COMMON BITTERN. . 161 



which the nest had been seen with the young-." * * * 

 The want of actual knowledge of the nest itself does not 

 in the least invalidate the fact of the bird breeding with 

 us. A water dog once brought me a very young bittern, 

 but, from the precarious nature of the reed-bed, and the 

 difficulty of moving even a few yards further, I could 

 not discover the nest whence he took it." 



It is of course, from this very reason, extremely 

 difficult to say when the bittern actually ceased to be 

 a resident in the " Broad " district, but from the time 

 I commenced making notes on the birds of this county 

 in 1850, until the year 1866, I could not ascertain that 

 any one had either seen or heard a bittern during the 

 summer months, and as there are still marshmen in 

 those parts well acquainted with their former haunts 

 and habits, I believe the market price of such eggs 

 from any British locality would, in spite of all diffi- 

 culties, have resulted in a " find," had a pair of birds 

 remained. 



For at least fifteen or sixteen years, then, prior to 

 1866, I believe this species had altogether deserted us 

 during the breeding season, but in the summer of 

 1866, the "boom" of a bittern was again heard on 

 Hoveton broad, and the birds themselves were recog- 

 nised by William Hewitt, who, as marshman and keeper 

 to the Uev. T. J. Blofeld, had every means of observing 

 them. No nest appears to have been found, but from 

 enquiries made in that neighbourhood, at the time, by 

 my friend Mr. G-. G. Fowler, it is most probable that 

 they had selected the Woodbastwick side for their home, 

 ranging from thence over the two Hovetons. 



On the 12th of June of that year, it was my. 

 good fortune, by the merest accident, to see one of 

 theni, though at the time quite unaware that their 

 presence in that neighbourhood had been detected 

 by any one. Through the kindness of a friend, I had 

 Y 



