8 Abbott, Summer Bird-life of the Newark Marshes [jan 



edly missed dozens more, we were inclined to believe that we had 

 found the nest of the only pair of American Bitterns in that part 

 of the swamp. Least Bitterns Ave re not infrequently to be seen on 

 the wing, and toward evening especially seemed inclined to indulge 

 in constitutional flights above the reed tops, where with head drawn 

 back and legs extended to the rear, they would attain considerable 

 headway. They were evidently unaccustomed to human invasion 

 of their retreat, and on coming suddenly upon one of our party, 

 would utter a harsh sibilant note and turn quickly in their course. 



With the Coots we made but slight acquaintance. I doubt if 

 there were more than two pairs in the part of the marsh we searched, 

 and we did not find their nests. But there was no doubt of their 

 existence there, as the white shield on their forehead forms a con- 

 spicuous field mark, and we identified the birds positively a number 

 of times. Once two birds were seen together. At another time 

 a Coot was seen swimming close to a Gallinule, when the differ- 

 ence between the birds was very marked. The Coot, beside its 

 larger size and darker color, swims higher out of the water and in 

 a different manner from the Gallinule. Continuing the comparison, 

 it might be said that the Gallinule swims at the greatest 'angle' 

 with the water, the tail being raised very high and the forward 

 part of the body dipped so low that the water seems almost to meet 

 over the base of the bird's neck. The Coot swims with less of a 

 tilt, while of the three the plane of the Grebe's back is the nearest 

 parallel with the water. 



In the way of miscellaneous birds mention should be made of 

 the Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phceniceus) which of course, 

 together with their nests, were abundant in the swamp; also of a 

 Swamp Sparrow's (Melospiza georgiana) nest with four eggs found 

 in a bunch of dead cat-tails. Once a Green Heron (Butorides 

 virescens) visitor was seen. Then we found a nest containing egg- 

 shells, which we put down to the Virginia Rail (Rallus virginianus) . 

 We took home the largest of the shells for identification, and all 

 evidences seemed to point to this bird, which must undoubtedly 

 have existed in the marsh, although we did not actually see it. But 

 it seemed to us that the one feature lacking to carry us in imagina- 

 tion thoroughly into the heart of some western bird swamp was the ' 

 presence of a member of the duck family. Nor were we to be dis- 



