104 HABITS AND HAUNTS OF THE HERON. 



and after standing for a moment, balancing themselves 

 in the most awkward manner possible, each on his or 

 her own bundle of sticks, they rose into the air with a 

 scream ; and then, wheeling about over our heads for a 

 few moments, gradually flew off to a more secure 

 distance. Partly for the sake of their flesh, partly for 

 their feathers, and partly for their fat, we shot three ; 

 and one of the boatmen detecting two or three tall 

 necks stretching upwards from one of the nests, I 

 attempted to clamber up the ivy, in the hopes of 

 securing a young one. The undertaking, however, I 

 found more difficult than I had anticipated ; and though 

 I succeeded in ascending a considerable height, I was 

 eventually compelled to give up the attempt, after more 

 than once narrowly escaping a fall. One of the boat- 

 men now made the essay ; and though in appearance 

 a large-boned, broad-shouldered, heavy fellow, with no 

 signs of agility about him, yet he steadily persevered, 

 until at length, in spite of crushing ivy and crumbling 

 rock, he descended, and laid a young heron at my feet. 

 The bird was almost fully fledged, and capable of 

 feeding itself, and we determined to carry it home as a 

 pet for some of the ladies, though I may as well add 

 that, after having put us to no slight trouble to suppty 

 it daily with small fish, which it would only eat when 

 quite fresh, before a week was gone the pet had taken 

 to itself wings and disappeared. 



