of securing him. Though evidently hard hit he
turned and Hew out to sea; after flapping with difficulty a couple of hundred yards or so, be circled round and
again made for the cliffs, finally doubling up and pitching headlong among the large blocks of stone on the
shore at the foot of the rocks. A shepherd who had watched the effect of the shot at once Volunteered to fetch
the bird, and after proceeding a short distance along the edge descended by a track that I should have iinagiiud
utterly impracticable for any human being without the aid of a rope. An hour or so later he returned, having
failed to discover the object of his search, which we came to the conclusion must have fallen on to the
water and lieen swept away by the tide before he reached the spot. later in the day, however, when we had
reached the shore by a longer, though far safer, path down the cliffs near Shandwick, and were obtaining a few
specimens of Koek-l)ovcs from the eaves, we detected our lost prize stretched out on the top of a high crag ;
not n leg or wing extended beyond the edge of the rock, and it was only a gust of wind milling the