VOL. X.] 



NOTES. 



249 



nor did changing the plate frighten him. The female, mean- 

 while, was standing at a short distance, but in five or six 

 minutes she began to approach the nest — so slowly that 

 Mr. Burdet was able to expose four plates showing various 

 attitudes of the two birds. At length the male got off the 

 nest and went away, and the female took his place and showed 

 no more fear of the camera than her mate. 



LITTLE BITTERN: MALE, ON THE NEST, FEMALE APPROACHING. 

 {Photographed by A. Burdet.) 



On June 18th four out of the six eggs were hatched, the 

 young being covered with fine, reddish down. On June 23rd 

 there were six young already sufficiently developed to be 

 able, on seeing Mr. Burdet, to take up their well-known 

 protective attitude, their heads, necks and bodies being 

 stretched up in a perpendicular line, while their colour 

 harmonized with the reddish- brown of the reeds. The\' 

 could stay in this attitude a long time absolutely immovable, 

 except that as one moved they turned their necks so as to 

 keep their eyes on the intruder. 



