The American Bittern, Botaurus len- 
tiginosus (Montag). 
This bird of many names is well known to 
all collectors in the state. It is to be doubted 
if anyone interested in ornithology within 
our borders is unacquainted with this un¬ 
couth species, unless he lives in a high and 
dry locality. There are some quarters where 
the Thunder Pumper, Indian Hen, Plum Pud- 
den, Stake Driver or Bog Trotter is not to be 
found on account of the nature of the surface 
of the land. There are many square miles of 
pine land where they are never seen, but this 
depends more on the lack of marshy tracts 
than on the presence of standing pine, as 
is plainly proyen by the appearance of these 
singular birds in small swamp holes in the 
vast forests of pines found in our state. 
The Indian Hen arrives certain seasons be¬ 
fore the middle of March, but as a rule is not 
found before late in March or early April, 
and is occasionally not seen before April 
10th. 
The nesting does not engage the Plum Pud- 
den’s attention until late in April, although 
the singular vocal expressions of tender re¬ 
gard uttered by the male for his future part¬ 
ner’s edilication are heard much earlier. These 
notes are as remarkable for singularity as are the 
peculiarities of movements made by the song¬ 
ster, if I may so term him, while uttering the 
odd noises. The notes are of three kinds, 
two loud sounding series of sounds, and one 
low, guttural utterance, seldom heard unless 
one is near the bird at the time of its issu¬ 
ance. It has been the writer’s privilege to 
hear these low, guttural sounds but twice, 
and the circumstances were such as to indi¬ 
cate that they were the regular call notes. 
The love song is singular in the extreme, and 
when once heard is never to be forgotten. 
It is performed and uttered, for the move¬ 
ments in uttering the noises are as singular 
as the notes, invariably when the bird is 
standing in the marsh. The sounds so nearly re¬ 
semble the words plum pudden that the bird 
has received this name. These syllables are 
repeated from four to eight times, generally 
six or seven times. The accent is on pud, the 
final syllable den being less distinct than the 
other. The sounds coming from the marsh 
are mysterious, and seem almost unearthly. 
Not like the notes of any other bird of Michi¬ 
gan, they are easily learned, and once heard 
are never to be forgotton. The other name 
of Stake Driver is also earned for its peculiar, 
well defined notes, ka whack, ka whack, uttered 
like the others in a most methodical and appar¬ 
ently strained manner. The bird, I believe 
only the male, when uttering either of its pe¬ 
culiar songs has a most remarkable series of 
movements to go through, which are ludicrous 
in the extreme to the observer, though seri¬ 
ously, and I doubt not pompously, performed 
by botaurus in his efforts at propitiating his 
loved one, or later, in acknowledging his suc¬ 
cess as a benedictine boss of the marsh. 
As one is walking through the long dead 
marsh grass near the edge of the lake the pe¬ 
culiar sounds are heard apparently issuing 
from beneath one’s feet, and the stroller stops 
and tries to locate the noise. The chances are 
against discovery of the exact spot, but if the 
bird is seen the peculiar movements are 
watched with interest. Either of the songs 
are emitted with the same apparent diffi¬ 
culty. 
The bird, stopping his wading about in 
search of food and drawing himself up in 
a bunch, begins a weird cry by stretching out 
his neck in wave-like motions much remind¬ 
ing the observer of the contortions gone 
through with by a barn-yard fowl in its 
efforts to swallow a Tid-bit too large for its 
gullet. 
The nest of this species, of which I have 
never found but one, is placed on an eleva¬ 
tion in the marsh, and is generally surrounded 
by water. It is composed of dry grass and 
rushes, and is generally damp and soggy. 
The eggs, four in number, are of a bright cof¬ 
fee color, and of the size of a bantam’s, or a 
little larger. The young are at first covered 
with down, and are most remarkable looking 
creatures, with big heads and a coating of 
yellowish or buff, fluffy down. 
To me the Bittern’s peculiar cry is most 
pleasing, and heard as it usually is, out on 
the marsh and in lonely haunts, the notes are 
doubly pleasing from their weird associations. 
I remember well the lines of Scott in his in¬ 
imitable Lady of the Lake, where he refers to 
this uncanny bird, 
“Well rest tliee; for the bittern’s cry 
Sings us the lake’s wild lullaby.’’ 
It may be that the agreeable study of this 
pleasing poem when a child gave rise to 
lasting associations and memories. I have 
learned since that the Bittern of Scotland is, 
however, entirely different from our appar¬ 
ently stupid Indian Hen, but this cannot al¬ 
ter my memorizing by rhyme, or change 
pleasing memories; for every bird has, to me, 
loving associations, and agreeable thoughts 
if I will but allow my 
the grove, marsh, lake 
Scolopax. 
Kalamzoo, Mich. 
O.&O. XIV. Aug. 1889 p. 120-121 
are ever generated 
mind to wander to 
or river. 
