258 LETTERS OP AN OUNITIIOLOQIST. 



very abundant bird in winter, and a very picturesque object. They roost, 

 when the tide is full, upon some unfrequented rocks, where I have sometimes 

 caught them napping. They have a very grotesque appearance then — a muffled- 

 up ball of feathers, stuck upon the end of a single long stick; the head, one 

 leg, and the bill, all entirely put out of sight, the bare extremity of the latter 

 alone being protruded from among the long breast feathers. One spring I 

 happened to meet with a Heron among the rocks at low water, who apparently 

 had received some hurt, as he flew off with difficulty, and alighted again at 

 a short distance. When I followed him I saw him gradually sink down into 

 a sitting posture; on my nearer approach, his neck slowly was lowered down 

 also, till it lay along the sea-weed; and as it was a low hollow rock, he thus 

 rendered himself almost invisible, and would certainly never have been noticed 

 by any one, who had not been all the time keeping his eye fixed on the 

 place; however when I came quite close to him, and he saw that he had 

 not escaped detection, he sprang up, and made a successful effort to fly off. 



When a Heron has been sufficiently kept, though not so good as many 

 other sea- fowl, it may be eaten cold; at least I do not see why we should 

 be more fastidious than our forefathers, who thought it a sufficiently "dainty 

 dish to set before a king." 



The larger Gulls take a special delight in tormenting their sedate grey 

 friend, whenever they catch him soberly traversing the air, going to or returning 

 from his feeding-ground. The Gulls, with hoarse cries, make repeated swoops 

 which, frightening the poor Heron out of his propriety, make him quickly 

 change the dignified measured flappings of his great wings for a series of 

 uncouth summersets through the air, by which he tries to escape their rude 

 attack; at the same time furiously uttering his harsh screams, by which (could 

 we understand the bird's language,) he probably threatens his assailants with 

 police! prosecution, and all the terrors of the law! This continues till the Heron 

 alights, or is driven far inland, or until the Gulls get tired of the sport. 



The natural colour of the Cormorant's egg, as you are aware, is a sea-green, 

 covered with a rough coating, of a dirty white substance, like chalk. This 

 was very remarkable upon one specimen which T found in a nest, off which 

 I shot the female bird. On dissecting it I found another egg just ready for 

 laying — of a beautiful green, and pure colour, without a stain of white. Query. 

 Is the coating of lime acquired after extrusion, or immediately before it? I 



to go ashore at his leisure. Another wave camo, and the same hoarse challenge met it from 

 the half-immersed bird ; until at last exhausted nature gave way, and a volume of surge washed 

 the unhappy wader far on the beach. The matter did not end here; up rose the prostrate 

 bunch of feathers, and away it stalked as majestically as the broken wing permitted. I was 

 not, however, to be cheated, and at once accosted the marching ghost; then a row commenced — 

 the Heron seizing me by the arm, or anywhere it could effectually aim a blow, till, by a lucky 

 twist, I got hold of his neck, which scoured me the victory. In spite of all his misfortunes he 

 was still dangerous; so I tucked his body under my arm, throwing at the same time the neck 

 over my shoulder to ensure protection against bites; and tlius I mai'ched home, — the Heron 

 screaming lustily all the way. A more perfect caricature of that odious instrument, the bag- 

 pipes, could not possibly be conceived. — W. Sinclair, Dunbar. 



