S HERON.
long drcoptng feathers on the nock that revealed its position. The assistance of the shepherd, who had
accompanied us to point out tho best eaves for the Doves, was again necessary, or the bird would prokibly have
remained "here he had fallen. After some little difficulty the Highlander succeeded, with the aid of what
assistance we were able to render, in sealing the face of the crag and dislodging the bird, which tinned out to he
a magnificent specimen. The shepherd proved himself even more snre-footed than the mountain goals"
that still frequent the ledges near the summit of this range or dills. After Witching a small party of
about half a dozen that were gazing down from a grassy slope at the intruders on their domain we proceeded
further south towards some eaves near the Suitors+, and discovered three magnificent while-tlceeed
animals with grand heads king dead at the foot of tho cliffs. As often befalls the Highland sheep, these
poor bensties had in nil probability made Iheir way while in search of food to some small patch of bright green
grass from which it was impossible to return, and had at hist, in a vain attempt to escape, perished from
the effect of the fall. So early as Hie 9th of June in 1SG9, while examining the nests of tho Herons in
view from the top of the rocks, 1 was unable to detect a single young bird, all having evidently taken
tin ir departure from this pnrtiun of the rocks. There were, however, in all probability a few late stayers
on other parts of the range, as many uld birds wen; still living round their quarters. In the Western
Highlands I repeatedly observed tin' .juveniles still in their cradles a month and even six weeks later than
this date.
During the summer of 1877, while making observations on birds ami fishing in the west of Sutherland, I
explored the islands on T.neh lican li, an inland piece of water about -even miles from Loch Inver, and on
two of the larger found many pairs or Herons breeding in stunted and weather-beaten trees, most of which (if I
remember right) wore birches, destroyed in many instances by the weight oT the nests and the droppings of the
birds. On inspecting the inmates of the nests on the Mb of Juno, 1 ascertained that tho majority were readyto
fly, though several clutches were still in the down ; these were probably the offspring of bii-ds nibbed of their
eggs early in the season. Ten days later (the 18th) I was again on the loch, and made sketches of some or the
young which the gillies brought down from their nests, and after they had sat for their portraits they were
restored to the parental care. The newly hatched wore most hideous little objects; the body nearly naked,
the wrinkled flesh a livid greenish neutral tint; legs and toes greenish grey, hack of legs and soles of feet yellow.
The soft parts of a pair or juveniles just ready to leave the nest nnd secured as specimens were as
follows:—Eye pale bright yellow; upper mandible dark born and scurfy, lower mandible yellow. Legs dark
horn, with largo scales, exhibiting a thin covering that resembled a white powder. The call-note of the
juveniles while pileously (•vying for food after the old birds had boon driven from their quarters ou the islands
and prevented from attending to their wants by our presence on the loch was one of the most monotonous
and discordant sounds I have ever listened to, particularly irritating when dinned into one's ears in
the stillness pervading this lonely and desolate loch; it appeared to resemble the clamour that might be
produced by beating tho inside of a tin can or pail with on iron rod or a hard-wood stick. That Loch
|li annoch i- ii"l le, be desj iscd by the trout-fisher, n,av In- judged from the following abridged extracts taken
from my notes made in the west of Sutherland during the summer of 1^77 :—" June S. At Loch lleannoeh,
wind west, morning line, several squalls of drifting rain during afternoon. Trout rising well: G dozen nnd 2
taken in o few hours."—"June 11. At Loch Bcaunoch, wind west, showery all day. Took 13 dozen trout, the
majoriiy or the usual size, five or six to the pound, one, however, turned the scales at II lbs. According to the
record kept by the gillies and keepers I bis was the heal ies| trout ever taken on the loch, the hrgest up to that
time having only weighed 1£ 111."—" June 18lh. At lioeh Ilcannoch, wind variable, blowing lightly at times
from all quarters. Far too bright during the day for fish to rise, though they took well towards 8 o'clock in
t The " BsBirt' ire the two rocky headland, facing out? w i n oa either tide of the entrance la lbs Cromarty Firth.
