THE HERON 173 



water being eaten indiscriminately. Frogs, small lizards, water 

 insects, and even small animals, such as shrews and mice, are 

 also eaten. I have known this bird prey upon young Coots 

 and Moorhens ; and on one occasion I took the skeleton of a 

 Eedshank from its nest. Upon the beach it frequently 

 catches small crabs and quantities of shrimps. The Heron is 

 a voracious feeder, digesting its food very rapidly ; hence the 

 reason for its fishing so industriously on every possible 

 opportunity. Its partiality for fish makes it an object of 

 persecution by all keepers and owners of ponds and rivers 

 where fish are preserved ; but it is a pity that such a hand- 

 some bird should be sacrificed at every opportunity for such 

 a cause. 



The Heron, like the Kook, is probably united to its partner 

 for life, and every year the same nest is occupied. It is an 

 early breeder, generally laying its eggs in April, and in some 

 cases as early as the latter end of March. Herons, like Eooks, 

 breed in societies, and visit their nests more or less frequently 

 throughout the year. They will establish their colonies in 

 almost every description of forest tree, generally in thick 

 woods and plantations. Fir woods are frequently chosen for 

 the purpose, and it matters very little whether the heronry 

 be near to water or not. Sometimes their nests are made 

 in the centre of a large wood far from water ; but at other 

 times they will establish their colony on the wooded banks of 

 a lake or river, or even on cliffs both inland and near the 

 sea. A good look-out is always chosen if the district admits 

 of a selection in this respect. Let us pay a visit to the 

 heronry on yonder hillside. As we cross the marshy country 

 on our way thither, every now and then startled Herons rise 

 up from the pastures or from quiet corners of the little trout- 

 stream that dances down the hills. The Herons have chosen 

 a small wood of larch trees for their colony, and long before 

 we have reached the place the ever-watchful birds take alarm, 



