Makci. 8, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



108 



o'clock P. M. coin, back and Feed until sundown, when nil 

 , i immc for the night. After a while, how- 

 :i; r hem would remain nil day on the marsh, 

 especially on cloudy or cool days. Bui when the weather 

 i'v hot they would again Seek the shade Eot the mid- 

 dle portion of the da; 



Of tentimes whfin they cttmc to the marsh at high tide I 

 would mark i lem down, and quietly approaching in my 

 hoat the one most accessible, watch its movements unob- 

 served. When suspicious of danger or slightly alarmed the 

 bittern, if not taking wing at once, will quietly walk away 

 with towered head to Borne place nearby that affords better 

 oopcealment, or else will assume au upright position with 

 slcrn depressed, body and neck nearly perpendicular, and 

 the bill elevated at an angle of forty to fifty degrees from 

 ihe horizontal. Standing thus, perfectly motionless, its 



plumage assimilating in color to the surroundings of grasses 

 and brown reeds, the bird so closely resembles a stake as 

 l.o deceive a parser .by. I once sat in my boat and 

 sketched one standing in this position, within thirty-five 

 '.. Of me. After waiting some fifteen minutes,] landed 

 and made a detour around i lie bird in order to observe its 



first movement, expecting that the head would be turned 

 toward me. But not so, for the slightest change in position 



could I observe. Gradually approaching nearer, 1 really 

 began to be suspicious that my assistant had placed a 

 Stuffed bird there, for the purpose of deceiving me, but on 

 clapping my bands the bird immediately Hew away. 



I :;8, I shot three of my pets, and, as I expected, 

 found them in very tine condition. The others remained 

 undisturbed until October, frequenting the same locality. 



Some One may ash why 1 killed these birds, and I confess 

 that it was not for sport, for they do not afford it, since thev 

 are ioo easily to he approached and killed. Although wish- 

 ing I,, make" simultaneous comparison of the plumage, di- 

 mensions, etc., ■of several specimens of different sexes and 

 ages, f had aLo the more sensual desire to gratify the crav- 

 ings of ihe palate. 



The bittern is 8 most desirable addition to the cuisine, and 

 to appreciate this delicacy requires no more cultivated taste 

 than is necessary to appreciate a woodcock, snipe, or Bttfr 

 tramiau sandpiper. HrohahU the popular prejudice against 

 the bittern on account of an obscene vulgar name generally 

 applied to it, as also to various herons, has deterred the 

 majority of writers on the subject from ever tasting its flesh, 

 u is traditionally repotted by them as unfit for food. 



But if one has a taste for any of the waders, let him try a 

 .\oiutg bittern in September, 'if in plump condition and 

 well broiled (underdone), the bird will prove an acceptable 

 morsel. 



In the "old country" the bittern is considered a delicacy; 

 hence 1 was not surprised to find the hied so regarded in Ihe 

 Canadian provinces. 



Although the night herons, or "quawks. " somewhat re- 

 semble this species in form, size, mode of flight, choice of 

 food, and during immaturity, or in summer and autumn, 

 in ihe general coloration of plumage, yet the habits of the 

 two species are different in various respects. 



The night herons are truly nocturnal birds, and do not 

 habitually seek for food throughout the day, except during 

 the breeding season. But as the sun goes' down they ma \ 

 tie seen singly, in pairs or groups, wending (heir way from 

 the heronries to their favorite' feeding resorts. Early in the 

 morning they return to their roosts in the woods." Their 

 cry. "quawkV is more frequently uttered while on the wing 

 than at oilier times. They always breed together in colo- 

 nies, in trees, and never upon the ground. 



In contrast to the life of the night herons, the usual 

 habits of the bitterns are quite diurnal As the uight herons 

 return in the morning from the marshes to their homes in the 

 lives, the bitterns sally forth in quest of food, winging their 

 wa-y silently and singly, or in little groups of a single familv 

 each. They nest upon the ground and not in colonies, 

 although several pairs tuny nest near each other in favorable 

 localities. 



Previous writers upon the subject of the habits of the 

 bittern seem to agree in reiterating' the statement that it is 

 '"wild, shy and solitary." 



