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

Bittern & Horn Pout

it freely, and perhaps also breaking some of the bony
structure in order to make it possible to swallow although
the first attacks seemed, as I have said, to be for
the purpose of killing the fish. Altogether the performance
was utterly unlike what I should have expected
of a Bittern. For I had always supposed that such
fish as the birds capture must be swallowed almost
instantly. Perhaps this is the case with many of
them. But a Pout's head is so broad and bony that
it may require just the preliminary treatment we witnessed.
After the Bittern had thus disposed of her prize
she stood still and seemed indisposed to further
exertion of any kind so we paddled off and
left her to digest her hearty meal.