180 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
Order HERODIONES.
Family ARDEIDAE.
Heron : Ardea cinerea. Locally, " Frank," " Frank Hern," and
" Hernshaw."
A common resident; met with singly or in small parties in most
parts of the county from autumn to early spring, especially among
the marshes
along the
Thames,and
on our east
coast. There
are four He-
ronries now
existing in
the county,
two of which
are of con-
siderable
size, namely
at Birch,
where there
are about
170 nests,
and Wan-
stead Park,
where there are about forty. At St. Osyth there are about five nests,
and at Boreham about nine. For fuller details, the reader is referred
to Mr. E. A. Fitch's most interesting article on Essex Heronries
(50. ii. 171), from which I have gleaned much information.
These birds are occasionally seen during summer at a considerable distance
from any Heronry. On July 10th, 1877, I put one up from the brook at Chignal
St. James, and on July 17th following 1 saw another at Roxwell. On July 20th,
1876, I saw one near Dunmow, and on June 13th, 1880, another at Great Chester-
ford. On June 4th, 1882, I saw another here. About the first week in Decem-
ber, 1875, one was killed in the brook Cann at Chignal St. James, by a dog,
which jumped on its back from the bank of the stream. It severely bit the hand
of the man who assisted. At Orsett, Mr Sackett says they are fairly plentiful on
the marshes during spring, summer, and autumn, but he has never observed