THB GREAT HERON. 116 



Une behind him, appearing like a tail, and, probably, serving 

 the same rudder-like office. When he leaves the sea-coast, 

 ind traces, on wing, the courses of the creeks or rivers up. 

 !rards, he is said to prognosticate rain ; when downwards, 

 dry weather. He is most jealously vigilant and watchful 

 Df man, so that those who wish to succeed in shooting the 

 Beron, must approach him entirely unseen, and by strata- 

 gem. The same inducements, however, for his destruction, 

 do not prevail here as in Europe. Our sea-shores and 

 rivers are free to all for the amusement of fishing. Luxury 

 has not yet constructed her thousands of fish-ponds, and 

 surrounded them with steel traps, spring guns and Heron 

 snares. In our vast fens, meadows, and sea-marshes, this 

 •tately bird roams at pleasure, feasting on the never-failing 

 Magazines of frogs, fish, seeds, and insects, with which they 

 abound, and of which he, probably, considers himself the 

 sole lord and proprietor. I have several times seen the 

 bald eagle attack and tease the Great Heron ; but whether 

 For sport, or to make him disgorge his fish, I am uncertaia 

 The Common Heron of Europe very much resembles the 

 present, which might, as usual, have probably been ranked 

 AS the original stock, of which the present was a mere 

 degenerated species, were it not that the American is greatly 

 superior, in size and weight, to the European species ; the 

 former measuring four feet four inches, and weighing up- 

 wards of seven pounds ; the latter, three feet three inches, 

 tnd rarely weighing more than four pounds. Yet, with the 



