THE CRANE KIND. J75 



This bird, though of the heron kind, is yet neither so destructive, 

 nor so voracious. It is a retired timorous animal, concealing itself 

 in the midst of reeds and marshy places, and living upon frogs, in- 

 sects, and vegetables ; and though so nearly resembling the heron in 

 figure, yet differing much in manners and appetites. As the heron 

 builds on the tops of the highest trees, the bittern lays its nest in a 

 sedgy margin, or amidst a tuft of rushes. The heron builds with 

 sticks and wool ; the bittern composes its simpler habitation of sedg- 

 es, the leaves of water-plants, and dry rushes. The heron lays four 

 eggs ; the bittern generally seven or eight, of an ash-green colour 

 The heron feeds its young for many days ; the bittern in three days 

 leads its little ones to their food, in short the heron is lean and ca- 

 daverous, subsisting chiefly upon animal food ; the bittern is plump 

 and fleshy, as it feeds upon vegetables, when more nourishing food is 

 wanting. 



It cannot be, therefore, from its voracious appetites, but its hollow 

 boom, that the bittern is held in such detestation by the vulgar. I 

 remember in the place where I was a boy with what terror this bird's 

 note affected the whole village ; they considered it as the presage of 

 some sad event ; and generally found or made one to succeed it. I 

 do not speak ludicrously ; but if any person in the neighbourhood 

 died, they supposed it could not be otherwise, for the night-raven had 

 foretold it : but if nobody happened to die, the death of a cow or a 

 sheep gave completion to the prophecy. 



Whatever terror it may inspire among the simple, its flesh is greatly 

 in esteem among the luxurious. For this reason it is as eagerly 

 sought after by the fowler, as it is shunned by the peasant ; and, as it 

 is a heavy-rising, slow-winged bird, it does not often escape him. In- 

 deed, it seldom rises but when almost trod upon, and seems to seek 

 protection rather from concealment than flight. At the latter end of 

 autumn, however, in the evening, its wonted indolence appears to 

 forsake it. It is then seen rising in a spiral ascent, till it is quite lost 

 from the view, making at the same time a singular noise very differ- 

 ent from its former boomings. Thus the same animal is often seen 

 to assume different desires ; and while the Latins have given the bit- 

 tern the name of the star-reaching bird (or the stellaris,) the Greeks, 

 taking its character from its more constant habits, have given it the 

 title of the oknos, or the lazy. 



CHAPTER VII. 



OK THE SPOONBILL, OR SHOVELLER. 



AS we proceed in our description of the crane kind, birds of pe- 

 culiar forms offer, not entirely like the crane, and yet not so different 

 is to rank more properly with any other class. Where the long neck 



