130 WILD-FOWL AND SEA FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



drawing of .a Little Bittern climbing up the trunk of 

 a tree ; this came with a few more things I possessed 

 at that time direct from the Continent. 



Where birds were concerned, I did not mind 

 asking as many questions as those I thought 

 knew about them would answer. My father was 

 interested in bird life, but he did not encourage me 

 in the matter, for reasons he kept to himself. He 

 thought, no doubt, that the time would come when 

 I should have to fight my way through the world 

 single-handed, as indeed I have been forced to do. 

 It was well that softness did not enter into one's 

 e^rly training. 



THE COMMON BITTERN. 

 (Botaurus stellaris.) 



Male. — The bill greenish-yellow ; ridge of upper 

 mandible brown ; bare spaces on the head greenish- 

 yellow ; upper part of head and occiput purplish- 

 black. General colour of plumage light reddish- 

 yellow, variegated with brown and black, with barred 

 and waved markings on the sides, hind-neck, upper 

 coverts, and part of back behind the scapulars. The 

 quills are blackish-brown, with a tinge of greyish- 

 blue, barred with yellowish-red. The tail is lighter, 

 and narrowly barred ; on the fore-neck the markings 

 are larger, more brown in tone, and of a lengthened 

 character. The fore-part and middle of breast are 

 streaked with brownish-black ; the iris is light 

 yellow ; legs and feet greenish- brown ; the back 



