-4- 



In this particular case, My Bittern Bog- was 

 an upland knoll. Amid thick g-rowths of 

 hazel, ivy, and g-olden-rod the mother Bittern 

 had scratched a rudimentary hole; assembled 

 -three sticks, a weed or two and a tiny wisp of 

 hay; and laid one egg- thereon. 



Later, four other eg-gs were added; and the 

 nest built up about them into a neat and 

 goodly bed. In due time, the eggs were 

 hatched. Two exquisite negatives were for- 

 tunately secured, when two of the young were 

 one and two days old, respectively ; the other 

 eg-gs being-, as yet, unhatched. 



At this stag-e, the little fellows, quite 

 radiant in their tall, wavy pompadours, were 

 utterly fearless. But six days brought a 

 change. The gawky changelings now made 

 impudent faces at the camera; and would 

 habitually straddle off into the grass just as 

 all w^as ready, and one was waiting for a fine 

 pose. 



During these visits the mother bird seemed 

 quite indifferent to human presence; flushing 

 at a dozen feet or so, and leaving the site at 

 once. The food of the young, from first to 

 last, seemed to be frogs and craw-fish, alto- 

 gether. There was no water nearer the nest 



