THE HERON. 
131 
which are thrown up in pellets ; hut in the Heron's 
stomach, they are readily dissolved. So rapid in- 
deed is their digestion, that ignorant people have 
exaggerated facts, and given marvellous accounts of 
the feeding hahits of this bird. For instance, the 
people of the Ferroe Islands, have a notion of the 
internal economy of the Heron's stomach which 
truth will not quite warrant, though the principle 
on which it is founded is correct. They imagine 
that it has only one large gut, white as silver, which 
proceeds through its whole body, and that as soon 
as it catches and swallows a fish, “ it is under the 
necessity of placing its rump against a hillock or 
stone, to prevent the fish from getting out again ; 
and that it stands in that position until it has been 
digested*." They have also such respect for its 
fishing powers, that they believe a Heron's foot, 
carried in the pocket, will ensure success. 
But this opinion is not confined to the ignorant 
people of the Ferroe Islands: the idea was once, 
and very possibly, still may be, current in some 
parts of England, that the feet and legs of a Heron 
had something in them very attractive to fish, and 
particularly to eels, which enabled the bird, when 
standing in water, to bring his prey about him, and 
thus take it with greater facility. Accordingly, 
Herons were in great request with fishermen, on 
account of their feet and legs, which were supposed 
to contain an oil, which if rubbed over a worm, 
rendered it a sure bait for eels. Possibly, however, 
and indeed probably, Herons may really be gifted 
with some peculiar power of attracting fish. 
* Landt’s Travels , p. 244. 
K 2 
