THE HERON. Q15

as river Naiads, others small, and the pictures of grace, were
quietly dozing after their morning’s meal. Multitudes of
night herons, with a loud quack, flew startled by; and now
and then, but rarely, a boat-bill, with his long-plumed crest,
would scud before us.”

Mr. Waterton, in speaking of the destruction to fish,
caused by the neighbourhood of a heronry, says, “I attri-
bute the bad character which the heron has with us, for
destroying fish, more to erroneous ideas, than to any well-
authenticated proofs that it commits extensive depredations
on our store-ponds. Under this impression, which certainly
hitherto has not been to my disadvantage, I encourage this
poor persecuted wader to come and take shelter here; and
I am glad to see it build its nest in the trees which over-
hang the water, though carp, and tench, and many other
sorts of fish are there in abundance. Close attention to its
habits has convinced me that I have not done wrongly.
Let us bear in mind that the heron can neither swim nor
dive, wherefore the range of his depredations on the finny
tribe must necessarily be very circumscribed. In the shal-
low water alone can it surprise the fish, and even there,
when we see it standing motionless, and suppose it to be
intent on striking some delicious perch or passing tench, it