Birds. 6635 



fortunate companions to fight the battle out. The heron, having now 

 got rid of one of his pursuers, seemed, from his appearance, deter- 

 mined to push his way forward in spite of all opposition. But this 

 was not to be so easily done as Mr. Heron had anticipated ; for his 

 assailants, apparently either from being disappointed of the aid of 

 their comrade, or beginning to get irritated at the length of the 

 struggle, recommenced their attack upon him with renewed vigour, 

 and so artfully did they manage that they kept him completely at 

 bay, and baffled all his endeavours to get away. Wearied at last of 

 the contest, he once more dropped something, which from its length 

 appeared to be an eel. On its being observed by his opponents 

 they quickly followed it. In their descent they fell a- fighting with 

 each other; the consequence of which was that the eel, falling to the 

 ground previous to either of them, was set upon by the magpies, who 

 were very loth to give it up when the crows arrived. Of course 

 a battle amongst the four was the result. The magpies were soon 

 repulsed. The crows now seized hold of the eel with their bills, and 

 kept pulling it from each other until it eventually broke in two, when, 

 each still keeping hold of his portion, they rose, and were soon lost 

 sight of amongst the trees. On looking again for the heron I was 

 just in time to behold him far in the distance, ere he disappeared 

 from view, winging his flight with unusual rapidity, apparently little 

 if any the worse for the fray. 



On another occasion, when passing along the Green Banks, my 

 attention was attracted by a loud and clamorous noise. On 

 looking in the direction of the same I observed, upon a bank on the 

 opposite side of the river, a heron, surrounded by a very large crowd 

 of black-nebs, composed of hoodies, rooks and jackdaws, which were 

 making the noise alluded to. The hoodies were shouting at the dis- 

 tance of a lew feet round about the heron, every now and then 

 bowing and cawing very politely to him ; whilst he appeared, from 

 his haggling, to be somewhat puzzled as to how he could manage to 

 swallow a fish, which was still alive, and which from its breadth I 

 considered to be a flounder. The crows began to press rather near ; 

 and the heron, not wishing to be so closely beset with so many of the 

 black gentry, and perhaps dreading that an attack was about to 

 be made upon him, very cautiously placed one of his feet upon the 

 fluke, and, raising his head, surveyed his sable neighbours with 

 a keen and distrustful gaze. Being satisfied, he suddenly sunk 

 from view, but presently reappeared with the fluke in his bill, and 

 betook himself to flight, followed only by two of the hoodies. 



