184 



THE HERON. 



Than these, a greater pest our statesmen never 

 Sent from their old burnt house near London river. 



Kites were frequent here in the days of iny fa- 

 ther ; but I, myself, have never seen one near the 

 place. In 1813, I had my last sight of the buzzard. 

 It used to repair to the storm-blasted top of an 

 ancient oak which grows near the water's edge ; and 

 many and many a time again have I gone that way, 

 on purpose to get a view of it. In the spring of 

 that year, it went away to return no more ; and, 

 about the same period, our last raven was shot on 

 its nest by a neighbouring gentleman. 



In vain I now look for any of these interesting 

 birds in our surrounding woods. They have been de- 

 clared great destroyers of game ; they have, in con- 

 sequence, suffered persecution ; and like the family 

 of poor Charley Stuart, (God rest his soul !) they 

 no longer appear on their own native land, in this 

 district, where once they graced our rural scenery. 



The heron, however, notwithstanding this hostile 

 feeling, has managed to survive its less fortunate 

 neighbours. Always on the look-out, it sees in time 

 the threatened danger, and generally contrives to 

 avoid it ; for persecution has rendered it fully as shy 

 and wary as the pie itself. Formerly, in this countr}^, 

 the heron was a protected bird, in order that it might 

 alFord pastime to the great ; but, nowadays, (as little 

 or nothing remains of falconry, except a title which 

 introduces the finger and thumb of the bearer into 

 the public purse,) the heron is abandoned to its fate ; 

 and the fishpond owners may waylay it with impu- 

 nity, whenever an opportunity offers. 



