LIST. 29 



blinds, when they come to feed in the marshes in 

 the evening. I saw a flock between April 24 and 

 30, 1893, on Lake of Two Mountains. 



Order HERODIONES. Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc. 



Suborder Herodii. Herons, Bitterns, etc. 



Family Ardeidw. Herons and Bitterns. 



Subfamily Botaurince. Bitterns. 



Genus Botaurus. Stephens. 



Subgenus "Botaurus." 



52. American Bittern. (Stake-driver ; Shite-pout.) 



B. lentiginosus. (Montag.) 



"Summer Resident, common." More plentiful 

 during the month of September in our marshes. I 

 shot a specimen of this bird July 1, 1884, at Ste. 

 Rose, and another one October 11, 1888, but the 

 bulk of the bitterns migrate south before the latter 

 date. The breast of the bittern is considered good 

 eating by some. Sportsmen are tempted to shoot 

 this gamy coloured bird, when suddenly it arises on 

 the wing out of some marshy spot uttering its goose 

 like cry of " onk-onk-onk." During the breeding 

 season its peculiar pumping noise is a familiar sound 

 coming from our marshes. I heard one pumping 

 in a swamp April 28, 1893, at Lake of Two Moun- 

 tains, and saw one there as late as November 1st of 

 the same year. 



