THE HEEON. 
155 
He is almost equally fierce with some fowls kept in the same yard, 
always biting them when within reach, and sometimes so wickedly 
as to injure them. Two chickens he killed in this manner, and a 
fine duck owes the loss of an eye to the heron. He is now nearly 
as good as a watch dog, — sets up his hoarse cry when any stranger, 
be it man, cat, or bird, invades the premises. I keep some pigeons 
in the yard, and one evening I observed, at roosting time, that not 
one of them was in the boxes where they should have been long ere 
dusk. The heron was stalking up and down with his neck stretched 
to the very utmost, and his eye wandering about in search of some 
object. As cats very frequently come into the yard, I at once thought 
that one of them had pounced upon a pigeon, and that this had put 
the rest to flight, and annoyed the heron ; but in a minute or two 
afterwards I learned that a white owl had dashed against the back 
parlour window, and on recovering itself from the shock had flown off 
across the roof of the office-houses. This at once accounted for the 
activity of the heron, and the flight of the pigeons. It is not particu- 
lar in the choice of food ; fish, flesh, or fowl never comes amiss ; the 
flesh it will eat either in a raw or dressed state. It would be wholly 
out of my power to describe the beauty of its attitudes ; and it is only 
by seeing a bird as I have seen this one, that a correct opinion can be 
formed of the grace or beauty of the heron’s movements. The curva- 
tures of the neck are most graceful. I have gazed with delight for 
several minutes upon this bird, as he stood even on the edge of a water 
barrel, poised on one leg, his head and neck bent down between the 
shoulders, and more resembling a piece of statuary than a living 
being.” 
Callosity. Plumage. — The foot of a heron (shot in a wild 
state) exhibiting a singular round horny excrescence, has been 
kindly sent to me by Mr. E. Davis, of Clonmel. This is an inch 
in diameter, and situated at the side of the middle toe, the upper 
surface exhibiting scales, some of which are very large ; the base 
being similar to the under surface of the toe. Tully three- 
of 1849, I was reminded of tlie boldness of this bird by that of a hoojnng crane 
{Grus Americana). A workman having entered the spacious enclosure in which the 
birds of this family are kept, and having set about arranging two or three stones, this 
bird very jealously stood close to him watching every movement, and evidently ready 
on the instant to give battle if anything displeasing to it were done. On another day, 
a gentleman who entered the enclosure, and was looking quietly around,, had to pro- 
tect himself with his walking-stick against the assault of one of these cranes. 
