50 THE COMMON HERON. 



" Nether-Lochaber " papers, supports my experience {Inver- 

 ness Courier, February 5th, 1886). Mr. Stewart says : " We 

 have repeatedly seen instances of individual Herons enjoy- 

 ing such a monopoly as Mr. Thomson describes, and have 

 little to say about it, except that the Heron, in such a case, 

 is always a male, and usually a fine specimen, large and 

 full-crested, of his long-legged race. We know a Heron in 

 the full and free enjoyment of such a monopoly in our own 

 parish at the present moment." Since the above was written 

 I have obtained abundant proof of the correctness of the fore- 

 going observations. About twenty years ago an old Heron 

 was every day to be seen fishing in the stream on the Tweed 

 opposite Mertoun House. This patriarch, according to the 

 old servants of the Mertoun family, had held that stream as 

 his peculiar possession for about forty years. There could 

 be no mistake regarding his identity, as he was known 

 wherever he was seen. This favourite bird, which in his 

 day was one of the recognised " lions " of Mertoun, is thus 

 referred to by the Hon. and Rev. Robert Liddell in his 

 Lay of the Last Angler : ^ — 



" I'll venture to pourtray one feature more 



In sketching beauteous Mertoun's situation. 

 Notice that lonely fisher near the shore 



(Below ' Stile-foot ' he takes his usual station). 



" Don't be afraid that he will interfere 



With your day's sport, because he's not a caster. 

 Though in his own peculiar way, 'tis clear 

 That he's a finished and successful master. 



" See ! how he stalks along the pebbly strand, 



With keen eye watching each sub-aqueous motion, 

 Wading knee-deep for hours he will stand, 

 Yet as to taking cold, he scorns the notion. 



" He needs no rod, nor line, nor fishing-book, 

 Although he makes his living on the water ; 

 He catches all his fish without a hook, 

 But when ' he's getten haud ' he gives no quarter. 



1 Kelso : J. & J. H. Rutherfurd, 1884, pp. 74-76. 



