THE HERON AT HOME 55 



the water, and then wiping it several times on the 

 grass. Whenever herons catch anything in the 

 water, they always wash their beaks before going 

 in search of more. 



This bird was at least two hundred yards away 

 from me, yet with my Goerz Trieder binoculars the 

 scene seemed but five or six yards distant. Every 

 field naturalist should equip themselves with these 

 small but powerful glasses ; with them Nature is 

 seen in a new light. 



A gun is now fired in the wood, and at the first 

 report the heron raises its great wings ; and on 

 hearing the discharge of the second barrel, the fisher 

 bird flaps slowly across the lake, over the rustling 

 oaks, and is lost to view in the wild sky, reddened 

 by the setting winter sun. 



