88 NOTES ON THE 



about the former as to preclude the possibility of its slipping, 

 and into and around about which is built up the whole struct- 

 ure consisting thus of coarse, reedy grass, into which are 

 woven fine, jointed green grasses, not severed from their roots 

 in the submerged ground. But they are not always placed in 

 this manner, for it is not unusual to find them directly on the 

 ground, on the edge of a floating bog in shallow water, or oc- 

 casionally in a sedgy bunch or bush of dwarf willows. The 

 nest is loosely built, very little dished, and contains four to 

 five white eggs, with a faint wash of green. 



They rear two broods, the last of which is strong enough to 

 fly well by the second week in August, and they all quit the 

 country by about the fifth of September. Their food consists 

 largely of leeches, to which are added lizzards, tadpoles, 

 snails and young frogs. I have never found fishes among their 

 ingesta, but have too much respect for the taste of the bird to 

 doubt that they sometimes constitute a good share of a round 

 meal. 



Note. The circumstance of my never having met with the 

 species for so many years after my residence in the State had 

 begun, recalls the fact that only two or three of my volunteer 

 assistants and correspondents have mentioned it. Mr. Holz- 

 inger. of Winona, says: "This bird is little seen, but has recently 

 been found breeding around Lake Winona." 



In this place I will say that I have never found the Least 

 Bittern breeding in communities. However, I can easily im- 

 agine local temporary causes which might impel them to do so, 

 and since it is a common thing for them to be closely associated 

 with several species of blackbirds and other species of herons 

 in their nidification, it seems as if it might be expected that 

 thej'^ will sometimes be found breeding in communities. 



Their habits are decidedly nocturnal, and their migrations 

 are begun and terminated between two days, after the manner 

 of another but featherless biped who quits his wonted "banks" 

 for more northern latitudes, without the slightest regard for 

 seasons. 



SPECIFIC characters. 



Back and head above, dark, glossy green; upper part of 

 neck, shoulders, greater coverts, and outer web of some ter- 

 tials, purplish-cinnamon; a brownish yellow scapular stripe; 

 bill slender, acute, both mandibles about equally curved; legs 

 very short; tarsus less than middle toe; inner toe much the 

 longest, claws long, acute; tarsi broadly scutellate anteriorly; 

 body much compressed; head smooth; occipital feathers some- 

 what lengthened; lower neck behind bare of plumage; tail of 

 ten feathers. 



Length, 13; wing, 4.75; tarsus, 1.60; bill, about 1.75. 



Habitat, temperate North America. 



