128 WILD LIFE IN THE TREE TOPS 



slow stately manner amongst the grass, carefully searching the ground for 

 anything in the way of food. 



Suddenly one of them comes to a standstill, and with head lowered and 

 beak almost horizontal with the ground, remains for a short time absolutely 

 still, before striking ; instinctively, as it were, assuming the pose that the mature 

 heron adopts whilst hesitating before striking at a fish or eel. 



It is an interesting fact that the Heron, with beak held horizontally, is able 

 to look down on to any object beneath it. For since the eyes protrude con- 

 siderably over the portion of the base of the biU that runs beneath them, and 

 the part of the skull immediately above the eyes rather overhangs, the bird 

 is able to look down with both eyes at an object directly beneath it, whilst it 

 cannot look directly upwards without turning the head on one side. 



When the young herons have finally left for the feeding-grounds one can, 

 now that there is no longer fear of scaring them, climb up to one of the nests 

 and examine it at close quarters. Extraordinarily well constructed, it is often 

 — when built up year after year — more than 2 feet deep, and sometimes measiu"es 

 as much as 4 feet across. It is made of quite large sticks — some of them as 

 thick as, and longer than, a soldier's ' swagger stick ' — with an inner lining of 

 small twigs, roots, or pieces of dry bracken stems : the whole structure being 

 so strong as to support easily the weight of a human being. 



