THE COMMON HERON. 407 



unerring aim ; a small fish is captured, crushed to death, 

 and swallowed head foremost ; an eel of some size requires 

 different treatment, and is worth the trouble of bringing 

 to land, that it may be beaten to death on the shingle ; a 

 large fish is impaled with its dagger-like beak, and, if 

 wortli the labour, is carried off to a safe retreat, to be 

 devoured at leisure. If observers are to be credited, and 

 there is no reason why they should not, a full-grown 

 Heron can thus dispose of a fish that exceeds its own 

 weight. A frog is swallowed whole ; a water rat has its 

 skull split before it discovers its enemy, and speedily is 

 undergoing the process of digestion. Shrimps, small crabs, 

 newts, water beetles, all is fish that comes to its comj^re- 

 hensive net ; but if, with all its watchfulness, the look-out 

 be unsuccessful, it rises a few feet into the air, and slowly 

 flaps itself away to some little distance, where, perhaps, 

 slightly altering its attitude, it stands on one leg, and, 

 with its head thrown back, 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. 

 On these occasions it is keenly on the alert, descrying 

 danger at a great distance, and is always the first to give 

 notice of an approaching enemy, not only to all birds 

 feeding near it on the shore, but to any Ducks which may 

 chance to be paddhng in the water.* 



During a great portion of the year the Heron is a 

 wanderer. I have frequently seen it at least fifty miles 

 distant from the nearest heronry ; but when it has dis- 

 covered a spot abounding in food, it repairs thither day 

 after day for a long period. 



* A Heron in captivity has been known to perch on an old car 

 riage-wheel, in the corner of a court-yard, and to lie in wait for 

 Sparrows and Martins, One of the latter it was seen to pierce 

 while flying, and immediately descending with outspread wings to 

 run to its trough, and, having several times plunged in its prey, to 

 swallow it at a gulp. 



