THE LEAST BITTERN. 
101 
ral positions, and drew both of them in the attitudes exhibited in the plate. 
I would gladly have kept them longer ; but as I was bound for the south, 
I had them killed for the purpose of preserving their skins. 
This bird ranges over most part of the United States, but is nowhere to 
be found in tolerable abundance excepting about the mouths of the Mississippi 
and the southern portions of the Floridas, especially the “Everglades.” I 
have met with them to the eastward as far as New Brunswick, on our large 
lakes, and in the intermediate portions of the country, although I have sel- 
dom found more than one or two at a time. In the Floridas and Carolinas 
they have been known to breed in small communities of four or five pairs. 
One instance of this was observed by my friend Dr. Holbrook of Charles- 
ton, and Dr. Leitner, another friend of mine, found them quite abundant 
in certain portions of the Florida marshes. 
Although the Least Bittern is not unfrequently started in salt marshes, it 
gives a decided preference to the borders of ponds, lakes or bayous of fresh 
water, and it is 1 in secluded situations of this kind that it usually forms its 
nest. This is sometimes placed on the ground, amid the rankest grasses, but 
more frequently it is attached to the stems several inches above it. It is flat, 
composed of dried or rotten weeds, and in shape resembles that of the Loui- 
siana Heron, although this latter employs nothing but sticks. The eggs are 
three or four, seldom more, of a dull yellowish-green, without spots, an inch 
and a'quarter in length, almost equal at both ends. 
When the young are yet quite small, their heads are covered with large 
tufts of reddish down, their bill is very short, and they sit on their rump 
with their legs extended on each side before their body, in the manner of 
young Herons. If disturbed when about two weeks old, they leave the nest 
and scramble through the grass with celerity, clinging to the blades with 
their sharp claws whenever this is necessary. At a later period they seem 
to await the coming of their parents with impatience ; and if no noise is 
made, you may hear them calling continually in a low croaking voice for 
half an hour at a time. As soon as they are able to fly, they not unfre- 
quently alight on the branches of trees to escape from their various enemies, 
such as minxes and water-snakes, the latter of which destroy a^good number 
of them. 
In two instances, I found the nests of the Least Bittern about three feet 
above the ground, in a thick cluster of smilax and other briary plants. In 
the first, two nests were placed,in the same bush, within a few yards of each 
other. In the other instance there was only one nest of this bird, but several 
of the Boat-tailed Grakle, and one of the Green Heron, the occupants of all 
of which seemed to be on friendly terms. When startled from the nest, the 
old birds emit a few notes resembling the syllable qua , alight a few yards 
