on fome favourite fpot for many hours together, continually 

 turning its head backward and forward, and gazing with a 

 vacant flare. 



It is remarkably voracious, feeds chiefly on fifh, to procure 

 which, it ftands in the water knee-deep quite motionlefs, the 

 fifh, whether impelled by curiofity or attracted perhaps by the 

 fmell of the bird, will frequently approach in fhoals, and when 

 arrived within its reach, it ftrikes at them with unerring aim, the 

 edges of the bill being ferrated enables it to keep fecure hold 

 of the moft flippery fifh ; it commits great depredations in our 

 fifh-ponds, as its digeftive powers being unufually ftrong, it 

 is continually feeding ; the inteftinal canal being very fhort and 

 ftraight, it is not a little curious to obferve it when attempting 

 to devour an eel, which will repeatedly pafs through it alive, 

 the bird when difturbed immediately after f wallowing v/ill take 

 wing, the eel ftill ft niggling for releafe, frequently falls from 

 the bird during its flight, on which the Heron alights and 

 attacks it again ; one eel has been noticed to have pafTed 

 through in this way fix times : on the failure of fifh, it devours 

 frogs, mice, water-newts, and the roots of aquatic plants, 

 alfo the flowers of the Sparganium, or Bur Reed. 



Anciently they were held in great estimation as food, and 

 formed one of the moft favourite difhes at the tables of our 

 nobles, it was then valued at the fame rate as the peacock 

 or pheafant. 



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