1913 ' J Barrows, Concealing Action of the Bittern. 187 



The marvelous harmony of his many phrases places him at once 

 in a rank by himself and forces us to drop a dubious comparison. 

 Still the Fox Sparrow is likely to win a more affectionate regard 

 from the majority of bird-lovers, on account of his brighter music, 

 dancing forth as it docs in a perfect abandon of joy. At any rate 

 he is the master songster 1 of the Magdalens and particularly 

 acceptable in that sea-world, whose history is bound up with ship- 

 wreck and whose customary music is the buzzing of Savannah 

 Sparrow, rasping of Rusty Blackbird, quavering of Wilson's Snipe, 

 pumping of Bittern, rattling of Rail, croak of Raven, and mocking 

 laughter of the I.oon. 



CONCEALING ACTION OF THE BITTERN (BO TAURUS 

 LENTIGINOSUS). 



BY WALTER BRADFORD BARROWS. 



The adaptive, concealing or protective coloration of the common 

 Bittern is so well known to all ornithologists and to most other 

 bird lovers that it hardly needs mention here. It is also a matter 

 of common observation that this remarkable bird has the habit 

 of standing motionless for minutes at a time with its legs, body and 

 outstretched neck all in the same line, the bill pointing directly 

 toward the sky. In this position, with the wings and feathers 

 of the trunk pressed closely to the sides, and perhaps the body 

 itself somewhat flattened, the bird, at least from the usual point 

 of view, closely resembles a weather beaten strip of board, a dead 

 and bleached stub, or even a rather bulky last year's stalk of cat- 

 tail Hag. 



In my own experience this attitude of the Bittern seems to be 

 assumed most often immediately on alighting, and then after 

 holding this rigid position for a few moments it rather quickly 



'The Hermit Thrush is only local ly distributed and uncommon in the Mag- 

 dalen Islands. 



