27 o Wild Ducks, Water-Birds, Sea-Fowl. 



pools and shallows, just as it would in the inland waters. 



There it may be seen, standing, as it always does stand 



when fishing, on one leg, 

 the other leg partially 

 drawn up, with its half- 

 foot long lance-like beak, 

 so nicely notched, all ready 

 — a beak which it drives 

 right through its prey 

 with the utmost precision. 

 This prey it tosses up and 

 then seizes in its mouth ; 

 but it has happened that 

 when a heron struck an 

 eel and lifted it thus to 



HERON. 



swallow it, the eel was 

 quicker than it was, threw its tail round the bird's neck, 

 and so held till the heron died from want of breath — 

 the head of the eel having been half gorged, caused it 

 also to die, and both were found locked together. The 

 extensive draining of lands, and the clearing out of 

 marshy fens and commons, has perhaps had a tendency 

 in places not far from the sea-shore to drive the herons 

 there. In such districts they may often be seen proceed- 

 ing with swift, yet seeming lazy easy flight sea-wards 

 to find tit-bits in favourite feeding grounds. 



The heron likes to nest in fir trees, and when he has 

 young ones he has a very busy time of it, and busiest 

 at the time when other birds get rest, for the young 

 herons get hungrier as night comes on ; and thus it is 

 that more especially in the spring-time the grey or 

 black and white heron, his white breast most exposed, 

 may be seen like a wisp of foam in the twilight in the 

 sheltered corner of pond or stream. He was once of 



