Some Hermits of the Marsh 



the woods. You must go very slowly and 

 noiselessly, advancing only when the bird 

 is engaged in the all-engrossing task of 

 "disgorging" its deep-drawn, laborious note, 

 for the "stake-driver" has a sharp eye as 

 well as a keen ear, and a neck sufficiently 

 long to enable him to peer over the top of 

 the marsh-grass. But, if you have patience 

 and caution, you may at length trace him 

 to the spot where he stands in the long 

 swamp-grass beside some shallow ditch or 

 muddy pool, watching for tiny frogs, tad- 

 poles, or the fry of fresh-water fish. Here 

 he will feed all day long, unless disturbed, 

 uttering occasionally his gulping a-unk, 

 a-unk, with a visible effort, as if vomiting 

 it up. Were it not for that advertisement 

 of his presence, you might live all summer 

 near the edge of a swamp, and never suspect 

 that there was such a bird in it. 



The rail, another marsh-dweller, is still 

 more of a hermit and hider than the bit- 

 tern, because he is not only a skulker, but 

 an entirely silent bird as well. You may 

 come upon him suddenly, while pushing 

 through the sedgy border of some fresh- 

 water pond. He will jump up within a 



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