164 ARDEID.E. 



observer, who had killed and dissected many specimens, 

 he never found anything but fishes in the Little Bittern's 

 stomach. When in confinement this bird will soon accustom 

 itself to feed on large fish cut in pieces, raw meat, or boiled 

 potatoes, worms, young frogs, &c. Clean water for bathing 

 is a great requisite. 



The. reproduction of this species takes place more fre- 

 quently in our latitudes than is generally believed, but the 

 great caution of this cunning Bittern usually prevents detection. 



The nest is variously placed ; sometimes near the water, 

 sometimes at a distance, but is generally found where flags 

 grow in sufficient quantity. It is built on the broken 

 stalks of reeds or flags, a little above the water-mark, or on 

 the over-hanging boughs of a willow. The structure is 

 made with the materials that always abound near at hand, 

 such as rushes, dry willow twigs, flags, and grass, &c, and forms 

 a thick and shapeless mass, in which are deposited four, and 

 sometimes five, plain, white eggs ; and after the bird has sat 

 from sixteen to seventeen days on them, the downy young 

 brood come forth. Both parents carry the food to their off- 

 spring in their crops, and disgorge it on the edge of the nest, 

 from whence the nestlings help themselves as their appetite 

 requires. If the young brood continue undisturbed, they re- 

 main long in the nest ; but if they are molested, they hurry 

 out and cling to the rushes, being fully capable of 

 climbing up and down in the same manner as the parent 

 birds. As soon as the young can help themselves, the 

 parents leave the breeding-place, and are no more seen in the 

 neighbourhood for the remainder of the season. While the 

 female sits on her eggs she can hardly be driven away, and 

 remains not only close to the spot, but runs up and down 

 the rushes in the greatest excitement, continually uttering 

 her alarm-note, gaek ! gaek ! gaek ! while the male bird 

 watches the scene from his hiding-place, 



