£j2 the bittern. 



fine themselves to the deepest places they are able to 

 find at the bottom of the stream, and they are then 

 compelled to live upon frogs and lizards, though they 

 cannot procure enough to supply them with food. 



Though this bird lives chiefly among pools and 

 marshes, yet it forms its nest upon cliffs, or the most 

 elevated trees, and, at the time of sitting, appears to 

 enjoy society, though, at every other period, they are 

 observed to range alone : their nests are of sticks, lined 

 with wool ; and the females lays four large eggs, the 

 colour of which is a pale green ; yet their indolence 

 is so great, that they will never make a nest if they 

 can get possession of one that has been formed by a 

 rook or crow. 



The French consider these birds, when young, as a 

 delicacy, and absolutely assist them in forming their 

 nests ; but we have ever thought their flesh unpalata- 

 ble, and totally unfit to be used as food. 



OF THE BITTERN, OR MIRE-DRUM. 



Those who have walked, in an evening, by the 

 sedgy side of unfrequented rivers, must remember the 

 variety of notes which issue from the water-fowl ; the 

 croaking of the mallard, the scream of the wild-goose, 

 the whineing of the lap-wing, and the tremulous neigh- 

 ing of the jack-snipe ; but of all fhe sounds, there are 

 none so dismally hollow as that which comes from the 

 bittern's croaking voice. The bird, however, which 

 produces this tremendous noise, is not so large as a 

 heron, with a much weaker bill, which does not ex- 

 ceed four inches in length : it differs from that bird 

 chiefly in colour, which in general is pale yellow, 

 barred with black. From the loudness and solemnity 

 of the voice of this bird, the common people imagine 



