196 THE WILD-FOWLLK. 



favourite sport amongst the Persians. It was a custom with the 

 nobility of Mingrelia, when they had taken herons by falconry, to cut 

 off the scapular feathers of the bird for the purpose of making heron- 

 tufts for bonnets, and after such disfiguration the birds were set at 

 liberty.* 



The same author relates an interesting anecdote as to a heron-tuft, 

 set with jewels, being presented by the King Abas, to Luarzab, King 

 of Georgia, on surrender of the latter, during the Georgian war. 

 " This is an ensign of royalty," said Abas ; " and it is my plea- 

 sure you should always wear it upon your head, that people may 

 know ye to be king." The author of the anecdote then proceeds to 

 relate, how Abas afterwards treacherously commanded one of his 

 guards to rob Luarzab of the tuft, in order that he might have 

 apparent cause of offence against Luarzab for losing it ; and under 

 cloak of that false accusation, pretend to justify his desire to put him 

 to death. 



There is no doubt but herons have a decided antipathy to birds of 

 prey, and sometimes perform curious antics in the air when pursued by 

 them ; but I cannot believe in Mr. Swan,f as to the fatal effect of 

 those antics upon the hawk. 



The statute 19 Hen. VII., cap. 11, prohibited the taking of herons 

 in this country, except by hawking, or with the long bow, upon pain 

 of forfeiture of 6s. 8d. for every bird taken contrary to that statute. 

 It also restrained the taking of young herons out of their nests, on 

 land belonging to other persons (except with the licence of the owner 

 of such land), under a penalty of 10s. for every bird so taken. 



Herons were thus, many years protected by statute ; but the game 

 act of Geo. IV. has repealed all the statutes which specially 

 prohibited the destruction of these birds, their young and eggs, ex- 

 cept under certain restrictions. 



* Vide " Travels in Persia and the East Indies ;" by Sir Jno. Chardin : 1643. 



t The heron or hernsew is a fowl that liveth about waters, and yet she doth so 

 abhorre raine and tempests, that she seeketh to avoid them by flying on high. She 

 hath her nest in very loftie trees, and sheweth, as it were, a natural hatred against 

 the gosse hawk and other kinde of hawks ; and so likewise doth the hawk seek her 

 destruction continually. When they fight above in the aire, they labour both 

 especially for this one thing that the one might ascend and be above the other. 

 Now, if the hawk getteth the upper place, he overthroweth and vanquisheth the 

 heron with a marvellous earnest flight ; but if the heron get above the hawk, then 

 with his dung he defileth the hawk, and so destroy eth him, for his dung is a poison 

 to the hawk, rotting and putrifying his feathers." Speculum Mundi, or a Glasse 

 Representing the Face of the World; by John Swan, M.A., late Student of Trin. 

 Col., Camb. : 1635 : p. 400. 



