1876. 
Botaurus lentiginosus. 
liaine (Lake Urnbagog). 
(June 5) 
Landing on the floating island near the Stone place 
to search for nests I was parting the matted Cassandra bu¬ 
shes v/ith my paddle when I felt a tap on its blade. 
Investigating further I vras surprised to-find a Bittern 
sitting on her nest v^ithin a yard'of' me-: She vras so 
puffed up that the nest was entirely concealed, and in¬ 
deed nothing of her shape v/as visible, except a mass of 
brown plumage with the small head arid bill prospecting 
from between her shoulders not a particle of her neck 
being esposed. After looking at her for some'time I 
again poked her with the paddle v/hen she struck at it 
forcibly, at the same time erecting the feathers of the 
crovrn. I actually tried for several minutes to push 
her off the nest using much force and bending the slen¬ 
der paddle almost to the point of breaking it. Finally 
setting the blade behind her head I pushed it forvrard 
holding it on the ground so firmly that she began to 
gasp for breath. At length the paddle slipped off 
vhen Si^e at once took v/ing in silence arid flow to the 
opposite shore. There vroro only tvro eggs in the nest 
and I left them in hopes that she vrould lay more but 
returning a fey days later I found them cold and vret and 
the nest evidently deserted. There was not a trace of 
fear in^her expression but instead fierce and sullen do- 
termiua bion. This nest lead some dry grass arranged as 
a lining. Like the one found June 3 it was placed on 
the highest and dryest part of the island; but Tinlike 
xt. It was so overarched by the thickly growing Cassan¬ 
dra pushes that this bird in entering and leaving it 
must have had to walk several steps in a crouching poso- 
tion beneath the interlaced twigs. 
1881. 
’’ay 23. 
One singing in Leaonard’s Pond. 
1882. 
Oct.8-22 
One shot October 14. Its stomach contained a wa¬ 
ter beetle. 
