130 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Anecdote Flavour of its flesh. 



they do not venture abroad till about twenty days 

 after extrusion. During this time the parents 

 feed them with snails, small fish or frogs. It is 

 said that the hawks, which plunder the nests of 

 most of the marsh-birds, seldom dare to attack 

 those of the bittern, on account of the old ones 

 being always on their guard to defend their 

 offspring. 



We are informed by Latham, that a female 

 bittern, that was killed during the frost in winter, 

 was found to have in her stomach several warty 

 lizards, quite perfect, and the remains of some 

 toads and frogs. These were supposed to have 

 been taken out of the mud, under shallow water, 

 in the swamp where the bird was shot. 



In the reign of Henry the Eighth, the bittern 

 was held in great esteem at the tables of the 

 great. Its flesh has much the flavour of hare, 

 and is far from being unpleasant : even now the 

 poulterers value this bird at about half-a-gui- 

 nea. It is consequently much sought for by 

 the fowler, and being a heavy slow-winged bird. 

 does not often escape him. Indeed it seldom 

 rises but when almost trod upon, and seems to 

 seek protection rather from concealment, than 

 flight. At the latter end of autumn, however, in 

 the evening, its wonted indolence appears to for- 

 sake it: It is then seen rising in a spiral ascent 

 till it is quite lost from the view, and makes, at 

 the same time a singular noise, very different 

 from its former boomings. The hind-claw, which 



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