counties, in a condition of plumage that entirely precluded
the idea of their having crossed the channel, or,
indeed, of their ever having flown for more than a very
short distance. Although the Little Bittern can in no
sense be termed “ common” in our islands, it would be
equally incorrect to call it very rare, and I find in
Yarrell at p. 203 (vol. supr. cit.) that “ there is probably
not a county in England in which it has not been
observed” ; it has also occurred occasionally in Scotland
and Ireland. I never myself met with this species in a
wild state in England, although I am convinced that I
have heard its note in Northamptonshire, but I made a
fairly intimate acquaintance with it in the Ionian Islands
and the province of Epirus, and it is on my experiences
in that part of the world that I give the following
remarks:—The Little Bittern arrives in Corfu and on
the opposite mainland of Turkey during the first fortnight
of April, and for a few days after its arrival may
be met with amongst the currant-vines, in the young
green corn, in gardens, amongst the rocks of the seashore,
and often perched in olive- or orange-trees at a
considerable height from the ground; from the actions
of my dogs I believe that when these birds are disturbed
in covert they often sneak off in a crouching attitude
with long strides, after the manner of a Rail, but quite
as often, when closely approached, they behave in the
same way as the Common Bittern in similar circumstance,—
drawing themselves out to their full length
with every feather tightly compressed, and beaks pointing
straight to the sky, so as to present as narrow a
front view as possible, with the object of attempting to
escape observation from the similarity of the plumage of
their necks and breasts to the brown and yellow tints of
the reeds, flags, and other aquatic vegetation amongst
which they are often to be found. The nest of this
species is usually, but not invariably, built amongst
growing reeds: one before me as I write is composed
entirely of dry flag-leaves, and contained five white eggs
with a very faint tinge of green; this nest was taken in
the summer of 1890 from the vast reed-beds in the
neighbourhood of Valencia. The food of the Little
Bittern consists of small fishes, reptiles, and insects of
all sorts. A friend informs me that one of these birds
in his possession supported itself to a great extent by
catching the mice and lizards that came into the aviary
in which it was kept in the island of Tenerife.
Some forty years ago a good many Little Bitterns
were frequently sent alive from Holland to Leadenhall
Market, but of late years I have had no offer of this
species from that quarter: most of these birds were
adults that had been snared at their nests, a large proportion
of them were injured about their heads, and
seldom lived for any length of time, but I have had fair
success in keeping the few young birds that I have
obtained ; they are, however, delicate, and very restless
at night, they frequently become very tame, and their
extraordinary attitudes and grotesque actions are very
interesting, but, as a rule, they are shy of observation.
The only note that I ever heard uttered by this species
is, to my ear, best rendered by “ woogh,” “ woogh,”—a
sort of deep guttural cough. Although, as I have above
stated, the Little Bittern, on its first arrival, may be met