Birds of Indiana. 651 



Dr. Morris Gibbs tells us it utters three kinds of notes. Two of 

 these are loud sounding, and one, a low, guttural utterance, seldom 

 heard, unless one is near the bird when it is given. He says: "The 

 love song is singular in the extreme, and when once heard is never to 

 be forgotten. It is performed and uttered, for the movements in ut- 

 tering the noise are as singular as the notes, invariably when the bird 

 is standing in the marsh. The sounds so nearly resemble the words 

 plum pudden that the bird has received this name. These syllables are 

 repeated from four to eight times, generally six or seven times. The 

 accent is on the pud, the final syllable, den, being less distinct than the 

 other. The sounds coming from the marsh are mysterious, and seem 

 almost unearthly. Not like the notes of any other birds of Michigan, 

 they are easily learned, and once heard are never to be forgotten. The 

 other name of Stake Driver is also earned by its peculiar, well-defined 

 notes, ha, wliaclc, T^a, whack, uttered like the others, in a most method- 

 ical and apparently strained manner. 



The bird, I believe only the male, when uttering either of its pe- 

 culiar songs, has a most remarkable series of movements to go through, 

 which are ludicrous in the extreme to the observer, though seriously, 

 and I doubt not pompously, performed by Botaurus in his efforts at 

 propitiating his loved one, or later in acknowledging his success as a 

 benedictine boss of the marsh." (0. & 0., Vol. XIV, 1889, p. 130.) 



In the most common illusions to the spring song of the Bittern it 

 is called "booming." Others think its vocal performance at times re- 

 sembles the noise made by an old wooden stock pump. 



The nesting begins soon after arrival and continues through May 

 and June. Mr. Ruthven Deane tells me of finding a nest containing 

 four quite fresh eggs at English Lake, June 10, 1888. The nest was 

 a loose structure of broken cane, floating on the water, built about one 

 foot high. A large snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) was on the 

 side of the nest, evidently with the intention of capturing the eggs or 

 sitting bird, who was sitting unconcerned. Mr. C. E. Aiken found it 

 breeding abundantly along the Calumet Eiver in May, 1871. It has 

 also been reported as breeding in the following counties: Lake (Meyer, 

 Toppan, Parker), Knox and Gibson (Ridgway), Porter (B5a'kit), Vigo 

 (Evermann), Boone (Beasley), Laporte (Barber), Dekalb (Feagler, 

 H. W. McBride), Wabash (Bell), Steuben and Lagrange (H. W. Mc- 

 Bride). 



They live upon fish, frogs, lizards, crawfish, insects, meadow mice 

 and such other food as is found in the marshes and wet meadows. 



The southward migration begins in August. They were very com- 

 mon at English Lake August 8, 1897. (Deane.) I have taken it in 



