164 BRITISH BIRDS' EGGS. 



edition of Mr. Yarrell's admirable work upon British Birds, 

 vol. ii. pp. 530,531. 



THE LITTLE BITTERN. Ardea minuta. This bird has 

 been frequently met with in our island, and there appears to 

 be little doubt that it has also occasionally bred here. Little 

 has been recorded of its habits in a wild state, but it is said, 

 and we doubt not correctly so, to frequent marshes by the sides 

 of rivers, and is described as making its nest of reeds, grass, 

 and other herbage, upon masses of broken reeds, or upon 

 some slight eminence or elevation above the water. The 

 eggs, which are from four to six in number, are of a pale 

 bluish or greenish white, and not larger than a AVood Pi- 

 geon's egg, though somewhat different in form. 



THE COMMON BITTERN. Sutor stellaris. This is a bird 

 which, although of a comparatively frequent occurrence in 

 Britain formerly, is passing away before the progress of cul- 

 tivation and the habit of shooting which so extensively pre- 

 vails. Its extra-British distribution is extensive. In our 

 own country it has also bred, occasionally at least, and se- 

 lects the heart of fens and almost inaccessible marshes for 

 that purpose, placing the nest above the reach of water, 

 upon the ground, or upon fallen reeds and rushes. The 

 nest, which is of reeds, grass, rushes, etc., is slightly hoi- 



