Sketches from Nature. 303 



through a stout stick. Nothing from fry to 

 mature fish comes amiss to the heron, and the 

 young consume great quantities. Sometimes 

 they gaff an individual which is difficult to 

 dispose of. It is related that a heron was seen 

 one evening going off to a piece of water to 

 feed ; the spot was visited next morning, when 

 it was discovered that the bird had struck its 

 beak through the head of an eel, and the eel 

 thus held had coiled itself so tightly round the 

 neck of the heron as to stop the bird's respiration, 

 and both were found dead. An authoritative 

 statement has been made to the effect that the 

 heron's services in destroying pike, coarse fish, 

 rats, and water-beetles may be set off against 

 its depredations in trout streams ; but from this 

 we must dissent. 



IV 

 PLOVERS AND PLOVERS' EGGS. 



In April and May thousands of plovers' eggs 

 are annually sent to the London markets from 

 all parts of the country. The gourmets' appre- 

 ciation of this delicacy causes an ever-increasing 

 demand, which, however rapid its growth, will 

 always be met. For the green plover is one ot 

 the commonest of British birds, and is greatly 

 on the increase. It flocks during the winter, 

 and according to the severity or openness of the 



