THE HERON. 139 



closely when on the watch for fish, or at rest, without alarming it, 

 and then be suddenly startled, it becomes (as I have known to be 

 the case), for a short period, quite helpless, and can even, though 

 rarely, be taken by hand. It tumbles about as if intoxicated, and 

 is unable to rise for a considerable time." This is alluded to in 

 the " Recreations of Christopher North" (vol. i. p. 56), a work 

 full of excellent observation on natural objects, when they are the 

 theme, and winch treats of them in an admirably poetical — or, it 

 may be, inimitably grotesque — manner. 



Mr. Waterton, as usual, when writing on any bird, enters, in Ins 

 essay on the heron, into the subject of the good and evil that it 

 does, and considers that the species is grossly maligned when 

 accused of committing extensive destruction in fish-ponds 

 (p. 185). He considers these birds as "making ample amends 

 for their little depredations in shallow waters, by killing rats and 

 frogs," (p. 189). True, if the ponds be sufficiently deep to the 

 edge, the heron, be he ever so well inclined, can do no harm ; 

 but that he is a depredator in shallow fish ponds, I had annoying 

 evidence when a boy. A couple of small ponds — purposely made 

 shallow, that the fish might be the better seen — into which I put 

 a large quantity of trout, were discovered by a heron, who, before 

 his presence was suspected, had cleared out my whole stock. 



The food of this species, as shown by inspection of the contents 

 of stomachs examined, without any reference to seasons or locali- 

 ties, but just as sent to me by bird preservers, was as follows : — 

 Nov. 7, 1837. Weather open and mild. One contained only 

 the remains of shrimp-like Crustacea, of which there was con- 

 siderable quantity ; these did not exceed, in length of body, nine 

 lines, or three-quarters of an inch. — Nov. 18. Weather mild, as 

 it has been for some time. One exhibited, in addition to the 

 remains of a small cod-fish, several shrimp-like Crustacea. — 

 Jan. 25, 1838. Severe frost. One presented a good deal of 

 vegetable matter, stalks of plants, &c, with the wing cases of a 

 minute beetle (elytra not exceeding a quarter of an inch in length), 

 also a few pebbles. — Feb. 27. One contained an entire lupin- 

 pod, and the head of a boat-fly (Notonecta) . — May 3. One was filled 



