Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 363 



are only occasionally so, if at all. When undisturbed they usually 

 nest in colonies or "rookeries," as their breeding places are some- 

 times called, three or four species often occupying the same tree. 



The Bitterns are not gregarious in the true sense of the word, 

 although during the breeding season numbers of nests of the smaller 

 species may often be found in close proximity to each other. The 

 American Bittern is more solitary in its habits. When feeding they 

 frequent the shores of rivers and ponds as well as marshes and 

 lagoons. The food consists largely of fish, frogs, and small reptiles, 

 which they catch with great dexterity. 



Subfamily BOTAURINiE. Bitterns. 

 Genus BOTAURUS Stephens. 

 79. Botaurus lentiginosus (Montag.). 

 American Bittern. 



Local names: Stake-driver. Thunder-pump. 



Distr.: Temperate North America, south to Guatemala, Cuba, 

 and Jamaica. 



Adult: Upper parts, brown; wing coverts, edged and mottled 

 with tawny and buff and washed with ashy; top of the head and nape, 

 slaty, with black streak on sides of the upper neck; neck and under 

 parts, tawny white; feathers, edged with dusky and dull brown; legs, 

 greenish yellow; a loral stripe of dark brown; bill, yellowish, with a 

 dark streak at the top. 



Length, 27; wing, 11.50; bill, 3; tarsus, 3.40. 



The female is smaller than the male and the bird varies in size. 



A common summer resident in Illinois and Wisconsin and breeds 

 in suitable localities, building its nest in marshes. The nest is a 

 mass of grass, loosely put together. The eggs are 4 or 5, pale olive 

 buff color, and measure about 1.95 x 1.45 inches. 



The peculiar "booming" notes made by this species, on account 

 of which it has acquired such local names as Stake-driver, Thunder- 

 pump, etc., are admirably described by Mr. Bradford Torrey. (The 

 Auk, 1889, p. I.) In the same article he prints an interesting letter 

 from Mr. William Brewster, from which I quote the following: "The 

 bird was well out in the open meadow among short, green grass, grow- 

 ing in perhaps two inches of surface water. I got within less than 

 thirty yards of him before he took alarm and crouched. Previous 

 to this he favored me with several performances in plain sight. 



