LITTLE BITTERN. 
141 
The Little Bittern-Heron has been frequently met 
with in many of the English counties, extending to 
the Scottish border, and it is supposed that they 
have also occasionally bred in this country, young 
birds having been procured in one instance,* and, 
in some others, the circumstances in which they 
were taken left little doubt that they had bred 
near the locality where they were killed. f A spe- 
cimen is recorded to have been procured so far 
north as Sanda, in Orkney, J and Mr. Thompson 
has stated its occurrence once or twice in Ireland. 
Its extra British range is the south of Europe, parts 
of Asia and Africa, where, however, a represent- 
ing species may yet be confounded. Its habits, ex- 
cept in confinement, are not recorded ; but it is said 
to frequent marshes, by the sides of rivers, amidst 
aquatic brush-wood, and to make its nest upon the 
ground. Wilson, speaking of the American bird, 
which is so closely allied as to have led to confu- 
sion, says, — “ Those we have seen in confinement 
skulk, and walk with the head drawn closely in, 
and without showing any portion of the neck;” 
which agrees with the manner in which it and 
other small species, kept in our British gardens, 
conduct themselves. Mr. Audubon, in describing 
them, states, that specimens he had in confine- 
ment were fed on small fish and stripes of pork, 
and were very expert in catching flies. They 
showed also great scansorial powers. In trying 
to escape from the. windows, they could climb 
* Yarrell. + Heysliam. t Fleming. 
