See ARDEA, Ornithology Index.

This bird is a very great devourer of fish, and will do more mischief to a pond than even an otter. Some say that an heron will destroy more fish in a week than an otter will in three months; but that seems carrying the matter too far. People who have kept herons, have had the curiosity to number out the fish they fed them with into a tub of water; and counting them again afterwards, it has been found that a heron will eat 50 moderate-sized dace and roaches in a day. It has been found, that in carp-ponds visited by this bird, one heron will eat up 1000 flore carp in a year, and will hunt them so close that very few can escape. The readiest method of destroying this mischievous bird is by fishing for him in the manner of pike, with a baited hook; the bait consisting of small roach or dace, and the hook fastened to one end of a strong line, made of silk and wire twisted together. To the other end of the line is fastened a stone of a pound weight; and several of these baited lines being sunk by means of the stone in different parts of the pond, in a night or two the heron will not fail of being taken by one or other of them.