HERON.
the evening. Taking a few easts occasionally nnd landing now and then on the islands lo rest and make notes
on the manners and customs of the young Herons, we hail by 7.30 r.V. only fi dozen small trout. After a
short pause for refreshments a sudden change took place, and during the last hour and a half that we remained
on the water 10 down were taken by Iwo rods from the same boat. The l(i dozen obtained during the day
weighed exactly 3G lbs." I mention these facts and draw attention to the small size or the trout in a loch so
favourable for the production of this species in order to suggest that it was simply owing to the tax that the
unfortunate fish are compelled to pay to the rapacious Herons. Doubtless these birds arc ever on the alert,
and in early morning soon afler daylight as well as towards dusk, when the fishermen and their gillies are
absent, they alight in full force in the shallows and on I bo limbs of the dead trees overhanging the water, and
deal death and destruction on all the finny tribe within reach of their powerful lulls. The Illaek-throated
Divers also that frequent the loch in summer, paying little or no regard Io any strangers in the boat, nro
doubtless also detrimental to tho interests of the angler; and if the quantity of leh they consumed was only
known to those who look niter lite water, it would certainly prove astonishing.
In 16G8, when inspecting the feathered residents on Ting Island, situated near the centre of Loch Shin, la
Sutherland, I found Herons bleeding in small hushes and low trees of not more than ten or twelve feet in
height, the spots selected heing almost precisely similar to those on Loch lSeannoeh. In a remote inland
district in the same county, where juniper, heather, and rough grass alone appeared to nourish, a small colony
of these birds took tip their quarters some years hack and put up with such accommodation as the country
afforded, constructing their nests with dried stalks of dead ling on Ihe open hill-side.
I often remarked that this species is somewhat noolurnal in its habits; while atloat on tho Norfolk broads
after dark, I repeatedly noticed these birds Hying round nnd finally dropping into the plantations adjoining tho
water so Lite as 19 or 11 P.M. At every season of the year, while in pursuit of fowl or specimens, 1 have
detected their harsh erics when disturbed on the marshes or mud banks .it nil hours of the night.
On the 30th of May, 1883, while Gshing on Ilickling Brood in the cost of Norfolk, I happened to
be watching a Heron which had attracted my attention as it rose from the side of a dyke and made its way
inland towards the marshes. Having flown about a hundred yards, (be bird slackened speed and became
unsteady, then after circling round for a few seconds it appeared to lose all power and fell straight down into
Ihe rush-marsh behind tho hank that encircles the broad. In all probability the unfortunate bird had been
choked or strangled by some prey recently seizisl—possibly an eel or n tish so strong or bulky that il was utterly
beyond its ability to swallow. Cases where tho neron has suffered in this manner have boon recorded by
various writers in shooting-publications as well as in several works on natural history.
During my visits to the flat country in the cast of Norfolk, I was often much puzzled to account for the
presence of eels on the marsh-wall * round Hiekling Broad. This bank was a favourite resting-place for
the Herons, and hero numbers were occasionally seen as we made our way mi foot towards the broad, the birds
flying off to distant parts of the marshes as we came in v iew. It was seldom while passing over the portion of
the hank from w Inch they rose that several eels wore not detected lj iug on the path in tho adjoining patches of
grass ; these fish wore in\ariably small, usually about a quarter of a pound in weight, and all exhibiting wo Is.
Tho scars consisted, in most instances, of a couple of slabs in close proximity going clean through the llsh ; now
oud then there were additional perforations, nil evidenth inflicted by some shar|>-poin(ed instrument. The beak
of n Heron might easily have caused such wounds, and the marshmen who accompanied mo wore strongly
impressed with tho idea that the eels after being captured and swallowed by ihe bird, bad eventually succeeded,
in some extraordinary manner, in effecting their escape. My opinion was that the Herons had prov ioiisly boon
feeding along the edges of the djkes.nnd having fared far too sumptuously would naturally need repose, which