The Bittern, though not numerous, is difperfed through 

 the whole of this country, its Ijabits are very folitary, feldom, 

 more than a pair frequent our moft extenfive marfhes ; this 

 may in fome degree be occafioned by the great quantity of 

 food it confumes ; in one directed in the courfe of the prefent 

 year, the interlines were completely full, containing the 

 remains of four eels, feveral water-newts, a fhort-tailed field 

 moufe, three frogs, two buds of the water-lily, and fome 

 other vegetable fubftances. It feems particularly attached to 

 its nefting-place, and will return many years in fucceffion to 

 the fame place to breed. 



This fpecies builds in low fwampy places, where there "is 

 plenty of fhelter, fuch as high grafs, ru flics, and other rank 

 herbage ; , the neft is compofed of a large quantity of long 

 coarfe green vegetables, and is lined with dry fedge and 

 leaves ; it lays four or five greenifh olive-coloured eggs ; the 

 young are at firft covered with thick matted down, and are 

 afTiduoufly attended to till able to provide for themfelves by 

 their parents, who alternately keep guard over the neft or go 

 in purfuit of the flippery inhabitants of the ftagnant pool, 

 which are the principal food of the young ones ; at this time 

 the whole attention of the old birds feems devoted to feed and 

 protect them ; mould the neft be attacked by birds of prey, 

 they make defperate refiftance, flying up at their aflailant, 

 and then throwing themfelves on their back, oppofe the enemy 

 with their formidable bills and claws, and feldom fail of driving 

 their opponent from the neft: when full grown, they feed 

 on eels, fmall fifli, frogs, mice, moles, the fmaller fpecies of 

 reptiles ; and on the failure of thefe, they greedily devour the 



roots 



