272 THE HERON AND THE CROWS. CHAP. xni. 



ing the Heron when he has made a successful dive, 

 They rush at him immediately, and endeavour to 

 seize his food from him. Early in the summer of 

 1845, whilst loitering about the hills of Boyndie, I 

 observed a Heron flying heavily along, as if from the 

 sea that rich and inexhaustible magazine of nature 

 and pursued by a Carrion Crow, followed at some 

 distance by two Magpies. They had not proceeded 

 far when two Hooded Crows made their appearance 

 and quickly joined their black associate. The heron 

 had by this time got into an open space between 

 two woods, and it would appear that his enemies 

 intended to keep him there until he had satisfied their 

 demands. During the whole time that the affray 

 lasted, or nearly half an hour, they did not suffer him to 

 proceed above a few yards in any way, either back- 

 ward or forward, his principal movements being in 

 ascending or descending alternately, in order to avoid 

 the assaults of his pursuers. Having chosen their 

 battle-ground, I crept behind a whin-bush, from 

 whence I had an uninterrupted view of the whole 

 affair. 



"The manoeuvring of the crows with the heron 

 was most admirable. Indeed, their whole mode of 

 procedure had something in it very remarkable. So 

 well did each seem to understand his position, that 

 the one never interfered with the other's point of 

 attack. One, rising higher than the heron, descended 

 upon him like a dart, aiming the blow in general at 



