re. 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Mr. Ijouis Kellogg foaud lliree nests 



containing eggs near Kalamazoo in 



May \mi. 



These nests were not far apart, showing 



eonelusively that the species, as with 



other members of its family, is at times 



gregarions. 



The song of the Indian Hen is decid- 

 edly peculiar, although it certainly can- 

 not be called melodious. However it 

 uniloubtediy answers the; purpose (»f 

 the })erformer, in charming the lady in 

 the case, during early courlshiu, or in 

 cheering her while engaged in the con- 

 fining duties of incubation. Sometimes 

 one can hear an irregular gutteral sound 

 issuing from the throat of the bird, and 

 this is undoubtedly its effort at social 

 conversation, as ii, like the call note, 

 is common to both sexes. The regula- 

 tion vernal ditty \s plum piidden uttereil 

 in a loud resonant key, and which can 

 be heard for nearly a mile on a clear, 

 quiet morning. These notes, so plainly 

 uttered, and from which the bird re- 

 ceives one of his characteristic names, 

 are repeated from f>ur to eight times, 

 generally six or seven. Another sound 

 produced by this singular marsh inhab- 

 itant, so nearly resembles the noise 

 made bj^ pounding with a maul, ka 

 whack, that our friend has added to his 

 list of names that of Stake-driver. 



These sounds are issued with appar- 

 ent effort, the bird going through gro- 

 lesqut! contortions as an accompani- 

 ment, and from the peculiar motions 

 this lK)g-trottei' has been called Thunder 

 Pumper. 



The Bittern does not wade as much 

 as the other Herons but stalks along 

 the banks like a sentinel. It is a great 

 destroyer of fish, but also feeds largely 

 on frogs. As the chilly nights of Octo- 

 i)er come on tlie Stake-driver seeks 

 soutiiern resorts and is rarely seen af- 

 ter Nov. 10. 



I-KAST BITTEKN. 



This silent, retiring littli' binl is but 

 little known lo anv but enthusiastic col- 



lectors and close observers. It is the 

 smallest of the group in Michigan and 

 the most handsome in appearance if we 

 except the Egrets. 'I'he Least Bittern is 

 very retiring and unless search is made 

 for it in the marshy tracts about the 

 lakes and ponds its presence will never 

 l)e recognized. 



It arrives in April or earlj- May a id 

 Itegins nest building oftentimes by the 

 niiddh^ of the month. The proper tiun^ 

 to hunt for the full sets of eggs is aljout 

 June tenth, yet 1 have secured incubat- 

 ed eggs in ^lay. 'J he ;i\ i r:ige ni .-t holds 

 live eggs while se\eial lu-.sis cout.iine.l 

 si.x eggs of a pale blue color, and one 

 complete set only heh! four 



The color is much lighter tliau in the 

 eggs of any other Hermj liere and the 

 eggs are very nearly, often perfectly, el- 

 liptical. 



The nest is sometimes built on a tus- 

 sock of grass, the support being furnish- 

 ed by the coarse grass which is bent 

 down by tlie birds, but much oftener 

 the frail structure is entwined at its 

 sides with the uprights of rushes, the 

 stalks of tlM? cat-tail flag, typha being 

 frequently selected. The nest is com- 

 ])Ofeed of coarse grass woven together 

 in a very shiftless manner. It is nine 

 or ten inches across and is nearly Bat, 

 in fact barely enough of a hollow to se- 

 cure the eggs. 



Almost invariably the structure is 

 ])artiall.y covered by a Himsily construct 

 ed canopy for concealment, and at tim- 

 es this makes it rather difficult to tind, 

 esi)ecially if the oUI bird is not at home. 

 When the bin! is on the nest it is an 

 easy matter to secure her and thcMinding 

 of the eggs is no trouble at all, as she 

 riies away in plain sight generally. Oc- 

 casionally an attempt is nnide to escape 

 in tlie grass, but this is usually clumsily 

 done and 1 have known the bird to be 

 cai:ght in the act. 



.■^o far as I know the Least Bittern is 

 silent and has uiot been known to 

 utter a sound even n'licii capl ured. It 



