AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 131 



captivity, the extraordinary movements of the Bittern, 

 when it will allow itself to be observed, are most 

 interesting, but the few that I have ever possessed 

 alive were very shy, and during the daytime remained 

 at a short distance from the ground in the thickest 

 bush that they could find in their compartment 

 of the aviary. On being pulled out of this retreat 

 and placed for inspection on the top of the bush, 

 they very seldom attempted to fly, but with outspread 

 wings, ruffled neck-feathers, and lowered heads, 

 struck viciously for the eyes of the disturber, and 

 when he retired, either delved into the bush from 

 which they had been extracted, or assumed the 

 attitude which I have attempted to describe in the 

 early part of the present article. In proof of the 

 former abundance of the Bittern in the English 

 fen-country, I give the following entries from the 

 Althorp Household Books, from which I quoted 

 freely in my article on the Common Heron : — 

 "August 14, 1634, Bitters 11 . 01 . 00 . 00," and 

 again in the same month without mention of day, 

 " To Giff'ord of Whittlesey for 6 bitters . 00 . 09 . 

 00." I may add that in my opinion the flesh 

 of this bird is excellent. 



168. LITTLE BITTERN. 



Ardetta minuta. 



My only authority for including this very singular 

 bird in these notes is the fact that in Baker's 

 ' History of Northamptonshire,' vol. ii. p. 42, I find 

 the following record with regard to Maidford : — 

 " The Little Bittern was shot in this Lordship about 



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