260 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



they must be kept down, though it goes to my 

 heart to shoot them. On the contrary, where 

 they are few in number, they should be protected 

 as much as possible. 



In describing the heron as an ungainly bird, I 

 fear that I may be thought to do him an injustice ; 

 and I may qualify the observation by saying that, 

 in my opinion, he is graceful as well as ungainly. 

 No bird is, perhaps, more grotesquely awkward 

 in its movements than a heron when capering 

 about on a river-bank after having captured a 

 large fish which he is endeavouring to kill, and 

 under such circumstances he appears by no means 

 lovely in the eyes of the owner of a fishery ; but 

 standing in the water, watching for his prey or 

 intent on its capture, he is a peculiarly striking 

 bird, and when sailing high in air with legs out- 

 stretched and neck doubled back, he is truly noble 

 and game-looking. His best points are exhibited 

 when standing still or in flight, but when rising 

 from the ground to get on the wing he is at his 

 worst ; it is at this time that the enormous length 

 of his wings is most noticeable. He possesses 

 so little body, and so much wing, neck, and leg, 

 that it is not to be wondered at that he should 

 require time for the due and decent disposal of all 

 this paraphernalia. When in full plumage, an 

 adult male heron is very handsome, and, to my 

 mind, nothing can exceed the beauty of the 

 delicate shades of ash and pearl-gray, which are in 

 such perfect contrast with the bold dark markings 



