318 THE BITTERN. 



suit of mice, which they seize with great dexterity, and always swallow 

 whole. About this season they usually become very fat. 



The Bittern is not so stupid a bird as the Heron, but it is greatly 

 more ferocious. When caught, it exhibits much rancor, and strikes 

 chiefly at the eyes of its antagonist. Few birds make so cool a defence: 

 it is never itself the aggressor; but, if attacked, it fights with the 

 greatest intrepidity. If darted on by a bird of prey, it does not attempt 

 to escape ; but, with its sharp beak erected, receives the shock on the 

 point, and thus compels its enemy to retreat, sometimes with a fatal 

 wound. 



When wounded by the sportsman, it often makes a severe resistance. 

 It does not retire ; but waits his onset, and gives such vigorous pushes 

 with its bill, as to wound the leg, even through the boot. Sometimes 

 it turns on its back, like the rapacious birds, and fights both with 

 its bill and claws. When surprised by a dog, it is said always to throw 

 itself into this posture. Mr. Markwick once shot a Bittern in frosty 

 weather; it fell on the ice, which was just strong enough to support 

 the dogs, and they immediately rushed forward to attack it; but being 

 only wounded, it defended itself so vigorously, that the dogs were com- 

 pelled to leave it, till it was fired at a second time and killed. 



During the months of February and March, the males make a kind 

 of deep lowing noise in the mornings and evenings. This is supposed 

 to be the call to the females, and to be produced by a loose membrane, 

 situated at the entrance of the throat, capable of great extension. 



The nest of the Bittern is formed in April, among rushes ; and 

 almost close to the water. The female lays four or five greenish eggs 

 and sits on them for about twenty -five days. The young-ones, when 

 hatched, are naked and ugly, appearing almost all legs and neck; they 

 do not venture abroad till about twenty days after their extrusion. 

 During this time, the parents feed them with snails, small fish, or frogs. 

 It is said that the hawks, which plunder the nests of most of the 

 marsh-birds, seldom dare to attack those of the Bittern, on account of 

 the old ones being always on their guard to defend their offspring. 



A female Bittern, which was killed during the frost in winter, was 

 found to have in her stomach several warty lizards, quite perfect and 

 the remains of some toads and frogs. These were supposed to have 

 been taken out of the mud, under shallow water, in the swamp where 

 the bird was shot. 



The Common Bittern is the representative of a group having a com- 

 pact body, long thin neck, a narrow high beak, large-toed feet, broad 

 wings, a tail composed of ten feathers, and thick plumage, which is 

 slightly prolonged on the neck. The sexes only differ in their size. 

 In both the crown is black, the nape greyish black, mixed with yellow, 

 and the rest of the plumage spotted and streaked with dark brown of 

 various shades ; the upper mandible is brownish grey, and the lower 

 one of greenish hue; the foot is light green with yellow joints. This 

 bird is twenty-eight inches long and forty-eight broad. The wing 

 measures fifteen and the tail five inches. The nest is placed in marshes 

 among reeds. The eggs are five in number, of an olive colour. Its 

 food consists principally of fish and reptiles of various kinds. 



