526 
HERON. 
fish to its own destruction.” From this we may 
learn that the fish must be alive, otherwise the 
heron will not touch them ; and that this bird, as 
well as all those that feed upon fish, must be its own 
caterer ; for they will not prey upon such as die 
naturally, or are killed by others before them. 
But, as we have said before, the heron is often 
obliged to bear a long abstinence, as his food can- 
not be readily got at all times ; in cold or stormy 
seasons his prey is no longer within reach ; the 
fish that before came into the shallow water now 
retire to the deep, which they find to be the warm- 
est situation. Frogs and lizards also seldom ven- 
ture from their lurking-places ; and all that remains 
for the heron is to support himself upon his long 
habits of patience. It has been observed, that at 
these times he contracts a consumptive disposition, 
which succeeding plenty is not able to remove ; so 
that the meagre glutton spends his time between 
want and riot, and feels alternately the extremes 
of famine and excess. Hence, notwithstanding the 
ease with which he takes his prey, and the amazing 
quantity he devours, the heron is always lean and 
emaciated ; and though his crop be usually found 
full, yet his flesh is scarcely sufficient to cover his 
bones. 
Though these birds are never in flocks when 
they fish, but commit their depredations in soli- 
tude and silence, yet they associate together for 
the purpose of incubation, and build their nests 
in trees, like rooks, or in high cliffs that overlook 
