HERON. 141 



The general appearance of the Heron when on the ground 

 is rather ungainly and awkward, but it occasionally may be 

 seen standing in a becoming position ; and there is a simple 

 unpretending beauty in the colouring of its plumage, and in 

 the distribution and diversified texture of its ornamental 

 feathers. When winged, or brought to the ground by some 

 casualty, the Heron defends itself most vigorously, in which 

 case it is dangerous for a sportsman to approach it unprepared, 

 for the blows and stabs of its powerful beak are not to be 

 trifled with ; and the habit of darting its beak at a swimming 

 fish or reptile teaches it to take an unerring aim : thus the 

 eyes of the Heron's opponent are endangered. We know 

 more than one instance of a boy having been thus blinded by 

 a Heron in the shooting season, while in the act of picking up 

 a wounded bird. When in the air they strike also with their 

 feet : this they will do when they are shot at without being 

 hit. 



The Heron is very adroit at stealing upon its unsuspecting 

 prey, as we have frequently observed during the spring of the 

 year, when it has a young brood to supply. One morning, 

 very early, we saw a Heron take a fine trout from the 

 Thames, near Shepperton, in Middlesex : it dropped it twice 

 on the shingle and picked it up again, the fish struggling so 

 violently in the air as nearly to upset its captor ; it was, how- 

 ever, finally borne in safety to a lofty tree in Oatlands Park, 

 where there is a heronry. As we stood watching from 

 behind some willow boughs, we had a good view of the bird 

 and fish, and much lamented that the trout did not come to 

 our share, as the fish could not have weighed less than four 

 pounds. Its choosing so large a fish was probably in con- 

 sequence of its having young ones to feed, as, although suffi- 

 ciently voracious, these birds usually content themselves with 

 fish of lesser dimensions. 



The Heron is a very shy and watchful bird, and its quick 



L 3 



