190 BAMtOWS [ April 



within sight and at short range, but the conditions never have been 

 such as to favor the recognition of such motion had it existed. 

 In one instance, in July, L911, 1 watched a family of three young 



Bitterns more than two thirds grown which assumed the upright 



and rigid attitude as perfectly as the adults, except that they 

 walked about more freely but without relaxing the strained posi- 

 tion in the least. All the time, however, they kept their bodies 

 almost completely hidden in the coarse grass and even the necks 

 were so obscured by the tips of the grass that when this was set 

 in motion by the wind I could not tell whether the neck remained 

 quiet or not. The birds in this ease occupied a little grass covered 

 island in a muddy pool so that 1 could not readily get nearer than 

 about thirty yards, and even with a six-power Hold-glass i: was 

 impossible to settle the question. 



A somewhat careful examination has been made of American 

 bird literature without finding any •. , to this peculiar action, 



but the search has been by no means thorough. I have also ex- 

 amined such accounts as I could find of the action of the closely 

 related European Bittern (JBotcnmu steiians) without rinding any 



.. similar performance, although the accounts and 

 ures would lead one to believe that in voice and attitude as well as 

 in general habits this bird closely resembles our own. 



