The Great Blue Herons 



art than in their handling of the heron motif in decorative work. When 

 the birds descend, it is as though heaven had responded to the mute incense 

 of Fujiyama and gave gifts to men. When the birds fly, it is because the 

 folly of men has provoked the gods, and Jimmu Tenno frowns from the 

 clouds. And when the birds stand placid by a placid pool, what more 

 fitting symbol of the ancient Nippon, where tomorrow was like yesterday. 



The Great Blue Heron is, with us, the 

 largest of its kind; and while. not exactly 

 graceful on the one hand, nor majestic on 

 the other, it presents that peculiar combina- 

 tion of the two which we are pleased to call 

 picturesque. While standing knee-deep in 

 the water of some pond or stream, awaiting 

 its customary prey of minnows or frogs, it 

 may remain for an hour as motionless as a 

 bronze statue; then with a movement like 

 lightning the head is drawn back and sud- 

 denly shot downward, and a wriggling fish 

 is transfixed on the spear-like beak. A 

 deft toss of the head puts the fish up and 

 transfers it to the inside, and the bird moves 

 with quiet, measured step to another sta- 

 tion, or else rises heavily, with slow flaps, 

 into the air. In full flight, the Heron 

 stretches its legs to the fullest extent be- 

 hind ; and the neck, especially when the bird 

 is sailing, is carried like the letter S or Z, 

 so that the lower part is brought parallel 

 to the long bill, and the bird looks like a 

 strato-cumulus cloud floating in space. 



Besides frequenting tide-flats, lakes, 

 swamps, and all inland waterways, the 

 Great Blue Heron in California assumes 

 two special roles, which invariably serve to 

 impress the newcomer. The first is dry- 

 land "fishing" and the second is kelp fishing. 

 As the season advances and many of the 

 customary water courses dry up, the Heron, 

 instead of fleeing to moister realms, resorts 

 to the pastures and the dryest of uplands, 

 and there devotes himself to the extermina- 

 tion of mice, moles, and gophers, and even 



.Santa Barbara Photo by the 



A STARTLED FISHERMAN 



l8gO 