In the various localities where I have observed them, aud 

 at all seasons, I have ever found it to be a gentle, unwary 

 bird, solitary as regards its secluded habits, but never very 

 wild or shy. being easy of approach even in localities much 

 frequented by sportsmen. 1 have, when driving across a 

 . marsh from which the grass hud been cut, seen a bittern 

 In. and. leaving my carriage, quietly walked within 

 fort} yards of the bird without disturbing it from feeding, 

 except momentarily. At other times I have marked one 

 down iu the long grass and passed very closely thereby with- 

 out Bushing it. After seeing its enemy, 'man, in close 

 pi'oxlmltj and in full view-, the bird would not resume feed- 

 ing if paralyzed with fear. And while my observations 

 ",iili I hose of Audubon so far as they "go. 1 draw au 

 entirely different inference from my own experience, as 

 r [so from the incidents mentioned by him. He lias written, 

 "Thai they are extremely timid 1 well know, for on several 

 :niis, when I have suddenly tome upon them, they 



low ■-!■ I si.iil from mere terror, until 1 have knocked them 



down wiih an oar or stick." 



To my mind this is evidence, not of paralyzing ter- 

 ror, but of file unsuspicious gentle nature of this bird, which 

 seeks safely in remaining DlOtionleSS in ihe hope of escaping 

 - i'1-e -reals quietly away in the reeds or gra-s. 



Again Audubon writes, "I never saw one of themfly 

 further than thirty or forty yards at a time." When flushed 

 quietly this is often (he ease, and so tame are they often- 

 times as to be repeatedly disturbed without taking' longer 

 Bights i ban that. But I remember that at Mac-bias "the boys 

 of the village began to shoot in the vicinity of the fettling 

 place of my pets after September 1, and the four remaining 

 bitterns very soon became verywary, so much so as to elude 

 re by the boys, although still daily frequenting the 

 same feeding place until well into October. 



The bittern differs in general habits from the common 

 varieties of herons, iu that il never nests upon trees, nor as- 

 so eu re in colonies, nor repeats its cries while flying to* or 



from it- leading place. It is liurnal and not nocturnal, pre- 

 fers fresh meadows (o salt marshes, and it is naturally very 

 gentle and unwary. 1 have found the bitterns exeedingly 

 abundant iu some par! s of Minnesota as well as elsewhere" in 

 the West, 



813. Least Bittern— Ardm exilin Aud. ; AniclUi antMn Ridg. 

 •108, Cs. HOT. —This smallest species of our heron family appears 

 now to he quite rare in Maine, although formerly common 

 iu certain localities. In 1863 several pairs were breeding at 

 euro, as also others at Falmouth, hut within the last 

 i. J ears T have not seen a single Specimen in the same 

 ocalities. The latest occurrence of the species of which I 



have record was a single specimen shot iieir Fort Pophnm. 



at the month of the ICcunuhec River, warl 



Like the common bittern, which il somewhat n ambles in 

 , ■ 1 1 1 : i ■' end much in form, although SO dime 

 least bittern (tests upon the grout liiym four or five 



Cggs in June. The young are well able lo fly and take care 

 o'f "themselves early ill August, although the parents, both 

 male and female, siill remain with them at that lime and 

 continue a fostering care. I once Wat Ched a family of si ven 

 during July aud August. Their daily noonday retreat was 

 t'ne gunwale of an unused boat anchored in a small cove. 

 and while perched there would permit me to swim within a 

 few yards Without showing fear or being at all disturbed. 



The habits of this species much referable those of the 

 greater bittern. They are very gentle, are diurnal and not 

 nocturnal, nest upon the ground, do not associate in col- 

 onies, and I have never seen one alight upon a tree, although 

 not infrequently I love observed ihem upon the large stalks 

 of marsh hay, where thev were industriously seeking and de- 

 vouring insects. 1 have also observed the little green heron 

 thus engaged. 



|T0 BE COWtHKBED.] 



THOSE MARINE MONSTERS. 



OUR notes on the strange marine monsters, loosely called 

 "sea serpents," continue to accumulate, and we are not 

 without hopes thai from this discussion may arise some 

 facts which shall be of permanent value to science. 



We owe to the kind u es t , of Prof. Spencer E. Baird. TJ. 

 8. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, the opportunity to 

 print the two letters given below. Our readers will remem- 

 ber Captain Piatt's account of his own observations pub- 

 lished in a recent issue of Foiiest AND Stream, and these 

 appearances to Captain Howes adds most interesting details 

 concerning the creatures seen at different times in almost 

 the same locality. The letters explain themselves: 



IT. S. Nitre Depot, Maujen, Mass. } 

 February IT, 1888, \ 

 Pvqfmov Spencer F. Baird, V. S. CnmmUnwner, Ft*h nnd 



FMerfes. Washington,!). C: 



DeAB Bill — I take great pleasure in inclosing a thor- 

 oughly reliable account of the sea serpent seen by Captain 

 Frank M. Howes in 1875 in almost the same place that, I saw 

 the one that I reported. Captain II. 's account is better than 



mine, from the fact that hi 

 mouth: but the fin aud its 

 pretty much as what I saw. T 

 letter' that he made a note of Be 

 ship's log. I think now 



trer and saw its head and 

 of holding its head was 

 will seebv Captain n.'s 

 r these creatures in the 

 tfely that the 



tares are sea serpents, anil I believe 'that they are often seen, 

 but those seeing them feel that they would only be ridi- 

 culed by reporting Ihem. Robert Platt. 



