Botaurus lentiginosus. 
Maine (Lake Uiribagog ). 
1871 
June 
3.; On the largest of the floating islands near the 
house Vfe found three nests to-day, containing respective¬ 
ly six, five, and throe eggs, all quite fresh. The 
nests were rude structures of sticks placed on the quak¬ 
ing, boggy ground in a matted bed of cassa,ndra, bushes 
and all v/'ithxn a few rods o'-" one' arothor. The females 
sat closely rising only when nearly trodden on. We 
found only one male on the island. He boomed at all 
tiroes of the day, and even after the nests vrere robbed 
did not desert the place. 
Those floating islarids of which t’'.eyo several in fee 
Lake are singular and interesting formations, composed 
of interlaced roots and tussocks more or less covered 
with Cassandra bushes, alders, and Cornus stol oni fera. 
The one v/here the Bittern nests v/ere found has tvro larch 
trees fiitoen or tv/enty feet high . They are literally 
vegetable rafts, rising and falling vrith the v/ater of 
the jjake. This Bit - ern island is said to have ccmo '"rom 
a point a mile or more distant, breaking loose from its 
original moorings and drifting to the spot where it now 
stands. Its surfa.ee is quaking and more or less treach¬ 
erous. yielding several inches at each foot-^t&pi and oc¬ 
casionally breaking through. 
1872, 
J un .0 
A nest with five perfectly fresh eggs on the 'hioa- 
ting island. 
1873. 
Sept.1. 
1876. 
One shot August 30 ar.\d another to-da 
y. 
May 26. 
June 3. 
A male uttering his singular notes on the floating 
island near the house and another ansv^ering him from a 
smaller island near Stone’s landing. We paddled to 
within a few yards of the first but could not see him as 
he \Yas concealed among the grass and bushes. His cry 
Yras as follov/s: Qr.~lu.mp, jq^m.p-er loomb the last three 
sylablos repeated five times in succession. The-first 
making a sort of prelude to the wh&lo performance. Oc-’ 
casionally a seventh uttereneo ‘was added as if he was 
not altogether satisfied with what he had accomplished. 
The first syiablo has a watery swallowing sound; the 
second IS exactly like a distant axe stroke on resonant 
wood; while the last sounds like the echo of the stroke, 
On the floating island in front of the Stone f; 
started a female bittern from her nest. 
i-rm. 
, .... It Y/as small 
ric,t, ana com.posed ontiroly of dead twigs placed on the 
ry ground among the thickest bushes. The eggs were 
two with embryos forming, and the renx 
five in number 
dor fresh. The bird croaked as she 
ly out of sight, and did not return. 
-in- 
rose, flov; direst- 
