DEAD WILLOW BEND. 133 



utter. I do not think that the peculiar cry of the adult 

 bird is uttered by the young during the summer in which 

 they are hatched. 



Much has been written about the courage and fierce- 

 ness of a wounded bittern. Xo exaggeration has, I 

 think, crept into any of these accounts. My own expe- 

 rience, in one instance, leads me to conclude, that while 

 they hold to discretion as the better part of valor, and 

 do not seek a quarrel, they will, when necessitated so to 

 do, show more courage than even the largest falcons. 



While wandering along a very weedy portion of Poset- 

 quissings Creek, I chanced upon a bittern which I sup- 

 posed, at first, to be wounded. I cautiously approached, 

 and when within six feet of it, to my utter surprise, it 

 made a dart at me, and with such vigorous use of both 

 leo^s and wins^s that it was evident no limbs were bro- 

 ken. I stepped back quickly, and then dodging behind 

 a tree, saw that my pursuer could or did progress but a 

 few feet, and was held by a fragment of old fish-net, 

 which had become entangled about the bittern's leg, and 

 was also securely fastened to a branch of button-bush. 

 It was now my turn to be brave, and I determined to capt- 

 ure or at least release the bird. How to accomplish this 

 w^as another question. I tried coaxing, but the bittern 

 had no faith in simple English, and replied to every 

 w^ord with a vicious stab of its beak, or a threat to use 

 it, that was unmistakable. Finally, I cut a long stick 

 with a deep crotch in one end, and after many elforts 

 succeeded in getting the prongs of the forked stick about 

 the bird's neck and holding its head to the ground. 

 Then holding the stick with one hand, I cut the net 



