flags which covered an area only a few yards square. After 
fixing the spot from whence the sound came with all possiole 
accuracy and most satisfactorily, I sculled the boat to it 
slowly and silently and just as the bow was on the point of 
crashing into the flags the Bittern, a beautiful male with 
steel blue back and crown, rose from a bunch of flags within 
15 or twenty feet of us and directly ahead of the boat. The 
island was here only a few yards across and almost the only 
shelter it afforded was the cluster of cat-tail whence the 
Bittern sprang. We could find no other bird near except a 
Florida Gallinule which swam out of the bushes twenty or thirty 
yards from where we found the Bittern and which we had 
previously heard repeatedly making its own characteristic 
cries. Faxon and I were both perfectly satisfied with the 
strong evidence obtained on this occasion that the Least 
Bittern is the author of the cooing. This, to-day, when we 
were near (i.e. within 40 yards of the bird) had the same 
deep, hollow, somewhat raucous quality that I noticed last 
year at Ball's Hill. To-day our bird usually uttered five 
notes, co-co- co , co- co , with a slight pause after the third 
and a distinct accent on the fourth. 
Previous to t>-day Faxon had no knowledge of the 
presence of Least Bitterns on this pond. As he has spent 
many days there during the past two seasons without either 
seeing or hearing them, it seems probable that they are 
recent acquisitions to the place. 
ft 
