ARDEID&. ao7 
near Enfield: he also supposes it to have bred on 
the Thames. Instances of its breeding in Eng- 
land, though certainly not numerous, probably occur 
oftener than is supposed, as it is a small bird, easily 
overlooked, and frequents boggy and sedgy places, 
where it may well remain concealed. 
The nest is said to be placed near the water, 
amongst flags and rushes, and attached to upright- 
srowing reeds: it is made of rushes, dry willow- 
twigs, flags and grass. 
According to Yarrell the food of the Little Bittern 
consists of the fry of fish, frogs and other small rep- 
tiles, Mollusca and insects; but Meyer says that he 
has been assured by a very trustworthy observer 
that he had never found anything but fish in the 
stomach of the Little Bittern: Meyer adds that in 
confinement it will feed on large fish cut in pieces, 
raw meat, boiled potatoes, young frogs, &c.; so pro- 
bably in a wild state it does not confine itself entirely 
to a fish diet, especially if hungry. 
This very Little Bittern—for although the neck 
and legs are long in proportion to the body, the body 
itself does not much, if anything, exceed in size that 
of the Missel Thrush—is a very pretty miniature of 
its big brother, next to be mentioned. One pecu- 
larity is common to both—that there are no feathers 
on the back of the neck, but only a little down. The 
beak, lore and irides are yellow; the top of the head 
is black; the cheeks, ear-coverts and sides of the 
