LITTLE BITTERN. 535 



Some, if not prevented, would probably have bred in 

 this country. Montagu, in his Supplement, says, " A fe- 

 male of this rare species was shot contiguous to the river 

 Credey, in Devonshire, in the month of May 1808. It was 

 only wounded in the wing, and was kept alive for two 

 days ; and it was observed to sit with its neck contracted 

 like the Common Heron, but with the bill pointing up- 

 wards. Upon dissection, about forty eggs were counted in 

 the ovaries, some of which were so considerably enlarged, 

 as to induce an opinion that a brood would have been pro- 

 duced in this country, especially as a male was afterwards 

 shot not very distant, and had been previously seen near 

 the same place. A third was also killed in the same neigh- 

 bourhood during that summer. 



Early in September 1839, Mr. Heysham of Carlisle, sent 

 me word that about two months previous to the date of his 

 letter, a beautiful pair of adult Little Bitterns were shot at 

 or near South Waltham, where it was supposed they had 

 a nest ; and in the summer of 1826, a young specimen of 

 the Little Bittern was shot on the banks of the Thames, 

 near Windsor; it was believed to have been bred there 

 from the situation being favourable, and the circumstance 

 of a second bird in the same state of plumage being seen 

 about the same spot for several days at that time. 



The Little Bittern inhabits marshes by the sides of 

 rivers, plantations of osiers, and other moist situations in 

 which reeds and aquatic herbage grow luxuriantly. They 

 feed upon the fry of fish, frogs, and other small reptiles, 

 mollusca and insects. The note of the male, M. Vieillot 

 says, resembles the barking of a large dog, when heard at 

 a distance. The nest is formed upon the ground of flag- 

 leaves and bits of grass, the nest itself being attached to 

 upright growing reeds. The female lays four or five eggs, 



