The Oologist. 



VOL. XIV. NO. 9. 



ALBION, N. Y., SEPTEMBER, 1897. 



Whole No. 136: 



Nesting- Habits of the American 

 Bittern. 



All who have collected in marshy 

 sections have often heard the peculiar 

 song of the Biitern in the lowlands. 

 Coming from the morass, the notes 

 seem of mysterious origin and to those 

 of superstitious disposition the weird 

 sounds appeal with a great deal of 

 force. Nevertheless, to the observer, 

 the nature of the love-song is well 

 known and many collectors have care- 

 fully noted the movements of the birds 

 when uttering the sounds and studied 

 the notes. 



For many years the peculiar habits 

 and movements of the Indian Hen or 

 Greater Bittern have offered special at- 

 tractions for me and I have carefully 

 noted the nesting and migrating birds 

 in my field book. Thinking to present 

 a few observations of interest, though 

 aware that most observers are familiar 

 with the facts offered, I will take a few 

 notes from my book. 



The birds reach the 40th parallel in 

 the spring by March tenth and often 

 earlier. In fact I have seen specimens 

 on boggy ground when the ditches 

 were frozen over and everything look- 

 ed decidedly wintry. The Bitterns do 

 not arrive during these periods, but 

 likehuany other mistaken birds attempt 

 the northern trip too early in the sea- 

 son. They will not leave for a spell of 

 cold w" i*^her and therefore put in their 

 tim ' ' 1 lis-^oasolately stalking along 

 the ■ I .c 's of streams, or over the 

 groui'l kupt soft by spring holes. 



As so(jn as the ground is fully thaw- 

 ed out and spring has fairly assumed 

 her pleasing sway, the Indian Hens 

 tune up their lazzoos and proceed to 

 demonstrate that tom-tom, kettledrum 

 calithumpian melodies are. the order of 



the day. There is nothing like the pe- 

 culiar notes, and from their very 

 uniqueness they have a charm for me 

 unsurpassed by aay other bird's notes 

 on the marsh. 



When the bird sings we look vainly 

 for him. and it is only after prolonged' 

 search and a vexatious tramp through- 

 the sloughs and across swampy tracts, 

 that we finally definitely locate him. 

 The chances are that the singer was not 

 where we expected to find him, for this- 

 bird's notes are very deceiving and 

 often lead one amiss. Then again I 

 have been badly fooled by the notes of 

 two birds on different parts of the- 

 marsh. 



In due time we see the old fellow- 

 stalking through the long, rank marsh 

 grass or perhaps wading in a pool or 

 ditch. Then he stops his measured 

 tread and ruffling his feathers and as- 

 suming a bunched aspect, proceeds to 

 give vent to his charmingly ludicrous 

 ditty. The notes much resemble the 

 words plum pucVn accent on pitd, and 

 for this reason the oddity has been giv- 

 en the name of Plum Pudding among 

 the many other appellations with which 

 this peculiar bird is favored. Of 

 course the sounds could be readily lik- 

 ened to other words, as with the notes- 

 of all other bii'ds which we have been 

 taught to associate in notes and words. 

 However plum pncVn seems a capital 

 name for this wader. 



When singing the performer goes 

 through a surprising series of motions, 

 making peculiar snakey movements 

 with its head and neck with each sound 

 uttered. These movements, together 

 with the sounds, which are hollow and 

 reverberating, give the species the 

 name of Thunder Pumper 



Then there are the notes ka whack, 

 or if you wish, ka sock, which exactly 



