Bitterns 
less long — attached to either side of his back just above 
the shoulders. When we had a side view of him, the outline 
of the ruffs was completely lost but there seemed to be a 
band of white as broad as one's hand extending between the 
shoulders quite across the back. Thus, whichever way he 
moved or faced, the white was always shown,most conspicuously, 
however, when he turned towards us. It was not ever dull 
or faint or even yellowish, whether seen in bright sunlight , 
as on the morning of the 17th, or under dark lowering skies, 
as on the afternoon of the 18th. On the contrary, at all 
times and under all conditions when we saw it at all, it 
appeared to be pure white. 
When the bird was rambling through the short, rich 
green grass or over blackish mud, at a distance of two 
hundred yards or more, the white was often the only thing we 
could see. It made an odd impression on the mind , as it 
moved about without visible means of propulsion and had we 
not known just what it was, it might well have puzzled us 
to account for it. YJhen the bird was standing or crouching 
motionless under the same conditions of environment, it 
looked equally like a small patch of snow or a good-sized 
sheet of white paper, lying in the marsh. It was so very 
conspicuous that anyone looking out casually over the 
marsh could not have failed to notice it at the first glance. 
As I have said, it opened out rather slowly, as a 
rule, and never very abruptly. Its disappearance was 
