128 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



birds are killed every year for no useful purpose whatever. Unlike many 

 of our herons it neither roosts, nests, nor feeds in flocks, but is seen singly, 

 or at most in pairs, during its stay with us. Arriving from the south as 

 soon as the frost is out of the ground, sometimes even earlier, and lingering 

 at least occasionally until the marshes freeze up again, it is well known to 

 every observant citizen who travels much over Michigan roads. 



Its voice is unique, the names "Thunder-pump "and " Stake-driver " being 

 attempts to indicate two of its commoner notes. These notes are often called 

 'M^ooming" which is the term regularly applied to the note of the European 

 Bittern, but the term seems hardly applicable to the call of our bird. Good 

 descriptions of the notes themselves and of the contortions of the bird while 

 uttering them may be found in several of our standard works, one of the 

 best descriptions probably by Bradford Torrey. 



This bird's plumage offers one of the best illustrations we have of 

 protective coloration, the brown, black and buff-streaked plumage har- 

 monizing so perfectly with the dead or dying marsh vegetation among 

 which it is found spring and fall, that the bird is wellnigh invisible even 

 when standing fully exposed. Moreover the bird takes advantage of its 

 color and puts itself in such attitudes as will favor the illusion, one of its 

 favorite positions being erect with legs, body, neck and bill all in the same 

 line, the bill pointing directly to the sky. It often assumes this postiion 

 in alighting and will sometimes retain it for several minutes, when it will 

 suddenly relax, taking the ordinary appearance of a heron, and proceeding 

 to look for its food. 



The nest is made of grass, weed-stalks, twigs, etc., and placed on the 

 ground, among reeds, flags or bushes, and usually in marshy places; the eggs 

 three to five are "pale olive drab, or pale Isabella color, averaging 1.88 by 

 1.43 inches" (Ridgway). According to some writers the nest is placed 

 commonly on Inishes and at a height of several feet from the ground, but 

 we have never seen or heard of a nest so placed. 



Its food is of the most varied character, including animal matter of 

 almost every description, but no seeds, berries or other vegetable materials. 

 We have taken from its stomach fish, frogs, mice, snakes, tadpoles, crayfish, 

 snails, and a great variety of aquatic insects, while Prof. Aughey of Nebraska 

 has recorded one from Grand Island, Nebraska, killed in September, 1873, 

 which had 16 grasshoppers in its stomach. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Forehead and crown broAvn, darkest in front, where it is mixed with blackisli; chin 

 white or creamy-white, divided by a narrow median brown stripe; side of neck with a 

 conspicuous patch of glossy black, dull or slaty in some cases and bordered above by clear 

 buff; under parts from neck to tail pale buff with broad streaks of light brown, each streak 

 minutely mottled with darker brown or black; back and scai)ulars heavily mottled with 

 l)uff, brown and black, tlie l)tiff jn-edominating; primaries light bluish slate, tipped with 

 brown, their shafts black. WiW mostly yellow, the culmcii dusky; legs and feet pale green; 

 iris l)right yellow. Sexes alike, and young quite similar, but autunmal specimens darker, 

 l)rowner, and more richly colored, spring si)ecimcns liaviiig a ])aler bleached appearance. 

 Length 24 to 34 inches; wing 9.S0 to 12; culmen 'I.FA) to :i.2(); tarsus 3.10 to 3.85. 



