CONTEST BETWEEN A HERON AND AN EEL. 57 



instant, for the purpose of getting a better " grip " of his slippery 

 customer was altogether out of the question. The heron was 

 standing on the very margin of the sea, into which, the eel, if 

 for a moment at liberty, would have shot like an arrow. It was 

 too large to be tossed into the air and recaught in its descent, 

 as herons frequently do with other fish ; and in short the heron 

 was at his wit's end, and wist not what to say or do. To 

 make matters worse, the eel was wriggling and twisting about its 

 captor's legs, breechless and exposed legs be it observed, and might, 

 for all we or the heron knew, take one of them at any time 

 between its teeth, and sharp and cruel, as probably the heron 

 knew, are an eel's teeth when any part of an enemy has the 

 misfortune to get between them. Apprehensive, doubtless, of some 

 such danger, the heron danced and shuffled about, lifting now one 

 leg and now another, as if he had been practising a new and 

 somewhat complicated hornpipe. He would at one time leap a 

 foot or two to one side, and immediately after spring into the 

 air as many inches, attempting the while to strike his prey 

 against the stones, but always failing in doing this effectually, 

 owing to want of sufficient " purchase " and the insecurity of his 

 hold. Having watched this novel combat for some time, we 

 made a rush to the scene of action, hoping to succeed in sur- 

 prising, perhaps, both the spoiler and his prey. We were 

 disappointed. The heron instantly took wing, carrying the eel 

 for some instance in his sharp-edged and powerful bill, but 

 finally dropping it into the sea, doubtless confessing to himself, as 

 he indignantly winged his flight to another fishing ground, that 

 once in his life at least he had caught a Tartar. 



