LITTLE BITTERN. 141 



The Little Bittern-Heron has been frequently met 

 with in many of the English counties, extending- to 

 the Scottish border, and it is supposed that they 

 have also occasionally bred in this country, young 

 \>irds having been procured in one instance,* and, 

 vn some others, the circumstances in which they 

 were taken left little doubt that they had bred 

 near the locality where they were killed.^ A spe- 

 cimen is recorded to have been procured so far 

 north as Sanda, in Orkney, J and Mr. Thompson 

 has stated its occurrence once or twice in Ireland. 

 Its extra British range is the south of Europe, parts 

 of Asia and Africa, where, however, a represent- 

 ing species may yet be confounded. Its habits, ex- 

 cept in confinement, are not recorded ; but it is said 

 to frequent marshes, by the sides of rivers, amidst 

 aquatic brush-wood, and to make its nest upon the 

 ground. Wilson, speaking of the American bird, 

 which is so closely allied as to have led to confu- 

 sion, says, " Those we have seen in confinement 

 skulk, and walk with the head drawn closely in, 

 and without showing any portion of the neck;" 

 which agrees with the manner in which it and 

 other small species, kept in our British gardens, 

 conduct themselves. Mr. Audubon, in describing 

 them, states, that specimens he had in confine- 

 ment were fed on small fish and stripes of pork, 

 and were very expert in catching flies. They 

 showed also great scansorial powers. In trying 

 to escape from the windows, they could climb 

 * Yarrell. f Heysham. Fleming. 



