THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 547 



The "booming" of the Bittern is regarded as a myth. No such sound as can be under- 

 stood as similar is uttered by it. It has a hollow croak, when alarmed. Audubon likens it to 

 a "hoarse croaking, as if the throat were filled with water." Nuttall more successfully 

 likens it to pump-au-gah. Mr. Samuels renders it as follows: "In the mating season, and 

 during the first part of the period of incubation, the male ha,s a peculiar note, that almost 

 exactly resembles the stroke of a mallet on a stake ; something like the syllables cJiunk-a-lunk- 

 churik, quank-cliuiik-a-lunk-cliunk. I have often, when in the forests of Northern Maine, 

 been deceived by this note into believing that some woodman or settler was in my neighbor- 

 hood, and discovered my mistake after toiling a mile or so through swamps." Besides this 

 peculiar note, the bird has another, its ordinary cry. This is a single, abrupt, explosive 

 syllable, something like quark, or liauk, delivered with a rough, guttural intonation. Ordina- 

 rily the Bittern is a silent bird. It is migratory, and, excepting the Blue Heron, no bird is 

 more extensively dispersed. It is wild, shy, and somewhat solitary. When disturbed, he 

 gives a vigorous spring, croaks at the moment in a manner highly expressive of disgust, and 

 flies off as fast as he can, though in rather a loose, lumbering way. For some distance he flaps 

 heavily with dangling legs and outstretched neck. 



LEAST BITTERN (Ardetta exilis). Inhabits the United States and British provinces, Cuba, 

 Jamaica, Central, and possibly South America. It breeds throughout its range in the States, 

 and winters in the South. It is not anywhere abundant, though very generally distributed. 

 It inhabits reedy swamps, and is regularly migratory, passing northward in April, and return- 

 ing in September. It is rather more numerous in the Gulf States than elsewhere. Unlike the 

 other species of Herons, ifrdoes not gather in communities to breed, but is oftener found in 

 single pairs, or, at most, three or four. It is the smallest known species of the whole tribe. It 

 rarely visits salt meadows. Wilson says it is an uncommon bird to the sea-coast peoples of 

 New Jersey, but a few breed near Philadelphia, in the fresh meadows of the Schuylkill River. 

 When alarmed, it seldom flies far, but takes shelter among the reeds, seldom being seen, as it 

 feeds at night. Its length is twelve inches, and sixteen inches in extent of wing. The eyes 

 are bright yellow, which gives the bird a bright look. Tlfe sexes are nearly alike in color. 

 Audubon says: "The nest is sometimes placed upon the ground, amirl the rankest grasses, 

 but more frequently it is attached to the stems, several inches above it. It is flat, composed 

 of dried or rotten weeds. In two instances, I found the nests of the Least Bittern about three 

 feet from the ground, in a thick cluster of smilax and other briary plants. In the first, two 

 nests were placed in the same bush, within a few yards of each other. In the other instance, 

 there was only one nest of tliis bird, but several of the Boat-tailed Grakle, and one of the 

 Green Heron, the occupants of all of which seemed to be on friendly terms. When startled 

 from the nest, the old birds emit a few notes, resembling the syllable qua, alight a few yards 

 off, and watch all your movements. If you go towards them you may sometimes take the 

 female in your hand, but rarely the male, who generally flies off, or makes his way through 

 the woods. Like the other Herons, its food is small reptiles, fishes, insects, etc. Often shrews 

 and field mice are found in their stomachs. The eggs are three to five in number, resembling 

 pigeons' eggs." 



THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nyctiardea grisea ncema) inhabits the British 

 provinces, breeds abundantly in New England, winters in the South and beyond. It is also 

 found in the West Indies and Mexico. The Night Herons derive their name from their noc- 

 turnal habits. Like other species, this bird prefers the solitary swamps for breeding and 

 feeding places, where numbers of them build in proximity. At dusk, the Night Herons, called 

 also Qua Birds, from their peculiar cry, make wing for the marshes, or beaches, where they 

 stand motionless in watch for their game small reptiles or fishes. These they capture by 

 darting forth their sharp, long bills, which transfix the luckless toads or fishes. Wilson says : 

 -"At this hour, also, all the nurseries of the swamp are emptied of their inhabitants, who 

 disperse about the marshes and along the ditches and river shore in quest of food. Some of 

 these breeding-places have been occupied, every spring and summer, from time immemorial, 



