THE BITTERN. 277 
like bill poised for the stroke, and his keen eye piercing 
the transparent water in search of the passing fry. 
All day he rambles about among the tall grass and 
reeds of the marshes, sometimes pouncing on an unfor- 
tunate frog, a garter-snake, or a mouse, for, like the blue 
heron, be is a clever and indefatigable mouser; but 
when the evening comes, he bestirs himself, spreads his 
broad vans, rises in air, summoning up his comrades by 
his hoarse clang, and wings his way over the dim 
morasses, to the banks of some neighboring rivulet or 
pool, where he watches, erect sentinel, for the passing 
fish, shiners, small eels, or any of the lesser tribes of the 
cyprinidz, and whom he detects, woe betide; for the 
stroke of his sharp-pointed bill, dealt with Parthian 
velocity and certitude by the long arrowy neck, is sure 
death to the unfortunate. : 
Mr. Giraud, in his excellent book on the birds of Long 
Island, thus speaks of the American Bittern, and that so 
truthfully and agreeably withal, that I make no apology 
for quoting his words at length. 
“This species is said to have been the favorite bird of 
the Indians, and at this day is known to many persons 
by the name of “Indian Hen,” or “ Pullet,” though 
more familiarly by the appellation of “ Look-up,” so 
called from its habit, when standing on the marslies of 
elevating its head, which position, though prohably 
adopted as a precautionary measure, frequently leads to 
its destruction. The gunners seem to have a strong 
