228 



RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



rushes. Dr. Cones has mentioned a resemblance of this 

 bittern to the rail-birds, and, when a good opportunity 

 offers to see them undisturbed, this resemblance in their 

 habits, and especially in their movements, is readily seen. 

 "While the larger bittern and the herons have each a 

 stately walk, and perhaps can not run, this little bittern 

 will run whenever the ground will permit ; and it can 

 twist and turn in and out among the reeds and rushes with 

 all the agility of a king-rail. I have several times seen 

 them, associated with the soras, run out from the grass 

 to the muddy banks of the ditches, and along them for 

 several yards, and then dart in again, never, the while, 

 taking a step that could be called a " walk." Neverthe- 

 less, they can step along most majestically ; and when, as- 

 suming for the time the proper family characteristics, they 

 fish or go a-f rogging, they act their part with due proprie- 

 ty ; but they seemingly prefer to act like rail-birds, and in 

 this respect we see in them a similarity to the habits of 

 the shrike when it simulates the hawks. 



It sometimes happens that during certain summers 

 many of these herons, of the rarer species, are exceed- 

 ingly abundant for a short time, and then disappear 

 altogether. This is due, not to any peculiarity of the 

 weather, so far as temperature alone is concerned, but to 

 those occasional excessive rainfalls which result in tem- 

 porarily flooding the large tracts of meadow-land that 

 skirt the river. These meadows are usually dry, except 

 in scattered small areas, but when submerged they afford 

 a desirable hunting-ground for a brief period. A notable 

 instance of this occurred in 1875. 



On Monday, August 2d, of that year, it began raining 

 early in the morning, and continued to rain, except dur- 

 ing a few brief intervals, until Friday, the 20th. The 

 wind varied only from southeast to south. About ten 



