50 Baby Birds at Home 



gether in the nest for warmth, until, at a little 

 distance, they look just like one bundle of 

 fluffy down. They are fed upon eels, frogs, 

 trout and other kinds of fish, and, when 

 they sit up to receive their food, look very 

 ungainly. 



Our illustration shows a young Heron 

 that has just fledged, but is not able to fly 

 very far. 



When the breeding season is over Herons 

 scatter up and down the countryside, and 

 may frequently be seen fishing in ponds, by 

 the sea-shore, and in the shallow parts of 

 rivers. They do not dive and swim after 

 their prey in the same way that cormorants 

 do, but just stand still in the water until a 

 fish swims close to them. Then the long neck 

 is darted out, and the Heron's lance-like bill 

 is driven right through the body of the 

 unwary victim. 



A Heron is gifted with plenty of patience, 

 and will sometimes stand stock-still in one 

 place for hours. If a water-rat is rash 

 enough to swim past, it is all the same to 

 the bird, he is speared through the head, 

 shaken free and then swallowed whole with- 

 out any trouble. 



