THE HEEON. 205 



roach and dace in a tub ; and they have found him 

 eat fifty in a day, one day with another. In this 

 manner, a single heron will destroy fifteen thousand 

 carp in six months." The heron takes his prey 

 either wading in the water, or hovering over it in 

 shallow places. With that bird's-eye accuracy of his 

 species, he penetrates the element with his visual 

 organ, and darts down upon his prey with unerring 

 certainty; his long neck a second under water, and 

 the next rising on the wing, the eel or trout yet alive 

 in his bill, he flies to the shore, quickly to dispatch 

 it, and again returning to the waters for more. It 

 has been said, that he destroys more fish in a week 

 than an otter in three months. In the winter season, 

 however, he fares but ill ; for the fish have retreated 

 into the deep waters, and even aquatic reptiles, water 

 rats, or mice, are scarce. At such times, his indolent 

 patience seems to serve him instead of food ; and he 

 will even take up with the sea-weeds or lake reeds of 

 his locality. 



In forests, its long wings and legs give it an 

 awkward and constrained appearance. Perched on 

 branches of trees, or flying along, its legs and claws 

 outstretched, its ungainly attitudes might sometimes 

 excite risibility. The heron builds its nest on tops 

 of the highest trees, or on cliffs that overhang the 

 sea-shore. In cultivated districts, it will select the 

 oldest timber to build upon : generally, in despite, as 

 it were, of its timidity, it chooses situations close to a 

 thorouo-hfare. The nests are made of sticks, and 



