by thru fling its bill into the cavity of a dry reed and blowing 
therein ; the noife is however made when it is in an ere£l, 
pofition, and feems to be caufed by the bird's blowing hard- 
through its bill, which at that time is nearly clofed ; it is very 
loud and not much unlike the noife occafioned by beating on 
the head of an empty calk: Goldfmith happily defcribes 
the haunts and noife of this bird, in his admirable poem> 
"The Deferted Village:" 
Along thy glades a folitary gueft. 
The hollow-founding Bittern guards its neft. 
During the breeding feafon, the male bird is faid to afcend 
fpirally to a great height, when it utters a loud bleating noife ; 
its notes or calls have been long noticed, and account for 
fome of its curious provincial names, as Bog-Beater, Bog- 
Bumper, Mirc-Drum, Butter-Bump, Bittour, Bumpy-Crofs^ 
and Bitter-Bum. 
Our fpQcimen was fhot whilft flying over the river Cam ; 
the nefl: was found near the fpot where the bird fell, which 
contained four young birds and an addled egg. 
/ 
