326 INDOCILE TEMPER. [CHAP. vii. 



him a first-rate addition to the game-bag ; the peasant 

 listens to him by night as to some unearthly creature ; 

 and there is no little superstitious consideration at- 

 tached to his history. Those who believe in the trans- 

 migration of souls and some people will not eat 

 crocodile through unwillingness to digest a slice of 

 their own grandfather regard the Bittern as having 

 owed the spark of life to an idle servant, named Ocnos, 

 who was punished for his laziness by this metamorphosis. 

 Ocnos continues to be of but little better domestic use 

 or profit in his second than in his first character, ex- 

 cept when artistically roasted, or skilfully mounted in a 

 glass case. The Bittern is as provoking to his master's 

 forbearance as was Ocnos ; nay worse, he is even dan- 

 gerous. Although Aldrovandi does say, " Sed et cicurari 

 facile puto, ut caeteras quoque Ardeas," that he may 

 be easily tamed, like the rest of the Herons, it will be 

 better that the point of his bill should never be permitted 

 to come within a yard of one's face, especially when he 

 is out of temper, or reproached with the indolence of 

 his good-for-nothing prototype. We will not say a 

 word against the other long-legged gentlemen, but doubt 

 whether the learned physician of Bologna ever tried 

 his powers of fascination upon this individual. Some 

 nations call him "the Bull," from his roaring "an it 

 were a sucking dove," and certain etymologists derive 

 his English name from his imitating the boatum tau- 

 rorum, or bull roaring. The old Polish title "Bunck " 

 is tolerably expressive. Sir Thomas Browne, who not 

 only was well acquainted with the haunts of the bird, 

 but kept one in captivity, says, " the Bittern in his 

 common note, which he useth out of the time of coupling 

 and upon the wing, so well resembleth the croaking of 

 a raven, that I have been deceived by it." 