Butt-joke, Feb. 13, 1883. 

 Plait, Master, IT. S. K: 



Mv DeAb Cu-taix— At last 1 have found my log-book 

 which had the sketch of the "sea serpents," which 1 saw on 

 the lath of August, 1875. The sketch 1 made immediately 



after seeing them. A cut taken from my sketch was pub- 

 lished in the Boston Glebe of August 14, 1875. I saw three 

 of them: two large and one small one. All the family were 

 out that day. They were a different animal from any 1 

 evei saw before, and I have been around the Horn into 

 the Pacific twice. T inclose a rough sketch. I shall never 



forget how- the* appeared, hut I wanted to find my lime 

 book, thinking that 1 had made Some memorandum' which 



would give the particulars more fully than 1 might remem- 

 ber Ihem. The large ones showed about fifteen feel of their 

 length, and carried their heads about Six feet from the 

 water. 1 estimated that through the head they measured 

 from twelve to fifteen inchc > gradually larger un- 



til at the water line they were, I should say, about two feet 

 six inches to three feet in diameter. They were going quite 

 fast in an opposite direction. We were about two miles 

 from Cape Cod Light, by the way. They looked remark 

 abl\ lik' a snake.' The head was rial. 'and when they 

 were right abeam about 250 to 800 feet ftWay, the 

 small one came up head on lo us. I had my 

 glasses right on them at the time, and 1 no- 

 ticed under the jaw it was perfectly flat, and 

 there was a sort of rim formed by the mouth and lips, 

 such as snakes and frogs usually have. When they came 

 up the body was at an angle to the water of about fifteen to 

 twenty degrees or perhaps more. On their backs was a, 

 long slender fin projecting forward at an angle of twenty 

 degrees from themselves, and 1 should think it was five Or 

 Six feet long. It, WOUld oscillate or vibrate very perceptibly, 

 The upper half of the body was of a dark -late color, shad- 

 ing to a cream color on the under part. Another thing I 



remarked: they did not curve down when they disappeared, 

 but gradually sahk, Taking it altogether 1 think there is 

 no doubt but thai they were "sea serpents," judging from 

 appearances— and I am no Polonies. A number of my 

 officers and passengers saw Ihem; and one of the captains 

 of the Philadelphia and Boston steamer which passed Cape 

 Cod a short time alnad ol rue went close alongside of them 

 and his description, as i.old me by a friend, tallied with mine. 

 This is about the thing. 1 hope Professor Baird won't 

 say as Judge Bond did: "That I must have had ami awful 

 bad to have seen three." Frank M. HoWEB. 



The explanation of a supposed mim.-b rb\ -•(.' ."'is interesting. 

 but it is not to be supposed that all or any considerable por- 

 tion of the trust worthy and credible individuals who have 

 reported that they have seen these animals should have been 

 deceived, as was the ancient mariner, whom our correspon- 

 dent quotes. lie sins 

 Eililor /eve - 



I was quite interested in Dr. Ayre's article on the sea 

 serpent, and chanced to he in the 'company, a short time 

 afterward, of Mr. Alexander Penney, an old seafaringman. 

 who is perfectly reliable for all he may say. We were con- 

 versing on various adventures of his. 'until finally he said he 

 a thesea seipent, and 1 was all attention at once. 

 At my request he gave the following account of it. He 

 said : " 



••About forty-five years ago 1 was with Capt, John Luce, 

 engaged in coasting.' Just "at that time ihe New London 

 papers were full of accounts of one being seen off the east 

 end of Long Island, and we had just been reading about it. 

 We were coming through the Sound, and had scarcely any 

 wind, but there was a sort of steamboat roll on. When 

 were about opposite New Haven we saw, distant abend a half 

 mile or so, what we had just been reading about — thesea 

 serpent. His head was pretty well out of the water, his tail 

 lost underneath it ; the humps' corresponded exactly with the 

 description, there being eight or (en of (hem- It was ap- 

 parently swimming in the same direction we wfire going. 

