LITTLE BITTERN.— COMMON BITTERN. 319 



In the 'Zoologist' (p. 2147) is the following : — " Occur- 

 rence of the Little Bittern at Ewhurst and Sedlescombe : 

 I have seen a male and female of Ardea minuta, which were 

 shot at the above places. The female about three months 

 ago ; the male at the latter place, I believe about fifteen 

 months since. — J. B. EUman, April 20th, 1848." 



COMMON BITTERN. 



Botaurus stellaris. 



Almost every severe winter brings us a few of this species. 

 It inhabits bogs which are thickly covered with reeds, 

 among which it sits concealed during the day, wandering 

 abroad at night. It used formerly to breed in a large tract 

 of boggy marsh at Amberley, known as the Wildbrook, now 

 drained. It feeds on much the same substances as the 

 Common Heron, and, like it, has a, penchant for water-rats, 

 which I have more than once found in its interior, as I have 

 also the common Ditiscus marginatus, and eels. Among 

 fish, it seems to prefer the fry of pike. In my own notes, I 

 find that a Bittern was brought to me alive on January 11th, 

 1841, which had been caught near Cowfold. It was quite 

 passive and did not attempt to defend itself; nothing could 

 induce it to stand up or use its legs in any way, and in about 

 half an hour after I received it, it expired. I could find no 

 sort of injury, and on dissection it proved to be a female. 

 In the stomach were several grains of wheat, probably swal- 

 lowed with some small bird, which had been digested, and 

 a very hard pellet, chiefly consisting of the fur of the water- 

 shrew. No bones being broken, it furnished me with an 

 excellent skeleton. 



