COMMON BITTERN. 161 
which the nest had been seen with the young.” * * * 
The want of actual knowledge of the nest itself does not 
in the least invalidate the fact of the bird breeding with 
us. A water dog once brought me a very young bittern, 
but, from the precarious nature of the reed-bed, and the 
difficulty of moving even a few yards further, I could 
not discover the nest whence he took it.” 
It is of course, from this very reason, extremely 
difficult to say when the bittern actually ceased to be 
a resident in the “ Broad” district, but from the time 
IT commenced making notes on the birds of this county 
in 1850, until the year 1866, I could not ascertain that 
any one had either seen or heard a bittern during the 
summer months, and as there are still marshmen in 
those parts well acquainted with their former haunts 
and habits, I believe the market price of such eggs 
from any British locality would, in spite of all diffi- 
culties, have resulted in a “ find,” had a pair of birds 
remained. 
For at least fifteen or sixteen years, then, prior to 
1866, I believe this species had altogether deserted us 
during the breeding season, but in the summer of 
1866, the “boom” of a bittern was again heard on 
Hoveton broad, and the birds themselves were recog- 
nised by William Hewitt, who, as marshman and keeper 
to the Rev. T. J. Blofeld, had every means of observing 
them. No nest appears to have been found, but from 
enquiries made in that neighbourhood, at the time, by 
my friend Mr. G. G. Fowler, it is most probable that 
they had selected the Woodbastwick side for their home, 
ranging from thence over the two Hovetons. 
On the 12th of June of that year, it was my 
good fortune, by the merest accident, to see one of 
them, though at the time quite unaware that their 
presence in that neighbourhood had been detected 
by any one. Through the kindness of a friend, I had 
Y, 
