THE HERON. 153 



" He is almost equally fierce with some fowls kept in the same yard, 

 always biting them when within reach, and sometimes so wickedly 

 as to injure them. Two chickens he killed in this manner, and a 

 fine duck owes the loss of an eye to the heron. • He is now nearly 

 as good as a watch dog, — sets up his hoarse cry when any stranger, 

 be it man, cat, or bird, invades the premises. I keep some pigeons 

 in the yard, and one evening I observed, at roosting time, that not 

 one of them was in the boxes where they should have been long ere 

 dusk. The heron was stalking up and down with his neck stretched 

 to the very utmost, and his eye wandering about in search of some 

 object. As cats very frequently come into the yard, I at once thought 

 that one of them had pounced upon a pigeon, and that this had put 

 the rest to flight, and annoyed the heron ; but in a minute or two 

 afterwards I learned that a white owl had dashed against the back 

 parlour window, and on recovering itself from the shock had flown off 

 across the roof of the office-houses. This at once accounted for the 

 activity of the heron, and the flight of the pigeons. It is not particu- 

 lar in the choice of food ; fish, flesh, or fowl never comes amiss ; the 

 flesh it will eat either in a raw or dressed state. It would be wholly 

 out of my power to describe the beauty of its attitudes ; and it is only 

 by seeing a bird as I have seen this one, that a correct opinion can be 

 formed of the grace or beauty of the heron's movements. The curva- 

 tures of the neck are most graceful. I have gazed with delight for 

 several minutes upon this bird, as he stood even on the edge of a water 

 barrel, poised on one leg, his head and neck bent down between the 

 shoulders, and more resembling a piece of statuary than a living 

 being." 



Callosity. Plumage. — The foot of a heron (shot in a wild 

 state) exhibiting a singular round horny excrescence, has been 

 kindly sent to me by Mr. R. Davis, of Clonmel. This is an inch 

 in diameter, and situated at the side of the middle toe, the upper 

 surface exhibiting scales, some of which are very large ; the base 

 being similar to the under surface of the toe. Fully three- 



of 1849, I was reminded of the boldness of this bird by that of a hooping crane 

 (Grus Americana). A workman having entered the spacious enclosure in which the 

 birds of this family are kept, and having set about arranging two or three stones, this 

 bird very jealously stood close to him watching every movement, and evidently ready 

 on the instant to give battle if anything displeasing to it were done. On another day, 

 a gentleman who entered the enclosure, and was looking quietly around, had to pro- 

 tect himself with his walking-stick against the assault of one of these cranes. 





