114 
THE GREAT HERON. 
The Great Heron is said to be fat at the full moon, and lean 
at its decrease ; this might be accounted for by the fact of 
their fishing regularly by moonlight through the greater 
part of the night, as well as during the day ; but the obser- 
vation is not universal, for at such times I have found some 
lean, as well as others fat. The young are said to be excel- 
lent for the table, and even the old birds, when in good 
order, and properly cooked, are esteemed by many. 
The principal food of the Great Heron is fish, for which 
he watches with the most unwearied patience, and seizes 
them with surprising dexterity. At the edge of the river, 
pond, or sea-shore, he stands fixed and motionless, some- 
times for hours together. But his stroke is quick as thought, 
and ^sure as fate, to the first luckless fish that approaches 
within his reach ; these he sometimes beats to death, and 
always swallows head foremost, such being their uniform 
position in the stomach. He is also an excellent mouser, 
and of great service to our meadows, in destroying the short- 
tailed or meadow mouse, so injurious to the banks. He also 
feeds eagerly on grasshoppers, various winged insects, par- 
ticularly dragon flies, which he is very expert at striking, 
and also eats the seeds of that species of nymphge usually 
called spatterdocks, so abundant along our fresh-water ponds 
and rivers. 
The Heron has great powers of wing, flying sometimes 
very high, and to a great distance; his neck doubled, his 
head drawn in, and his long legs stretched out in a right 
