William. "A little farther on I saw a man in a boat, who was catching eels in an odd way. He had a long pole with broad iron prongs at the end, just like Neptune's trident, only there were five instead of three. This he pushed straight down among the mud in the deepest parts of the river, and fetched up the eels sticking between the prongs."[B]
[B] Neptune: the god of the sea, always represented with the trident or three-pronged fork, anciently used by fishermen.
Mr. A. "I have seen this method: it is called the spearing of eels."
William. "While I was looking at him a heron came flying over my head, with his large flapping wings. He lit at the next turn of the river, and I crept softly behind the bank to watch his motions. He had waded into the water as far as his long legs would carry him, and was standing with his neck drawn in, looking intently on the stream. Presently he darted his long bill as quick as lightning into the water, and drew out a fish, which he swallowed. I saw him catch another in the same manner. He then took alarm at some noise I made, and flew away slowly to a wood at some distance, where he alighted."
Mr. A. "Probably his nest was there, for herons build upon the loftiest trees they can find, and sometimes in society together, like rooks. Formerly, when these birds were valued for the amusement of hawking,[C] many gentlemen had their heronries, and a few are still remaining."
[C] Hawking: catching birds by means of trained hawks.
William. "I think they are the largest wild birds we have."