HABITS AND HAUNTS OF THE HERON. 103 



feeling of security seldom disappointed, save when 

 liaply some winged marauder bore off one of her 

 darlings to feed his own gaping young in the summits 

 of the neighbouring mountain. 



The nests, some twenty or thirty in number, built in 

 the ivy, looked like so many huge bundles of sticks and 

 rubbish; but the most curious sight was to see the 

 birds rise at our approach. The heron, as he flies 

 slowly through the air, has usually a somewhat stately 

 bearing; but on the present occasion, as they rose 

 affrighted at the unusual apparition of our boat, the 

 appearance they presented, with head, legs, and wings 

 all stretched to the utmost in opposite directions, was 

 most undignified and ludicrous. The flesh of the 

 heron, though not considered a delicacy, is by no 

 means unpalatable, and may be cooked in the form of a 

 pie, which is very savoury. The fat, too, which is 

 found on the breast of this bird is very rich, and useful 

 when rubbed on a fishing-rod as you lay it by for the 

 winter, serving as a preservative alike against damp 

 and dryness. Herons feed chiefly, though not entirely, 

 by moonlight ; consequently they are fattest soon after 

 the full moon, and lose flesh as it wanes. 



I remember on one occasion, at the time of the 

 harvest moon, when the nights are lightest, as we were 

 following the course of a mountain stream, we put up a 

 heron occupied in fishing a snug little pool; and 

 passing again the following day, we found him in the 

 same spot, lying dead by the waterside ; having been 

 killed probably by some large hawk. His breast was 

 ript open, and the layer of fat exposed to view was fully 

 an inch and a half in thickness. 



But to return to my narrative. On our reaching the 

 hernery, the birds rose one and all from their nests, 



