462 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
as they are reported to have done, in years gone by, on the marshes of 
Dengie Hundred, Essex, and elsewhere. Until I made this experimeut 
I could not properly realise the amount of destruction to herbage the 
Rodents are capable of;' the sum total for this county only would be 
enormous.—Hxnry Laver (Colchester). 
On tHE Foop axp Hasirs oF tHe Brirrern.— The note on the 
Bittern in Mr. Norgate’s interesting paper “ On the Food of Birds ” (p. 410), 
called to my remembrance a curious incident witnessed by myself and some 
of my brothers many years ago in Oxfordshire. And as its history is 
instructive as well as amusing, I will give it in eatenso:—One day, in mild 
weather, about the middle of December, I and three of my brothers were 
Snipe-shooting in a small marsh, where those birds were accustomed to 
congregate in great numbers. In the middle of this marsh was a tract of 
ground, about two acres in extent, covered with tall reeds, and traversed, or 
rather bisected, by a somewhat rapid brook, whose banks were much 
elevated above the level of the marsh, and covered with tussocks of long 
sedge. We had with us on the day in question three of the best Snipe- 
dogs that were ever seen ; they never ranged wider than ten or twelve yards 
from the gun, and never failed to find every Jack Snipe within three yards 
of their path. These dogs were (German Water Spaniels, a scarce breed, 
and invaluable for any kind of shooting, but one which the climate of 
England does not seem to suit; perfectly mute themselves, they would 
instantly respond to any sign from their master’s hand without requiring a 
word to be spoken. I much regret to add that we have long ago lost this 
breed, and have never been able to replace it; their portraits are now all 
that is left. I feel sure that most of your readers will sympathetically 
pardon this short digression ; and now I will go on with my story. We had 
carefully beaten the whole of the reeds, had bagged ten or twelve couples of 
Snipes, and fired at the least half as many more shots. Just then I was 
following my brother Bertie along the bank of the brook, and, supposing 
that nothing could be left there, had turned into the flood-water to cross over 
to another part of the marsh. I had not, however, advanced many steps 
before I heard him exclaim, ‘“ Look out! whatever you do, look out!” I 
turned quickly round and saw him, with his head thrown back and his gun 
extended in front, make a plunge into a tussock or sedge, and immediately 
after emerge therefrom dragging out an immense Bittern by the neck. ‘The 
scene was most picturesque and exciting ; the Bittern was in a fury, his 
splendid crest and hackles were set up to their fullest extent, be beat his 
captor violently with his wings, and with his long claws scratched viciously 
at his body, until I had secured his legs. In a minute the whole party had 
assembled, and a couucil of war was inaugurated ; it seemed monstrous to 
m 
