Milford chronicle., 1892-08-12
squawk No. 4


MY article published in the CHRONI-
Gle on 25th, all about Bittern and
''SquawlSs" was prompted more in humor
at the idea of any person eating these
birds, than as a scientific decriptipn of
them. yet it has called forth a kindly
notice from"G. L. S of Lincoln. He
says "the word Squawk is not found in
Webster, hence is difficult to define when
applied to fish, flesh or fowl" True, it is
not found in Webster, but he will find
the qua bird. or American night heron,
or kwah bird fully defined in Bingley's
Natural History, which is described
substantially as we know it, lie" when
cuolness of evening arouse the dosing
throng into life, soaring high in air pro-
ceed to remote marshes in marshalled
rank, uttering cultural sound of the syl-
liable 'kwah. in so hollow and sepulcher
a tone as almost to resemble the retchings
Of vomiting person" I imagine that
this description also resembles that
nauseating retching of those who eat
them.
Some rs or 80 years ago the marshes of
Cedar Creek from below Cedar Creek
Mills tn the iron bridge were overlooked
with water the year round, from one to
three feet deep; tens of thousands of
ducks, herons, bittern. night herons,
rail, snipe, water-hens marsh-hens and
wild geese reso-ted there, and in season
scarce a day passed that Milford sports.
men were not thers shooting waterfowl
and a great many bittern and night
herons were shot From which it may
be inferred that we know all about the
squawk. Wilson, the Ornithologist, says
"the 'kwah birds breeding haunts are
the red cedar groves on the sea beach at
Cape May. N. J., aud in the heronry at
Thompsons' P int, Del" They also
breed in the pine woods on the farm of
Mr. Benjamin Potter, in Cedar Neck,
Del.
&c. L. s" is right in stating that the
bittern breeds in reedy placesI
but wrong in saying the bittern is a
day bird, but is seen flying to
its roosting place till day light is near
gone, in place fgoing to feeding grounds
as do the nightheron. If the bittern
goes to roost at night he is most uproari-
Gus, through apprehend it may be that he
gets home late, and is the victim of a cur
tain lecture. Be the case as it may,
Chambers Encyclopedia defines its habits
as follows: They are almost all solitary,
reedy and marshy places,
where they lie hidden during the day, and
will almost allow themselves to be trod-
den upon eve they take wing they ./eed
day7Ag The night, and omit loud resound-
ing cries, it is dangerous to approach It
when wounded, as it strikes
with its long, sharp bill if possible, at the
eye" Again &c L. S." says there is
another very common bird in our marshes
very much belied by traditional name
handed down by our fore-fathers from
Bowers to Chincoteague, the king Rail,
which is called by the inhabitants Marsh
hen. The Marsh or Mud hen proper is a
species OF duck. vet it is not duck. ETC."
The Marsh or Mud hen belongs to the
rail family, so does the water-hen or GALL
mile or chicken duck. which is correctly
iedned by &c. L s" What purpose
would it serve to call the water-heu a
and the Msrsh hen a King
all All through Delaware the salt water
Harsh-hen is known as the Marsh hen,
ii New Jersey it is known as the mud
zen the waterhen Is called the chicken.
luck. They are named from me char J
icteristic features Of their make up, or
rom their habits, and to change their
would confuse the language t
md render analogy less perspiruous.
Juttall defines the water-hen as "a water '
owl named from its quaint resemblance Il
o the common domestic fowl" Hence y
We natural and properly call it a chicken
luck or gallinule, it belongs to the rail
amily. but King rail is about as clear :
o the popular mind as Jack rabbit or a
ack snipe. AN OLD sPoRTMAN.