THE HEROA/. 329 



charms. As it stands in the water, intent upon catching prey, 

 the drooping feathers of its breast wave gracefully in the breeze, 

 and the ripples of the sunlit water are reflected in mimic waves 

 upon its grey plumed wings. 



Generally it cares little for exerting itself until towards the 

 evening, but then it becomes impatient and restless, and is not 

 quieted until it has obtained some food. 



Some anglers have an idea that the Heron is one of the birds 

 that ought to be ranked as ' vermin,' thinking that it destroys 

 so many fish, that it ruins an angler's sport. Consequently, they 

 kill the bird whenever they can manage to do so, and flatter 

 themselves that they are doing good service in preserving the 

 breed of fish. Now, even were the entire diet of the Heron to 

 consist of fish, the bird would really do but little harm, because 

 it can only take food in shallow water, and is seldom to be seen 

 more than a yard or two from the bank. But the diet of the 

 Heron is by no means exclusively of a fishy nature, inasmuch 

 as the bird eats plenty of frogs and newts, and will often secure 

 a water-rat even when fully grown. It is seldom that fish which 

 are of any value to the angler come into water in which the 

 Heron could catch them, and even if they did so, their size 

 would prevent the bird from taking them. 



At Walton Hall, where the Herons breed largely, and where 

 they procure nearly all the food for themselves and young out 

 of the lake, there is no lack of fish, as may be practically proved 

 by anyone who is permitted to cast a line into the water. I 

 am a very poor fisherman, and yet I never found any difficulty 

 in taking in the course of the morning quite as many fish as 

 could easily be carried home. 



So far indeed is the Heron from injuring the interests of the 

 angler, that it is a positive benefactor. Mr. Waterton, who was 

 obliged by the continual burrowing of water-rats to drain and 

 fill up a series of large ponds, makes the following remarks on 

 the bird :— ' Had I known then as much as I do now of the 

 valuable services of the Heron, and had there been a good 

 heronry near the place, I should not have made the change.^ 

 The draining of the ponds did not seem to lessen the number 



