318 HISTORY OF 



plunder. His usual attitude on this occasion is 

 to sink his long neck between his shoulders, and 

 keep his head turned on one side, as if eyeing the 

 pool more intently. When the call of hunger 

 returns, the toil of an hour or two is generally 

 sufficient to fill his capacious stomach ; and he 

 retires long before night to his retreat in the 

 woods. Early in the morning, however, he is 

 seen assiduous at his usual occupation. 



But though in seasons of fine weather the 

 heron can always find a plentiful supply, in cold 

 or stormy seasons his prey is no longer within 

 reach : the fish that before came into the shallow 

 water now keep in the deep, as they find it to be the 

 warmest situation. Frogs and lizards also seldom 

 venture from their lurking-places ; and the heron 

 is obliged to support himself upon his long habits 

 of patience, and even to take up with the weeds 

 that grow upon the water. At those times he 

 contracts a consumptive disposition, which suc- 

 ceeding plenty is not able to remove ; so that the 

 meagre glutton spends his time between want 

 and riot, and feels alternately the extremes of 

 famine and excess. Hence, notwithstanding the 

 care with which he takes his prey, and the amaz- 

 ing quantity he devours, the heron is always lean 

 and emaciated ; and though his crop be usually 

 found full, yet his flesh is scarcely sufficient to 

 cover the bones. 



The heron usually takes his prey by w r ading 

 into the water, yet it must not be supposed that 

 he does not also take it upon the wing. In fact, 

 much of his fishing is performed in this manner j 



