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 store carp in a year, and HERON 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.