138 ARDEIDiE. 



the day was advanced:"* and Mr. Waterton, in his interesting 

 essay on the heron, remarks, and doubtless from correct observa- 

 tion in his own locality, that between sunrise and sunset it is idle ; 

 but that when the shades of night set in, it sallies forth to feed.t 

 The author of the 'British Naturalist' J dwells at some length on 

 the moral of the heron not feeding during sunshine ; at the same 

 time mentioning that he was once witness to the bird's doing so. 

 I have, however, been always accustomed to see these birds 

 feeding at every hour of the day, and at all seasons, in Belfast bay, 

 where they have come most under my observation. In the 

 brightest sunshine, of the forenoon, I have observed herons 

 capture prey in different localities — fresh-water and marine (river 

 Lagan and Strangford lough), and at mid-summer as well as mid- 

 winter. 



The following observations were made during bright sunshine : 

 — Sept. 10, 1847. — I looked at different species of birds for 

 some time through a telescope, as they fed upon the mud banks 

 opposite Holywood, Belfast bay. Herons, herring gulls, curlews, 

 and oyster catchers were seen feeding within a few yards of each 

 other, and all on similar ground, though the prey of the heron was 

 in the water, — little plashy places among the Zoster a. The object 

 of tins note, however, is to record that the heron sees an object, 

 even a small one, in the water at a considerable distance, as proved 

 to-day. The stealthy pace with which it approaches its prey re- 

 minded me of that of steady pointers or setters when close upon 

 their game. 



The predilection of the heron for fresh-water fishes is mentioned 

 in the instructive work entitled ' Gardens and Menageries of the 

 Zoological Society;' but the numerous herons which frequent the 

 marine loughs of the north of Ireland throughout the year, except 

 at breeding time, are well content with sea-fish ; and much more 

 partial to such localities than to fresh-water lakes. 



Mr. R. Davis remarks : — " If a heron be approached very 



* Faculties of Birds, p. 170. f Essays Natural History, p. 188, 3rd edit. 



+ Vol. i. p. 1 107. 



