GREAT HERON. 
29 
of the creeks or rivers upwards, he is said]to prognosticate 
ram ; when downwards, dry weatlier. He is most 
.jealously vigilant and watchful of man, so that those 
"ho wish to succeed in .shooting the heron, must 
approach him entirely unseen, and by stratagem. The 
same indneemeuts, however, for his destruction, do not 
prevail here as in Europe. Our sea shores and rivers 
are free to all for the amusement of lishiiig. Luxury 
aas not yet constructed her thousands of fish ponds, 
and surrounded tliem with steel traps, spring guns, and 
heron snares.* In our vast feus, meadows, and sea 
tnarshes, this stately bird roams at pleasure, feasting 
on the never failing: nmgazinea of frog.s, iish, seeds, and 
insects, with which they abound, and of which he, 
probably, considers himself the sole lord and proprietor. 
.1 have several times seen the bald eagle attack and 
tease the great heron ; but whether for sport, or to 
make him disgorge his fish, 1 am uncertain. 
— The common heron of Europe (^ardea major') very 
much resembles the present, which might, as usual. 
“ Tlie heron,” says an English writer, “ is a very great 
evourer of fish, ami does more mischief in a pond tlmn an otter, 
eople who have kept herons, liuvc had the curiosity to number the 
sh tbey feed them with into a tub of water, and eounliug them 
gam afterwards, It has been found that they will eat up fifty 
moderate dace_ and roaches in a day. Jt has Iicen found, that in 
rp ponds visited by this bird, one heron will eat up a thousand 
few^ ia a year ; and will hunt them so close, as (o let very 
hi readiest method of destroying this niisrliievous 
hook '' asking for him in the manner of jiike, witli a baited 
ainall' r 1 ” haunt of the heron is found out, three or four 
baited oTi*^ ™ “r to he procured, and each of them is to be 
iii-t St wire, vvitli a strong hook at the end, entering the wire 
the fii i^il? ive ’'T f ** “"''.“r the skin to the tail ; 
essent;.,! rh's manner for five or six days, which is a very 
A si-r...... r"” ’• " h® dead, the heron will not touch it. 
toirntl. ...^ "I* '! he prepared of silk and wire twisted 
thatk^j^n hr about two vard.s long; tie this to the wire 
•stone f V “1 'hr other end of it there i.s to he tied a 
'link In aw’"* " puuiid weight ; let three or four of tliesc baits be 
tinio ‘"/""'rent sha ow parts of the pond, and, in a night or two’s 
th“m.’' he taken with one or other of 
