COOL AND CLEAR 235 



his long snake-like neck buried between his shoulders. 

 But he is wide awake enough, for suddenly he plunges 

 his stiletto-hke bill into the shallows to capture a fair- 

 sized dace. The fish is soon swallowed by the bird, but 

 it will presently be digorged with others of its kind, to 

 feed the heron's nestlings which are, no doubt, squawking 

 vociferously for food amonst the tall timber-trees of 

 Richmond Park, wherein still exists a heronry of some 

 importance. 



A propos of the heron — or rather of his feet — the old- 

 fashioned, albeit fallacious, idea that paste, mixed with 

 the liquor in which the feet of a heron have been stewed, 

 is an absolutely infallible bait for all kinds of freshwater 

 fish, is still implicitly believed in by some of the ancient 

 school of fishermen. In point of fact it was but recently 

 that an old Thames angler declared most solemnly that 

 if he could but procure a frank hern's foot he would 

 assuredly win all the principal " pegged down " fishing 

 matches that are periodically held by his club during 

 the coarse-fishing season. 



" How do you account for heron paste being such a 

 killing bait? " we inquired of the old piscator. 



" Well," replied he, if so be as ever you've watched 

 an old frank hern a-catchin' fish you'll have noticed 

 that he keeps one foot always on the move. The foot 

 contains a natural oil of some kind which the fish can't 

 resist, especially roach. Therefore don't it stand to 

 common sense and fair reasoning that hern paste be just 

 as killin'." We told the worthy old roach-poler that his 

 theory should receive all the consideration it deserved, 

 when we had sufficient leisure to enter into the matter 

 thoroughly and seriously. 



