RETURN OF THE BITTERN. 97 



We judged the half -fledged bird we found on July 8th 

 to be from four to five weeks old ; now, if the male ceases 

 to boom when the young are hatched, the natural inference 

 is that both parents feed the young. As we failed to see 

 two adult birds together on either occasion, we feared 

 that one might have been destroyed. However, I have 

 since felt somewhat reassured on this point, as the watcher 

 before mentioned goes on to say : "I presume both birds 

 are and have been here all the time, but I have not seen 

 two at one time since January 26th." 



It is obvious, therefore, that Bitterns work very warily ; 

 and it may be that the young bird we found was the last 

 one hatched, and that the others had already been moved 

 across the intervening dykes and gradually lured away. 



There is no doubt that the Bittern, though a night- 

 feeder, nevertheless feeds its young at regular intervals 

 all day, for on the first occasion we saw the old bird drop 

 near the nest three times between 2 and 4.30 p.m., while 

 others whom we questioned have seen them working to 

 and fro at all hours of the day. 



One can only hope, as the adult birds have roamed 

 at large unmolested for over eight months, re-awakening 

 long-forgotten echoes with their curious booming, that 

 public interest and public opinion will continue to protect 

 both old and young. If this be the case, there is no reason 

 why the Bittern should not establish itself once more as 

 a regular breeding species here and there on the marsh- 

 land, though it is never again likely to become so 

 numerous as to furnish a regular Sunday dinner for 

 the gamekeeper, which was formerly said to be the 

 case in one district ! 



Having watched this curious and beautiful bird at 

 home in our own marsh-land, I would like to share the 

 joy with every real bird-lover ; and I sincerely hope that 

 within the next few years, the good luck which seems to 

 dog my footsteps may be equally the portion of every 

 ornithologist who has the real welfare of birds at heart. 



