ge THE NATURAL HISTORY | 
_. Herons feem. very melancholy. - “They are! in. 
general very lean, and very fhy. They ftand for 
hours, and fometimes for days together, in the — 
fame place, nearly motionlefs. They feem as_ 
- though afleep, ftanding upon one leg, and the — 
head and neck are drawn back between their — 
thoulders, 
. They walk into the water above their knew ; 
their head is placed between their legs to watch the 
frogs or the fith, but they are obliged to wait 
until their prey comes to them;’ and as they have. 
but one inftant to feize it in, they often faft a long | 
while, and this is the be is that aneyiet are Boies | 
—_ Yally fo lean. 
_ In the fevere cold of winter, whilf other birds. 
foek the beft thelter, the poor melancholy Heron 
ftands alone, and quite expofed to all the keennefs’ 
of the winds. A Gentleman once took one that 
-was half frozen and covered with fleet. | 
In the day: they are generally: ftill, oer in the’ 
sib they take their fights, and then it is that 
we hear their harfh a4 at all bonis and in every 
- feafon. — ~ void | 
‘When they fly, the head is een in between | 
| the fhoulders, and the Jegs hang down. ) 
Formerly Eagles and Falcons were employed 
“to attack cae The Heron then rifles. as high 
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