 After viewing it for quite a while, Capt. Luce said Is 

 going to have a closer look at it, lowered Ihe yaw I and said 

 tome, 'Will yon go with me?' 1 did not "like to refuse 

 alter the captain said he was going, so ! fold him 1 would 

 go with him. "We had a good pair of oars, and 

 started for the creature. As we heated him we saw 

 the monster more plainly, and stopped and looked, and he 

 seemed an ugly-looking fellow. We e the boat 



and backed toward hint very slowly, all the time ready lo 

 bend on the oars for our vessel, in case he put for us. ' We 

 finally got, quite close aud stopped, and then after a while 

 we made him out. Now what do you think he was?" I 

 guessed ihe serpent, of course. "No." "Seaweed, i hi 

 "JSfo." "Well, what was it?" "A water fence of about 

 eight or ten lengths lied together with grapevines. Seaweed 

 hud Collected at the joints, and gave the appearance of 

 humps at a little distance off. The head or high part was 

 (he shore end, aud the other had been under the water so 

 long il had become heavy and scarcely floated." 



Mr. Penney says he has no doubt that this was 1 1 n 

 serpent ,-ceii off New London, the wind aud tide bringing it 

 in the Sound. 1 confess 1 felt disappointed at the finale. 

 and almost wished they had not gone quite so close lo it. 

 if the above will be the' means of hearing more of the ser- 

 pent, it will be interesting to C. 



WAILIMG River,. bin. 23; 



In the Portland (Me.) Press of Jan. 27 appeared Ihe fol- 

 low lug item: 



The 



It 



vals. presenting tne same appearance until tost in the distance. 



We have taken some pains to investigate this report: 

 but Ihe informal ion received, while it adds something to 

 the newspaper report, is not wholly satisfactory, being 

 somewhat meagre in its details. One correspondent, who 

 was requested by us to investigate this matter, writes us as 

 follows: 



Portland, Me., Feb. 10. 1883. 

 Editor Tformt and Stream: 



The sea monster reported as seen ucar Cape Elizabeth. 

 Maine, in December, 1682, was observed by Win. L. Rich- 

 ardson, of Ferry Village, Me., master of the fishing schooner 

 Village Maid, and by Herbert Klliot. of same place and 

 vessel The vessel was drifting under mainsail with Ix.'om 

 guyed out. with only the captain and cook aboard, the 

 crew in dories a mile 'to windward, when the creature was 

 first seen by Mr. Elliot, who exclaimed to Capt. Richardson, 

 "Is that ou'e of our dories to leeward?" The captain leaped 

 up on tlie binnacle for a better view, and saw that the 

 object, at first apparently lying quietly at the surface of the 

 water, was a living creature, and the water could be seen to 

 dash up about it a s h moved. 



Capt. Richardson says thai it would have attracted nn 

 especial attention iu the summer season, when whales, 

 sharks and other large creatures of Ihe ocean abound on this 

 coast, but they an- seldom seen here in winter, 



This "sea serpent" when seen was about a quarter of a 

 mile to leeward, and the time half-past three o'clock in the 

 afternoon oi a bright day; sea sniooth, no swell, and breeze 

 very light from the north; the vessel then being on the 

 "White Head" fishing giound. about eight miles to Hie 

 southward of Cape Elizabeth. While being watched the crea- 

 ture raised a pari of itself above the water, appearing then to 

 the observeisto be about the sizeof a barrel or "larger," black 

 and glistening in the sunlight, with its head "luFh sis feet 

 a i .i ■•■. e i lie surface ot Ihe water," and held horizontally al right 

 angles lo I be erect pari of the body seen. The body seemed 

 la rger near the water than at the In ad of I he ci nature. Remain- 

 ing thus raised for several seconds, the monster, with a curv- 

 ing motion, dissappeareu beneath Ihe water and WSB seen no 

 more. I have thought it possible that this -sea serpent" may 

 have been one of the enormous hooded seals, astray from 

 the coast of Labrador, but the observers are confident that il 

 was quite a different creature. A late officer of the U. S. 

 Navy collected a voluminous mass of evidence upon the 

 subject of tin- sea serpent, much of il of great value, as show- 

 ing conclusively the occurence of some such strange 

 monster along the coast of .New England, but not yet cap- 

 tured nor accurately described. This manuscript evidence 

 was in possession 01 the Portland Natural History Society, 

 and destroyed by one of our unfortunate tires. 



Everett Smith, 



