204 THE HERON. 



The plume of the heron was a chivalric badge ; the 

 flesh of the heron was sent to table. The fat of the 

 heron, made into a paste with other ingredients, was 

 the favourite bait of those versed in the mysteries of 

 angling. It is a shy bird, but gregarious during the 

 breeding season. Its great beauty has made it a 

 choice ornament of park and forest; although its 

 natural abode lies in districts, broken by vast pools 

 and marshes. In such situations, and during that 

 large portion of the year in which it is a wading, ter- 

 restrial bird, its attitudes are natural and graceful. 

 Its dark purple and bluish grey plumage, beautifully 

 intermingled with white and light shades ; its plumed 

 crest ; its outstretched neck ; the bright-gamboge- 

 yellow irides, and deep yellow bill ; the two broad 

 tufts of lengthened black feathers, that relieve the 

 pure white of the breast at the centre ; and its size, 

 which will exceed three feet, render it a striking 

 object, as it is seen, now elevating, now depressing, 

 its crest, its long legs midway in the water, vora- 

 ciously feeding upon, and indiscriminately attacking, 

 every tribe of fish within its capacity. 



An old writer thus describes its rapacious maw : 

 " I have seen a heron that had been shot, that had 

 seventeen carp in his belly at once, which he will 

 digest in six or seven hours, and then to fishing 

 again. I have seen a carp taken out of a heron's 

 belly nine inches and a half long. Several gentlemen, 

 who kept tame herons, to try what quantity one of 

 them would eat in a day, have put several smaller 



