A 




















34 a HE NATURAL HISTORY 
He feldom flies, but when, he entirely leayg 
the marfh for fome other fituation. 
The Bittern makes a very loud and difagreeablj . 
noife, like the bellowing of a bull, but hollow 
si oder, and it is heard at the diftance of; 
mile. 
He ike. a great number of frogs, and re : 
into the woods to kill rats, which he f{walloy 
whole. 
Bitterns make their nefts upon tufts of ruthe 
(among the recds) of the leaves of water plants,j 
the month of April. ‘They lay five or fix egg 
and hatch in twenty-four or twenty-five da 
The old ones feed their young with leeches, li 
zards, and the fpawn of frogs; and when theya 
a little grown, they bring to them young e¢ 
One of the old Bitterns continually watches t 
neft. 
No bird defends itfelf better than the Bitterg 
he even ufes his beak and his claws againfti 
fowler who has fhot him. 
He is often hunted by Falcons, trained for th 
purpofe: when he is terrified, he rifes very hig 
among the clouds, flying upwards in a fpiralg 
winding direction. On this account he was cal 
by the Latins, Stellaris, or the Star-reachi 
Bird. 
