194 
EXTRACTS FROM HIS WORKS [ch. yii. 
21—The Grey Heron. 
Far away through the green valley winds the 
silver Tweed, now rolling its waters over the white 
pebbles, then gliding placidly between banks 
covered with fresh herbage and gaudy florets of 
many hues. The hum of the wild bee draws your 
eye toward those beautiful tufts of purple trefoil; 
the weet-weet, ever vibrating its body as if delicately 
balanced on its slim legs, runs along the sunny 
beach, spreads out its pointed wings, and skims 
over the pool. There, in the water, nearly up to the 
knees, is the heron, patiently waiting an opportunity 
of seizing some giddy trout. Those ducklings that 
swim so beautifully, and dive with such marvellous 
quickness, he seems to eye with hungry glance ; 
but their watchful protectress is in the midst of 
them. That wary old water-rat is equally safe, as 
he nibbles the grass at the mouth of his hole, and 
at intervals trims his whiskers with his little paws. 
In short, go where you will, in summer or in winter, 
to the shores of the sea or the far inland lake, the 
source of the estuary of the hill-born streams, you 
may here and there find a solitary heron.— British 
Birds , vol. iv., p. 445. 
22.—The Great Black-Backed Gull. 
It is a lovely night in June; the moon slowly 
emerges from behind the distant mountains, the 
