150 OKALLATORES. 



and, if worth the labour, is carried off to some safe retreat 

 to ))e devoured at leisure. A frog is swallowed w'hole ; 

 a water-rat has its skull split before it discovers its 

 enemy, and speedily is undei-going the process of diges- 

 tion. Shrimps, small crabs, newts, water-beetles, share 

 the same fate, — all is tish that comes to its comprehensive 

 net. If, however, notwithstanding its watchfulness, the 

 look-out be unsuccessful, the Heron rises a few feet into 

 the air, and slowly flaps itself away to some little dis- 

 tance, where perhaps, slightly altering its attitude, it 

 stands on one leg, with its head thrown back, and awaits 

 better fortune. While thus stationed, it is mute ; but as 

 it flies off it frequently utters its note, — a harsh, grating 

 scream, — especially when other birds of the same species 

 are in the neighbourhood. In the month of March 

 Herons begin to congregate, and soon after repair to their 

 breeding-places, called Heronries : these are often clumps 

 of lofty trees or groves, frequently near some old family 

 mansion. The nests — huge masses of sticks a yard across, 

 lined with a little grass and other soft materials — are 

 l)laced near each other, as many, sometimes, as a hundred 

 in a colony ; or more rarely they are placed among ivy- 

 clad rocks, old ruins, or on the ground. Each nest con- 

 tains four or five eggs, on which the feriiale sits almost 

 three weeks, constantly fed by her partner during the 

 whole period of incubation. The capalnlity of walking 

 would be of little use to a young bird hatched at an ele- 

 vation of fifty feet from the ground ; the young Herons 

 are consequently helpless till they are sufficiently fledged 

 to perch on the branches of the trees, where they are fed 

 by their parents, who themselves are able to perch with 

 the facility of a rook. Indeed, the favourite station of 

 these birds during a considerable part of the day is on the 

 upper branches of a lofty tree, whither also they often 

 re})air with a booty too large to be swallowed at once. 



