THE CRANE KIND. 317 



given place to the more useful method of stock- 

 ing fish-ponds, the heron is now become a most 

 formidable enemy. Of all other birds, this com- 

 mits the greatest devastation in fresh waters ; and 

 there is scarcely a fish, though never so large, 

 that he will not strike at and wound, though un- 

 able to carry it away. But the smaller fry are 

 his chief subsistence : these, pursued by their 

 larger fellows of the deep, are obliged to take 

 refuge in shallow waters, where they find the 

 heron a still more formidable enemy. His method 

 is to wade as far as he can go into the water, and 

 there patiently wait the approach of his prey, 

 which when it comes within sight, he darts upon 

 with inevitable aim. In this manner he is found 

 to destroy more in a week than an otter in three 

 months. " I have seen a heron," says Willough- 

 by, " that had been shot, that had seventeen 

 carps in his belly at once, which he will digest in 

 six or seven hours, and then to fishing again. I 

 have seen a carp," continues he, " taken out of a 

 heron's belly, nine inches and a half long. Seve- 

 ral gentlemen who kept tame herons, to try what 

 quantity one of them would eat in a day, have 

 put several smaller 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 one half-year. 



So great are the digestive powers of this fresh 

 water tyrant, and so detrimental to those who 

 stock ponds with fish. In general, he is seen 

 taking his gloomy stand by the lake side, as if 

 meditating mischief, motionless and gorged with 



