246 ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT FISHERIES 



ought to prove its friend. It is a fast-vanishing 

 species, and the number of herons in the Lake Dis- 

 trict is but small compared with half a century ago. 

 One of the largest heronries in the country is in 

 Dallam Tower Woods on the Bela ; another is in 

 Wythop Woods, overhanging Bassenthwaite Lake ; 

 a third at Killington Reservoir; a decaying one 

 on Rydal Water ; and most of the adjacent Cum- 

 berland rivers has a heronry in close proximity. A 

 fact that proves the heron a formidable trout-stream 

 poacher is shown by the fact that one which was shot 

 at on a rearing-pond immediately disgorged fifty fry. 

 W T hen fishing it wades cautiously with lowered head 

 and outstretched neck, each step being taken by a 

 foot drawn gently out of the water, and as quickly 

 replaced in advance. Woe to the trout or samlet 

 that comes within range of the heron's formidable 

 pike, for it is at once impaled and gulped down. 

 Nothing from the size of fry to mature fish comes 

 amiss to the heron, and the young whilst still in 

 the nest consume great quantities. Their swallow 

 is insatiable, though sometimes they gaff an in- 

 dividual which is difficult to dispose of. As an 

 example of " the biter bit, " it is related that a 

 heron was seen one evening going to a piece of 

 water to feed ; the spot was visited next morning, 

 when it was discovered that the t>ird had struck its 

 beak through the head of an eel, piercing both eyes ; 

 the eel thus held had coiled itself so tightly round 

 the neck of the heron as to stop the bird's respira- 

 tion, and both were dead. It has been suggested 

 that a heron's services in the destruction of pike, 

 coarse fish, rats, &c., may fairly be set off against its 

 depredations in trout-streams. But to this state- 

 ment I must dissent ; and if a trout- stream and a 



