96 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



On the wild moorlands you will find the heron 

 close to the rills which have communication with the 

 trout streams. An autumn evening is the time to 

 look for him there, when the mists are rising from the 

 low meadows and floating round the woods on the 

 hill sides. Over the tops of the trees, which are in 

 all their warm bright colouring, you will see him 

 coming leisurely along. No sound is heard save the 

 hoot of the brown owl ; and, with the exception of a 

 woodman returning home after his day's work, there 

 is no one to be seen. The air is so quiet that the 

 distant slamming of a gate, the bark of a dog, and 

 now and again the lowing of cattle in the distance 

 falls on the ear with singular distinctness. The heron 

 knows well the time best suited to him ; slowly he 

 flaps over the meadows, his form showing dim through 

 the rising mists of evening. He does not settle yet ; 

 he has a recollection of a shot having been fired 

 at him from the cover of the woods close by, when 

 the shot knocked some feathers out of him, without 

 further damage. ' Once bit, twice shy ' is his motto 

 now. Rising again he makes for the upland moor, 

 where he has a good look-out. It is not needed, 

 for, with the exception of the owls, hooting out their 

 jubilate, he will have no company, unless another of 

 his family joins him. Sometimes you will see two of 



