The American Bittern in Oswego 
Co., N. Y. 
BY C. C. MAXFIELD, WILLARD, N. Y. 
The Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus ), is as far 
as my observations go, not a very abundant in¬ 
habitant of Oswego county, although found 
under favorable conditions in most of the 
swamps of the county, but rather hard to find. 
Several have been taken in a swamp three or 
four miles directly north of Phoenix. This 
place is not more than half a swamp, but is 
composed of extremely swampy woods, and 
also many acres of meadow that is annually 
overrun with water, some of which remains 
the whole year. There is a small creek run¬ 
ning through it. 
I secured a fine specimen, a male, in the 
spring of 1885, in a very small swale, which is 
completely dried up in the summer months, 
and of not more than two or three acres in ex- 
9f ll pun sSSo jo qas araospireq A.iaA u Sauna 
-as Aq pindaj qaAi sum q ‘uoiq.iaxa qua.ig jaqju 
‘.iOAa.uoij "spuauj pajaqquaj ajqqq fra qq;M 
ssaujsnq gmqausuu.iq .ioj qjaj suuaui ajqqq puq j 
(spooM aqq Siuuuhavs .reaA aqq jo amiq siqq qu) 
‘saoqmbsom aqq qqiM guqqquq spnuq Am pun aa.iq 
aqq puno.n? pauiMqua sgaj a'ui qqi A \ -ungaq 
qsnf Apio pnq jjjom Am mus j paqauaa sum qmq 
aqq uaqAv pun qmqo oq aa.iq qinnqqp Ajoa n sum 
II -ajdrui Aqjoj n jo quuj qs.iy aqq uo ‘puno.ig 
aqq tuo-ij qaaj Aqjoj araos qsau n pajaAoasip uoos 
pun Ajasop a.ioui pauuunxa j ‘ssa.iqsip qna.mddn 
sqi joj paqsixa asnna araos Suiqmqq pun 
u‘w,, u‘Wu innuiquoo n dn qdaq qj -sapads 
siqq sum qi Mauq j ‘qqgis qs.ip qy -aa.iq qnq n jo 
saqounaq aqq Suquiu paqoaad p.nq ajqqjj n mus j 
‘asja guiqqAuu unqq Aqisoi.mo moqj aaom dn gin 
Rail’s nest was found, containing ten eggs, all 
slightly incubated; no fresh ones. 
The Bittern usually rests in some marsh, ad¬ 
jacent to a stream of water or swamp. Nest 
composed of dry and green grass in about equal 
proportions. Nest is raised above the surface 
of the ground from six to eight inches and 
completely covered over with dead, dry grass, 
only leaving an opening in one side for the en¬ 
trance of the bird. 
The nests found in this vicinity, for the find¬ 
ing of which we are indebted to Benj. F. Hess, 
have only contained two and three eggs, all of 
which were fresh, showing a possibility of the 
sets not being full ones. 
The eggs are of a light creamy, brown color, 
and vary somewhat, but the average with us is 
2.10x1.63. _ „ „ 
O.&O. XII.Nov. 188? p.;a$. 
