[Concord, Massachusetts]
1912
May 5 
(No 4) 
[May 5, 1912]

Bittern & Horned Pout

several a rather nerveless, furtive way. This, with many
brief periods of inaction on the part of the bird, continued 
for fully twenty minutes. All the while we in our three
canoes, with opera glasses leveled steadily, kept the bird 
under ceaseless observation. Mr. Stone was within ten yards 
of her; Mrs. Stone and I within twenty yards. At length 
the Bittern straightened up and holding in [the] Pout in her bill 
by the head attempted to swallow it. Failing to do so 
she shook and stabbed it some more and then tried 
again. This was repeated about five times before the final 
gulp was made and the fish disappeared down the bird's 
throat, swelling it very conspicuously for an instant. 
The general behavior and motions of the Bittern while 
dealing with the Pout before eating it reminded me forcibly 
of those of a Crow picking at a piece of meat. We all 
thought it strange that she spent so much time in this way
and concluded that she must have done it chiefly for the sake 
of reducing the resistance of the head of the Pout by lacerating