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position for the bird to be placed in when stutfed. When speaking of lagoons as the places where 
they are to be found, I may mention that I caught one about two miles in the bush, on the bank of a 
creek ; but the creek led to a lagoon. They live on small fishes or the roots of reeds ; I should say 
the latter, because at the very place where I caught one I observed the reeds turned up and the roots 
gone. They are very solitary, and always found alone, and they stand for hours in one place. I 
heard a person say that he had opened one and found a large egg in it. They breed on the ground 
in very obscure places ; I never heard their cry.” 
Dr. Kamsay writes of this bird in Australia: — This beautiful little species is still plentiful in the 
neighbourhood of Cleveland Bay, and also in the Herbert river district ; from both these places have I 
received specimens. The species was once tolerably numerous near Sydney; and there are still 
specimens in the Dobroyde collection which were shot at Botany Bay and near Newtown. I observe 
no difierence in plumage or size in the Northern Queensland specimens and those shot near Sydney.” 
Mr. Potts, in his account of the specimens in the Canterbury Museum, states that “ they were 
taken alive without any very great difficulty, after which they were turned loose amongst the fowls in 
a poultry-yard. They were found dead shortly afterwards — it is alleged, from exposure to the keen 
frosty night air, being deprived of the accustomed protection aff'orded by the thickly-growing sedgy 
vegetation of their swampy habitat. They had been observed standing motionless on a bare stem or 
stalk, from which they overlooked the water It is stated that the Little Bittern is so quiet 
in his habits that it will remain still when approached, and almost suffer itself to be taken by the 
hand.” 
I had an opportunity of observing one of these birds in a state of captivity at Hokitika, in May 
1871. It had been taken only a few days before, and was already comparatively tame. Its usual 
posture was one of repose, with the head drawn in and resting on the shoulders ; but when alarmed 
or excited it assumed a very different attitude, standing almost bolt upright, with the body resting, 
as it were, on the tarsal joints, these being brought close together, the neck stretched upwards to its 
full extent and perfectly rigid, the beak elevated, and the eyes directed outwards and downwards in 
such a w'ay as to command a full view in front without having to move the head. On being turned 
out in the verandah it ran quickly and spread its wings, but did not make any attempt to fly, and after 
a short interval endeavoured to re-enter its cage. It evinced great alarm on the appearance of a cat, 
stretching up its neck and emitting a peculiar snapping cry. At other times when molested it uttered 
a cry not unlike that of the Kingfisher, although not so loud. Mr. McNee, to whom the bird belonged, 
informed me that he could not get it to eat any thing till he produced a dish of water containing 
some “ mudfish,” which it instantly seized and devoured. This singular fish (named by Dr. Giinther 
Weachanna ajjoda) is very common in the Hokitika district, being found in all the creeks and surface- 
ponds in the woods which here cover the whole face of the country. The remarkable part of their 
history is that on the pools becoming dry these mudfish burrow into the moist soil or clay, often to 
the depth of two feet, remaining there for an indefinite time, or till the return of rainy weather has 
rendered their pools habitable again. Archdeacon Harper informed me that he himself dug up two 
of these mudfish in comparatively hard clay in his garden, at a depth of moi’e than three feet from 
the surface, where they were occupying artificially formed chambers. Another curious fact, which I 
give on the testimony of Mr. McNee, is that several of these mudfish after being exposed in his verandah 
for a whole night, and apparently lifeless, recovered their vitality on being restored to a basin of 
w ater ; and when shown to me on the following day they certainly exhibited a great amount of 
activity. I think it highly probable that the mudfish constitutes the chief food of the Little Bittern ; 
for as many of the surface pools are never dry, there w^ould be no difficulty in finding a supply all the 
year round. I may mention also that Mr. Clapcotts bird, while alive in his possession, was fed on 
worms, and that it would only take them when placed in a saucer or other vessel containing water. 
