Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31

cry cat-tails continues at the rate of 40
barrels per year-it is reported that Mr..
William A. Whitaker sent that amount
from Old Orchard to London last season for
the purpose of making cushions and fancy
pillows-without doubt the Bittern will be
obliged to change his spots, or rather his
stripes, to correspond with the markings of
less marketable swamp growths; and If one
studies evolution in connection with animal
intelligence he will find no difficulty in as
surfing himself of the Bittern's ability to
adapt his markings to his surroundings, In
the course of time.
1t is during the frogs twilight hour that
the Bittern's counting song is most fire.
quently heard, and many are the interpre-
tations of his notes, which at best have a
preponderance of ks" He is called the
'.Dunk-a-doo" bird in some sections, while
others render his MARBLE" into ''punk-ah-
gong and Notwithstanding, though
many compare his music to the working of
an old wooden pump. Booming Blttern Is
also one Of his many appellations. and 1T is
exceedingly appropriate, as his notes re-
semble a hollow, booming sound. more than
anything else. Like those of the cowbird,
they are accompanied by fantastic contor-
lions resembling those of person afflicted
with sea sickness, though Bradford Torrey
compares these motions to 'hiccoughs." 1t
is an old tale, but fabulous. that the bird
first swallows quantities of water in order
to produce these sounds by ejecting 1t.
The favorite occupation of the Bittern
seems to be hunting and fishing, and in
which he evidently finds much amusement.
The long summer days are spent in lying
in wait for such game as frogs, salaman-
der and small snakes, though occasionally
he deyotes his attention to winged insects
and such small fry as come within range
of his bill. One sometimes sees him going
through certain dance-like movements on
some muddy beach, but that is only his
fashion of treading molluskS out of the
soft loan.
The Bittern builds its nest Of the dried
leaves Of the cat-tail or other plant. in
some secluded. marshy spot. According to
Langille whose descriptive life histories are
excellent authority. its nest may often be
found built on the water and anchored
among the sedges; he adds that it Is some
times constructed by merely lattening
with SO little foundation that it is wonder
full that they should sustain the sitting bird
and her complement of four or five brown
ish dark drab eggs.
While watching my lonesome Bittern I
managed to keep so quiet and silent that
he evidently soon forgot me and became in
tent on tadpoles, gradually assuming his
usual position, with head drawn in, back
bumped and one foot drawn up under him
quite out of sight, but any Bittern game
that should be taken in by that lost In
meditation" attitude would have cause to
rue his trust, for the yellow eyes. though
half closed, are observant of all movements
near and far, and nothing escapes their no
tice. After while, when / tired of my
own bittern-like position, and made a
the huddled-up, one-legged mass of feathers
became a wide-eyed, alert, animated post
again; while I momentarily turned away
my eyes, he vanished like a ghost, slipping
out of sight completely; I saw him no more
that day, and was left gazing blankly into
a watery wilderness of cat-tails, arrow
heads and short-lived pickerel blossoms.
I have often observed this slipping out