THE HERON 201 



only to be got there when " onsighted " by the wary gunner, 

 for sometimes the fowler is sharper than Frank. 



But sometimes he escapes with a broken wing, and if caught 

 young, is made a pet of. I once saw such a bird Hving in a 

 little garden with a toy-terrier on the most intimate terms. 

 Flora the terrier teased Frank by barking at him, but Frank 

 gave reproof with a few playful pecks of his sharp bill, and 

 Flo' was silent. The gunner who captured young Frank 

 had shot his mother ; but he took the body home, and for 

 days used to put dead eels in her beak for his captive, who 

 took them from the dead mother, but would eat no other. 

 Indeed, Frank's sole occupation seemed to be eating, birds' 

 entrails being a favourite dish — even dead mice being 

 acceptable. 



One day Frank escaped, and a labourer tried to drive him 

 home; but Frank was ungrateful and flew at him, at last 

 finding his way home himself But, like the " dear gazelle," 

 Frank finally died and was mourned, for he was a good 

 sportsman. 



The heron is a graceful bird when on the Fenland ; but 

 let him ahght on a tree, he is the most awkward bird imagi- 

 nable, and looks as if in constant dread of falling off On 

 the other hand, he looks grand when fighting bravely high up 

 in the sky against a head-wind, his neck set well back and 

 his long legs stretched behind him, as his great sails flap 

 to and fro against the blasts. But sometimes he is beaten ; 

 and I once saw one resigned to his fate, being carried like a 

 balloon before a hurricane out to sea towards the great waste 

 of the German Ocean, to arrive on the Continent wearied 

 and dazed. 



The heron is the decorative bird of the fens, and all 

 through that delightful district you may see on all sides 

 natural decorative panels worthy of Hokusai — one of the 

 most beautiful being an old cock heron flighting against a 

 pale rose full-moon across a reed- bed of amber and purple, 

 calling desolately to the swallows, who have just gone straight 



