oi) ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



of the trees, "before an old black warrior attacked 

 him furiously, following him up beyond the pre- 

 cincts of the heroniy, and buffeting him vigor- 

 ously, while the poor heron, far from making an}^ 

 resistance, screamed with terror, and only occa- 

 sionally arrested his flight to throw himself into 

 an attitude of apparent pain and distress. Per- 

 haps you will regret that I have recorded this 

 little incident, as it may induce you to form 

 rather a low estimate of the moral qualities of a 

 bird whose physical organization would certainly 

 appear calculated to enable him to resist such 

 attacks eiiectually. 



I have long felt satisfied that the injury which 

 herons commit on fish-ponds is far less than is 

 generally imagined: indeed, the depredations of 

 all birds which can by any possibility be sup- 

 posed to interfere with the comforts or luxuries 

 of man, from the lordly eagle to the republican 

 sparrow, are greatly exaggerated, and a short- 

 sighted proscription is the result. Nay, those 

 very habits which should entitle some species to 

 his especial protection, are frequently, either from 

 gross ignorance, or a wilful distortion of reason- 

 ing, converted into a capital charge against them,* 



* This remark will apply to the kestrel, to the 

 v/oodpeckers, and to the whole family of titmice. 



