Jan. 1887.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



11 



nearly the whole surface with lilac blotches and 

 spots, closer together at the larger end. 



Set VII. Lafaj-ette Couuty, Miss., May 18, 

 1886. Two eggs, incubation far advanced. No. 

 1: 1.90xl.4(). Yellowish-white, thickly spotted 

 and blotched with bright chestnut-brown all 

 over the egji;. A l)eautiful specimen. No. 2 : 

 1.00x1 .4;5. Dirty white, smeared all over more 

 or less thickly with faint lilac. Over tliis a few 

 brown specks. 



Set VIII. Lafayette County, Miss., April 9, 

 188(5. Two eggs, fresh. No. 1: 1.98x1.54. 

 White, beautifully blotched with bright chest- 

 nut-red. The blotches are thickest at the small- 

 er end, where they become confluent. A very 

 handsouie egg. No. 2: 2.01x1.62. Dull white, 

 thickly speckled and blotched with lilac and 

 light redish-brovvn, closer at the smaller end. 



Set IX. Lafayette County, Miss., May 15, 

 1886. Two eggs, incubation far advanced. 

 No. 1: 1.91x1.49. White, very heavily blotch- 

 ed with dark chestnut-brown. A beautiful 

 egg. No. 2: 1.85x1.46. White, almost wholly 

 obscured with faint lilac patches, thickest at 

 the smaller end. Over this, at the smaller end 

 are a very few spots of dark chestnut-brown. 

 One of these measures .60x.52 and is very 

 striking. 



Set X. Northampton County, Penn., May 

 17, 1884. Two eggs. No.l : 2.06x1.54. Dull 

 white, thickly covered with lilac specks and 

 blotclies. No. 2: 1.99xl..53. White, thickly 

 spotted and blotched with bright reddish 

 brown. At the smaller end the blotches be- 

 come confluent. A beautiful egg. 



Does not this series indicate that the size of 

 the eggs of this species generally given by 

 writers is larger than authentic specimens 

 measured 



The Home of the Bittern. 



BY F. H. C. 



Standing on the edge of some inpenetrable 

 bog, into which he hies himself if too closely 

 approached, the Bittern, Botaiirus Ipnti(/inosus, 

 resents the usual investigation attbrded by other 

 less intei'esting species. When disturbed from 

 his uncouth attitude, his subsequent actions are 

 soon lost to view, and if he falls a victim, tlie 

 poor lifeless body relates none of the history of 

 its past existence. Kenowned devotees of the 

 science of Bird-life have sought the sequel to 

 their northward migration, but in few instances 



have they been rewarded for their labor. The 

 surrounding circumstances have in many cases 

 proven too nuich for human endurance or mala- 

 rial constitution. 



During one of n)y sojourns amongst the wikls 

 of Maine, fortune granted me a glimpse at the 

 home of a pair of these birds. At the northein 

 end of Lake Tmbagog, is a swamp of consider- 

 able extent, caused by the dam at Errol. At 

 this place in the latter part of May, 1S8;{, I 

 spent a week in company with Joe Sampson, 

 the famous Dead River guide; who in answer 

 to a question I put to him, informed me that 

 "Meadow Hens"' were "tolerble thick in crane 

 swamp." Often had I seen the Bittern fly 

 across the corner of the lake and disappear 

 in the direction of the above named swamp, 

 and from its recesses I have heard its curious 

 Spring note, which may be said to resemble, to 

 a certain degree, the sound produced by strik- 

 ing an axe upon a stake ; but any ornithologist 

 who would be misled into following the direc- 

 tion of the sound, thinking it was produced by 

 the latter cause, had better not stray far from 

 home; in my opinion he would get lost on Bos- 

 ton Common. 



On June 2nd my hesitating mind had arrived 

 at one conclusion : I would explore the swamp ; 

 but it must be confessed I had no assurance of 

 success. The next day we began operations, 

 and at noon the bow of the canoe was turned 

 towards Moll's Rock. Soon we entered the 

 overflowed tract, and paddled under the de- 

 caying trees, killed by the overflowing of the 

 water. At evening we liad reached a camp- 

 ing spot ; a small island which aftbrded a dry 

 bed and black flies. This was the limit of our 

 travel bj^ our canoe; and the next day's rising 

 sun found us wading waist deep in the cold 

 water, towards the marsh. The country in 

 which we were now was indeed a desolate 

 wilderness, sufticient to inspire a sense of 

 homesickness in the explorer. The dead hem- 

 locks shorn of their limbs, laised their inunense 

 trunks high in the air, as monuments to the 

 destruction of the forests. Underneath were 

 their stricken fellows lying as watersoaked ob- 

 stacles to our march; and ever and anon some 

 unseen hole would immerse us still deeper in 

 the chilly fluid. Three hour's patient applica- 

 tion brought us to the ''bog." This was in- 

 deed more desolate than the swamp behind us. 

 A few dead trees alone broke the monotony of 

 treacherous quagmire and shaky bog. A few 

 alders fringed the edge, and a laige expanse of 

 water in the centre was a relief to the eye. My 

 companion stood by my side in silent contem- 



