SHOOTING THE HEEON. 199 



men, " more honoured in the breach than in the 

 observance." The keen angler and strict preserver 

 of water will, indeed, make no bones about knock- 

 ing a heron on the head whenever he has the oppor- 

 tunity — for he is a sad poacher of the scaly family ; 

 and, like poachers in general, he is wary to a proverb : 

 perhaps there is no bird that flies or swims more 

 difficult to get near, on the land. In passing from 

 the heronry to their fishing quarters, herons fly alto- 

 gether beyond range of shot ; and, as far as our 

 experience of their habits went, during a faithful 

 observance of them in one of the greatest heronries 

 in Suffolk, to circumvent them at home is out of the 

 question. To contrive even the chance of a shot, the 

 only method seems to be to wait for them — of course 

 in ambush — in the twilight, or when there is a moon 

 abroad, near the waters which they frequent for the 

 purpose of feeding. The sportsman will conceal him- 

 self under a bank, or in some close shade ashore ; or, 

 hiding in his punt mider some liigh bank, he may float 

 down with the stream (close to the lee shore) till he 

 comes upon them. Hitting them, from their size, is, 

 of course, not difficult ; and when hit, they are generally 

 done for, as they will carry very little shot. It will 

 be well to remember, the heron, when only wounded, 

 makes a very fierce and dangerous resistance. It is 

 said that the best plan to out-general him is to teaze 

 him for some time, "with a stick, or a ramrod, and 

 after he has seized hold of it with his bill, to watch 

 an opportunity of putting a foot on his neck, and 



