166 ARDEIDÆ.
a small and recent colony in Wolmer Forest, on Scotch
firs.
Herefordshire.—One in a wood of large oaks, near Hay,
on the borders of Brecon.
Kent.—Cobham Hall; Pensliurst Park ; Chilham Park,
near Canterbury.
Lancashire.—Ashton Hall, near Lancaster, in lofty ash
and beech trees; Claughton Hall, Garstang, on elms and
sycamores ; Bigg’s Wood, near Garstang ; Scarisbrick Hall,
near Ormskirk, on high larch and birch trees.
Lincolnshire. Skillingthorpe Wood, near Lincoln;
Swanpool; Evedon Wood, Haverliolme Priory, near Sleaford,
40 pairs; Manby, near Brigg, reduced from 30 nests
to 7 in 1884.
Merionethshire.—Talgarth Hall, Machynlleth; Bug, near
Corwen; Glyn Hall.
Middlesex.—From inquiries recently made on the spot,
the Editor believes that a small colony still exists at Osterley
Park.
Monmouthshire.—Pantygoitre ; Court Blethyn; Treowen,
near Monmouth.
Montgomeryshire.—Peniarth.
Norfolk. Gunton, 38 nests in 1883; Didlington, 70
nests in 1883 ; Earlham, 25 nests in 1883; Mautby, reduced
from 100 to 7 nests; Wolferton Wood, near Castle Bising;
Kimberley; Old Buckenham, 6 nests; Burnham Overy;
East Walton; Taverham Hall, near Norwich; Stokesby,
near Acle; Westacre ; Billingford; Spixworth, where the
nests are in Portugal laurels; Holkam, 33 nests in 1879;
Strumpshaw, near Brundall.
Northampton.—Althorpe ; Milton, near Peterborough;
Bulwick.
Northumberland.—Chillingham Park; Harbottle Castle,
Upper Coquetdale, nearly 30 nests in Scotch firs ; Bolam
Lake, near Wallington; Bedewater; Unthank, South Tyne.
Nottingham. Clumber Park, a large colony; small ones
in Colwick Park and Tlioresby Park.
Oxford shire.—A small colony in Far Wood, Soutlileigh.
COMMON HERON. 167
Shropshire.—Altingham, 30 or 40 nests; Ellesmere;
Plowden ; Halston ; Oakley.
Somersetshire.—Picton; Brockley Woods ; Knowle House,
near Dunster ; Halsewell, near Bridgewater, 30 or 40 nests.
Staffordshire.—Swithamley; Trentham ; Betley.
Suffolk.—Cavenham and Chippenham; Henham Hall;
Friston, on the Orwell; Orwell Park.
Surrey.—Cobham Park; Ashley Park, Walton-on-Thames;
scattered nests in Bichmond Park.
Sussex.—Windmill Hill, Hurstmonceaux, 50 nests in
1879; Sowden’s AVood, Brede, a very large colony; Parham
Park, upwards of 100 nests.
Warwickshire.—Warwick Castle ; Coombe Abbey; Bagley
Park, near Alcester.
Westmoreland.—Dalham Tower ; Bydal Lake ; Ingmire
Hall.W
iltshire.—Bowood, near Melksliam; Longleat, near
Bath ; Longford Park, near Salisbury.
Worcestershire.—AYedgwood Park, near Droitwich.
Yorkshire. — Kildale-in-Cleveland; Newton Hall, near
Malton ; Harewood Park, near Leeds ; Esliton Hall, near
Gargrave; Browsliolme Hall, near Clitheroe; Nostell
Priory; Morby Park, near York, about 50 nests (W. E.
Clarke).
In Scotland there are comparatively few large heronries,
but the small ones are so numerous that for a list of them
the reader must be referred to Mr. Harting’s paper, which
also contains some interesting particulars respecting many
of the colonies in Ireland. In the latter, the majority are in
the counties of Cork, Down, Dublin, Mayo, and Waterford,
but the species is so generally distributed that it would be
futile to attempt the enumeration of its breeding-places.
The food of the Heron consists of fish, reptiles, small
mammalia, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, and insects. When
the Heron has only itself to provide for*, it usually fishes late
m the evening and on moon-light nights, and very early in
the morning. Its appetite is voracious ; but on the whole
its services in the destruction of pike and other coarse fresh