Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/154

1320 Lowestofft in Suffolk, in the month of April, 1845. It was walking slowly in a barley field, apparently intent on searching for food, and was killed without difficulty. The wind had for some time previous been easterly. We are not aware of any other recent instance of the occurrence of the crane in this district. " Cranes," says Sir Thomas Browne " are often seen here in hard winters, especially about the champian and fieldy part. It seems they have been more plentiful, for in a bill of fare when the mayor entertained the Duke of Norfolk, I met with cranes in a dish." This surmise is probably correct, for in the household accounts of the Lestranges, already quoted, the crane although not very often mentioned, is only valued at 6d. The "cranne" is one of the first birds mentioned in these accounts, as having been killed with the gun in the year 1533.

Common Heron, Ardea cinerea. Common throughout the year, and breeds with us.

The discontinuance of hawking, of which herons were the favourite victims, and for which they were carefully preserved, and the conse- quent dispersion of the larger heronries, has caused the establishment of numerous smaller colonies of these birds, but the number of herons which frequent most of these localities is very limited. The herons begin to repair to their nests early in February, and leave them about the end of August, dispersing themselves through the marshy parts of the county during the remaining months. They usually rear two broods in the course of the year, and a notion is prevalent among the country people, that the second set of eggs, is incubated by the young birds of the first brood. It is perhaps worth remarking, that when the herons drop any of 4he food which they bring to their young, among the trees of the heronry, they make no attempt to recover it, but, probably from a consciousness of their inability to rise from the ground in a confined space, allow it to remain where it falls.

The food of the heron is well known to be somewhat miscellaneous. During the nesting season, it appears to consist chiefly of eels, and water rats, the fur of which latter they are observed to reproduce in pellets, after the manner of birds of prey.

We may add that we have found the remains of water beetles and boat-flies in the stomach of this species.

Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea. Occurs in Norfolk, but is a rare and accidental visiter. It is probably this species which is described by Sir Thomas Browne under the name of "Black Heron."

Great White Heron, Ardea alba. With the exception of the Suf- folk specimen, mentioned by Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear, we